Solutions of Schr\"odinger Equation with Generalized Inverted Hyperbolic Potential

We present the bound state solutions of the Schr\"odinger equation with generalized inverted hyperbolic potential using the Nikiforov-Uvarov method. We obtain the energy spectrum and the wave function with this potential for arbitrary - state. We show that the results of this potential reduced to the standard known potentials - Rosen-Morse, Poschl - Teller and Scarf potential as special cases. We also discussed the energy equation and the wave function for these special cases.Comment: 20pages, 5figure

Macroinvertebrates Assemblage Study: An attempt to Assess the Impact of Water Quality on Qua Iboe River Estuary, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to access the water quality of Qua River Estuary, Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria by collecting water samples and macroinvertebrates using standard sampling procedures and analytical methods. The mean values of physicochemical parameters assessed in water samples gave the following ranges: DO (2.38 – 4.63 mg/l), water temperature (26.13 – 29.18 oC), turbidity (22.56 – 39.24 NTU),TDS (224.8 – 332.51 mg/l), pH (6.3 – 7.5 mg/l), salinity (3.13 – 4.84 ppt),BOD (1.13 – 3.64 mg/l), nitrate (2.45 – 6.72 mg/l), phosphate (2.12 – 5.93 mg/l) and Flow velocity (0.23 – 0.38 ms-1). ANOVA reveals significant variation in some parameters. A total of 308 individual species, comprising of three phyla and seven taxonomic groups of macro-invertebrate were identified. Arthropoda constituted the highest percentage composition (75.4%), followed by Mollusca (18.8%), and Annelida (5.8%). The dominant group was Decapoda (35.7%) and the least was Odonata accounted only for 1.9%. Station 5 has the highest number of individual’s species (112), station 3 had the least (43). Chironomus plumosus was the most occurring species, accounted for 19.2%. The result reveals that anthropogenic activities in the water system influence the abundance of aquatic biota; based on the macro-invertebrates identified, it shows that the water quality is moderately polluted owing to human activities

Perceived Relative Factors Influencing Nurses’ Practice of Health Promotion for Women in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Socio-cultural factors negate the health of women. Therefore, health promotion as a focus of nursing practice aimed at capitalizing on the inherent capacities of women to establish health priorities, goals and strategies to improve their health. A descriptive survey with the purpose of ascertaining the influence of culture, social and health policies on nurses’ practice of health promotion was undertaken. Three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A sample of one hundred and thirty six nurses participated in the study. A validated questionnaire with a test-retest reliability coefficient (r) of 0.79 was used for data collection. Correlation analysis was carried out to test hypotheses. The results revealed that 132 (97.1%) participants were female with a mean (SD) age of 40 ± 7.29. Many participants 58 (42.6%) perceived that social policies have high influence on their practice of health promotion. The results also showed significant negative correlation between culture and practice of health promotion (r = -0.532; p = 0.01) while the practice of health promotion was significantly and positively correlated with social policies (r = 0.515; p = 0.01). It was recommended that negative cultural practices be addressed through social policies and health education of women on negative cultural practices in order to enhance the practice of health promotion for them

Phytochemical Evaluation, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Various Extracts from Leaves and Stems of Bryophyllum pinnatum

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of different extracts (methanol and ethyl acetate) of leaf and stem of Bryophyllum pinnatum were studied. The screening for the secondary metabolites was carried out using the standard methods. The antioxidant capacities of the different extracts were assessed using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radicals and Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) while the antimicrobial activity of the extracts obtained were screened against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa Salmonella spp., Vibrio cholerae, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger) using Agar well diffusion method. Both extracts obtained from leaf and stem of Bryophyllum pinnatum contained most of the phytochemical compounds tested for. However, anthocyanins and anthraquinone were not detected in leaf extracts while coumarin was absent in stem extracts. Quantification of bioactive compounds showed that both extracts contained the highest concentration of polyphenols (34.49 ±0.47 mg GAE/g and 32.32 ±1.2 mg GAE/g for methanol leaf and stem extracts respectively) while the least concentration was recorded for alkaloids (0.03±0.02 mg/g for methanol stem extract). Results revealed that the extracts showed dose-dependent scavenging of DPPH as well as the ability of the extracts to reduce FeCl3 solution, with methanol extracts exhibiting the highest scavenging and reducing capacity. However the leaves of Bryophyllum pinnatum had greater antioxidant activity than the stem by DPPH and ferric reducing assays, with IC50 values ranging from 3.147µg/ml to 3.80µg/ml for DPPH and 331.9 - 451 µg/ml for FRAP assays. The antimicrobial activity of various solvent extracts of leaf and stem reveal that microorganisms exhibited different sensitivities towards these extracts in a dose-dependent manner. Methanol leaf extract showed no activity against Escherichia coli while Pseudomonas aeruginosa was insensitive to ethyl acetate leaf extract. For stem extracts, Aspergillus niger, Vibrio cholerae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant to methanol extract while Aspergillus niger, Salmonella spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant towards ethyl acetate stem extract. The results obtained in this study showed that Bryophyllum pinnatum is a reservoir of bioactive compounds and both extracts exhibited significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activity

Adaptive Response Strategy of Farmers to Changing Rainfall Averages in Parts of South-Eastern Nigeria

The variable and changing nature of the annual rainfall regime in the study area poses the main problem for which planet responses are needed. The study is conducted with an estimated population of six thousand (6000) food croppers from Abia, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States. Three thousand (3000) respondent farmers are then drawn from six (6) agro-ecological zones, two from each of the sample states at five hundred (500) respondents per zone. Two hundred and fifty (250) farming households and finally sampled from the zones resulting in the one thousand five hundred (1500) sample that the study is based. Statistical evidence indicates that the awareness level of the peasants to the issue is significant at the 95% level of confidence. The main response strategies from analysis include the application of chemical fertilizers, the use of crop verities and changing the time of farming. The main change stimuli, however are higher annual intensities and declines in the duration. Response strategies however vary significantly across the study space at 95% probability. Cross River State, the more vulnerable to the threat is suggested to be the source of the significant variation following the Scheffe Post HOC analysis. Keywords: climate change response stimuli, response strategy, reactive response

Determinants of Job Satisfaction among Nurse / Midwife Educators in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Background: Job satisfaction represents an important element of Nurse Educators' survival which has implications for performance, retention, dedication to the institution, the nursing profession itself and preparing nursing students who are capable of providing high quality patient care. The purpose of the study was to assess overall level of job satisfaction and satisfaction with nine facets of job satisfaction among Nurse/Midwife Educators in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.   Methods: A descriptive cross sectional survey was used for the study. A total population study of Nurse /Midwife Educators in Calabar was undertaken. A self-administered structured questionnaire adapted from the standardized “Employee Opinion Survey” with a reliability of 0.60 to 0.90 coefficient was used for data collection. Data were computer analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 for Windows. Logistic regression was used to verify association between overall job satisfaction and facets/subscales of job satisfaction scale.   Results: A total of 50 respondents participated in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 46.9±6.9 while the mean years of working experience was 24.9±6.1.  The respondents were made up of (40) 90.0% female and (10) 10.0% male. The mean overall job satisfaction score was 2.63±0.62. The results also revealed that majority of the respondents 41(82.0%) were moderately satisfied with their work while 9(18.0%) were slightly satisfied. Most of the respondents 47(94.0%) were satisfied with the job itself subscale with a mean score of 3.27±0.59, while the least satisfying facet was communication subscale with a mean of 2.50 ± 0.90. Safety and working relationships were significantly related to overall job satisfaction.   Conclusion: The study has shown that the few but experienced Nurse/Midwife Educators in Calabar were not fully satisfied with most facets of their work which could have adverse effect on their work output and overall performance. Therefore in order to address the adverse effect of dissatisfaction, it is recommended that all sub-scales of job satisfaction be addressed by employers of Nurse Educators and the Professional Nursing Association with emphasis on safety and working relationships.   Keywords: Job satisfaction, Working relationships, Nurse /Midwife Educator, Nigeri

Appraisal of the magnetic and geothermal anomalies of bornu basin northeast nigeria involving aero-magnetic data

The Bornu Basin in northeast Nigeria was studied using high-resolution airborne magnetic data with the objective of improving the reliability of mapped magnetic and geothermal anomalies, and depth solutions. Necessary enhancement operations like analytic signal (ASIG), upward continuation, depth assessment methods involving standard Euler deconvolution (SED) and source parameter imaging (SPI) as well as spectral analysis applying the centroid technique were applied. The middle and southern parts are dominated by high frequency anomalies as revealed by the ASIG map. Furthermore, the magnetic data, when upward continued to 5 km, revealed avalanche of deeply buried igneous intrusions that created near-surface magnetic sources and geologic structures. Maximum thicknesses of sedimentary series estimated from SED and SPI, are respectively ~5974.7 and ~5885.3 m. These values correlate correlated relatively well with depth to the top boundary (Zt) of ~6550 m obtained from the centroid technique. These depth estimates reveal sequence of thick sediments overlying igneous intrusions and falls under the prospective geothermal anomaly zones characterised by high geothermal gradient (GG) (>55 °C/km) and heat flow (HF) (>130 mW/m2) values. Areas characterised by high geothermal anomalies correspond to igneous intrusion-dominated shallow Curie point depths (CPD or Zb)

Awareness and practive of health promotion for women in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Aim: A descriptive survey was undertaken to ascertain nurses’ awareness and level of practice of health promotion among women in Calabar. Background: Women’s health is affected by array of factors; nurses could have a major impact in increasing women’s capacity to exercise increased control over their lives and determinants of health. Method: One hundred and thirty six nurses drawn from the ante-natal clinics of primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities in Calabar participated in the study. A questionnaire with a content validity index of 0.91 was used for data collection. The test-retest reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was (r) 0.79. Ethical issues were addressed. Data were analyzed with statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 15. Findings: Majority 110 (80.9%) of the participants were highly experienced, 96 (70.6%) were managers while only 52 (38.2%) had 1st degree and above. Health education was the most mentioned strategy of health promotion by participants 136 (100.0%) while specific protection was the least mentioned 3(2.2%). Only about half of the respondents 68 (50.0%) practiced health promotion appropriately. Nurses’ rank and years of working experience were significantly associated with appropriate practice. Conclusion: Nurses averagely practice health promotion. It was therefore recommended that Nurse Managers should provide learning opportunities to fill observe gaps in knowledge and motivate junior nurses to engage in women’s health promotion at every opportunity

Growth Influence of Some Additives on the Mycelial Growth and Fruit Body Development of Pleurotus Ostreatus (Jacq. Et. Fr.) Kummer

Studies were conducted to establish the response of a wood – rotting fungus, Pleurotus ostreatus to different growth substrates (sawdust (SD), dry banana leaves (BL) and a combination of both) and additives [groundnut cake (GC) and palm kernel cake (PKC)]. Spawning (Mycelia running rate) and fruit body development (area of pileus, length of stipe and fresh weight) were assessed. Initiation of mycelial growth took place in both treated and untreated substrate samples within 7 days post inoculation (dpi). Spawn run was delayed in SD substrates treated to PKC beyond 2% and in BL substrates treated with 4% PKC and above. In BL+SD, spawn run was delayed at all levels of PKC treatments. Spawn run in the BL, BL+SD and SD controls were completed in 21, 28 and 35 days respectively, following inoculation. Primordia production occurred in all the samples within 7 days of transfer of bags to the cropping room. Treatment of substrates with additives (GC and PKC) negatively affected the performance of the substrates. Addition of 4% of the additives on BL and BL+SD substrates produced mushrooms with smaller pileus size with the smallest (13.08cm2) observed on 4% PKC-treated BL substrates. Similar trends were observed in length of stipe, fresh weight and biological efficiency of the mushroom. All substrates evaluated supported production of fruit bodies for 70 days making a total of 14 flushes from the inception of cropping. Key words: Additives, Mycelial growth, fruit body production, Pleurotus ostreatus