Effect of Educational Technology Usage on Student’s Clinical Skills, Competencies and Satisfaction at School of Nursing in Sokoto State, Nigeria

Background: Technology allows the most difficult tasks to become seamlessly easy and more efficient. In education, technology has allowed the dissemination of knowledge to be dispersed instantly and it allows for quicker and more effective communication. A critical reflection on what nursing educators should consider now in order to better support the clinicians of the future is also included with a particular focus on existing informatics curricular supports. Aim: The study aimed at assessing the effect of the use of educational technology on student clinical skills, competency, and satisfaction at schools of nursing Sokoto state. Methodology: A quasiexperimental design was used for the study, A total of 239 respondents, with pre-test/post-test injection and hand hygiene clinical Competency observation checklist and a researcher developed a questionnaire for satisfaction. Results: The findings of the study revealed that the effect of educational technology on student clinical competence skills based on hand hygiene difference of 2.36 with t(186)=9.837, p<0.05, hence, the experiment group performed better than the control group in hand hygiene competencies and injection procedure with mean 1.12 with t(186)=3.556, P<0.05 The satisfaction with teaching/learning using reusable learning object, both experiment, and control groups were relatively satisfied with the reusable learning object educational technology The mean levels of satisfaction was 26.54 and 26.38 for experimental and control groups respectively r(92)=0.425, r2=0.18 (18%), P<0.05 Conclusion: The RLOs were successful in supporting the students understanding of clinical procedures such as injection and hand hygiene issues, resulting in effective ability and confidence to meet their clinical competency

Optimal Allocation and Sizing of Distributed Generation for Power Loss Reduction using Modified PSO for Radial Distribution Systems

For the purpose of improving the voltage profile and power losses reduction, this paper proposes allocation and sizing of Distributed Generation (DG) in radial distribution system (69 IEEE bus test system.). A simple and effective approach for power loss reduction (PLR) value is employed for the allocation while the sizing was by using the results from the allocation as local optimum in a modified PSO called Ranked Evolutionary particle swarm optimization (REPSO) in order to obtain the global optimum. Load simulations in power flow yielded improvement not only in power loss reduction but also in voltage profile. The proposed algorithm was found to be faster and gives more accurate results than the EP and PSO algorithms. Keywords: Distributed Generation, Evolutionary programming,, Particle Swarm Optimization, Allocation and sizing, Power loss reduction

Online Stochastic Principal Component Analysis

This paper studied Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in an online. The problem is posed as a subspace optimization problem and solved using gradient based algorithms. One such algorithm is the Variance-Reduced PCA (VR-PCA). The VR-PCA was designed as an improvement to the classical online PCA algorithm known as the Oja’s method where it only handled one sample at a time. The paper developed Block VR-PCA as an improved version of VR-PCA. Unlike prominent VR-PCA, the Block VR-PCA was designed to handle more than one dimension in subspace optimization at a time and it showed good performance. The Block VR-PCA and Block Oja method were compared experimentally in MATLAB using synthetic and real data sets, their convergence results showed Block VR-PCA method appeared to achieve a minimum steady state error than Block Oja method. Keywords:   Online Stochastic; Principal Component Analysis; Block Variance-Reduced; Block Oj

The relationship between corporate social responsibility and company's financial performance: the case of Top One Hundred Companies in Malaysia

Since the inception of companies’ activity in Malaysia, the value of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been an important topic in accounting research. Despite extensive studies on CSR activities in Malaysia, studies investigated the nature of CSR activities in relation to firm financial performance was limited. Thus, this research investigates and analyzed the current nature of CSR activities and the relationship between CSR activities and firm financial performance of Malaysian public listed companies. This research relied on secondary data that were obtained through the content analysis of published company’s annual reports for the year 2009 to 2013. Based on purposive sampling method, this study covered the assessment of the top one hundred companies in Malaysia whose names and shares were quoted in Malaysia stock exchange (Bursa Malaysia). Based on literature, four independent variables (Environment, Community, Workplace and Marketplace) and two dependent variables, Earning per Share (EPS), and Return on Equity (ROE) have been chosen in this study. Data were analyzed and interpreted using three types of data analysis; descriptive statistics, t�test and Pearson’s correlation, to investigates the current nature as well as to analyzed the relationship between CSR activities and firm financial performance. This research discovered that since 2009 to 2013, Top 100 companies in Malaysia have been involved in CSR activities especially in the area of Community activities followed by Environmental activities, Workplace activities and finally, Marketplace activities. In term of their relationship with financial performance, this research shows that there is positive relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variables. It also concluded that, the extent of innovation and conformity with CSR framework in Malaysia has improved the quality of financial report that is capable of competing in global scene

Estimating the shear strength of sisal fibre reinforced concrete

This research examines the shear strength of Sisal Fibre Reinforced Concrete (SSFRC).Sisal Fibre (SSF) addition was at 1% by weight of dry constituents, this is considered the upper limit for workable mixes in the absence of water reducing agents. Beams of various grades of concrete (20N/mm2 to 40N/mm2 ) were tested and they all failed in shear. Experimental results of beams were compared with modified versions of the BS 8110 formula for shear strength in concrete, to determine the best fit. The inclusion of SSF at 1% addition increased the compressive strength of the concrete mix by an average of 16.9% and the shear strength by 16%. However, the shear strengths of the SFRC are only greater than those of normal concrete of corresponding compressive strengths by 9.5%. The equation proposed may be used to estimate the shear strength of SSF reinforced concrete at this level of fibre addition.Keywords: Compressive strength, Reinforced concrete, Shear strength, Sisal fibre

The Socio-Cultural Ceremonies amongst the Koro People in Kaffin – Koro Town in the 19th Century

The Koro people in Kaffin-Koro like any other ethnic group of modern Nigeria have their socio-cultural ceremonies. These socio- cultural ceremonies are formal activities which formed an integral aspects of Koro people’s way of life. The socio-cultural ceremonies amongst the Koro people in Kaffin-Koro were not only believed to be means for gathering the Koro citizens together for the purpose of promoting unity and love but essential for the progress of Koro community. These socio-cultural ceremonies through their values and norms have sustained the Koro society as a unified entity and provide not only valuable opportunity for these socio-cultural ceremonies to be pass on from one generation to another but remain ways  in which the 19th century Koro people in Kaffin – Koro preserved their traditions and cultural heritage

Prevalence of Malaria Parasites and Associated Factors among Blood Donors Attending General Hospital Minna, Niger State, Nigeria

The prevalence of malaria parasites among the blood donors attending General Hospital Minna was studied over a period of four (4)  months. Both thick and thin films were made on a clean grease-free glass slide. 10% Giemsa was used to determine the presence of malaria parasites in the donors’ blood. A total number of 200 male blood donors’ samples were collected out of which 47 were malaria parasite positive, while 153 were malaria parasite negative (control), representing a prevalence rate of 23.5%. The age group 18-24 years had the highest prevalence of malaria parasite (33.3%). Donors with blood group AB had the highest prevalence of malaria parasite (42.1 %). The various factors except age, blood group and occupation in the questionnaire were significant. The prevalence of malaria parasites within the sampled hospital was high. Therefore, it is necessary that more education, enlightenment, prevention and treatment should be given to people that are positive to malaria parasites in order to eradicate malaria parasites or bring it to a minimal level

Evaluation of nutrient composition of some cereals and legumes crops residues as compost materials

The use of compost for horticultural crops production in Nigeria is beginning to gain some attention, since it has been reported to improve plant growth and yield. Some cereals and legumes crops residues with potentials of being used as compost materials such as Sorghum Stovers, Rice Straws, Maize Stovers, Millet Stovers, Groundnut Haulms, Cowpea Stems and Cotton Stalks grown at the Kano University of Science and Technology Research farm were selected and analyzed for nutrient content. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using F-test. Results obtained indicated that Nitrogen (0.98gkg-1) and Phosphorous (0.31kg-1) were highly significant (p<0.05) in rice straws compared to other residues of cereals. Also Groundnut haulms was found to be highest in N(1.10kg-1) and P(0.0597) than other legumes residues. Other essential nutrients like calcium, magnesium and potassium were also determined. Generally, crop residues and their ashes are valuable materials that can be used in making compost fertilizer as they contain high amount of nutrients. However, intensive cultivation and crop residues removal tend to break the natural cycle and prevent the return of nutrient taken up by the crop to the soil.Keywords: Ashes, crop residues, compost and nutrients