Antimicrobial activity of leaf extracts of Ocimum gratissimum on selected diarrhoea causing bacteria in southwestern Nigeria

The antibacterial activity of different extracts from the leaves of Ocimum gratissimum was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Salmonella typhimurium, pathogenic bacteria that cause diarrhea. These extracts evaluated include cold water extract (CWE), hot water extract (HWE) and steam distillation extract (SDE). Only SDE has inhibitory effects on the selected bacteria and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranged from 0.1% for S. aureus to 0.01% for E. coli and S. typhimurium, and 0.001% for S. typhi.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (7), pp. 682-684, 200

IMPACT OF FOREIGN AIDS ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN NIGERIA

The aim of the study is to examine the impact of foreign aid on poverty alleviation in Nigeria over the period of 1990 to 2017. Data were collected from UNCTAD World Bank database and CBN Statistical Bulletin. Consequently, Cointegration, DOLS and Granger Causality techniques were utilized to address the objective of the study. The major findings are summarized as follow: Foreign aid has not led to poverty alleviation in Nigeria. Similarly, FDI has a negative impact on household consumption per capita and not significant at 10% level of significance. This implies that FDI does not reduce poverty in Nigeria. In addition, there is an existence of insignificant positive relationship between inflation rate and household consumption per capita in Nigeria. Furthermore, there is a unidirectional causality which runs from foreign aid to household consumption per capita. However, there is no feedback relationship between foreign aid and FDI, likewise FDI and household consumption per capita. Also, there is a unidirectional causal relationship flowing from inflation rate to household consumption per capita. Finally, due to the findings it is recommended that since foreign aid has no reducing impact on poverty in Nigeria, the policy makers should not depend on foreign aid as the only means of combating poverty in Nigeria. Therefore, a holistic approach for tackling the challenge of poverty in Nigeria is suggested and should be embraced

The Exchange Rate Risk and Financial Sector Performance: Evidence from Nigeria

This article looked at the connection between exchange rate risk and financial sector performance in Nigeria using time series data from 2008Q1 to 20017Q4. The study employed Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (ARCH), and Granger Causality tests as estimation techniques. Financial intermediation index was used as the dependent variable while risk from exchange rate, risk from consumer price index and risk from interest rate were used as the independent variables. The findings from the study showed that exchange rate risk (EXR) coefficient value was -0.276230 with p-value of 0.0000, implying that EXR was negative and significant to influence FII. The risk from financial intermediation index reveals a coefficient value of -5.213590 and the p-value of 0.000 implying that when financial intermediation index increases, volatility or risk reduces which means that financial intermediation index was not a risky variable which was significant during the study period. However, the study concluded that the shock from exchange rate moves at a negative and significant direction to financial intermediation index of the economy. It is also concluded that exchange rate and financial intermediation index does not have uni or bi-directional relationships between each other. It is recommended that the Government and the Apex Bank of Nigeria are encouraged to increase the stabilization measurement for exchange rate to cushion its risk and by so doing; this could improve financial sector performance

Patient‑doctor relationship: The practice orientation of doctors in Kano

Background and Objectives: Attitude and orientation of doctors to the doctor‑patient relationship has a direct influence on delivery of high quality health‑ care. No study to the knowledge of these researchers has so far examined the practice orientation of doctors in Nigeria to this phenomenon. The aims of this study were to determine the orientation of Kano doctors to the practice of doctor‑patient relationship and physicians’ related‑factors.Materials and Methods: Participants were doctors working in four major hospitals (i.e., two federal‑owned and two state‑owned) servicing Kano State and its environs. The Patient‑Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS) and a socio‑demographic questionnaire were completed by the 214 participants. The PPOS has 18 items and measures three parameters of a total score and two dimension of “sharing” and “caring”.Results: The mean age of participants was 31.72 years (standard deviation = 0.87), with 22% being females, 40.7% have been practicing for ≥6 years and about two‑third working in federal‑owned health institution. The Cronbach’s alpha of total PPOS scores was 0.733 and that of two sub‑scale scores of “sharing” and “caring” were 0.659 and 0.546 respectively. Most of the doctors’ orientation (92.5%) was towards doctor‑centered (i.e., paternalistic) care, majority (75.2%) upheld the view of not sharing much information and control with patients, and showing little interest in psychosocial concerns of patients (i.e., ‘caring’=93.0%). Respondents’ characteristics that were significantly associated with high doctor ‘caring’ relationship orientation were being ≥30‑year‑old and practicing for ≥6 years. Working in State‑owned hospitals was also significantly associated with high doctor “sharing” orientation.Conclusion: This paper demonstrated why patient‑centered medical interviewing should be given top priority in medical training in Nigeria, and particularly for federal health institutions saddled with production of new doctors and further training for practicing doctors.Key words: Doctor‑patient relationship, Kano doctors, practice orientation, patient‑centered car

Stigma from psychoactive substance use: Sociodemographic correlation of the perceiver

Psychoactive substance use and abuse have been identified as the most stigmatized health condition. This often arises from ‘public’, ‘self’ and ‘courtesy’ stigmas and biases. In Nigeria, studies on stigma of psychoactive substance use and abuse are few and mainly from the perception of medical service providers. No previous Nigerian study according to search by the authors had published on stigma of psychoactive substance use from the perspectives of non-medical persons. This research is therefore aimed to study the prevalence and associated sociodemographic variables of public stigma meted out to users of psychoactive substances. The study instruments were filled by 480 members of staff of Kaduna refinery after obtaining their informed consents. Information on age, gender, educational characteristics and scores on Perceived Stigma of Addiction Scale (PSAS) were collected and analysed with IBM-SPSS version 21. Participants with no formal education are noted to have high public stigma against substance abusers. Belonging to middle age group and male gender are the two demographics that have non-significant low stigma mean scores. It is hoped that this study do provide a platform for interventional guide in reducing and preventing public stigma towards people with psychoactive substance use disorder. Keywords: Stigma, Substance use, Perceivers’ variables

Unravelling the photoprotective mechanisms of nature-inspired ultraviolet filters using ultrafast spectroscopy

There are several drawbacks with the current commercially available ultraviolet (UV) filters used in sunscreen formulations, namely deleterious human and ecotoxic effects. As a result of the drawbacks, a current research interest is in identifying and designing new UV filters. One approach that has been explored in recent years is to use nature as inspiration, which is the focus of this review. Both plants and microorganisms have adapted to synthesize their own photoprotective molecules to guard their DNA from potentially harmful UV radiation. The relaxation mechanism of a molecule after it has been photoexcited can be unravelled by several techniques, the ones of most interest for this review being ultrafast spectroscopy and computational methods. Within the literature, both techniques have been implemented on plant-, and microbial-inspired UV filters to better understand their photoprotective roles in nature. This review aims to explore these findings for both families of nature-inspired UV filters in the hope of guiding the future design of sunscreens

EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION AND PUBLIC SECTOR FRAUD: EVIDENCE FROM KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

This study examines the relationship between fraud and employee motivation in the Kwara State public sector with a view to ascertain what will happen to fraud occurrence if good salary, allowances and perquisites, effective working hours, conducive environment, timely promotion are put in place. Multistage sampling technique was used in obtaining the primary data used from 870 respondents selected from 7 local governments in the state and were analysed using Ordinary Least Square Regression and Friedman ANOVA test but interpreted using R2, adjusted R2, Durbin Watson Statistics, F statistics and t statistics. The results show that employee motivational factors (salary, perquisites and regular promotion) can reduce fraud activities among the state employees; this is in consonance with theoretical expectations (Douglas McGregor’s theory Y, Abraham Maslow’s needs theory and Fredric Herzberg’s two-factor theory). Contrarily, allowances, conducive environment and training show a positive relationship with fraud and this is at variance with a-priori expectations. The study recommends that government should improve the working conditions of its employee including the provision of improved salary structure, prompt payment of entitlements and regular promotions as well as provided adequate training to motivate employees towards efficiency, commitment and inhibit fraud inclinations. If all these are in place and erring officials are made to face the full wrath of the law without bias, the state economy in particular and Nigeria economy in general will be better for it.Â

The impact of spirituality and resilience on mental distress among inmates in a northern state, Nigeria

The burden of mental illness of inmates in low and middle income countries (LMICs) prisons was higher than in the developed ones. Positive interventions common in reversing the increasing prevalence of inmates’ mental distress in developed countries are rare in Nigeria, a LMICs. This study contributed to initiate mental health promotion in Nigerian prisons through studying mediating effect of positive interventions, specifically spirituality and resilience on inmates’ mental wellbeing. Mental distress of 63 male inmates of Bida prison, North-centre Nigeria was assessed with GHQ-12. The impact of resilience and spirituality on mental distress was measured by Resilience Scale and brief Spirituality Involvement and Beliefs Scale respectively. The mean age of participants was 27.27years (SD = 1.43years) and 70% of them had mental distress. Variables with statistically significant experience of mental distress were being single and having high mean resilience score. The study demonstrated the impact of marital status, resilience and spirituality on the mental wellness of the participants. This will aid mental health promotion of inmates in Nigeria prisons

Strength Development in Lateritic Soil Stabilised with Coconut Shell Ash for Highway Pavement Construction

Lateritic soil has found wide usage in highway pavement construction in the tropics, however, there are instances that they are unsuitable because of their properties, hence the need for improvement through stabilisation. This research focussed on the utilisation of coconut shell ash for stabilising of lateritic soil for highway pavement construction. The lateritic soil was treated with 3 to 12% coconut shell ash (CSA) to assess its effect as a soil stabilising admixture on the geotechnical properties of the lateritic soil while the soil with 0% CSA is the control. The percentage passing sieve no. 200, liquid limit and plasticity index reduced with increase in the CSA content, this indicates that the susceptibility of the soil for water has been reduced. However, the maximum dry densities of the treated soil increased with increasing content of CSA but the strength index, California bearing ratio (CBR) decreased. Coconut shell ash though is a good pozzolan cannot therefore be used as a stand-alone stabilizer for treating lateritic soil however, the stabilized soil could be used as a subgrade foundation material in road pavement construction. Keywords: Coconut shell ash, Lateritic soil, Stabilization, Highway Pavement, Compaction, California bearing rati