Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

An Assessment Of The Effects Of Desertification In Yobe State, Nigeria, Jibril Musa Phd

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Desertification is one of the most serious environmental and socio-economic problems of our time. Desertification describes circumstances of land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions resulting from the climatic variation and human activities. The fundamental goal of this thesis was to assess the effects of desertification in Yobe State, Nigeria. The present threat of desertification in the sahel has reached an alarming stage where crops cultivation and animal rearing/grazing are no more productive, soil has lost its nutrient/fertility, various infrastructure had given way because of windstorm from the neighbouring Niger Republic and sand dunes had taken over. The …

Using Remote Sensing Data To Improve Rice Production In Kutigi, Niger State, Nigeria, Jibril Musa Phd, M B. Yunusa

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

This research work looked in the used of Remote Sensing to improve Agricultural production in Kutigi, Niger State. The aim of the study is to use remote sensing to improve rice farming activities in Kutigi, Niger State. It is very important to identify such methods to improve Agricultural production because experts are always interested in new researches and findings to better the standard of living in any environment. In view of this, Remotely-sensed data could be used or employed to elevate most of these agricultural problems in Kutigi through the following objectives: Using Landsat imagery to assess the present landuse …

Variations In Climatic Parameters And Food Crop Yields: Implications On Food Security In Benue State, Nigeria., Emmanuel Adamgbe, Fanan Ujoh

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Agricultural production in Nigeria like in other developing countries is highly vulnerable to variations in climatic parameters which may have inverse or direct effect on the performance of food crops. This paper examines the patterns and trends of the variations in the climatic parameters and the implications of such variations on efficient yield rates of some food crops in Benue State using data on climatic variables (rainfall, temperature, sunshine) and the yield of some crops per hectare for 25 years (1986-2010). Data on the climatic variables were collected from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, AirForce Base, Makurdi while the data on …

Meaningful Use And Meaningful Curricula: A Survey Of Health Informatics Programs In The U.S., Kai Koong, Madison Ngafeeson, Lai Lui

Journal Articles

The introduction of the US government’s Meaningful Use criteria carries with it many implications including the training curriculum of healthcare personnel. This study examines 108 health informatics degree programmes across the USA. First, the courses offered are identified and classified into generic classes. Next, these generic groupings are mapped to two important frameworks: the Learning to Manage Health Information (LMHI) academic framework; and the Meaningful Use criteria policy framework. Results suggest that while current curricula seemed acceptable in addressing Meaningful Use Stage 1 objective, there was insufficient evidence that these curricula could support Meaningful Use Stage 2 and …

Dynamics Of Land Use/Land Cover Changes And Its Implication On Food Security In Anyigba, North Central, Nigeria, Tokula E. Arome, Sunday P. Ejaro (Phd)

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

This study assessed land use/land cover changes and its effect on Agricultural land in Anyigba. The objectives were to identify and delineate different land use / land cover categories, assess the rate of change that occurred and examine the impact of land use/land cover change on food security using satellite remote sensing data collected at three different years (1987 Land sat TM, 2001 Land Sat TM and 2011 Land Sat ETM). The study utilized GIS software such as Idrisi Andes academic and ArcGIS 9.3. The study area covers approximately 31.8km2, and four major land use/cover classes were utilized (built up, …

Designing An "Information-Experience" Using Creativity Science Theory And Tools, Stephanie Belhomme

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

An “information-experience” encapsulated by a technological/digital audio-visual tool presents data and potentially meaningful information to prompt actionable knowledge concerning: “unspoken creative process elements;” their profound impacts on both how well our “physiology of creativity” functions; but also on how well foundational creative thinking and behavioral prerequisites (energy, motivation, imagination, and ownership) are leveraged.

The product: 1) introduces the user to one component of the CPS (Creative Problem Solving) Facilitation Process - Exploring the Challenge; 2) features a content specific component which prompts exploration of the many correlations between societal, organizational / community, human physiological / behavioral data, and the direct …

From Dog Licenses To Democracy: Local Government Approcahes To Eservice Delivery In Australia, Peter Shackleton, Julie Fisher, Linda Dawson

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

Municipal councils worldwide are recognizing the need and value of the Internet to deliver information and services. The move to e-Government in Australia and across the world has been prompted by factors such as government reform and the need to reduce cost, and to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery. Only recently, however, have there been more significant moves towards local e-Government in many countries. This research paper reports on the progress local governments in Victoria, Australia have made towards e-Government implementation. The paper provides a background to types of electronic information and services provided by local government …

Rqf Publication Quality Measures: Methodological Issues, John W. Lamp, Simon K. Milton, Linda Dawson, Julie Fisher

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

The Research Quality Framework uses Thomson-ISI citation benchmarks as its main set of objective measures of research quality. The Thomson-ISI measures rely on identifying a core set of journals in which the major publications for a discipline are to be found. The core for a discipline is determined by applying a nontransparent process that is partly based on Bradford’s Law (1934). Yet Bradford was not seeking measures about quality of publications or journals. How valid then is it to base measures of publication quality on Bradford’s Law? We explore this by returning to Bradford’s Law and subsequent related research asking …

Understanding It Adoption And Consumption Within The Social Structure Of A Consumer’S Economy, Sherman Ting, Linda Dawson, Chris Dubelaar

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

Research into adoption, acceptance and consumption of Information Technology (IT) within its diffusion cycle has been extensively studied in Information Systems (IS) and marketing. However, research often focused too narrowly on technology adoption rates and drivers leading to technology adoption and acceptance. This paper discusses how understanding the social structure of a consumer’s economy, a consumer’s portfolio of capital resources, can reveal the individual’s approach and experiences towards technology adoption and consumption present and future. It provides a novel multi-disciplinary and practical approach into understanding the technology consumer by looking at how economic, cultural, social, educational, technological and political capital …

Defining The Mobile Work Domain, Linda Dawson, Julie Fisher, Helana Scheepers

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

There is increasing interest in the application of ubiquitous computing concepts to the use of mobile and wireless technologies in business. This paper presents the results of a conceptual study of the literature in ubiquitous and mobile computing and related areas. The outcome of the conceptual study is a context model of an identified Mobile Work Domain (MWD) which is focussed on mobile commerce and the use of new technologies and approaches to business processes in the workplace. This framework and context model comprises existing domains of activity and research, including electronic commerce, computer mediated communication and computer supported collaborative …

Does It Really Matter? First Impressions From A Company.S Web Site, Linda Dawson, Joze Kuzic

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

No abstract provided.

Modus Vivendi Of E-Business, Joze Kuzic, Julie Fisher, Angela Scollary, Linda Dawson, Milan Kuzic, Rod Turner

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

This paper reports on an investigation into relationships between challenges and success factors in e-business, from the perspective of the acknowledged benefits achieved by large organizations operating within the Australian context. To enable organisations to achieve benefits from e-business, it is imperative for companies to recognise challenges before them as well as to identify critical success factors necessary for their success. The outcome of the research reported in this paper is a key set of critical success factors, challenges and benefits that can be used as a modus vivendi to overcome problems by applying appropriate solutions in order to achieve …

Women In Ict: Guidelines For Evaluating Intervention Programmes, Annemieke Craig, Julie Fisher, Linda Dawson

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

Many intervention programmes to increase the number of women in theInformation and Communications Technology (ICT) profession have been implemented over the last twenty years. Detailed evaluations help us to determine the effectiveness of these programmes yet few comprehensive evaluations appear in the literature.The research reported here describes an investigation of the evaluation of the intervention programmes focusing on increasing the enrolment and retention of females in ICT in Australia. This paper describes an empirical study which explores how evaluation has been and might be conducted and concludes with guidelines for evaluation for those developing programmes for increasing the participation of …

The Adoption And Adaptation Of Object Oriented Methodologies In Requirements Engineering Practice, Linda Dawson, Peta Darke

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

The move towards the use of object-oriented methods for information system development has led to the need for object-oriented approaches to requirements engineering. Research into current system development practices in object-oriented requirements specification is necessary for techniques and tools to evolve and improve. This paper describes a set of four case studies that examined the use of object-oriented methodologies in professional requirements engineering practice by experienced system developers. In these studies, it was found that the widely published and commonly available methodologies were rarely used in their entirety, if they were used at all. Rather, most consultants interviewed developed in-house …

Town Hall Egovernment: A Study Of Local Government Electronic Service Delivery, Peter Shackleton, Julie Fisher, Linda Dawson

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

Australian municipal councils recognize the need to use the Internet to deliver information and services. The move to eGovernment has been prompted both by local government reform and pressure from controlling State governments. Only recently, however, have there been more significant moves towards local eGovernment. This research paper reports on the progress local governments in Victoria, have made towards electronic service delivery. The paper provides a background to types of electronic information and services provided by local government and the stages of electronic maturity. The research found that although the web sites of Victorian municipal councils provide far more information …

Victorian Local Government Websites: Tracking Information Provision And E-Service Maturity, Peter Shackleton, Julie Fisher, Linda Dawson

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

Local and municipal governments worldwide are embracing and using the Internet to deliver services and therefore better value to their communities. Current research has identified the use made of the Internet by higher levels of government. There has been limited research, however, examining the lowest tier; local government’s approach to Internet use. This paper presents the results of a content analysis undertaken on Victorian local government Websites over four years and describes the results of usability testing also conducted on local government sites. The results identify the changes in e-service delivery over that time and the usefulness of the information …

Implementing A Mobile Wireless Environment In A Hospital Ward: Encouraging Adoption By Nursing, Julie Fisher, Linda Dawson, Stephen Weeding, Liza Heslop

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

Sophisticated technology is commonplace in most hospitals and increasingly mobile devices are being used in hospitals by clinical staff. Although the growth in mobile device usage in hospitals has the potential to contribute to better health and medical services delivery, nurses and doctors are still very reliant on paper-based information. Much of the research reported to date has focused on technical and design issues around mobile devices. Research that has focused on mobile device use in practice has tended to be from the perspective of doctors. This paper describes research which investigated key issues that arose as a result of …

The Use Of Object-Oriented Models In Requirements Engineering: A Field Study, Linda Dawson, Paul Swatman

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

No abstract provided.

Socio-Economic Effects Of Demolishing Squatter Settlements And Illegal Structures In Abuja Metropolis, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Ishaku Iy Mallo Phd, Victor G. Obasanya

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

Abuja the Federal Capital Territory and study area is located between latitudes 8o25’ and 9o25’ North of the Equator and longitudes 6o45’ and 7o45’ East of the Greenwich Meridian. The study was carried out in Abuja Phase 1, and it is aimed at highlighting various socioeconomic effects of demolition of illegal structures and informal or squatter settlements on the people within the study area. Data was collected through reconnaissance survey, personal interviews with respondents, and a well laid out questionnaire. The results indicate that the demolition exercise embarked upon by the authorities in the Federal Capital Territory was a response …

Rainfall Variability And Crop Zones Classification For The Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, Shaibu M. Hassan Phd

Confluence Journal Environmental Studies (CJES), Kogi State University, Nigeria

This study aims at analyzing agro-climatological parameters and establishing a link between some selected agro-climatological indices and sustainability of agricultural production in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Two sets of data, climatic and crop yield data were collected and subjected to various agro-climatological analyses. Agro-climatological analyses include the derivation of Onset, Cessation and Length of Rainy Season (LRS), Seasonality Index, Drought Index and Precipitation Periodicity Index. The statistical analyses include monthly and annual means, deviation from the mean, trend line. The result of moisture index in line with crops optimum moisture requirement was used to classify the Territory into agro-climatic …

Laptops On Trolleys: Lessons From A Mobile-Wireless Hospital Ward, Stephen Weeding, Linda Dawson

Associate Professor Linda Dawson

Most hospital-based staff can be considered to be mobile but many hospital information systems (HIS) are based on fixed desk top computers. Wireless networks allow HIS to be brought to the point of care using mobile devices such as laptops on trolleys thus providing data which can aid in clinical decision-making. The research objective of this project focusses on the collaborative design of a laptop solution for providing data at the point of care. The research approach was based on a combination of action research and design science. Action research techniques including participant observation and informal oneto- one discussions were …