Knowledge, Perception, Utilisation and Attitude Towards Social Media-Based Learning as Predictors of Students’ Academic Achievement in Geography

This study examined the predictive power of knowledge, perception, utilisation, and attitude toward social media-based learning on students’ academic achievement in geography. Adopting a correlational research type and population proportion to size sampling technique, 975 respondents were selected from thirty-nine schools. Assessment of Social Media Knowledge (KR20 = 0.73), Geography Achievement Test (KR20 = 0.82), Social Media Perception (α =0.86), Perceived Social Media Utilisation (α = 0.72), and Social Media Attitude Scales (α = 0.83) were used to collect and analysed by descriptive statistics and multiple regression. Fifty percent (50%) of the respondents use social media-based learning for academic purposes. Positive linear relationship exists between the predictor variables and the criterion variable. The four predictors accounted for 9.9% of the student’s achievement in Geography. Knowledge of social media β = .266; t (617) = 6.936) was most influential, followed by attitude (β = .157; t (617) = 3.031) in predicting students’ achievement in Geography, while perception and utilisation were not statistically significant at 0.05 significant level. Conclusively, students are encouraged to use social media for academic purposes in order to excel in geography and, perhaps, in other subjects

Effect of Interest Rate Spread and Bank Specific Factors on Survival of Tier-One and Tier-Two Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

In today’s economic setting, there must be a healthy banking sector for banks to survive. Banks survival determine sound financial mediator in achieving economic performance. However, bank spread and unstable policies towards bank specific factors have become threat to bank survival in Nigeria. Secondary data and ex-post facto research design were used within the period of 2011-2020 for both Tier-1 and Tier-2 deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study found that interest rate spread, asset quality, management efficiency, bank size and board size affect bank survival in Nigeria. The study suggests that bank managers should give maximum attention to interest rate spread, and bank specific factor like asset quality, management efficiency, bank size and board size so as to ensure their survival

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Low Cost Electrocardiogram

Heart related issues have been so common according to medical research; the young and aged people are mostly affected. Electronic diagnosis has made a great impact in solving Heart related issues. However, the cost for acquiring stethoscope and Electrocardiographs is often expensive This simple, low cost microcontroller based heartbeat rate measuring device was developed using a reverse engineering technique. A five volts power supply (5V) was developed and used to power a sensor arrangement. The sensor comprised of an Infrared emitting diode and a photodiode. An amplifier unit was added to boost the signal coming from the sensor after which the signal was sent to a microcontroller. The microcontroller was programmed to count detected pulse for fifteen seconds and give the display through a connected 3-Digit seven segments. The device was packaged in a specially designed plastic casing; adequate spacing was provided for the digital readout, optical sensor, power switch and the control switches. Testing was done by using the device to measure the heartbeat rate of 42 individuals and the result compared with that of a standard device. The result using the developed device was found to be satisfactory as 73.69bpm average measurement while the polar sonic standard device gave an average reading 74.23bpm. A positive strong correlation of 0.907 was obtained for the two devices showing that the developed device is a good substitute for the (polar sonic) standard device. The device is simple in construction, easy to use, portable and cost effective

Clinical and sonographic features in infertile women with and without polycystic ovarian syndrome

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine cause of infertility affecting about 1 in 10 women of reproductive age. This study determined the proportion of infertile women with PCOS and compared clinical and sonographic features in infertile women with PCOS and without PCOS.Methods: This was a prospective comparative cross-sectional study at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital over a 6 month period. One hundred and fifty two infertile women were recruited and had trans-vaginal ultrasonography for the presence and absence of polycystic ovaries. The diagnosis of PCOS was made using the Rotterdam criteria with other relevant socio-demographic and clinical data noted in the study proforma. Student t and chi-square tests were used as appropriate.Results: The prevalence of PCOS among infertile women was 32.9%. The mean age of infertile women diagnosed with PCOS and without PCOS was 33±4.90 and 32.71±5.00 years, respectively. Women with PCOS had significantly higher BMI than women without PCOS. Increased ovarian volume, peripheral follicular distribution and increased stromal echogenicity were observed in 60%, 74% and 94% of women with PCOS on trans-vaginal ultrasound compared to 11.8%, 2% and 2% of women without PCOS, respectively.Conclusions: The prevalence of PCOS among infertile women is high. Clinical characteristics of women with PCOS and women without PCOS are similar except in their BMI and features that constitute the diagnostic criteria for PCOS

Effect of Environmental Quality on Property Rental Values in Peri-urban Neighbourhoods of Minna, Nigeria

The study examined the effect of environmental quality on rental values of residential accommodation at the peripheral neighbourhoods of Minna, Nigeria. Cluster sampling method was employed in the selection of sampled areas and, six neighbourhoods were randomly selected. Sample size of 600 was drawn out of the total 18,387 households in the sampled neighbourhoods using Adams et al. (2007) simplified formula. Estimation rate of 50% and precision range of ±4 were adopted in determining the sample size. Various houses and infrastructure attributes were used in assessing environmental quality, while current rent passing in the year of study was adopted. Pearson moment correlation coefficient was employed in assessing the relationships between environmental quality and rents using environmental indices and mean rents. Results revealed a moderate linear relationship between environmental quality and rents in the 2 neighbourhoods (r= 0.48, N= 591, p= 0.000). The coefficient of determination (r2 = 0.23), implied that only about 23% variation in rents in the selected peri-urban neighbourhoods can be attributed to environmental quality factors; other variations in rents are explainable by other factors relating to physical, legal and locational attributes of individual building. The implication is that, developers invested in location that promised them optimum returns over a period of time without much consideration to the quality of the environment. The study recommends routine housing maintenance, infrastructure provision and refurbishment for the achievement of qualitative and sustainable environment.Keywords: environmental quality, rental value, peri-urban neighbourhood

Sonographic estimation of foetal weight versus actual birth weight at term

Background: Estimated foetal weight is very critical to decision making in the management of pregnant women. It is therefore important to evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound estimated foetal weight (USEFW) at term in our environment. We compared ultrasound estimated foetal weight at term with the actual foetal birth weight at delivery.Methods: This was a prospective, comparative cross-sectional study at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital over a 6-month period. Four hundred and five pregnant women with normal singleton pregnancy, who had sonographic estimation of foetal weight at term, using the Hadlock IV formula, were followed up and had their actual birth weight (ABW) determined at delivery. Accuracy was determined by proportion of estimates within 10% of actual birth weight and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The p<0.05 was considered significant at 95% confidence interval.Results: The prevalence of macrosomia was 10.3%. At 10% margin of error, ultrasound accurately estimated the weights of 73.3% of babies. The mean USEFW was 3559.89±316.9g and mean ABW was 3477.42±422.9g with a mean difference of 82.44g (p<0.001) and MAPE of 7.11. There was positive correlation (r=0.669) between the EFW and ABW (p<0.001). The USEFW had a sensitivity of 66.7%, specificity of 91.5%, positive predictive value of 47.5% and negative predictive value of 96.0% in predicting macrosomia.Conclusions: Ultrasound estimation of foetal weight at term is reliably accurate in predicting actual birth weight in south-western Nigeria.

Mass ivermectin treatment for Onchocerciasis: Lack of evidence for collateral impact on transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti in areas of co-endemicity

There has long been interest in determining if mass ivermectin administration for onchocerciasis has 'unknowingly' interrupted lymphatic filariasis (LF) transmission where the endemicity of the two diseases' overlaps. We studied 11 communities in central Nigeria entomologically for LF by performing mosquito dissections on Anopheline LF vectors. Six of the communities studied were located within an onchocerciasis treatment zone, and five were located outside of that zone. Communities inside the treatment zone had been offered ivermectin treatment for two-five years, with a mean coverage of 81% of the eligible population (range 58–95%). We found 4.9% of mosquitoes were infected with any larval stage of W. bancrofti in the head or thorax in 362 dissections in the untreated villages compared to 4.7% infected in 549 dissections in the ivermectin treated villages (Mantel-Haenszel ChiSquare 0.02, P = 0.9). We concluded that ivermectin annual therapy for onchocerciasis has not interrupted transmission of Wuchereria bancrofti (the causative agent of LF in Nigeria)

Pattern of primary caesarean deliveries in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Background: Primary caesarean section (CS) has become a major driver of the steadily rising total caesarean rate. This study determined the primary CS rate, pattern and associated factors.Methods: It was a retrospective, hospital-based cross-sectional study of 645 pregnant women who had primary caesarean section over a 3-year period in Lagos state university teaching hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. Data obtained were expressed in frequency and percentages.Results: Primary CS accounted for more than 50% of all the CS done during the study period with a primary CS rate of 16.7% and total CS rate was 30.6%. Primary CS was commonest among women of age group 30-39years (50.1%) and women with no prior parous experience (58.6%). The commonest indication for primary CS was poor progress in labour due to cephalopelvic disproportion, which occurred in 170 women (26.4%), followed by suspected foetal distress in 94 women (14.6%) and hypertensive disease in pregnancy in 91 women (14.1%). Post-operative wound infection and/or dehiscence was the most prevalent post-operative complication occurring in 12.1% of women who had primary CS.Conclusions: Primary CS rate is increasing and relatively more common among primiparous women. Cephalopelvic disproportion, suspected foetal distress and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are the leading indications for primary CS.

Prevalence of malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency in Nigerian preschool children subsisting on high intakes of carotenes

The prevalence of malnutrition and vitamin A deficiency was determined in 204 preschool children of both sexes aged 3–57 months. The children were recruited from 2 rural communities of Atakumosa Local Government Area of Osun State in South West Nigeria. Dietary vitamin A intake was estimated from frequency of consumption of locally available vitamin A containing food items. Vitamin A status of the children was assessed from concentration of retinol in plasma. Nutritional status was assessed from height and weight compared with international reference standards. The results indicate widespread malnutrition among the children. The prevalence of stunting (low height for age) was 60.8% while prevalence of wasting (low weight for height) was 7.4% and of underweight (low weight for age) 27.5%. Dietary vitamin A intake appeared to be adequate in the children. Intake of vitamin A is predominantly from plant sources. At least 43% of the children consumed the carotene rich red palm oil 6 or more times per week in contrast to less than 1% who consumed eggs or milk for 6 or more times per week. Vitamin A deficiency was low in the children. Only 11.3% of the children had plasma retinol concentration <0.70µmol/L. The results indicate that childhood malnutrition of public health magnitude can coexist with adequate dietary vitamin A intakes or vitamin A status