The Roles of Internal Audit at Ensuring Value for Money in Higher Education Management in Nigeria- A Desktop Perspective

The roles played by internal audit at ensuring adequate value for scarce financial resources of higher education in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized. This paper therefore examined the roles played by internal audit unit of tertiary institutions in Nigeria adopting desktop research approach. The primary objective of this study is to x-ray these roles and see how internal audit ensures judicious utilization of public funds in the higher educational subsector in Nigeria economy. The study therefore concluded that the roles played by internal audit unit in the higher institutions in Nigeria were geared towards ensuring value for money. It was recommended that in order to have commensurate value for money in higher institutions in Nigeria, all hands must be on deck to ensure accountability, transparency, probity by the Accounting officers and the needs to eschew waste and extravagance were also recommended. Keywords: Internal Audit roles, value for money audit, higher education

HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF MANGIFERA-INDICA STEM BARK EXTRACTS ON PARACETAMOL-INDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ALBINO RATS

This study was conducted to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous and ethanol extract of Mangifera-indica stem bark in paracetamolinduced liver injury in winstar albino rats. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of M. indica stem bark at a dose of 200mg/kg were administered for 7 days to rats in groups II and III respectively while vitamin C (200mg/kg) was given as a standard antioxidant to group IV along with water and standard feed. Groups I and V received water and standard feed for 7day. On the 8th day all groups except group I received paracetamol at a dose of 2g/kg body weight and all rats were sacrificed 12hrs after paracetamol administration. Serum total protein (TP), albumin, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were determined to assess the effect of the extract on the paracetamol induced hepatic damage in addition to hepatic antioxidant status. The ethanolic extract was found to be more effective than the aqueous extract (200 mg/kg) in paracetamol induced liver damage by decreasing the activity of serum enzymes AST, ALT and ALP while increasing significantly (P<0.05) the levels of total proteins and albumin. Glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were significantly increased (P<0.05) in the treated groups while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were reduced. From this studies it is concluded that both aqueous and ethanol extract of M. indica stem bark possesses hepatoprotective activit

HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF MANGIFERA-INDICA STEM BARK EXTRACTS ON PARACETAMOL-INDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ALBINO RATS

This study was conducted to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous and ethanol extract of Mangifera-indica stem bark in paracetamolinduced liver injury in winstar albino rats. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of M. indica stem bark at a dose of 200mg/kg were administered for 7 days to rats in groups II and III respectively while vitamin C (200mg/kg) was given as a standard antioxidant to group IV along with water and standard feed. Groups I and V received water and standard feed for 7day. On the 8th day all groups except group I received paracetamol at a dose of 2g/kg body weight and all rats were sacrificed 12hrs after paracetamol administration. Serum total protein (TP), albumin, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were determined to assess the effect of the extract on the paracetamol induced hepatic damage in addition to hepatic antioxidant status. The ethanolic extract was found to be more effective than the aqueous extract (200 mg/kg) in paracetamol induced liver damage by decreasing the activity of serum enzymes AST, ALT and ALP while increasing significantly (P<0.05) the levels of total proteins and albumin. Glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were significantly increased (P<0.05) in the treated groups while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were reduced. From this studies it is concluded that both aqueous and ethanol extract of M. indica stem bark possesses hepatoprotective activit

Effect of tranexamic acid on coagulation and fibrinolysis in women with postpartum haemorrhage (WOMAN-ETAC): a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal death. The WOMAN trial showed that tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces death due to bleeding in women with PPH. We evaluated the effect of TXA on fibrinolysis and coagulation in a sample of WOMAN trial participants. Methods: : Adult women with a clinical diagnosis of PPH were randomised to receive 1 g TXA or matching placebo in the WOMAN trial. Participants in the WOMAN trial at University College Hospital (Ibadan, Nigeria) also had venous blood taken just before administration of the first dose of trial treatment and again 30 (±15) min after the first dose (the ETAC study).  We aimed to determine the effects of TXA on fibrinolysis (D-dimer and rotational thromboelastometry maximum clot lysis (ML)) and coagulation (international normalized ratio and clot amplitude at 5 min). We compared outcomes in women receiving TXA and placebo using linear regression, adjusting for baseline measurements. Results: : Women (n=167) were randomised to receive TXA (n=83) or matching placebo (n=84). Due to missing data, seven women were excluded from analysis. The mean (SD) D-dimer concentration was 7.1 (7.0) mg/l in TXA-treated women and 9.6 (8.6) mg/l in placebo-treated women (p=0.09). After adjusting for baseline, the D-dimer concentration was 2.16 mg/l lower in TXA-treated women (-2.16, 95% CI -4.31 to 0.00, p=0.05). There was no significant difference in ML between TXA- and placebo-treated women (12.3% (18.4) and 10.7% (12.6), respectively; p=0.52) and no significant difference after adjusting for baseline ML (1.02, 95% CI -3.72 to 5.77, p=0.67).  There were no significant effects of TXA on any other parameters. Conclusion: TXA treatment was associated with reduced D-dimer levels but had no apparent effects on thromboelastometry parameters or coagulation tests. Registration: ISRCTN76912190 (initially registered 10/12/2008, WOMAN-ETAC included on 22/03/2012) and NCT00872469 (initially registered 31/03/2009, WOMAN-ETAC included on 22/03/2012)

Intimate partner violence and fertility-related issues: A cross-sectional survey of women attending antenatal clinic at the university college hospital, Ibadan

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) in pregnancy is of great public health importance because it involves two lives (mother and fetus). It is a range of behavior exhibited by a current or former partner with the potential of causing physical, emotional, or sexual harm to the receiver. This study aims to establish the prevalence and predictors of IPV and its association with fertility-related characteristics and behaviors. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey involving 322 consenting pregnant women. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was employed for data collection. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 30.8 ± 4.5 years with parity ranging from 0 to 5. The prevalence of IPV was higher (81.0%) among respondents who had children compared to those who had no children (19.0%). The common forms of IPV experienced by the women in this study were shouting (86.7%), verbal abuse (76.2%), and slapping (57.1%). Other serious forms of IPV experienced included forced sex (14.3%) and threats to the life of the respondents (4.8%). Polygamy and low educational attainment were strong predictors of IPV risk (P 0.05). Conclusion: IPV is an unpalatable event. The prevalence rate of IPV was 6.5% in this study with the most common forms being shouting and verbal abuse. Polygamy and low educational attainment were significant risk factors for IPV. The desire for conception in this study was 76.2% with IPV prevalence slightly higher in respondents with children (7.9%). Educating the girl child would bring stability to the home by reducing the prevalence of IPV

WOMAN-ETAC Dataset

The WOMAN trial is an international clinical trial to study the effect of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy and other maternal outcomes, in women with PPH.14. The trial tested whether tranexamic acid, a blood clot stabiliser discovered in Japan in the 1950’s, could become an essential tool for fighting excessive bleeding soon after giving birth. This condition, known as postpartum haemorrhage, is the number one cause of maternal death around the world, particularly in low and middle income countries. Dataset contains baseline and follow-up measurements for: D-dimer concentration (mg/L), Maximum lysis (%), Haemoglobin concentration (g/L), International normalized ratio (INR), Prothrombin time (seconds), Activated partial thromboplastin time (seconds), Fibrinogen concentration (g/L), Clotting time (seconds), Amplitude (firmness) at 5 minutes (mm), Amplitude at 10 minutes (mm), Clot lysis at 30 and 60 minutes (%), and Maximum clot firmness (mm). THE DATASET CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM THE FREEBIRD PLATFORM AT https://ctu-app.lshtm.ac.uk/freebird/