Comparing the Parasitological Quality of Water Used in Low and High Level Restaurants in an Urban Setting in Nigeria

This study aimed at comparing the parasitological status of water used by some restaurants in Owerri metropolis, Imo State from May, 2019 to February, 2020. Seventy one water samples collected across the vending types (high level and low level restaurants) were evaluated for parasite contamination using standard methods. Data obtained was statistically analyzed with p-value set at 0.05 significance level. The result showed that 14.70% (5) of the samples from high-level restaurants were contaminated. Eleven (29.73%) of the 37 samples from low-level restaurants were contaminated with parasites. Statistical analysis showed the prevalence of contaminated water samples from the 2 vending types was significantly different (p˂ 0.05). The result revealed that 11 (36.36%) of the 30 sampling sites used contaminated water with high-level restaurants recording the lower prevalence. The selected sites showed no significant difference in the occurrence of contaminated water (p˃ 0.05). Three parasites were isolated from 18 (25.35%) of 71 water samples from the two vending types. The parasites identified were Cryptosporidium oocyst with an occurrence rate of 8.85% (6), Giardia spp.,8 (11.25%), and Entamoeba spp., 5(5.64%). Statistical analysis showed that the species-specific prevalence was not statistically significant (p˃0.05). The overall concentration of parasites in the study was 2.00 oocyst/cyst in 100ml of water. Furthermore, low-level restaurants recorded non-significant higher parasite prevalence of 32.86% with a concentration of 1.8 oocyst/cyst per 100ml of water, as against 31.00% with a concentration of 2.4 oocyst/cyst per 100ml of water observed in high-level restaurants (p˃ 0.05). The findings therefore suggest that parasitic organisms are maintained by a viable ecosystem which thrive in the restaurants and exposes customers to a cycle of endless parasitism. There is need for government and restaurant management to provide safe water supply while maintaining and enforcing sound hygiene and safety measures

Analytical Solution of the Schrödinger Equation with an Exponential Type Mass Depending on the Spatial Variable

In the present work, we proceed to study the Schrödinger equation with dependent mass position. From the resulting partial differential equations, we obtain exact analytical solutions governed by Bessel functions. The exact solution of Schrödinger's equation for a particle with dependent position of the mass (PDM) is a "half-harmonic potential" defined in a Hilbert space. The harmonic oscillator is carried by the wave function ψ(x) through the Bessel function. The magnitude of ψ(x) increases dramatically as the values of the spatial coordinate become larger and larger. This growth is all the more marked as the mass parameter increases. It appears that the wave function has the same asymptotic behavior as the solution of Airy's equation of the second kind. Their oscillations have the same amplitudes near infinity. The mass parameter has a great importance and influence on the mass and also on the wave potential. It is a control parameter in the Schrödinger equations (PDM)

Assessing Factors that Influence Teenagers’ Involvement in Gambling Activities in Tanzania: A Case of Tandika Ward of Temeke District, Dar es Salaam - Tanzania

Gambling is not a new phenomenon in the society and to the field of scholars. The subject has been in existence since the ancient societies, nevertheless it has gained popularity with more human interactions and modernization. Of late, gambling has gained attention due to the age problem in which there is a concern of growing numbers of teenagers who engage in gambling activities. The main aim of this study was to assess the factors for increasing teenagers’ involvement in gambling activities. Thus, the objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of legislation in controlling teenage gambling. The explorative study was conducted in Temeke district of Dar es salaam and it engaged both qualitative and quantitative methods. A sample of 99 participants was selected through simple random sampling, snow ball sampling and convenience sampling. The study employed in-depth interview and questionnaire to collect information that enabled the writing of this paper. Qualitative data was analyzed by use of thematic data analysis methods while quantitative data was analyzed with graphs and percentages of responses as well as paragraph explanations. The findings revealed that there are legislative factors that influence teenagers involvement into gambling activities, the factors include: ineffectiveness of Tanzania Gambling Act (TGA) of 2006, ineffectiveness of Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT), District Administrative Secretary (DAS’) office, and Ward Executive Offices (WEO). The study recommended that the government should review the policies and clearly stipulate further restrictions and repercussions on areas concerning teenagers and/or under age involvement in gambling activities. Through the Regional Administration and Local Government Authority (RALG) departments and Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEST) to design awareness programs to the public and sensitize members of public on social and economic adverse effects of gambling to teenagers. Parents should be encourages to be responsible and accountable for the behaviors of their children. Also, the local government authorities should be training in technology aspects and equipped with resources to execute better on their roles in the communities

Studies in Litigation Against the Church in Nigeria: The Case of Basilica of Grace, Abbi

This study captures in vivid perspectives, the legal battles that the Church has come to face in recent times in Nigeria over land. For this case-study that is focused on the Basilica of Grace, Abbi in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State Nigeria, attempt shall be made to concentrate on the legal struggles the Church began to face in recent times arising from land hunger and the emergence of the commercializing influence of capitalism on the Church in Nigeria. The Church in Nigeria has become hugely wealthy that attack on it has become quite fashionable with the hope and aim that in the calculated process of litigating with the Church over land, the Church may cave into settlement with the disputants and in the process, the disputants may ‘hack into the finances of the Church’ and ‘chop out a large chunk-of-cash from the tilt of the Church’ in order for the Church to have peace. This study which adopts the doctrinal method interrogates the circumstances that led the Basilica of Grace, Abbi (under the Registered Trustees of Diocese of Ndokwa Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion) into a pernicious legal battle with Femi Ojuyenum and six others representing Ogwezzi-Amacha family of Umu-Onyugba Street of Abbi. The study traces the origin of the grant of the land to the Church, the ceding of a part to the State for School as a Missionary Society and the pseudo reversionary claim of the Ogwezzi-Amacha family and the conveyance of same to unscrupulous ‘money bags’ in Abbi community who have taken turns to transfer the land in millions from one ‘Barron’ to another to the discomfiture of the Church at Abbi. It further interrogates the legal processes and pleadings of the parties through the trial court to the various appellate courts in details and captures the socio-legal influences driving the litigation. The study finds that those who dabbled into the litigation with the Basilica of Grace did so for selfish interest and in a calculated desire to upturn the grant made by the early fathers of Abbi community to the Christian Missionary Society on the spurious claims that those forefathers who made the grant in relative antiquity were merely overwhelmed by European civilizing influence and uninformed of the ancient and current value of land. The study found further that the litigation was being fought in the face of a customary arbitration against the antagonists of the Church. The study therefore suggests and recommends that the claims and attacks against the grant and the Church should be repudiated and dropped by the defendants to ‘allow sleeping dog lie’

Perceptions and Prospects: Technology-Enabled Teacher Education in the Digital Age

The integration of technology into education has led to significant transformations in teacher education programs. This study examines the perceptions of learners regarding technology-enabled teacher education programs. It explores the experiences and viewpoints of a diverse group of teacher education students, ranging from pre-service teachers to experienced educators pursuing advanced qualifications. The study reveals that learners generally perceive technology-enabled teacher education programs positively, highlighting advantages such as increased accessibility, flexibility, engagement, and personalization. However, they also acknowledge challenges related to technical issues and the digital divide. These findings emphasize the importance of ongoing research and development in technology integration within teacher education to better prepare educators for the digital age classroom

Living on the Margin of Life: The Condition of Street Children During Covid-19 Outbreak in Three Selected Towns of SNNPR (Sodo, Jinka, and Arbaminch)

The objective of this study is to assess the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on street children, their awareness about COVID-19 transmission and support of government to street children in three selected towns of SNNPR (Jinka, Arbaminch, and Sodo). To achieve these objectives, concurrent mixed research designs were employed. To identify respondents, both convenience and purposive sampling techniques were used. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. As instruments of data collection; interview schedules, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were used. Finally, data were analyzed and interpreted using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The finding of the study depicted that the outbreak of COVID-19 worsen the social and economic problem of street children. Despite the social and economic impacts of COVID-19, no permanent support was given to the children both by the government and charity organizations. Moreover, the finding showed that street children suffer from various problems like lack of basic needs, depression and deprivation of work opportunity. Thus, holistic intervention should be used to address various problems that street children faced

Non-Approved Uses of Celecoxib and Indomethacin: Pharmacy Students’ Knowledge and Opinions

A survey was conducted among first-year pharmacy students at Howard University College of Pharmacy to measure their level of knowledge and gauge their opinion regarding the off-label uses of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), indomethacin and celecoxib. The average level of knowledge on indomethacin and celecoxib was 36.2% and 31.2%, respectively. Among the five knowledge-based questions on each of these drugs, the highest correct response rate was obtained on indomethacin dosing at 72.9%, and 64.7% on the class of drugs celecoxib belongs to. In the responses to questions on indomethacin, the highest correct response of 72.9% was significantly higher (p<0.05) than responses to other knowledge-based questions, except for the knowledge level on the class of drugs (59.5%; p=0.3257). In the same manner, the correct response rate of 64.7% for the class of drugs that celecoxib belongs to was significantly higher than the response rates for the other questions (p<0.05), except when compared to the response to the question whether hyperplastic polyps and serrated polyps can develop into cancer (41.2%, p=0.0883). The opinions of the students varied, with a majority (55.9%) agreeing that serious diseases should be treated with non-approved medications. In the case of indomethacin, 35.5% of the respondents believed that because of toxicity issues, it should not be used outside the approved indications, while 27.8% believed that the safety has been established and can be used outside the approved use. Most respondents (55.9%) on celecoxib thought colorectal cancer is a serious disease and can be treated with non-approved drugs

Avoiding Plagiarism: Perception of Undergraduates on Referencing When Learning English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at a Private University in Sri Lanka

This study examines undergraduates’ perception on referencing which is taught to them in the course English for Academic Purposes (EAP). The objective of the research is to identify the extent to which awareness of academic referencing is perceived as significant by undergraduates at a private university where they follow EAP as a core module in their first year. The study examines the extent to which these undergraduates are adhering to their institutional academic integrity policy. An online questionnaire was administered among 400 undergraduates, inquiring about their experience in avoiding plagiarism, a form of academic dishonesty, and how much they are aware on overcoming this type of academic deceit. Additionally, attention was focused on examining how plagiarism is avoided with the advancement of technology where online based plagiarism is found to be common among undergraduates. According to the findings of the study, many undergraduates refer online resources when submitting their work and they mention that they follow proper referencing strategies when submitting their work; additionally, they are aware of the plagiarism policy maintained by their institution as well as by their lecturers and the penalties that follow. However, one of the key findings which is significant and should be noted is that, many undergraduates mention that they do not get adequate training or practice on referencing other than the exposure they get during their first year at the university

Strong Convergence Theorem for Finite Family of Asymptotically Nonexpansive in the Intermediate Sense Nonself Maps

Let K be a nonexpansive retract of a uniformly convex Banach space X with retraction P. Let Ti: K → X (i= 1,...,m) be a finite family of uniformly continuous asymptotically nonexpansive in the intermediate sense maps with a nonempty common fixed points set F. Sufficient conditions for the strong convergence of a sequence of successive approximations generated by an m-step algorithm to a point of F are proved.MSC(2010): 47H10, 47J2