Low Level Of Utilization Research Articles

Channel Assignment Based on CSMA-Aware Interference Model With Overlapped Channels in Multiradio Multichannel Wireless Mesh Networks

Multi-radio Multi-channel Wireless Mesh Networks (MRMC WMNs) implemented on IEEE 802.11 standards are widely used owing to their adaptability in practical network scenarios. The channel assignment problem in MRMC WMNs has been extensively studied. However, in most of the existing works, only orthogonal wireless channels are considered owing to the complexity of the channel assignment problem, which results in a low level of spatial utilization. This paper introduces partially overlapping channels into the CSMA-aware interference and shared link capacity models to fully exploit the spectrum resource and improve network capacity, utilizing both orthogonal channels and partially overlapping channels in IEEE 802.11 2.4 GHz bands. We formulate this problem as a mixed-integer linear program (MILP). We propose a traffic-demand-aware collision-free partially overlapping channel assignment (TAC-POCA), which uses all the available channels and achieves collision-free end-to-end flow transmissions to attain load balance. Simulation results show that TAC-POCA leads to better utilization of the spectrum resource and throughput improvement in both grid and random topology networks than in the case of using only orthogonal channels.

РОЗВИТОК МОЛОКОПЕРЕРОБНОЇ ГАЛУЗІ УКРАЇНИ: ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ СТРАТЕГІЧНОГО МАРКЕТИНГОВОГО ПЛАНУВАННЯ

The article provides a detailed analysis of the daity industry of Ukraine. The prerequisites that determine the need for strategic marketing planning of dairy enterprises were indicated. The author singled out the necessity of researching the dairy industry, which is due to the following reasons: significant market capacity and development rates; marketing complications regarding the promotion of dairy products and seasonal fluctuations in demand; the unstable situation in the industry, which is associated with the unsatisfactory state of the raw material base and the uncompetitiveness of products. The significant increase in the cost of fuel and lubricants, the distance of dairies from the raw material base, the undeveloped structure of procurement points in rural areas, the increase in the cost of raw materials, the devaluation of the Ukrainian currency negatively affect the development of dairy enterprises and lead to a reduction in their production volumes. A detailed analysis of the trends in the development of the dairy industry in Ukraine made it possible to claim a reduction in the volume of milk production and various types of dairy products in Ukraine in the period 2013–2020 and to single out the main reasons: a reduction in the number of cows; increase in purchase prices for the main raw material – milk; a low level of capacity utilization as a result of an insufficient amount of raw materials; decrease in demand for dairy products due to the insufficiently high purchasing power of the population; a high level of competition from powerful enterprises equipped with modern equipment and technologies, etc. It was noted that the basis of the development of the dairy industry of Ukraine, and, in particular, milk processing enterprises, is the state support of this industry. It was proven that in order to maintain the existing market share, dairy enterprises must apply measures of publicity and sales promotion, combining their actions within the scope of the implementation of measures in the field of promotion.

Waste utilization market in the regions of Ukraine: current state analysis and main development trends

Modern development trends in waste management in the Ukrainian regions indicate the narrowing of the potential for waste processing and consolidation of the practice of their removal both in specially designated places and unauthorized spontaneous landfills. Unlike the EU countries, where the secondary processing of a significant part of the generated waste is carried out, a low level of waste utilization and processing is observed in Ukraine due to the limited development of processing. Despite the declared priority of the waste management problem, a certain improvement of the legal framework, and the implementation of state and regional profile target programs, the total amount of waste accumulated during operation continues to grow. The existing regulatory and legal gaps in waste management in Ukraine do not allow efficient implementation and achievement of the requirements for the functioning of this field declared at the national and regional levels. A change in the conceptual approach of state and local authorities in waste management from the dominance of waste disposal to prevention and reduction of waste generation and expansion of the practice of sorting, recycling, and use of energy and secondary material resources is the key to achieving the positive changes in solving these problems in Ukraine. Within the framework of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, Ukraine undertook obligations related to the harmonization of its legislation in waste and secondary resources management with the EU legislation. These obligations stimulate it to reform this area in accordance with modern norms and standards based on the principles of circular economy and resource and energy conservation. The article establishes that the current state of the waste utilization and processing market in Ukraine depends on the development and support level of entrepreneurial initiatives in this area, as well as the interest of regional authorities and specialized communal organizations in strengthening and expanding their own resource potential. According to the analysis of the waste utilization and processing market in Ukraine, three main groups of barriers that prevent its development are identified. A list of priority profile tasks, the consistent implementation of which will allow overcoming these obstacles and creating favorable conditions to boost the recycling market development in Ukraine in the near future, is proposed.

National and subnational variations in gender relations and the utilization of maternal healthcare services in Nigeria.

Introductionpoor maternal health outcomes remain a major public health issue in Nigeria. These have been shown to be affected by the low level of utilization of maternal healthcare services. This study investigates the levels of gender relations (GR) among Nigerian women and how these influence their utilization of maternal healthcare services. The relations are conceptualized as feminine (FGR), masculine (MGR) and egalitarian.Methodsdata on household decision-making, antenatal care (ANC) visits, health facility delivery, and associated sociodemographic variables, were extracted from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey for 29,992 parous women aged 15-49 for a cross-sectional study. Associations were investigated using Chi-Square and regression analyses.Resultswomen with FGR constituted 5.7% of the population at the national level, while subnational variations ranged from 1.8% in the North-East to 12.8% in the South-South regions. The prevalence rates of the recommended minimum ANC visits (RMANC) and health facility delivery were 42.1% and 30.0% at the national level and were lowest in the northern regions. At both the unadjusted and adjusted levels, FGR was not significantly associated with RMANC and health facility delivery at the national level and in all the regions except the South-West. MGR was however significantly associated with increased odds of RMANC (OR: 2.235, CI: 2.043-2.444) and health facility delivery (OR: 2.571, CI: 2.369-2.791) at national level. Significant subnational variations in the association between gender relations and the utilization of maternal healthcare services were also recorded.Conclusionsub-national variations in GR and their varying impacts on the utilization of maternal healthcare services in Nigeria suggest that gender-related policies to improve maternal health outcomes should be location-specific, rather than general. As FGR did not affect maternal healthcare services utilization, educating men on the benefits of supporting their wives to scale-up utilization is recommended.

Distinguishing Features of AAA-Healthcare Partnerships: Business Acumen Is Necessary but Not Sufficient

Stronger relationships among service providers in the health care and social service sectors may contribute to positive outcomes such as lower health care use and spending. Such partnerships have grown in recent years, including Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) contracting with health care organizations, and their impact on health care utilization has been demonstrated. Nevertheless, knowledge about how AAAs establish and manage successful collaborations is limited. This study was designed to understand how AAAs in regions with low levels of avoidable health care utilization develop and sustain partnerships with health care organizations. We conducted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods, positive deviance study. In the quantitative phase, we identified 8 AAAs with multiple health care partners serving areas with little utilization of nursing homes by residents with low-care needs, and 3 with few partners and high utilization for comparison. In the qualitative phase, we identified key informants within AAAs and their partners for in-depth interviews (total n = 123). We used the constant comparative method of analysis to identify 5 factors that characterized partnerships in the highly-partnered, low-utilization sites: 1) Regional context (e.g., breadth of health care provider market, cross-sectoral coalitions), 2) AAA human resource assets (e.g., community expertise, business acumen), 3) AAA organizational culture (e.g., visionary leadership, risk taking), 4) Interdependence among organizations (e.g., mutual benefit, alignment), and 5) Interpersonal dynamics (e.g., trust, relationships). The importance of these regional, organizational, and relational factors suggests that AAA business acumen is necessary but not sufficient to build and sustain robust cross-sectoral partnerships.

Impact of Government Welfare Schemes on Empowerment of Minority Women in Karnataka

Purpose: Even though the government had taken many initiatives for the empowerment of minority women but the success of such initiatives is questionable. A strong tool for perfect empowerment requires financial independence and self-reliant, and this can be achieved only through financial support. With this intention, a present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of awareness and utilisation of various welfare schemes on the empowerment of minority women. Design/Methodology/Approach: A study was conducted in Karnataka by taking 388 minority women as a sample unit. Simple random sampling techniques were used to select sample units and primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Hypotheses are developed to support the primary objective and tested with simple regression analysis. Findings/Result: The study found that minority women have a very low level of awareness and utilisation of government welfare schemes which has adversely affected the overall development of minority women. This study suggested to take awareness programs for minority women in rural areas to achieve overall empowerment in India. Paper Type: Analytical Paper

Factors influencing utilization of municipal solid waste compost among urban farmers in western Uganda

BackgroundEffective management of solid waste is one of the most serious environmental problems confronting urban governments in developing countries due to insufficient financial resources and institutional capacity to provide basic solid waste management infrastructure, impoverished urban populations, low rates and coverage of collection, and rising food consumption rates. Composting has been touted as the most economical solution for reducing organic fraction of urban waste volumes while releasing vital nutrients for the soils. However, there is a paucity of information on utilization and associated factors of urban wastes in Uganda. This study aims to assess the level of utilization of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) compost produced from Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) plants and associated factors among farmers in Fort Portal and Mbarara Municipalities, western Uganda.MethodsData was collected using a cross-sectional survey from 359 and 361 randomly selected farmers in Mbarara and Fort Portal, respectively. A semi-structured questionnaire was employed to collect quantitative data and analyzed statistically using SPSS and STATA statistical programs. Probit model was used to determine factors that influence farmers’ decisions to utilize MSW compost as a soil conditioner.ResultsThe findings revealed a very low level of utilization in both municipalities, 1.7% in Fort Portal and 2.2% in Mbarara. The results indicated that annual farm income, access to other soil conditioners, experience with the use of fertilizers, membership to a farmers’ group and the cost of MSW compost significantly influenced farmers’ decision to use MSW compost.ConclusionsThe findings call for government investment in policies aimed at increasing the level of utilization of the MSW compost by improving accessibility to soil conditioners, creating opportunities for maximizing household incomes, farmer-to-farmer experience sharing, dissemination of information through extension programmes and other innovative communication approaches, operationalization of farmers’ groups and introduction of subsidy schemes on the price of compost through operational tax waivers in urban areas of Uganda. Finally, to guarantee quality and to improve the adoption of compost generated at the CDM plants, there is a need for research to assess the quality of MSW compost, undertake a supply chain analysis and cost–benefit study and set a price commensurate with the quality, and develop guidelines and rates of application of the MSW compost.

Understanding female condom use, acceptance, accessibility, awareness and knowledge among female public health students in a Nigerian university: A cross-sectional study

Background: The female condom is both a means of mechanical contraception and protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwed pregnancies. The use and uptake of female condoms have been advocated as one of the safest ways to halt the risk of unplanned/unwanted pregnancies and STIs including HIV. Our study aimed to explore the knowledge, awareness, utilization, acceptance and accessibility of FC among female public health students in a Nigerian University. Methods: One hundred and ninety (190) female public health students took part in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data between August and December 2019. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 23. Results: Overall percentage awareness of female condoms usage in this study was 52.0%. Less than a quarter (22.4%) reported having seen a pack of female condoms, while the remaining 77.6% of the participants reported having never seen a pack of female condoms. In addition, the majority (87.4%) of the respondents did not know whether a female condom interferes with sexual pleasure/sensation. The majority of the respondents (77.4%) concurred that utilizing a female condom implies that "I don't trust my partner". Concerning accessibility of the female condom, only 1.8% agreed that FC is easily accessible while more than half (54.2%) are uncertain of the accessibility. Conclusion: Our study revealed a low level of knowledge and utilization of female condoms, and also limited access to the female condom as well as unsatisfactory acceptance and suboptimal awareness level which were suggested by the overall percentages in the study.

Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Usage Ofclimate Driven Seed Maize in Zimbabwe

The study sought to analyze the factors influencing the use of climate specific certified seeds by maize farmers in Zimbabwe. In terms of the specific objectives the study determined the level of certified seeds produced and utilized in Zimbabwe and examined the factors that influence the level of climate specific certified seeds by farmers in Zimbabwe (2010-2016) farming seasons. In terms of the research methodology, the study adopted an explanatory and gathered data from 53 participants within the maize value chain using a questionnaire. Drawing from the findings, the study revealed that the certified seed maize production increased significantly although utilization declined in the same 2010-2016 period and the surplus gap between supply and demand of certified seed was exported due to low local utilization level. The research concluded that 11.38% of the variance in certified seed maize utilized by farmers under unions are explained by the price of hybrid seed maize, quantities of fertilizer, seed maize, herbicides produced by agricultural companies as well as age differences, educational differences, backward and forward markets within the maize value chain. In order to address the gap between seedmaize produced and adopted by farmer unions, the government, must develop exist strategies which involves rural financing and lending options and prioritize a culture of investing innovations among farmer unions. Such investment strategies must provide access to climate specific certified seeds such as high analysis maize blend fertilizers, hybrid seeds, herbicides and irrigation equipment required as a package to improve maize production in Zimbabwe.

Virtual Machine Customization Using Resource Using Prediction for Efficient Utilization of Resources in IaaS Public Clouds

The main cause of energy wastage in cloud data centres is the low level of server utilization. Low server utilization is a consequence of allocating more resources than required for running applications. For instance, in Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) public clouds, cloud service providers (CSPs) deliver computing resources in the form of virtual machines (VMs) templates, which the cloud users have to choose from. More often, inexperienced cloud users tend to choose bigger VMs than their application requirements. To address the problem of inefficient resources utilization, the existing approaches focus on VM allocation and migration, which only leads to physical machine (PM) level optimization. Other approaches use horizontal auto-scaling, which is not a visible solution in the case of IaaS public cloud. In this paper, we propose an approach of customizing user VM’s size to match the resources requirements of their application workloads based on an analysis of real backend traces collected from a VM in a production data centre. In this approach, a VM is given fixed size resources that match applications workload demands and any demand that exceeds the fixed resource allocation is predicted and handled through vertical VM auto-scaling. In this approach, energy consumption by PMs is reduced through efficient resource utilization. Experimental results obtained from a simulation on CloudSim Plus using GWA-T-13 Materna real backend traces shows that data center energy consumption can be reduced via efficient resource utilization

Awareness and Contribution of African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables to Household Wellbeing: A Case of Smallholder Farmers in Kisii County, Kenya

This study investigated the contribution of African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (AILVs) to the welfare of smallholder farmers in Kisii County. AILVs have recently been attracting research attention not only in terms of their inherent nutrition quality and healing properties but also for their economic potential that is brought about by increased consumer demand of these vegetables. Despite having multiple benefits and positive promise towards contributing to household food dietary quality and income, utilization of African indigenous Leafy Vegetables (AILVs) by farming households is still low as indicated by a constant deficit in supply. Based on the claimed benefits in the face of low volumes in terms of utilization, this study sought to examine the socioeconomic characteristics of AILVs smallholders and factors that influence production of these vegetables in Bomachoge Borabu Sub-County, Kisii County Kenya. A Multistage sampling method was used to obtain a sample of 150 AILV farmers. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the socio-economic characteristics while Tobit model was utilized in analyzing the factors that influence production of AILVs. The Tobit regression results indicated that age, gender, education, value awareness, occupation and household income significantly influenced AILV production. The study concluded that engagement in AILVs utilization brings along unmatched benefits. The study recommends a long term campaign majorly targeting the young and the non-growing communities in creation of value awareness to improve on the utilization of the vegetables. The study also recommends a similar study in regions of the Country that record low levels of utilization.

Antibiotic use and irrational antibiotic prescriptions in 66 primary healthcare institutions in Beijing City, China, 2015\u20132018

ObjectivesTo identify the patterns of antibiotic use and irrational antibiotic prescriptions in primary healthcare institutions (PHIs) in Dongcheng District of Beijing, China.Materials and methodsAll primary healthcare institutions (7 community healthcare centres and 59 community healthcare stations in total) in Dongcheng District were included in the study. Prescription data from January 2015 to December 2018 was derived from the Beijing Prescription Reviewing System of Primary healthcare institutions and analysed retrospectively. The antibiotic prescription rate was calculated and cases of irrational antibiotic prescriptions were identified.ResultsWe extracted 11,166,905 prescriptions from the database. Only 189,962 prescriptions were included in the study, among which 9167 (4.8%) contained antibiotics. The antibiotic prescription rate fell from 5.2% in 2015 to 4.1% in 2018 while irrational antibiotic prescription rate increased from 10.4 to 11.8%. Acute Bronchitis was the most prevalent diagnosis (17.6%) for antibiotic prescriptions, followed by Unspecified Acute Respiratory Tract Infection (14.4%), Acute Tonsillitis (9.9%), and Urinary Tract Infection (6.4%). Around 10% of the prescriptions for the top 7 diagnoses identified were rated as irrational. Cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and macrolides were the most prescribed antibiotics, which accounted for 89.3% of all antibiotic prescriptions. Of all the antibiotic prescriptions, 7531 were reviewed, among which 939 (12.5%) were rated as irrational because of antibiotic use. Among all the irrational prescriptions, prescriptions with inappropriate antibiotic use and dosage accounted for the majority (54.4%).ConclusionAlthough a relatively low level of antibiotic utilization was found in PHIs in Dongcheng District of Beijing, the utilization patterns differed considerably from developed countries and irrational prescriptions remained. Considering the imbalanced allocation of medical resources between primary healthcare setting and secondary and tertiary hospitals, there need to be more efforts invested in regions with different levels of economic development.

Nutrition Graduate Students have Neutral Perceptions, Attitudes, and Self-efficacy Related to Utilizing and Conducting Research

Explore nutrition graduate students’ perceptions, attitudes and self-efficacy related to utilizing and conducting research. Low levels of research utilization and engagement have been reported by nutrition professionals. Numerous studies have investigated dietitians’ perceptions, attitudes and self-efficacy related to utilizing and conducting research but few studies have focused on these factors in nutrition students. Nutrition graduate students from a faith-based university (n=45, 93% female) participated in an online survey that assessed experience, perceptions, attitudes, and self-efficacy related to research. All items were adapted from valid, reliable 5-point scales scored from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Overall students had neither positive nor negative attitudes regarding research being part of a dietitian’s role (3.60±0.72). Students agreed that RDs should apply research in practice (4.51±0.85), but were less likely to believe that RDs should conduct research (3.90±0.95). Students’ rated their research self-efficacy slight above neutral (3.83± 0.71). Students were most confident in their ability to collect data and to develop research questions and were less confident in their ability to consent subjects and analyze data. Students were somewhat confident in their ability to participate in evidence-based practice (3.82, ±0.73) and in their ability to engage in collaborative research (3.98±0.78). Overall students had neutral perceptions, attitudes, and self-efficacy related to utilizing and conducting research as a part of their future career. Future research should examine the potential for additional graduate level research courses or experiences to improve students’ perceptions, attitudes and self-efficacy related to utilizing and conducting research. This may encourage students to utilize and conduct research upon entering the workforce and may in turn improve patient health outcomes.

Assessment of Information and Communications Technology Skills Possessed by Teachers in Technical Colleges of Kano State, Nigeria

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to assess of information and communications technology skills possessed by technical teachers in technical colleges of Kano State, Nigeria. Approach/Methodology/Design: A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 157 which consisted of 86 experienced and 71 inexperienced technical teachers of Technical Colleges in Kano State. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled: Assessment of Information and Communications Technology Skills Possession Question (AICTSPQ) developed by the researchers. The instrument was validated by three experts and a reliability coefficient of 0.78 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha reliability method. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions while z-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings: The finding of the study revealed that Technical teachers are unskillful in ICT operation such as MS excel, Photoshop, database, animation, forum and Corel draw; and have a low level of ICT utilization. Practical Implications: The findings of the study have implications for concerned authorities. The Government should provide ICT infrastructure in the State’s Technical Colleges in order to have conducive environment for teaching of the trade subjects and enforce integration by regular supervision among others. Originality/value: The technical teachers were unskilful in the following; MS excel, Photoshop, database, animation, forum and Corel draw, video conferencing, instructional game, interactive whiteboard and online teaching as the utilization of ICT facilities was low among technical teachers in Technical Colleges of Kano State.

Nitrogen and phosphorus removal in simulated wastewater by two aquatic plants.

Water pollution control is the focus of environmental pollution control. Ecological water treatment is widely used because of its low cost and landscape effect, and has no pollution. Aquatic plants have attracted wide attention because of their low cost and high level of resource utilization. In order to study the effects of emergent and submerged plants on the removal of different concentrations of wastewater, and the effect of pollutants on plant growth, two common aquatic plants found in Northeast China (Iris ensata Thunb. and Potamogeton malaianus Miq.) were selected. Under static conditions, the removal efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater with different concentrations by two kinds of plants was studied. The results showed that the removal rate of total nitrogen (TN) in medium- and high-pollutant concentration water samples and total phosphorus (TP) in medium- and low-pollutant concentration water with I. ensata reached more than 75%. The removal rate of TN in the medium-pollutant concentration water with P. malaianus reached 71.4%, while the removal efficiency of TN and TP in the low-pollutant concentration water was higher than 80%. In the Nanhu Park Lake samples, I. ensata had the highest removal rates of TN (80.38%) and TP (85.62%). This study shows that both I. ensata and P. malaianus can be used as aquatic plants to restore the water quality of urban lakes. This research provides an important basis for the phytoremediation and treatment of urban domestic wastewater and urban surface water bodies in Northern China.

What Went Wrong with Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana

Context: Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) had been implemented in India to improve access to quality health care, reducing out-of-pocket (OOP) and catastrophic health expenditure. Aims: We aimed to evaluate the current status of RSBY in rural areas of a district in West Bengal. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was done in erstwhile “Burdwan Health District,” West Bengal. Subjects and Methods: This study was conducted from September 2016 to August 2018. Primary study units were below poverty line (BPL) families; members of selected families comprised the study subjects. The calculated sample size was 350 families, out of which 324 could be studied covering 22 blocks following multistage sampling technique. Data were collected by interviewing head of the family (HOF). Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results: Awareness on different benefits and features of RSBY varied widely from 6.8% to 97.2%. Overall current enrollment rate was 79.6%, while 20.4% of families remained nonenrolled. On the multivariable logistic regression, type of family, socioeconomic status of the family, and education of HOF were significant variables predicting nonenrollment. Among enrolled BPL families, 24.0% and 8.1% utilized services under RSBY since their enrollment and in the last 1 year, respectively. OOP expenditure, nonprovision of free food, inadequate posthospital treatment, inattentiveness of doctor and hospital staff, etc., were major difficulties faced in utilization of services. Conclusions: Nonenrollment in RSBY was quite high in the area with few predicting variables. Low level of utilization of services was also noted with some obstacles.

Penerapan Lubang Resapan Biopori Sebagai Upaya Peningkatan Kualitas Lingkungan di Desa Darmaji

Darmaji Village is one of the villages on the island of Lombok which has potential in the field of food and the environment. The main problem in the environmental sector is the presence of standing water in residential areas during the rainy season and the low level of waste utilization. Efforts to overcome this are the application of bio pure infiltration holes that can act as water absorption media, increase groundwater reserves, and compost media in Darmaji village. The method of implementation is by making several pilot locations and socialization through brochures and leaflets. The results of this activity made many residents interested in applying biopori in their homes. So it is hoped that in the future it can overcome environmental problems and support tourism activities on the island of Lombok in Darmaji Village.

Internal efficiency of public vocational training centres in Kenya

The efficiency of educational institutions is critical in the justification of resource allocation and use. However, some developing countries like Kenya face efficiency challenges regarding resource utilisation and the flow of students through the school system at various levels of education and programs. Past research in Kenya has focused more on resource utilisation in public schools. Very few studies have looked at the internal efficiency of public vocational training centres (VTCs). This paper assesses the level of internal efficiency in Kenya's public vocational training institutions through a mixed research design. The findings reveal low levels of internal efficiency as indicated by low enrolment, high dropout and low completion rates in the VTC institutions. The result also shows a low level of tutor utilisation. These results provide vital insights into improving the internal efficiency of public vocational training institutions in developing countries. The study recommends, among other things, subsidisation of examination fees to enhance students' completion rates.

UNDERLYING FACTORS AFFECTING UTILIZATION OF COMPUTER – BASED INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES BY AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION PERSONNEL IN AKWA IBOM, NIGER DELTA, NIGERIA

The study sought to examine factors affecting utilization of Computer Based Internet Technologies (CBIT) by extension personnel in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Relevant data were obtained from 180 respondents, while data analyses were achieved with the aid of descriptive and inferential statistical tools. Findings showed that 57.8 % of the respondents were male, 91.7% were married, with a mean age of 43years, while 62.8% respondents had no formal computer training. It was also revealed that, of the nine surveyed CBIT facilities and applications, only mobile phones were highly utilized, while I-pads/laptops and YouTube were the least utilized. It was also revealed that 62.8% respondents indicated that they had a low level of CBIT utilization, while level of CBIT utilisation was found to be influenced by financial, training, policy/personal barriers, social, technical and management factors. Results of tested hypotheses revealed that CBIT utilisation was not influenced by respondents’ personal characteristics, and no significant difference was observed in terms of level of CBIT utilization between field extension personnel (FEP) and supervisory extension personnel (SEP). It was concluded that extension personnel are constrained from using CBIT due to the prohibitive cost of CBIT software and maintenance, inappropriate infrastructure and lack of access to training opportunities. It is recommended, among others, that policy makers should facilitate the evolution of appropriate CBIT policies to enhance access to appropriate tools by extension personnel.

Integrating life cycle assessment for design and optimization of methanol production from combining methane dry reforming and partial oxidation

CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) is a potential solution for combating global warming potential. Utilization of CO2 as a renewable raw material for producing methanol has been intensively investigated. Nevertheless, the benefits of CO2 utilization cannot be guaranteed unless the entire production process is rigorously evaluated and optimized. This study attempts to minimize CO2 emissions of the methanol production process via the synthesis of intermediate syngas using the dry methane reforming (DR) method in combination with the partial oxidation (PO) of methane. We noted that the contributions from DR and PO to the overall reaction process depended on the input raw material ratios. Marked differences in desired operating conditions were noted when maximizing syngas and methanol yields, thereby making process optimization difficult. Herein, to find the optimal operating conditions for minimizing overall CO2 emissions, effective process design and simulation, and the cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) were integrated. Process CO2 emissions, including those from all sources of indirect and direct CO2 emissions from raw materials, utility production processes, and “end-of-pipe” waste treatment option were evaluated based on noted variations in the identified key variables. Suitable operating conditions for reducing the total process CO2 emissions were proposed. Although the current study results in low level of CO2 utilization, it attains a low CO2 emissions process for producing methanol via syngas (i.e., 0.81 kg CO2/kg methanol). The results obtained herein highlight the significance of implementing LCA method using suitable evaluation boundary to design environmentally friendly CO2 utilization processes.