The pattern of neurological disorders seen in a private healthcare institution in Lagos, Nigeria: a preliminary three (3) year review

Introduction: Neurology is a rare specialty in Nigeria where the current specialist to patient ratio is approximately 1:3000000. The aim of this study was to describe the pattern of neurological disorders seen in the Adult Outpatient Neurology Clinics in a Private Healthcare Institution in Lagos-Nigeria.Method: The electronic records of all outpatients seen by the author in Lagoon Hospitals, Hygeia over a three year period (July 2014 and Dec 2017) were retrieved and reviewed. Neurological disorders were grouped into 18 broad diagnoses using the ICD 10 nomenclature.Results: Headache, spondylosis, stroke, epilepsy, peripheral neuropathies and movement disorders were the most frequent diagnoses constituting 28.47%; 18.32%; 14.58%; 9.60%; 8.65%; and 8.17% respectively. Among patients with headache, tension-type headache was the most frequent diagnosis (41.39%) while migraine headaches constituted 27.99%. Ischemic stroke constituted 84.11% of recorded stroke cases while intracerebral hemorrhage made up 4.67%. All were confirmed by neuroimaging studies.Conclusion: In the typical adult outpatient neurology practice headaches, stroke, epilepsy, movement disorders and degenerative diseases of the spine are five commonly seen disorders and therefore the most likely to offer the largest returns for investors in neurology and neuro-rehabilitative medicine.Keywords: Lagos, Neurological Disorders, Private Healthcar

Import-economic growth nexus in selected African countries: An application of the Toda-Yamamoto Granger non-causality test

We determine the nexus between imports and economic growth for a sample of 26 African countries for the period 1990-2015 within the neoclassical production function framework. We mainly contribute to literature by overcoming the weak theoretical modelling framework and possible model specification bias in most extant studies. Using the Toda-Yamamoto Granger non-causality test, the empirical results indicate that there is absence of causality between imports and economic growth in more than half of the countries in the sample, thus suggesting that neutrality hypothesis is predominant among the countries. We provide ample evidence that causality is absent from imports to economic growth. However, our results should be treated with caution because the absence of causality from imports to economic growth should not imply that imports do not play a role in the growth process of an economy

Effects of limestone and super-plasticizer on the fresh properties of self-compacting concrete

The free flow ability of fresh self-compacting concrete (SCC), capable of overcoming obstacles and penetrating into difficult joints is one of the special properties that differentiate SCC from normal concrete. It can then be rightly said that the fresh property of self compacting concrete (SCC) is the most important factor that distinguishes SCC from conventional concrete. Due to the importance of this property to the overall performance of self-compacting concrete, the tests of fresh SCC must be gotten right since any mistake will compromise the essence of recurring to SCC in place of normal concrete. This research attempts to enhance the flow-ability of SCC via replacement of cement with varying dosage of limestone and super-plasticizer. To validate the improvement of SCC fresh properties, slump test is used to assess workability, L-box test for passing ability and V-funnel test for filling ability. Test results analyzed with statistical tools confirmed that the workability and rheological properties of self-compacting concrete can be improved through the adoption of various dosages of limestone powde

Macroeconomic Determinants Of Stock Market Development In Nigeria: (1981-2017)

For the stock market to contribute effectively and efficiently in its role of capital formation, the macroeconomic environment in which it operates must be conducive and growth supportive. Hence, this study examined macroeconomic determinants of stock market development in Nigeria for the period of 1981 to 2017. The study employed the ARDL bound testing technique to investigate the long run and short run relationship between the dependent variable (stock market development) and independent variables (GDP, banking sector development, stock market liquidity, foreign direct investment, inflation rate and savings rate). The result of the study found out that in both the short run and long run, key macroeconomic determinants of stock market development in the context of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Market are banking sector development, stock market liquidity, foreign direct investment and to an extent the income level (GDP). While inflation rate which measures macroeconomic stability, and savings rate do not significantly explain stock market development. This study therefore recommended amongst others that policymakers should strive to sustain the stability of the economy in order to promote the growth of stock market development in the short run and long run

The Impact of Changes in Basel Capital Requirements on the Resilience of African Commercial Banks

Focusing on a panel sample of 41 commercial banks over the period of 2000-2018, this study examined the effect of capital adequacy on the resilience of commercial banks in Africa under changing Basel levels (II, III, and the proposed Basel IV). The study created sample representative banks for the proposed Basel IV and used two measures, namely Z-score and CAMELS, to capture bank resilience. Using the panel logistic regression and fixed effect model, we found that capital adequacy, liquidity, earnings management efficiency, and macroeconomic conditions are key determinants of the resilience of commercial banks in Africa. Additionally, Basel compliant banks tend to be less prone to macroeconomic factors. Based on the positive and significant impact of all Basel capital ratios on Zscore, the results suggest that a high level of capital requirements increases African banks' resilience, and banks with higher capital can absorb risk exposures

STRONG CONVERGENCE THEOREM FOR UNIFORMLY L-LIPSCHITZIAN MAPPING OF GREGUS TYPE IN BANACH SPACES

In this paper, we introduced a new mapping called Uniformly L-Lipschitzian mapping of Gregus type, and used the Mann iterative scheme to approximate the fixed point. A Strong convergence result for the sequence generated by the scheme is shown in real Banach space. Our result generalized and unifybmany recent results in this area  of research. In addition, using Java(jdk1.8.0_101), we give a numericalbexample to support our claim

A Shoveling-related Pain Intensity Prediction Expert System for Workers’ Manual Movement of Material

In this study, a fuzzy-based expert system called the Pain Intensity Prediction Expert System (PIPES) was developed to predict pain severity risk (PSR) in shoveling-related tasks. The primary objective was to develop a non-changing rating risk assessment ergonomics tool that both efficient and comparable with those obtained from human ergonomics experts in the field of application. PIPES used fuzzy set theory (FST) to make decisions about the level of pain associated with a selected worker base on the measured task variables, namely scooping rate, scooping time, shovel load, and throw distance as input and PSR as the result. Values obtained from variable measurements from a sand shoveling task were run with PIPES, and the results were compared with the workers’ self-reported pain (WSRP) intensity using a numeric rating scale (NRS) tool. The result of validation showed that there was a strong positive relationship between WSRP NRS and PIPES NRS, with a correlation coefficient of 0.70. The independent sample t-test for mean difference showed that WSRP had a statistically significantly lower level of NRS (4.35 ± 2.1) compared to PIPES (4.75 ± 2.2), t (38) = - 0.591, p = 0.558. With a significance level of 0.001 at 95% confidence, the groups’ means were not significantly different. The study developed an expert system, PIPES, which can be used as a computerized representation of ergonomics experts, who are scarce. PIPES can be applied to construction industries, sand mine locations, and any workplace where materials are manually moved using a shovel

Predictive power of economic-based performance indicators on shareholder value: Evidence from South African listed firms

Financial statements are often number intensive, and determining the importance and relevance of these numbers from the perspective of investors and equity holders is paramount. However, empirical studies concerning the correlation between several accounting and economic-based indicators with shareholder returns have yielded contradictory results. Additionally, considering the relatively limited studies on economic-based indicators such as refined economic value-added and economic value-added momentum, this study evaluated the predictive power of refined economic value added, economic value-added momentum, and economic value added (economic-based indicators), along with traditional accounting-based indicators such as return on equity and earnings per share on the shareholders' returns. The study employed fixed-effect instrumental variable regression and panel quantile regression techniques to examine 49 non-financial companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange from 2007 to 2021. Overall, the results showed that economic value added is a significant negative predictor of shareholder returns, while refined economic value-added is a positive determinant. In addition, the refined economic value-added coefficient remains positive, with the impact increasing across the conditional quantiles. This study concludes that refined economic value-added provides a superior and realistic determinant of shareholder value on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange compared to other measures

Are African Stock Markets Inefficient or Adaptive? Empirical Literature

This chapter reviews empirical studies on weak form of efficiency with the aim of establishing whether the African market is inefficient or adaptive. The reviewed studies are categorised based on their methodological approaches to compare the power of linear and non-linear models in testing for weak-form efficiency. The studies on calendar anomalies, an indication of weak-form inefficiency, are reviewed to assess whether these anomalies are adaptive as portrayed by the relatively recent theory of adaptive market hypothesis (AMH). The scope of reviewed studies is also extended to developed and emerging markets to gain a broad comparison of the findings. This review revealed that non-linear dependence has been revealed in stock returns suggesting that non-linear models are best fit to test for the stock market efficiency. Reviewed studies produced contradictory findings with some supporting and others rejecting weak-form efficiency. Thus, most studies support the AMH, which suggests that market efficiencies and anomalies are time changing. This chapter concludes that most of the existing studies on AMH have been carried out in markets other than Africa, and hence, further empirical studies on the evolving and changing nature of efficiency in African stock markets are recommended

Biochemical Changes in Alloxan - Induced Diabetes Rat Liver and Kidney Dosed Artesunate

Diabetes is a disease marked by elevated blood sugar levels, and the second leading cause of renal diseases and blindness worldwide. Artesunate is an antimalarial drug, that has been reported to have hypoglycemic potential, but to the best of our knowledge, much work has not been done to explore the biochemical and clinical implications of administration of artesunate on a diabetic subject. This study investigates biochemical changes in terms of oxidative status associated with oral administration of artesunate on diabetic animal model. Twenty eight male Wistar rats weighing averagely 200g were divided into four groups of seven rats each, Group A-control, B- Diabetes only, C- Artesunate only, D- Diabetes + Artesunate. Diabetes was induced intraperitoneally, at a single dose of Alloxan(160mg/kg body weight(bw). Artesunate was administered orally in aqueous solution at 2.90mg/kg bw on day one, and at 1.45mg/kg bw on the subsequent 7days. Spectrophotometric technique was used for biochemical analysis in serum, kidney and liver homogenates. Aspartate amino transferase (AST) and Alanine amino transferase (ALT) activities as well as Creatinine concentration were significantly (P<0.05) increased in group B compared with control, while group D showed a significant (P<0.05) decrease compared with group B. Total protein concentration was significantly(P<0.05) increased in group B compared with control, while group D  showed an insignificant  decrease compared  with group B. Moreover, Superoxide dismutase(SOD) and Catalase(CAT) activities as well as  Reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration were significantly(P<0.05) decreased in group B compared with control, and were restored near to the control level significantly (P<0.05) in group D, compared with group B. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was significantly (P<0.05) increased in group B compared with control, but was reversed significantly (P<0.05) in group D compared with group B. Artesunate ameliorates oxidative stress in diabetic rats liver and kidney, possess hypoglycemic effect, hence antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects of artesunate may be beneficial to diabetic liver and kidney. Keywords: Artesunate, Diabetes mellitus, Hypoglycemia, Alloxan, Antioxidant. DOI: 10.7176/ALST/72-03 Publication date:March 31st 201