Historical Dynamics of the Anti- Corruption War in Nigeria

This paper deals with the discourse on historical dynamics of the anti- corruption war in Nigeria. The culture of corruption has been the major problem of governance in Nigeria and this has negatively affected the external image of the country as the nation has consistently remained one of the most corrupt nations in the world. Methodologically, the paper adopted a qualitative research technique of data collection through the content analysis of various studies conducted by scholars who have made outstanding contributions on the practice of governance and anti-corruption policy within and outside Nigeria. The findings from the study reveals that, despite the establishment of various anti-graft agencies, incidences of corruption continue to abound in Nigeria and various efforts by individual and different stakeholders in anti-corruption campaigns has not achieved any meaningful results. The study therefore, recommends that, in combating corruption at all levels of government and institutions, the government must amend the Penal and Criminal Code (law) which were outdated and drafted over fifty year ago when the country faced lesser crime. The sanctions contained in these laws are insufficient to the offence committed. These laws must be amended in line with the Chinese legal system which lay emphasis on stiffer sanction on corrupt practices. Life imprisonment should melted out on any official who steal above N15 million naira and death penalty for N100 million above. Key words: Corruption, Anti-graft, Governance, Bribery, Penal Code, Criminal Code. DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/9-9-08 Publication date:September 30th 201

Estimating the prevalence and health risks awareness of smoking in nigeria:A meta-analysis approach

Background:The increase use of tobacco products in Nigeria, and lack of common aggregated data on its associate diseases and deaths are parts of emerging public concerns.Objective:This paper estimated national and zonal prevalence of smoking and health risks awareness in Nigeria.Methods:Random effects meta-analysis was conducted on estimates from 19 studies selected across 13 states, within the six-geopolitical zones of Nigeria, to pool nation-wide estimates of the prevalence and health risk awareness of smoking.Results:The sample and aggregated mean ages are 14.7 and 22.4 years, respectively. The overall pooled prevalence of current smoking in Nigeria was 19.7% (95%CI: 14.0-25.5), with male and female at 18.9% (CI:13.3-24.4) and 6.8% (CI:4.1-9.6), respectively.Conclusion:The findings suggest a relatively high prevalence of smoking among the youths in Nigeria. The authors recommend smokers’ counseling services among the youth to reduce health hazards and secure youth contributions to sustainable economic development

Ethnic differences in cellular and humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in UK healthcare workers: a cross-sectional analysis

Background: Few studies have compared SARS-CoV-2 vaccine immunogenicity by ethnic group. We sought to establish whether cellular and humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination differ according to ethnicity in UK Healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods: In this cross-sectional analysis, we used baseline data from two immunological cohort studies conducted in HCWs in Leicester, UK. Blood samples were collected between March 3, and September 16, 2021. We excluded HCW who had not received two doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine at the time of sampling and those who had serological evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Outcome measures were SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific total antibody titre, neutralising antibody titre and ELISpot count. We compared our outcome measures by ethnic group using univariable (t tests and rank-sum tests depending on distribution) and multivariable (linear regression for antibody titres and negative binomial regression for ELISpot counts) tests. Multivariable analyses were adjusted for age, sex, vaccine type, length of interval between vaccine doses and time between vaccine administration and sample collection and expressed as adjusted geometric mean ratios (aGMRs) or adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs). To assess differences in the early immune response to vaccination we also conducted analyses in a subcohort who provided samples between 14 and 50 days after their second dose of vaccine. Findings: The total number of HCWs in each analysis were 401 for anti-spike antibody titres, 345 for neutralising antibody titres and 191 for ELISpot. Overall, 25.4% (19.7% South Asian and 5.7% Black/Mixed/Other) were from ethnic minority groups. In analyses including the whole cohort, neutralising antibody titres were higher in South Asian HCWs than White HCWs (aGMR 1.47, 95% CI [1.06–2.06], P = 0.02) as were T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 S1 peptides (aIRR 1.75, 95% CI [1.05–2.89], P = 0.03). In a subcohort sampled between 14 and 50 days after second vaccine dose, SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific antibody and neutralising antibody geometric mean titre (GMT) was higher in South Asian HCWs compared to White HCWs (9616 binding antibody units (BAU)/ml, 95% CI [7178–12,852] vs 5888 BAU/ml [5023–6902], P = 0.008 and 2851 95% CI [1811–4487] vs 1199 [984–1462], P < 0.001 respectively), increments which persisted after adjustment (aGMR 1.26, 95% CI [1.01–1.58], P = 0.04 and aGMR 2.01, 95% CI [1.34–3.01], P = 0.001). SARS-CoV-2 ELISpot responses to S1 and whole spike peptides (S1 + S2 response) were higher in HCWs from South Asian ethnic groups than those from White groups (S1: aIRR 2.33, 95% CI [1.09–4.94], P = 0.03; spike: aIRR, 2.04, 95% CI [1.02–4.08]). Interpretation: This study provides evidence that, in an infection naïve cohort, humoral and cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination are stronger in South Asian HCWs than White HCWs. These differences are most clearly seen in the early period following vaccination. Further research is required to understand the underlying mechanisms, whether differences persist with further exposure to vaccine or virus, and the potential impact on vaccine effectiveness. Funding: DIRECT and BELIEVE have received funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the COVID-19 National Core Studies Immunity (NCSi) programme (MC_PC_20060)

Proximate and mineral analysis of delonix regia leaves and roots

Medicinal plants serves as therapeutic agents as well as raw materials for the manufacture of modern medicines due to the presence bioactive chemicals (phytochemicals) and nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats, amino acids etc.). Among the potential medicinal plants is Delonix regia, therefore this study was carried out to determine the proximate and mineral composition in the plant (leaf and root). The result on proximate analysis of Delonix regia leaf (DRL) showed that it contained moisture (8.10 %), dry matter (91.90 %), crude protein (18.77 %), crude fibre (9.85 %), ether extract (1.33 %), ash (5.21 %), nitrogen free extract (56.74 %), carbohydrates (78.54 %) and energy (1703.5 kj/100 g) while Delonix regia root (DSR) contained moisture, dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash, nitrogen free extract, carbohydrates and energy at 9.60 %, 90.40 %, 10.63 %, 7.44 %, 2.71 %, 9.30 %, 60.32 %, 90.18 % and 1814 kj/100g respectively. Mineral analysis showed that DSR contained higher concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, magnesium, sodium, copper, iron and cobalt at 95.43 mg/100g, 40.77 mg/100g, 100.4 mg/100g, 7.21 mg/100g, 14.21 mg/100g, 41.22 mg/100g, 10.2 mg/100g, 1.10 mg/100g and 0.05 mg/100g relative to calcium (77.31 mg/100g), phosphorus (40.35 mg/100g), potassium (51.60 mg/100g), zinc (3.21 mg/100g), magnesium (10.35 mg/100g), sodium (33.18 mg/100g), copper (7.35 mg/100g) and iron (1.89 mg/100g) established in DRL. It was concluded that DRL and DSR contains various nutrients and phytochemicals that produce definite physiological action on the body of animals

PROXIMATE AND MINERAL ANALYSIS OF DELONIX REGIA LEAVES AND ROOTS

Medicinal plants serves as therapeutic agents as well as raw materials for the manufacture of modern medicines due to the presence bioactive chemicals (phytochemicals) and nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats, amino acids etc.).Among the potential medicinal plants is Delonix regia, therefore this study was carried out to determine the proximate and mineral composition in the plant(leaf and root). The result on proximate analysis of Delonix regia leaf (DRL) showed that it contained moisture (8.10 %), dry matter (91.90 %), crude protein (18.77 %), crude fibre (9.85 %), ether extract (1.33 %), ash (5.21 %), nitrogen free extract (56.74 %), carbohydrates (78.54 %) and energy (1703.5kj/100 g) while Delonix regia root (DSR) contained moisture, dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash, nitrogen free extract, carbohydrates and energy at 9.60 %, 90.40 %, 10.63 %, 7.44 %, 2.71 %, 9.30 %, 60.32 %,90.18 % and 1814 kj/100g respectively. Mineral analysis showed that DSR contained higher concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, magnesium, sodium, copper, iron and cobalt at 95.43 mg/100g, 40.77mg/100g, 100.4 mg/100g, 7.21 mg/100g, 14.21 mg/100g, 41.22 mg/100g,10.2 mg/100g, 1.10 mg/100g and 0.05 mg/100g relative to calcium (77.31mg/100g), phosphorus (40.35 mg/100g), potassium (51.60 mg/100g), zinc(3.21 mg/100g), magnesium (10.35 mg/100g), sodium (33.18 mg/100g),copper (7.35 mg/100g) and iron (1.89 mg/100g) established in DRL. It was concluded that DRL and DSR contains various nutrients and phytochemicals that produce definite physiological action on the body of animals

Proximate And Mineral Analysis Of Delonix Regia Leaves And Roots

Medicinal plants serves as therapeutic agents as well as raw materials for the manufacture of modern medicines due to the presence bioactive chemicals (phytochemicals) and nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fats, amino acids etc.).Among the potential medicinal plants is Delonix regia, therefore this study was carried out to determine the proximate and mineral composition in the plant(leaf and root). The result on proximate analysis of Delonix regia leaf (DRL) showed that it contained moisture (8.10 %), dry matter (91.90 %), crude protein (18.77 %), crude fibre (9.85 %), ether extract (1.33 %), ash (5.21 %), nitrogen free extract (56.74 %), carbohydrates (78.54 %) and energy (1703.5kj/100 g) while Delonix regia root (DSR) contained moisture, dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash, nitrogen free extract, carbohydrates and energy at 9.60 %, 90.40 %, 10.63 %, 7.44 %, 2.71 %, 9.30 %, 60.32 %,90.18 % and 1814 kj/100g respectively. Mineral analysis showed that DSR contained higher concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, magnesium, sodium, copper, iron and cobalt at 95.43 mg/100g, 40.77mg/100g, 100.4 mg/100g, 7.21 mg/100g, 14.21 mg/100g, 41.22 mg/100g,10.2 mg/100g, 1.10 mg/100g and 0.05 mg/100g relative to calcium (77.31mg/100g), phosphorus (40.35 mg/100g), potassium (51.60 mg/100g), zinc(3.21 mg/100g), magnesium (10.35 mg/100g), sodium (33.18 mg/100g),copper (7.35 mg/100g) and iron (1.89 mg/100g) established in DRL. It was concluded that DRL and DSR contains various nutrients and phytochemicals that produce definite physiological action on the body of animals