Counselling Therapy and Determinants of Organizational Performance

A holistic integrative and synergistic performance model is defined by inter-firm variables represented as economic rates of returns for both economic and organizational factors. These are used to examine performance variance and their economic contribution to firm probability. An extensive literature review has been conducted to discover the commonality of underlying constructs and themes within the research stream on organizational performance. An analysis of the data suggests that there exists a set of common variables to explain organizational performance variance. Organizational factors explain almost twice as much variance in profit rates as to economic factor. Counselling therapy is admired as an aspect of technicality used for treating economic mishaps. It was counseling therapy that proposes a systemic framework on which to partition the economic contribution of these interdependent factors of organizational performance. Through counselling therapy the strategic management research stream would be identified to discover underlying constructs that frame performance model of the organizational and economic determinants. Keywords: Organisational behavior, counseling, organizational performanc

Examining the Advantages of Artificial Intelligence Alongside Its Potential Risks on Human Wellbeing, Data Privacy, and National Security

This study seeks to comprehensively analyze the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence and discuss strategies and policies to balance them. The paper assesses AI's positive impact on four industries - healthcare, finance, transportation, and education – juxtaposed with its negative welfare, privacy, and security effects. The study utilizes a semi-systematic review methodology to explore diverse narratives surrounding AI's societal implications. Key findings suggest AI can improve decision-making, productivity, and quality of life but risks exacerbating bias, unemployment, and insecurity if not developed responsibly. The paper discusses practical strategies, policies, and regulatory interventions to help balance AI's pros and cons, including human-centered design, explainable AI, and governance frameworks. It also suggests actionable recommendations for individual, organizational, and national stakeholders. Suggestions for future research include developing robust AI resilient to attacks, increasing AI transparency and accountability, assessing long-term societal impacts, and addressing legal and ethical dilemmas. This timely study contributes a measured perspective to current debates on AI and provides a framework to help appropriate its advantages while mitigating its perils.

EVALUATION OF ANTIEMETIC ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACT OF Chrysophyllum albidum GEORGE DON (SAPOTACEAE) IN RODENTS

ABSTRACTEmesis or vomiting is a means by which gastrointestinal tract gets rid of its content when the upper portion of the tract is excessively irritated, over-distended or even over-excited. A large amount of stomach contents is pushed upwards to flow back into the oesophagus, which then exits through the mouth or nose. Medicinal plants have been much widely employed, and they have proved reliable in the treatment of various diseases, as well as in the discovery of newer agents.The plant, Chrysophyllum albidum (Linn), also known as African star apple, belongs to the family Sapotaceae. It is primarily a forest tree species with its natural occurrences in diverse ecozones in Uganda, Nigeria and Niger Republic (Bada, 1997). Across Nigeria, it is known by several local names and is generally regarded as a plant with diverse ethno-medicinal uses (Amusa et al., 2003). The plant is known as ‘Agbalumo’ in Yoruba.The present aim was to evaluate antiemetic activities of Chrysophyllum albidum (in copper sulphate-induced emesis, cisplatin-induced emesis in chicks, as well as in ipecac-induced emesis in rats.Both copper sulphate (50 mg/kg, orally) and cisplatin (10 mg/kg i.p) were administered to seven groups (n = 5) of chicks, while ipecac (0.03 ml orally) was used to induce emesis in rats (n = 4). Group 1 received distilled water (control), groups 2, 3, and 4 were given doses of C. albidum (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o), while groups 5, 6 and 7 were treated with standard antiemetic drugs (promethazine 25 mg/70kg, p.o; metoclopramide 50 mg/kg, i.p; and ondansetron 24 mg/70 kg, p.o). Emesis was induced thirty minutes later, and number of retching was counted for ten minutes. Chrysophyllum albidum at the doses employed showed significant (p<0.001) antiemetic when compared to the control and standard antiemetic drugs in all the models employed.The findings in this study validate the folkloric use of the plant in treating emesis.  Â

Antinociceptive Activities with the Possible Mechanisms of Action of Hydroethanol Leaf Extract of Eclipta prostrata Hassk (Astraceae) in Mice

ABSTRACTEclipta prostrata belongs to the family of plants known as Astraceae. It is a species of plant in the sunflower family, popularly known as "false daisy" in English. The whole plant contains the alkaloids nicotine and ecliptine; and used locally for treating bruises, cuts, wounds, liver disorders and pain, among others. This study investigated the analgesic activities of hydroethanollic leaf extract of Eclipta prostrata in rodents using standard laboratory protocols. Doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg were separately administered via oral route to the animals used in the various models - acetic acid-induced mouse writhing test, formalin - induced pain, hot plate-induced pain, and tail clip test. The effect of the extract was comparable to that produced by peripheral analgesics like aspirin and centrally acting analgesics like morphine used as positive control in the various models employed. The mechanism of action was elucidated through pre-treatment with naloxone (1 mg/kg), yohimbine (1mg/kg), ondasetron (0.2 mg/kg), atropine (2 mg/kg), glibenclamide (2 mg/kg).The extract activity was significant in all the models employed, however, it was more intense via the peripheral than the central pathway. Glibenclamide and atropine antagonized the activity of the decoction, which suggests that the herbal drug’s antinociceptive effect is mediated via potassium ion channel opening and cholinergic receptor.Phytochemical analysis of the leaf extract indicated the presence of flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, phlobatanin, steroids, cardiac glycoside, and which probably contributed to the analgesic activity of the extract.   Â

Rusty gold in Nigeria: Untapped advances in nanotechnology

Significance:Reasons for the slow pace of nanotechnology research in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, are explored, given Nigeria’s huge human and natural endowments, and solutions are proffered to address the seemingly lagging outlook of the country in nanotechnology. This Commentary is relevant to all critical stakeholders at national, regional and international levels to mobilise efforts to advance the course of nanotechnology in Nigeria and beyond

Krylov Subspace Model Order Reduction for Nonlinear and Bilinear Control Systems

The use of Krylov subspace model order reduction for nonlinear/bilinear systems, over the past few years, has become an increasingly researched area of study. The need for model order reduction has never been higher, as faster computations for control, diagnosis and prognosis have never been higher to achieve better system performance. Krylov subspace model order reduction techniques enable this to be done more quickly and efficiently than what can be achieved at present. The most recent advances in the use of Krylov subspaces for reducing bilinear models match moments and multimoments at some expansion points which have to be obtained through an optimisation scheme. This therefore removes the computational advantage of the Krylov subspace techniques implemented at an expansion point zero. This thesis demonstrates two improved approaches for the use of one-sided Krylov subspace projection for reducing bilinear models at the expansion point zero. This work proposes that an alternate linear approximation can be used for model order reduction. The advantages of using this approach are improved input-output preservation at a simulation cost similar to some earlier works and reduction of bilinear systems models which have singular state transition matrices. The comparison of the proposed methods and other original works done in this area of research is illustrated using various examples of single input single output (SISO) and multi input multi output (MIMO) models

A Literary Appraisal of Poets as Historians

The Yoruba believe that our past and present histories are being preserved for future generation Hence the Yoruba genres can be used to trace the history of a set of people and one occurrence or the other Various genres of the Yoruba are embodiment of their history In essence Yoruba poets are seen as historians or repertoire of knowledge All the stories which are embedded in Yoruba oral literature are seen in form of allusion Yoruba orature helps to remember important cultural information and history of the Yoruba people It is pertinent to note that the role of orature in the construction and reconstruction of history is remarkable as seen in the following genres of Yoruba oral literature such as al m j l s and orin This paper concludes that in the above mentioned genres like other Yoruba genres poets play the roles of historians and that our past and present histories are preserved for future generatio

Determining a Better Predictor of Bank’s Solvency in Nigeria: Risk-Based Capital or Risk-Independent Capital?

This study empirically attempts to resolve the trade-off of the potential of risk-based capital and risk-independent capital in predicting bank solvency when measured by bank’s z-score. Using bank-level data of Nigerian deposit money banks listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange between 2012 and 2016 and a long list of seven different measures of capital adequacy, the results reveal the superiority of risk-independent capital in a majority of random-effects models of panel data regression. Specifically and in comparison, equity-to-assets ratio is found to be superior to other indicators of capital adequacy using each model’s adjusted R-square. When equity-to assets ratio is paired with each of other capital ratios, the results support the superiority of the model with equity-to-assets and non-performing assets coverage ratios (which are both risk-independent capital measures) having higher adjusted R-square. Some significant results are also found for other bank-specific factors. These findings have policy implications on the regulation of banks in Nigeria most especially regarding co-opting non-regulatory measures of capital into regulatory regime. The investors and depositors are also provided with alternative means of analysing bank’s financial condition to ensure their interests are not lost unaware because of the linkage of the z-score to bank’s default risk

Rebuilding Resilience of Rural Community Dwellers in Liberia Post-War: Case Study of Nimba County in Liberia

Since the end of the war in Liberia, post–conflict development agencies have spent tens of millions of dollars in Liberia on justice, governance, security and infrastructure. These social cohesion methods in the past were considered a way of stabilizing the peace process. Unfortunately, these methods listed above overlooked rural communities. And these rural communities are actually affected by the conflict more severely. Can development aid contribute to social cohesion after the Civil War by focusing only on urban areas when most rural communities continue to be neglected? Evidence from a field experiment in post-conflict Liberia has emerged with lack of the basic needs which are critical concerns for those in Liberian rural communities. As Liberia remains one of the countries where new conflicts may arise, utilizing Participatory Ranking Methodology (PRM) is a valuable tool to redirect resources more effectively. I will use this method, which includes both qualitative and quantitative approaches of data collection to analyze the causes of poverty, a known destabilizer, and examine the effects and linkages to conflicts in the rural communities of Nimba County. My findings will suggest how government and post-conflict development agencies can transform relationships and effectively build resilience among the rural community dwellers