REGULATORY FAILURES AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE CAPITAL MARKET IN NIGERIA: ALIGNING RESPONSIBILITIES WITH ACCOUNTABILTY

Despite the damaging impacts of the crash in the Nigerian capital markets between 2007 and 2011 on the economy and the established cases of regulatory failures in the industry, the question of regulatory accountability has not received much attention in Nigeria. Looking back at these regulatory failures vis-à-vis the statutory responsibilities of the regulators of the capital markets in Nigeria and comparing same with the securities regulatory authority of the UK under the FSMA, 2000 this article argued that responsibilities should go with accountability for an effective capital market regulation in Nigeria. The article found that the apex regulator in Nigeria lacks the necessary operational independence. It questioned the increasing trend of regulatory laxity and ‘highhandedness’ in the capital market. The article recommended a proper regulatory accountability through a review of administrative decisions, actions in torts on the grounds of regulatory negligence, breach of statutory duty and misfeasance in public office. It also recommended a total restructuring of the apex regulator to make it more operationally independent in line with global best practices.

Prevalence of Cryptosporidiosis among HIV/AIDS infected individuals attending gambo Sawaba General Hospital, Zaria

Background: Diarrhea remains one of the most important health problems globally and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among immune compromised individuals. It accounts for over 50 million deaths (in all ages) world-wide and ranks 3rd among diseases responsible for human mortality globally. Aim: This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in patients who presented with diarrhea attending Gambo Sawaba General Hospital Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Methods: The study was cross-sectional study in which a total of 110 diarrheic stool samples were processed using formol ether Concentration Techniques and Stained for oocysts of Cryptosporidium species using modified ZN staining method while direct sample was screened for other enteric parasites. Results: The overall prevalence rate of cryptosporidium oocyst in the diarrhetic HIV/AIDS patient was 10%. Other parasites isolated were Ascaris lumbricoides 3.6% and Entamoeba histolytica 4.6%. Cryptosporidium infection was associated with those who defecate in pit latrine with a prevalence of 9.1% at (P=0.476) and those who drank well water without boiling with a prevalence of 7.2% at (P=0.419). There was no statistical difference between Cryptosporidium infection and those who eat undercooked food with a prevalence of 6.4% at (P=0.680). The oocysts were detected more frequently in female with 6.3% than male participants with 3.6% prevalence and patients between age group of 25-54 years were most affected with a prevalence of 2.7%. Conclusion: A prevalence of 10% of cases among this study group is high, hence should be considered in planning interventions aimed at optimizing management of HIV/AIDS and other immune-suppressed patients

Implementasi algoritma genetika untuk minimasi galat pada metode peramalan seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average pada PT. XYZ

Peramalan jumlah permintaan produk merupakan hal yang sangat penting dilakukan bagi PT. XYZ. Selama ini, PT. XYZ masih melakukan perencanaan produksinya berdasarkan jumlah produksi periode sebelumnya. Saat tepat untuk meramalkan banyaknya permintaan inilah yang harus diidentifikasi oleh pihak perusahaan agar keputusan yang diambil tepat mengenai sasaran sebelum pangsa pasarnya mengalami penurunan. Berangkat dari permasalahan itulah PT. XYZ memerlukan sebuah optimasi untuk perencanaan yang mereka lakukan. Sehingga hasil dari perencanaan perusahaan tersebut menjadi optimal. Pada optimasi peramalan kali ini akan digunakan Algoritma Genetika dengan menggunakan metode Seasonal ARIMA (SARIMA) sebagai metode peramalannya, dimana data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah data penjualan/realisasi penjualan dari tahun 2011 – 2012 yang bersifat musiman. Algoritma Genetika dipilih karena merupakan algoritma yang dapat mengkombinasikan kromosom-kromosom atau variabel autoregressive (p), difference (d), moving average (q) dan juga seasonal autoregressive (P), seasonal difference (D), seasonal moving average (Q) yang merupakan parameter dari metode peramalan SARIMA untuk meminimasi galat pada metode ini. Akhir dari penelitian ini adalah dengan kombinasi nilai parameter yang optimal tersebut akan dilakukan peramalan beberapa periode kedepan. Hal ini dilakukan agar memudahkan sebuah PT. XYZ dalam pengoperasian peramalan nantinya. Hasil dari tugas akhir berupa sebuah sistem yang dapat menentukan nilai parameter pada metode peramalan SARIMA secara optimal untuk menunjang peramalan data PT. XYZ yang bersifat musiman yang mana hasil tersebut akan digunakan dalam penentuan produksi oleh PT. XYZ tersebut. Dengan menerapkan sistem ini diharapkan dapat mempermudah pengguna dalam melakukan penentuan kombinasi nilai parameter pada saat menggunakan Algoritma Genetika. Sehingga sistem tersebut dapat menunjang dalam peramalan pada PT. XYZ berdasarkan pola data yang sudah ada dengan optimal dan perusahaan dapat meraih tingkat keuntungan yang maksimal. ========================================================================================================== Forecasting product demand is very important for PT. XYZ. During this time, PT. XYZ is still doing production planning based on the amount of production of the previous period. The appropriate time to predict the number of requests is what must be identified by the company in order to take the appropriate decisions regarding the target before its market share decline. Departing from the problems that PT. XYZ requires an optimization for the planning they do. So the results of the company planning to be optimal. At this time forecasting optimization will be used Genetic Algorithm using Seasonal ARIMA (SARIMA) as forecasting method, where the data used in this study is data sales / sales realization from the year 2011 to 2012 which is seasonal. Genetic Algorithms have been an algorithm that can combine chromosomes or variable autoregressive (p), difference (d), moving average (q) and also seasonal autoregressive (P), seasonal difference (D), seasonal moving average (Q) which is a parameter SARIMA forecasting method to minimize the error in this method. End of the study was the combination of the optimal parameter values will be forecasting future periods. This is done in order to facilitate a PT. XYZ in forecasting future operations. The results of the final project in the form of a system that can determine the value of the parameter at optimal SARIMA forecasting methods to support data forecasting PT. XYZ is seasonal which these results will be used in the determination of production by PT. The XYZ. By implementing this system is expected to facilitate the user in making the determination of the combination of parameter values when using Genetic Algorithms. So that the system can support in forecasting at. XYZ based on the pattern of existing data with the company to achieve optimal and maximum benefit levels

Determination of Saturated Hydrocarbon from Nigerian Crude Oil from Selected Oil Wells: A Comparative Study

The saturated hydrocarbons were isolated from the crude oil samples by the use of SARA separation and column chromatography methods. The fractions obtained were identified using GC-MS. The result shows that the saturated hydrocarbons presence in the samples indicate that all the samples spectra indicated the presence of Trans-decalin-2-methyl, Dodecane, Tridecane, Tetradecane, Pentadecane, Hexadecane, Octadecane, Nonadecane and Eicosane, all at a minimum quality of correlation of 70%.  The result of the GC-MS indicated that sample D has the highest number of saturated hydrocarbons presence in a minimum quality of % correlation of 70% and sample E has the lowest amount of saturated hydrocarbons. Keywords: Crude oil drilling, GC-MS, Sara analysis, Saturated hydrocarbons, Trans-decalin-2-methy

Epidemiology and control of soil transmitted helminthiasis and giardiasis in Nigeria- a review

Background: Nigeria is the country with the largest population in Africa. Helminthiasis and giardiasis are endemic in Nigeria, due to poor environmental sanitation, pollution, and contamination of water and soil. However, parasitic infections in Nigeria are not only due to the large number of its population, but also due to its geographic nature which is apt for easy parasitic development and individuals infected are children and they attributed this to the fact that children are very careless of the risk associated with playing in contaminated environments and eating indiscriminately with unwashed hands. Objective: To review the epidemiology of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) and giardiasis in Nigeria and feasible control measures. Methodology: A wide-ranging search of electronic bibliographic databases was performed on the epidemiology and control of soil-transmitted helminthiasis and giardiasis in Nigeria. Twenty three full-length articles were studied comprehensively in order to gather up the information on epidemiology of giardiasis and STHs in Nigeria. Result: the occurrence of STH due to the triad of Ascaris lumbricoides, Hookworm and Trichuris trichiura was observed. The paper also showed that the highest and lowest prevalences of helminthiasis are 89.66% and 9.1% while that of giardiasis are 41.45% and 3.10% respectively. Conclusion: This suggests that soil-transmitted helminthiasis and giardiasis are still endemic in Nigeria and majority of those affected are children younger than 10 years living in rural areas and urban slums

Optimization of reaction variables in situ transesterification of Jatropha curcas seed oil for biodiesel production

Biodiesel was produced from seed oil of Jatropha curcas by in situ acid-catalyzed transesterification with methanol. Optimization of the reaction parameters was carried out using response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken design. All the four variables investigated were found to be significant. The empirical model obtained adequately expresses the relationship between the biodiesel yield and the statistically significant reaction variables (R2 = 96.97%). The optimization result predicted an optimal biodiesel yield of 84.07% at a reaction temperature of 48°C; a reaction time of 240 min; with 5 cm3 methanol/g of the seed and catalyst concentration of 0.88M. The validation result was in agreement with the predicted biodiesel yield. The fatty acid methyl profile of the biodiesel shows that it predominantly contains methyl esters of octadecenoic acid, octadecadienoic acid and hexadecanoic acid which make up about 87% the biodiesel. The fuel properties of the biodiesel were in agreement with the requirements of Worldwide Fuel Charter Committee Biodiesel Guidelines.Keywords: Jatropha curcas, Biodiesel, In situ transesterification, Optimization, Box-Behnke

Burden of intestinal helminths among patients attending General Hospital Wudil in Kano State north western Nigeria

Background: Infection with parasitic helminths is often recognized as one of the most important public health problems in tropical Africa. Aim: This study is aimed at determining the prevalence of intestinal helminths among rural and semi urban communities (with no treated pipe borne water) attending Wudil General Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. Methods: Stool samples were collected from patients and processed using formol ether concentration technique. Results: Out of the 200 stool samples examined, the overall intestinal helminthes prevalence was 138(69.0%). Of these Ancylostoma duodenale had the prevalence rate of 38(19.0%), Strongyloides stercoralis 22(11.0%), Ascaris lumbricoides 28(14.0%), Schistosoma mansoni 26(13.0%), and Trichuris trichiura 24(12.0%). On the basis of gender, males had the highest infestation of 84(60.9%) compared to females 54(39.1%). Infection across age groups revealed that age group of 10-19 had the highest prevalence of helminths 45(32.6%) followed by 20-29 with 33(23.9%) while the least was in the age group of 50-59 with 11(8.0%). Patients that had no toilet facilities (that use open space) were the most infected 123(89.1%), while patients that use closed water system in the semi urban communities had the minimum infection rate of 3(2.2%). Conclusion: The study indicated very high occurrence of intestinal helminthiasis among the study population which stress the need for government efforts to promote and/ or sustain proper sanitation and good water supply

Selenium-Enriched Spirulina (SeE-SP) Enhance Antioxidant Response, Immunity, and Disease Resistance in Juvenile Asian Seabass, Lates calcarifer

publishedVersio

Optimization of Absorber Layer and Operating Temperature of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide Solar Cells Using Different Metal Contacts

Device simulation was employed to investigate the effect of metal back contact electrodes on the performance of n-type CdS/p-CIGS thin film solar cells using varying thicknesses of absorber layer at operating temperature of 300K. The effect of working temperatures was also studied from 300K to 400K in steps of 10K. The simulations were carried out using standard solar cell capacitance simulator (SCAPS) 3.3.03 version software. The results showed better efficiencies at the optimized thickness of 3µm for all the back contact electrodes under study. The maximum efficiencies of 17.5 %, 15.5 %, 11.5 %, 3.5 % and 3 % were estimated for CIGS thin film solar cell at 300 K for platinum, gold, cobalt, silver and copper back contact electrodes respectively. The efficiency decreases as the operating temperatures increases from 300 K to 400 K. It is recommended that the optimized thickness of 3 µm is appropriate as absorber layer for efficient and cost effective CIGS thin film solar cells for economic reasons

Biodiesel production by lipase mediated transesterification of Acacia nilotica seed oil

Biodiesel is becoming prominent among the alternative sources of energy due to its economic, environmental and social values. This work  investigated the possibility of using calcium alginate immobilized lipase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the production of biodiesel from Acacia nilotica seed oil. The physico-chemical properties of Acacia nilotica biodiesel were assessed. Methyl esters composition indicated the presence of  octadecenoic (69.14%), hexadecanoic (15.47%) and (7.92%) octadecanoic acid as dominant fatty acid methyl esters. The biodiesel produced had a specific gravity of 0.84, refractive index of 1.34 0.04 and viscosity 2.73 ± 0.15 Pa.S. The cetane number recorded was 32.81 ±0.10, calorific value 29.0 mJkg-1, flash point 113oC, while the cloud and pour points were 1.06oC and 4.0oC respectively. The iodine value was 187.6±0.60 gI2/100 g, acid value 0.61±0.01/g, saponification value 189±1.00mgKOH/g and peroxide value 6.60±0.05 meq/kg. The observed characteristics of the biodiesel produced were largely in conformity with the ASTM and EN biodiesel standards.Key words: Acacia nilotica: seed oil: transesterification: immobilized lipas