Jewel Journal of Scientific Research

Effect of Poison and Thermal Hydraulic on Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) Parameters

M. S Anas , B. D. Jatau, B. Yahaya, M. Aliyu — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Over the years of operation of the Nigeria Miniature Neutron Source Reactor's after installation in 2004, numerous installations and calculations were made for the safety of Nigeria Research Reactor-1 in accordance with project supply agreements and IAEA member states. By using the lattice code WIMS and the core analysis code CITATION to automatically perform each of the following calculations on MNSRs: core excess reactivity, verification of certain safety criteria, and calculation of various temperature coefficients of reactivity, we demonstrate in this work the impact of removing cadmium poison on neutron flux and related parameters. Results obtained before, after and after removal of cadmium poison are: excess core reactivity (3.72, 2.96 and 2.92) mkel temperature coefficient reactivity (−0.0018, −0.0054 and −0.0060) mk/^°C, power coefficient of reactivity (−0.2527, −0.1260 and 0.0575) mk/kW and predicted power of (15.23, 14.65 and 14.99) kW with coolant temperature (12.43, 12.10 and 12.50) ^°C respectively. The result will not only boost the sample handling capabilities of NIRR-1 but will also provide useful data to the MNSR community for upgrading their reactors and specifically ageing management.

Application of Water Quality Index (WQI) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in Assessment of Water Quality Status of River Gongola at Yamaltu Deba, Gombe State, Nigeria

H. I. Dibal, J. O. Olomukoro — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Water quality is a term used to express the suitability of water to sustain various uses. There are still however activities that release large amounts of pollutants into the environment. The Majority of people however are unaware of the effects of residing in an environment where these chemicals are present. Therefore the objective of this study was to assess the surface water quality of River Gongola at Yamaltu-Deba, Gombe state, Nigeria using Water Quality Index (WQI) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) where water samples were collected from four study location for the period of 18 months and the physical and chemical parameters were checked using standard laboratory procedures. Of all the parameters analysed, turbidity and total dissolved solids (TSS) were the highest, above standard limit. Other parameters were within range. WQI results showed that stations 1. 3 and 4 were categorized as very poor water quality (76-100) and station 2 as unsuitable for drinking (above 100). The major parameters that contributed to such bad water quality were turbidity, TSS, and DO. DO rating became higher in the WQI calculation because of the high turbidity and TSS in the water body. PCA analysis showed that most parameters correlated positively with each other and parameters such as EC, TDS, TH, Turbidity, TSS and BOD contributed most to the contamination of the water and thus these parameters can be attributed to both anthropogenic (especially agricultural activities) and natural sources. This study indicated that the water at this location is not of good quality and therefore regular monitoring and public education on the dangers of human activities that renders water unfit for use by human and biota is recommended.

Limitations of Pharmacophore Modeling for Intrinsically Disordered Plant Stress Proteins: A Case Study of DHN1 in Zea mays

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Dehydrins are highly conserved drought-responsive proteins that protect plant cells, yet their molecular mode of action remains unclear. In maize (Zea mays), Dehydrin 1 (DHN1) is strongly induced by drought stress and is closely associated with stress-related metabolites including abscisic acid, (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), β-aminobutyric acid (BABA), and proline. This study assessed the structural feasibility of direct small-molecule binding to DHN1 using molecular docking and pharmacophore-based virtual screening. Disorder prediction confirmed that DHN1 is predominantly intrinsically disordered, with conserved K-segments involved in macromolecular interactions. Docking analyses revealed uniformly weak binding affinities (−2.033 to −2.561 kcal/mol), consistent with non-specific and transient surface contacts. Although pharmacophore modeling modestly improved docking scores, inconsistent binding geometries and poor RMSD convergence indicated a lack of true structural complementarity. These results support the classification of DHN1 as a non-ligand-binding protein that functions primarily through macromolecular stabilization and membrane association, highlighting the need to align computational approaches with protein structural properties in plant stress biology.

Counting Death to Measure Survival: An Analytic Technique of Measuring Mortality Rate Intensity from the Heligman-Pollard’s Law

G. M. Ogungbenle — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Heligman-Pollard model is distinguished to be one of the most influential multi-component parsimonious laws of mortality incorporating age-specific mortality trends with interpretable framework. However, the complexity of its form, computation challenges and lack of mechanistic grounding being overlooked in actuarial literature serve as the motivation in addressing it more as an analytic law. The objectives are to generate mortality table, derive the probability of survival function and test its asymptotic properties, and state the structural properties of the law. Computational evidence from our results reveals that for both sexes, the second component exhibits lognormal kernel expressed as the accidental hump into higher adulthood within the age interval for both sexes. Consequently, the lognormal behaviour caused its trajectories to exhibit leptokurtic curves which described the shape of the mortality distribution in the second terms. The implication is that the leptokurtic mortality distribution has a higher number of intensities clustered around the mean deaths with more extreme severities in the tails relative to a normal distribution.

Real-Time Access Control System Using Radio Frequency Identification with Android Application

C. S. Odeyemi — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Access control bothers on ensuring that only authorized persons are granted access into a facility. Close circuit television (CCTV) system and the artificial intelligence based facial recognition technology, which are widely employed in access control systems are expensive and complex to operate and maintain. This study developed a smart, less expensive and easy to maintain door access enable system based on the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The design also incorporates an android application (App) which monitors and controls the door status remotely. RFID reader, relay and other electronics components were interfaced with NodeMCU microcontroller. The android application was developed to communicate with the hardware through the wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) network. When tested, the system identified registered RFID tag and decline the unregistered one, opened the door and sent information to the app immediately. Alternative control was also provided through the mobile app for an authorized person who does not have a tag. At every point of testing, information transmission and reception was less than 4 seconds. The overall performance evaluation of the developed non-contact door access control system for this study performs favourably well with a response time less than 2.5 sec. which is within the standard real-time of 10 sec.

Optimization of Heavy Metals Removal from Wastewater by Adsorption onto Theobroma cacao pod

K. A. Sanusi, A. M. Hammed , Q. K. Sanusi — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this study, Theobroma cacao pod (TCP) adsorbent was prepared, characterized and tested for removal of Cd²⁺ and As³⁺ from synthetic wastewater. The TCP had a good cation exchange capacity, large surface area and small particle size. The optimization results from Central Composite Design (CCD) predicted the adsorption percentages of 98.72 and 92.48 for Cd²⁺ and As³⁺ respectively. The experimental results revealed the removal percentages of Cd²⁺ and As³⁺ by TCP as 98.80% and 92.46% respectively, which were in good correlation with the values predicted by the CCD for the respective metal ions at the optimum conditions of adsorption. The isotherm studies showed that the adsorption of Cd (II) and As (III) ions onto TCP best fitted the Langmuir isotherm model. The kinetic studies showed that rate of adsorption of Cd (II) and As (III) ions followed the pseudo second- order kinetic model. Thermodynamic studies revealed that metal adsorption onto TCP was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic for Cd (II) ions while the uptake of As (III) followed an exothermic process. The TCP, owing to its good cation exchange capacity, low-cost and eco-friendliness, has a good potential to be utilized as an alternative adsorbent in wastewater treatment.

Melissopalynological Study of Honey in some selected areas of Offa, Kwara State, North Central, Nigeria

S. A. Adeniran, A. A. Abdulrahaman, O. R. Solomon — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Melissopalynology provides critical insights into the botanical and geographical origins of honey, supporting authentication, quality control, and ecological studies. This study examined thirty honey samples collected from twelve locations in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria, between November 2012 and January 2013, using acetolysis, potassium hydroxide, and water-wash techniques. Microscopic analysis identified 108 plant species from 59 families, with a total of 32,539 pollen grains counted across all samples. All honeys were multifloral, with dominant contributions from Myrtaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Anacardiaceae, and Combretaceae. Notable species such as Psidium guajava, Elaeis guineensis, and Carica papaya were recurrently represented. Pollen counts varied markedly, ranging from 2,181 grains in Unilorin honey to 482 grains in Oja-Oba honey per five fields of view. Statistical analyses (ANOVA and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test) revealed significant spatial variation in pollen frequencies, reflecting both regional floristic diversity and honeybee foraging preferences. The presence of pollen from both cultivated and wild savannah species underscores the ecological role of honeybees in linking natural and agricultural landscapes. These findings not only authenticate the multifloral nature of Offa honeys but also provide a baseline for detecting adulteration and monitoring honey quality in Nigeria. Overall, this study demonstrates the value of melissopalynological analysis as a robust tool for apicultural research, conservation of floral resources, and the promotion of honey as a high-value product for both local and international markets.

Multilingual Berth-Based Question Answering for Code-Mixed Hausa-English Text

Y. M. Malgwi, B. J. Muhammed, A. L. Mohammed , H. Mikailu — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Code-mixed language processing poses significant challenges due to limited linguistic resources and the complexity of handling multiple languages within a single context. This study addresses these challenges by developing a Hausa–English code-mixed question-answering (QA) dataset, derived from the Stanford Question Answering Dataset (SQuAD), and fine-tuning a multilingual BERT (mBERT) model for extractive QA tasks. The dataset, named HECM-QA, contains over 10,000 samples with context passages, code-mixed questions, answer spans, and token-level language annotations, reflecting natural language use in Northern Nigeria. Text preprocessing involved WordPiece tokenization, cleaning, segmentation, and numerical encoding to preserve the structure of code-mixed sentences. Experimental results demonstrate that mBERT significantly outperforms LSTM and RNN baselines, achieving 79.03% Accuracy, 77.06 F1 Score, and 51.79 ROUGE, with statistical significance confirmed through paired t-tests and bootstrap resampling. The study highlights the effectiveness of transformer-based multilingual models for code-mixed QA, emphasizes the importance of rich annotated datasets, and contributes a robust benchmark for future research in low-resource and multilingual NLP scenarios.

Relationship between fingerprint patterns and blood types among science undergraduates in a Nigerian university

O. E. Ogundele — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the relationship between blood types and fingerprint patterns among biology undergraduates. A total of 1,150 students from the College of Science and Information Technology, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, Nigeria was selected using simple random sampling. Data collection involved ink-based fingerprinting and self-reported ABO and Rh blood group classification. Results showed that blood type O was the most common (489), followed by A (321), B (233), and AB (46). Rh-positive individuals accounted for 960, while Rh-negative individuals were 129. Among fingerprint patterns, loops were the most prevalent (7,918), followed by whorls (2,264), and arches (1,318). Loops were more common among females (5,623) than males (2,295), while whorls and arches also showed higher female representation. No participants had the AB-negative blood type. Furthermore, the data revealed a higher prevalence of O+ (449), followed by A+ (278) and B+ (187). The rarest patterns included A- (43), B- (46), and O- (40). A chi-square test showed a significant association between blood group and fingerprint pattern distribution (χ² = 0.000). However, no direct relationship was found between gender and fingerprint pattern beyond general distribution trends. These findings suggest a potential genetic influence in the co-distribution of fingerprint patterns and blood groups, with loops being most frequent across all blood types, particularly among those with blood types O and A. This study provides baseline data for future research and contributes to forensic and biometric science, particularly in contexts where combined fingerprint and blood group data may aid personal identification.

Effects of Substrate, pH and Yeast Extract on Bacterial Growth in Citrullus lanatus Peel–Based Media

S. Z. Na’inna, A. Bukar, S. Yahaya, U. Shamsuddeen, B. Andi — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The search for cost-effective and sustainable microbial growth media has prompted interest in fruit peel–based substrates. This study investigated the growth of Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus on Citrullus lanatus (watermelon) peel–derived media, by examining the effects of substrate concentration, pH and yeast extract supplementation. Bacterial cultures were grown across a range of substrate concentrations (1–6%), pH values (6.5–7.2), and yeast extract levels (0–0.5%), and growth was measured in log CFU/ml. Optimal growth occurred at 5% substrate, near-neutral pH, and 0.2–0.4% yeast extract, with B. subtilis showing the highest proliferation. Growth declined slightly at 6% substrate concentration, and species-specific responses to yeast extract were observed. These findings indicate that Citrullus lanatus (watermelon) peel–derived media can effectively support robust bacterial growth hence, providing a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for industrial fermentation, probiotic production, bioremediation, and the valorization of agricultural waste.

Assessing the Influence of Local Perception and Land Use Land Cover Dynamics on Vegetation Change in Katsina State, Nigeria

H. A Mohammad, A. Ahmed — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Vegetation degradation and land use land cover (LULC) change are major environmental challenges in the semi-arid regions of northern Nigeria, where increasing human pressure and climate variability threaten ecosystem stability and livelihoods. Katsina State, located within the Sudano–Sahelian zone, has experienced rapid changes in land use patterns over recent decades, making it a critical area for assessing vegetation dynamics and land degradation processes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatio-temporal dynamics of LULC and to examine how land use practices and human influences affect vegetation change in Katsina State, Nigeria, with particular attention to implications for land degradation and desertification. Multi-temporal Landsat (MSS, TM, ETM+, OLI) and Sentinel-2A imagery from 1989, 1999, 2009, and 2019 were analyzed using supervised classification and accuracy assessment based on the Kappa coefficient. Land Change Modeler (LCM) within IDRISI Selva was applied to assess LULC transitions, quantify gains and losses, and simulate future land use patterns using Markov Chain analysis, logistic regression, and multi-layer perceptron neural networks. Human drivers of change were assessed through a Human Influence Index (HII) integrating population density, infrastructure, and proximity variables. Field observations, household questionnaires (n = 400), and key informant interviews complemented the geospatial analysis. Results show a persistent decline in vegetation cover from 1989 to 2019, largely due to the expansion of farmland and built-up areas, while water bodies, bareland, and rock outcrops exhibited minor fluctuations. Vegetation loss intensified after 1999, particularly in areas of high population density and accessibility, and was more severe in northern Katsina. Future projections to 2050 indicate continued expansion of agriculture and settlements at the expense of natural vegetation, increasing vulnerability to land degradation and desertification. This study recommends strengthened land-use planning, promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, protection and restoration of natural vegetation, and continuous geospatial monitoring to support sustainable land management in Katsina State.

Artificial Intelligence for Inclusivity: Exploring Strategies for Increasing Access to AI tutors for Underprivileged Students in Kano State Colleges of Education

S. A. Abdurrahman , A. Muazu — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study explores strategies for increasing access to artificial intelligence (AI) tutors among underprivileged students in Kano state colleges of education. Using descriptive survey and quasi-experimental design, the study sampled 317 students from three institutions. The reliability of the instrument was established at 0.78. Results from T-test indicated a statistically significant difference in performance, with students using AI tutors (Mean = 64.27, SD = 7.12) outperforming those in traditional settings (t(315) =0.41, MD = 0.31,), with Mean = 56.14, SD = 6.95. Findings indicate that AI tutors significantly improved the academic performance of underprivileged students in Kano State Colleges of Education compared to traditional teaching methods. Pre-test results confirmed that both groups were academically equivalent before the intervention. Post-test findings showed that AI tutors enhanced learning through personalized and adaptive instruction. Overall, AI tutors was identified as an effective strategy for promoting educational inclusivity and equity. Significant barriers such as high data cost and lack of indigenous language support remain. The study recommended that Colleges of Education in Kano State should integrate AI tutors as a complementary instructional tool to enhance inclusive learning, Government and institutional stakeholders should provide adequate ICT infrastructure and continuous training for lecturers to support effective implementation, Policies should also be developed to ensure equitable access to AI-based learning technologies for underprivileged students.

Evaluation of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides Concentration and Associated Radiological Health Risks in Agricultural Soils from Iwerele, Oyo State, Nigeria.

T. J. Aluko, P. O. Olagbaju, F.E. Ikuemonisan — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Artisanal and small-scale mining activities often pose environmental and health risks to surrounding ecosystems. This study evaluates radiological hazards and potential exposure levels in soils from active and abandoned mining sites in Iwere-Ile, Oyo State, Nigeria. Twenty-two soil samples were analyzed using a Gamma-ray Spectrometer with a NaI(Tl) detector to determine the activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides. The mean specific activities of ⁴⁰K and ²³²Th contributed about 15% and 9%, respectively, to the total radioactivity. The absorbed dose rate from terrestrial gamma radiation ranged from 5.86 to 217.48 nGy h⁻¹, averaging 58.06 nGy h⁻¹, slightly above the UNSCEAR global reference value of 55 nGy h⁻¹. The annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE) varied between 0.02 and 0.76 mSv yr⁻¹, remaining below the 1 mSv yr⁻¹ public dose limit. Although the annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) exceeded international recommendations, the internal and external hazard indices were both less than unity, indicating minimal radiological threat. Overall, agricultural activities in the area can be considered radiologically safe despite ongoing mining operations.

Assessment of Sasakawa Africa Association Project in Northern Nigeria and Its Effects on Agricultural Productivity and Rural Livelihoods

H. Aminu, A. Abdulmajid, G. A. Hassana — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study assessed the implementation, effectiveness, and impact of Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) agricultural interventions on smallholder farmers’ productivity, post-harvest management, technology adoption, and livelihoods in Northern Nigeria. The study aimed to document major SAA interventions, examine adoption levels of improved seeds, agronomic practices, and post-harvest innovations, evaluate effects on crop productivity and post-harvest losses, analyze socio-economic outcomes, and identify challenges affecting adoption and sustainability. A mixed-methods cross-sectional design was employed in Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger and Gombe States in 2025. Quantitative data were collected from 500 smallholder farmers using structured questionnaires, while qualitative insights were obtained through 12 Focus Group Discussion (FGDs) and 25 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with extension agents, Community-Based Facilitators (CBFs), and Farmers. Findings revealed high adoption rates for improved seeds (82%) and good agronomic practices (76%), moderate adoption of post-harvest technologies (71%), and lower uptake of mechanization and water management innovations (<45%). Adopters demonstrated significantly higher crop yields for maize (3.4 vs. 2.1 t/ha), rice (4.1 vs. 2.8 t/ha), sorghum (2.5 vs. 1.7 t/ha), and soybean (2.8 vs. 1.9 t/ha) compared to non-adopters (p ≤ 0.05). Post-harvest losses were reduced substantially, particularly through metal silos (26%) and PICS bags (20%). Respondents reported improvements in household income (67%), food security (72%), and market access (59%), though challenges such as high technology costs, limited mechanization, and inadequate extension coverage persisted. The study demonstrates that integrated SAA interventions enhance smallholder productivity, post-harvest management, and livelihoods, highlighting the need for policy support, gender-inclusive programs, youth engagement, and expanded extension services to scale agricultural transformation in Northern Nigeria.

Investigation of the Fluoroperovskite LiBaF3, Examining the Optical, Elastic, Electronic and Structural Properties: DFT Study.

E. O. Olawale, A. A. Adekoya, S. I. Akinsola, A. B. Alabi — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Structural, electronic, elastic and optical properties of the fluoroperovskite LiBAF₃ are obtained using the plane-wave pseudopotential implementation of the PWscf code method in the framework of density functional theory (DFT), with the local density approximation (LDA) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The result shows LiBAF3 compound has a direct band gap with 6.7eV and 6.5eV using PBE-GGA and PBEsol-GGA respectively. It satisfies the Born’s stability condition and thus implies the compound is stable. Refractive index, coefficient of extinction and dielectric function have all been computed. From the estimations, the material has a brittle feature. The values gotten are in close agreement with related works and further investigation can be done using other exchange correlation functional.