From the Core to the Peripheries: Multilateral Governance of Malaria in a Multi-Cultural World

This article discusses multilateral malaria control strategy, the RBM, its mission, vision, and relationship with traditional therapies in malaria-endemic societies, especially in Africa, where malaria is one of the biggest contributors to the burdens of disease. Because big multilateral partnerships like the RBM are almost always guilty of the charges of non-transparency, non-responsiveness, and insensitivity to the local constituencies they serve, I use Richard Falk\u27s twin concepts of globalism-from-above and globalism-from-below to explore the interaction between the RBM and traditional therapies in malaria-endemic societies. In search of a transparent cosmopolitan malaria regime, I propose a transnational dialogue between all the relevant actors and stakeholders: multilateral health institutions, pharmaceutical corporations, indigenous populations, traditional healers, and civil society. We need to synthesize the tension between the core (policies of multilateral institutions) and the peripheries (traditional therapies in malaria-endemic societies). This synthesis must proceed in a way that projects multilateralization of malaria as a humane enterprise rather than a predator that erodes age-long therapies of rural populations in malaria-endemic societies of the global South

Food Safety, South-North Asymmetries, and the Clash of Regulatory Regimes

This Article explores the globalization of food safety concerns driven by the phenomenon of economic globalization, and the legalization of food safety disputes within the rules-based architecture of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Focusing on the interaction between WTO norms and the treaties of other multilateral organizations, the Article discusses the implications of the clash of food safety regulatory regimes for South-North asymmetrical relations between the rich and poor countries. The Article also discusses global economic diplomacy and the emerging WTO jurisprudence on the Agreement on Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Measures (SPS) disputes. This Article explores both the perceived and actual marginalization of most developing and least-developed countries by the embedded structural impediments and onerous obligations in food safety disputes. The Article discusses the European Union\u27s embargo on fresh fish from East African countries following a cholera outbreak and argues for mutually reinforcing linkages between the SPS and pre-existing food-safety-related norms, standards, and agreements of other multilateral organizations, including the emerging norm of the precautionary principle

EFFECT OF REMITTANCE INFLOWS ON TRADE BALANCE IN NIGERIA (1987– 2023)

Remittance is the portion of migrant workers earnings sent to their countries of origin and this could be in cash or gifts. The study investigates the effect of remittance inflow on trade balance in Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the effect of migrant workers remittance on the Nigerian trade balance, determine the effect of embassy/high commission employee remittance on the Nigerian trade balance, ascertain the effect of military personal abroad remittance on the Nigerian trade balance and evaluate the effect of international aid workers remittance on trade balance in Nigeria. The study employed econometric techniques, including Augmented Dickey Fuller Tests for Unit Roots and the Ordinary Least Squire for testing hypothesis. The results of the Augmented Dickey Fuller Stationarity Test confirmed that all the variables, Trade balance, migrant workers remittance, embassy workers remittance, military personnel abroad remittance and international aid workers remittance used in this study are stationary at level, in the order of 1(0).The result of the Ordinary Least Squire indicates that migrant workers embassy workers, military personnel abroad and international aid workers have positive and significant effect on trade balance. The study concludes that remittance inflow have positive on trade balance in Nigeria within the period under review. Amongst the recommendations is that government should improve on the operational environment and regulation of remittance service, particularly as they relate to improving competition, reducing charges, improving access and enhancing the use of remittance proceeds in order to deepen the financial sector development and sustain momentum for growth. There should be strong communication and financial education campaigns to build trust and understanding of investment features, and market research to align investment conditions with the financial goals and capabilities of migrants. Public authorities and civil society should identify problems and opportunities, understand market facilitation needs and implement subsequent coordinated policies. Government should establish a Civil Society Fund on Aid Effectiveness, Results and Accountability to support the review and independent accountability function of national civil society organizations in aid effectiveness for results and accountability &nbsp

IMPROVED ANALYSIS OF A PROPPED CANTILEVER UNDER LATERAL VIBRATION

Continuous systems are sometimes analysed as lumped masses connected by massless elements. This reduces the structure’s degree of freedom and therefore simplifies the analysis. However this over simplification introduces an error in the analysis and the results are therefore approximate. In this work sections of the vibrating beam were isolated and the equations of the forces causing vibration obtained using the Hamilton’s principle. These forces were applied to the nodes of an equivalent lumped mass beam and the stiffness modification needed for it to behave as a continuous beam obtained. The beam’s stiffness was modified using a set of stiffness modification factors to . It was observed that by applying these factors in the dynamic analysis of the beam using the Lagrange’s equation, we obtain the exact values of the fundamental frequency irrespective of the way the mass of the beam was lumped. From this work we observed that in order to obtain an accurate dynamic response from a lumped mass beam there is need to modify the stiffness composition of the system and no linear modification of the stiffness distribution of lumped mass beams can cause them to be dynamically equivalent to the continuous beams. This is so because the values of the modification factors obtained for each beam segment were not equal. The stiffness modification factors were obtained for elements at different sections of the bea

Equivalent Blows Approach to the Calibration of a Minicompactor for Laboratory Use

Researchers and laboratory personnel often encounter some difficulties when using standard compaction methods to compact a soil sample before they are tested with the triaxial machine. The difficulties include; difficulties in extrusion, bulkiness of rammers, and non-uniformity in the distribution of blows, and associated sample disturbance when preparing specimens for triaxial testing. These problems have been curbed by the use of minicompactors which are newer technologies. A minicompactor (Nanjing Soil Minicompactor) manufactured to enable production of 39.1mm diameter that can fit into triaxial machine (Model TS2-1) was used for the compaction studies. The minicompactor is made of a split mold of 96.06cm3 by volume. The rammer weight 600g fits well to the internal circumference of the mould. The drop height is 30cm, which is relatively short. These features are very desirable to contemporary researchers, but it will be very important to ensure uniformity with the standard compactors on which the experimental methodologies were originally based. Ignoring this will lead to an erroneous assumption that the minicompactors would achieve the same compaction as the standard ones using the same specifications, but this would result a level of inconsistency that would affect the results of the experiments. To bridge this gap, this study, attempts to determine the number of blows with the Nanjing minicompactor that will achieve the same MDD and OMC with those conventional standards: - British Standard Light (BSL), Reduced British Standard Light (RBSL), West African Standard (WAS), and British Standard Heavy (BSH), using the same lateritic soil material and same number of layers. The research shows that there is a consistent increase in Maximum Dry Density and decrease in Optimum Moisture Content as compactive efforts increased. A total of 11 compactions were made using the minicompactor; seven were made at 3 layers using 4,8,12,16,20,24, and 28 blows while four were made at 5 layers using 34, 38, 42, and 46 blows.  Plots of the Maximum Dry Densities against Number of Blows were made for the 3 layers as well as the 5 layers. Using statistical models, the number of blows that are equivalent to the known standards were established. It was recommended that for the Reduced British Standard (Light), 22 blows at 3 layers; for the British Standard (Light), 27 blows at 3 layers; for the West African Standard, 42 blows at 5 layers; and for the British Standard (Heavy), 46 blows at 5 layers would be used to achieve a corresponding MDD and OMC. Keywords; compactors, calibration, lateritic, blows, dry density, moisture content

The impact of teach-back on comprehension of discharge instructions and satisfaction among emergency patients with limited health literacy: A randomized, controlled study

OBJECTIVE: Recommended as a ‘universal precaution’ for improving provider–patient communication, teach-back has a limited evidence base. Discharge from the emergency department (ED) to home is an important high-risk transition of care with potential for miscommunication of critical information. We examined whether teach-back improves: comprehension and perceived comprehension of discharge instructions and satisfaction among patients with limited health literacy (LHL) in the ED. METHODS: We performed a randomized, controlled study among adult patients with LHL, to teach-back or standard discharge instructions. Patients completed an audio-recorded structured interview evaluating comprehension and perceived comprehension of (1) diagnosis, (2) ED course, (3) post-ED care, and (4) reasons to return and satisfaction using four Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems questions. Concordance with the medical record was rated using a five-level scale. We analyzed differences between groups using multivariable ordinal logistic regression. RESULTS: Patients randomized to receive teach-back had higher comprehension of post-ED care areas: post-ED medication (P < 0.02), self-care (P < 0.03), and follow-up instructions (P < 0.0001), but no change in patient satisfaction or perceived comprehension. CONCLUSION: Teach-back appears to improve comprehension of post-ED care instructions but not satisfaction or perceived comprehension. Our data from a randomized, controlled study support the effectiveness of teach-back in a busy clinical setting. Further research is needed to test the utility and feasibility of teach-back for routine use including its impacts on distal outcomes