A semi-Markov model for the duration of stay in a non-homogenous academic manpower system

The semi-Markov approach to a non-homogenous manpower system is considered. The mean duration of stay in a grade and the total duration of stay in the system are obtained. A renewal type equation is developed and used in deriving the limiting distribution of the semi – Markov process. Empirical estimators of the semi-Markov parameters which are uniformly consistent and asymptotically normally distributed are used to obtain the average length of stay for the academic manpower of the University of Nigeria

Doctor to patient ratio and infrastructure gap in a psychiatric hospital in oil rich Eket, Nigeria

This cross sectional retrospective study aimed at bringing to global attention the wide mismatch between doctors and infrastructure available to patients seeking mental health care at Psychiatric hospital, Eket, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, and the implications of such mental health gap. Records of a total of 870 patients over a 3-month period (May-July) were reviewed. The Federal Ministry of Health, National Health management Information System, Health Facility Daily Attendance Register (Version 2013) was used to review the patients in terms of outpatient, inpatient, specialist medical care and outcome. The Hospital Inpatient Facilities Checklist (for Psychiatric Units), was used to access the level of facilities and compliance to standards. Data analysis was done using SPSS Version 17. The results were quite revealing among which was the fact that in a 74-bed hospital, there were 6 (8.1%) beds, leaving a shortfall of 68 (91.9%) beds with bed to population ratio of 3:100,000 (critical bed shortage, <12 per 100,000), with many patients lying on the bare floor within the study duration (May-June 2014). Thus, the enormous problems characterized by inordinate resource gaps resulting in tragically high and persistent unmet mental health needs require urgent attention to improve efficiency in service delivery.Key Words: Patient, ratio, gap, infrastructure, resources

Influence of Drought on Acacia senegal (L.) Willd: Gum Yield within a Soil Moisture Gradient in North Eastern Nigeria

There had been a discernible shift in climate affecting the Sahelian zone of northern Nigeria. This attribute of drought influenced the rate of gum Arabic production in the North eastern axis. Therefore, these called for the studied of the Influence of drought on Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. Gum yield within a Soil moisture gradient in north eastern Nigeria. Two studied areas were purposively selected based on the availability (Gujba and Nguru). Complete Randomised Design was employed with three (3) samples examined at six (6) levels in six different tapping periods. Also, systematic line transect of 1Km was laid at the middle of both plantations where 1m by 1m transect were further laid in four transect sample plots. The soil samples were collected with the aid of soil auger at different levels (0-25 cm, 25-50 cm, 50-75 cm, 75-100 cm, 100-150 cm, 150-200 cm). Data was subjected using analysis of variance with statistical analysis system and descriptive statistic was also employed. The results showed that mean yield of Gum Arabic is Gujba is higher than Nguru (45kg and 30kg) respectively. Furthermore, physiochemical properties showed that pH, aluminium calcium and magnesium in both plantations were very high which is harmful for plantation development. Therefore, there is need for proper conservation and silvicultural management for both study areas

RURAL FARMERS’ PERCEPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN CENTRAL AGRICULTURAL ZONE OF DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Farmer perception of their environment is a factor of climate change. Adaptation to climate change requires farmers to realize that the climate has changed and they must identify useful adaptations and implement them. This study analyzed the per-ception of climate change among rural farmers in central agri-cultural zone of Delta State, Nigeria. Climate change studies often assume certain adaptations and minimal examination of how, when, why, and conditions under which adaptations usually take place in any economic and social systems. The study was conducted by survey method on 131 respondents using struc-tured interview schedule and questionnaire. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and linear regression model to test that education, gender, and farming experience influenced farmers’ perception of climate change. The results showed that the farmers were aware of climate change. The identified causes of climate change were ranging from intensified agriculture, population explosion, increased use of fossil fuel, loss of in-digenous know practice to gas flaring. The effects of climate change on crops and livestocks were also identified by the rural farmers. Many of the farmers adapted to climate change by planting trees, carrying out soil conservation practice, changing planting dates, using different crop varieties, installing fans in livestock pens, and applying irrigation. Almost half of them did not adapt to climate change. The linear regression analysis revealed that education, gender, and farming experience influ-enced farmers’ perception of climate change. The major barriers to adaptation to climate change included lack of information, lack of money, and inadequate land

On discrete q-ultraspherical polynomials and their duals

We show that a confluent case of the big q-Jacobi polynomials P_n(x;a,b,c;q), which corresponds to a=b=-c, leads to a discrete orthogonality relation for imaginary values of the parameter a (outside of its commonly known domain 0<a< q^{-1}). Since P_n(x;q^\alpha, q^\alpha, -q^\alpha; q) tend to Gegenbauer (or ultraspherical) polynomials in the limit as q->1, this family represents yet another q-extension of these classical polynomials, different from the continuous q-ultraspherical polynomials of Rogers. The dual family with respect to the polynomials P_n(x;a,a,-a;q) (i.e., the dual discrete q-ultraspherical polynomials) corresponds to the indeterminate moment problem, that is, these polynomials have infinitely many orthogonality relations. We find orthogonality relations for these polynomials, which have not been considered before. In particular, extremal orthogonality measures for these polynomials are derived.Comment: 14 page