U.S-RUSSIA RELATIONS: CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL SECURITY

The paper examines the cyclical nature of U.S-Russia relations in the 21st century; with special regards to the administration of U.S President Barrack Obama and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Specifically, the study examines the challenges and implications of confrontation between the two states. It takes the annexation of Crimea as the origin of headlong disagreement in recent time although the work acknowledges that Russia’s annexation of Crimea does not constitute the genesis of disagreement in post-cold war relations. In a qualitative manner, the study examines the historical antecedents of U.S- Russia relations and adopts the neo-realist tenets as theoretical guide for approximating the complex realities of U.S Russia relations. Structured interview with expert in the field of international relations particularly those specializing in the study of U.S-Russian relations, alongside documents from official websites of states were engaged. The paper discovers that of all the bonds of bilateral relations, it is the bond of U.S-Russia relations that directly have implications on global security especially because of the threat of nuclear misconception and war. Consequently, the study recommends that, U.S. and Russia must recognise the lasting quality of international politics and create a basis of understanding as such by acknowledging the legitimate interests and concerns of the other

International Organizations and Global Governance Agenda: SDGs as a Paragon

International organizations are predominantly innovative capacity-building measures for the conduct of bilateral and multilateral diplomacy in an increasingly complex and symbiotically interdependent global community. Thus, international organizations are important actors in international relations for the conduct and operations of global governance. However, international organizations have in recent time suffered crises of legitimacy and effectiveness due in part to the current global wave of nationalistic aspirations accentuated by forces of globalization. To this end, the paper situates these new forms of populism within the precinct of globalization theory supported heavily by secondary sources of data. Using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an initiative of the United Nations as a model, anchored on content analysis and review the paper argues that the global transformative agenda for people, planet and prosperity could become the most effective vehicle for promoting global governance agenda. It concludes that the twin tyrannies of poverty and wars, which fundamentally dominate the objectives of international organizations and by implication, global governance agenda, can be defeated on a more measurable scale under the SDGs. It canvasses that all the global stakeholders both in public and private sectors must intensify their collaborative partnership in order to meet the vision 2030 target in the SDGs’ agenda.&nbsp

Missed medical appointment among hypertensive and diabetic outpatients in a tertiary healthcare facility in Ibadan, Nigeria

Purpose: To explore the reasons for missed medical appointment, patients’ awareness on its consequences; and to find strategies to reduce it among the study population.Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey among 300 hypertensive and 200 diabetic outpatients assessing care at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize data and categorical variables were compared with Chi-square at a level of significance set at p ≤ 0.05.Results: For hypertensive respondents, 16.7 % missed > 30 % of scheduled medical appointments while for diabetic respondents, it was 13.0 %; 59.7 % of the hypertensive respondents and 63.5 % of the diabetic respondents adhered to their medications. The reasons for missed medical appointments include forgetfulness, lack of funds for transport, conflicting commitments, etc. The level of awareness on the possible impact of missed medical appointments is low. Most of the respondents were of the opinion that those who missed appointments should be penalized, although a majority of them disagreed with the option of introducing financial penalties.Conclusion: The findings indicate that the reasons for missed medical appointment is mainly due to delay in attending to un-booked patients until all the scheduled patients are seen in order to reduce appointment non-adherence.Keywords: Missed medical appointments, Hypertensive, Diabetic outpatients, Medication adherence, Patient awarenes

Regional Integration and the Neo‑functionalist Model: The Brexit Narrative

The socio-economic and political advantages derived as benefits of the integrative project have been the justification for most integrative initiatives. This has also made regional integration a major phenomenon in international relations, both as a field of study and as a sphere of actual relation. Many theories are paraded in scholarly circles explaining the rationale and process of the integrative project. However, little attention is paid to the fact that, on the continuum of integration, retrogression and disengagement is possible as social realities unfold. Using archival research method, the work examines the relevance of the neo-functional model in explaining recent trends on integration, using Brexit as a case study. It contends that the neo-functionalist model still holds analytical purchase in approximating contemporary trends of integration

Knowledge, attitude and perception on PharmD program among penultimate and final-year undergraduate pharmacy students in a Nigerian university – An intervention study

Purpose: To carry out an interventional study on the knowledge, attitude and perception of penultimate and final year undergraduate pharmacy students of the University of Ibadan on Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among penultimate and final-year undergraduate students of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan using semi-structured questionnaire. A seminar was organized for the intervention group. The data were summarized using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Pre-intervention PharmD knowledge assessment of majority, 63 (94.0 %) control group and 63 (87.5 %) intervention group participants was below average. Post-intervention, 38 (52.8 %) intervention group participants had satisfactory scores, while 54 (80.6 %) of control group had below average scores. Generally, the participants had good PharmD attitude and perception. There was a significant difference (p < 0.001) between pre- and post-intervention PharmD knowledge assessment among the intervention group. A significant difference (p < 0.001) was observed between the post-intervention PharmD knowledge of the control group and the intervention group. Conclusion: Baseline below average PharmD knowledge of study participants improved significantly in the intervention group post-intervention. Generally, the participants had a good attitude and perception towards the PharmD program. Keywords: PharmD, Pre-post intervention, Undergraduate pharmacy students, Knowledge, Attitude, Perception, University of Ibada

Socio-psychological effects of acne among undergraduates of the University of Ibadan

Background: Acne is a skin disorder that is common among adolescents. The  various degrees of distortion of facial appearance could have some socio-psychological effects on sufferers.Objectives:The objectives of this research, within the study population  (undergraduates of the University of Ibadan), were: To determine the gender  prevalence of acne, to evaluate the socio- psychological effect of acne and to  evaluate socio-psychological effects of acne in relation to the severity of the  condition.Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study with pre-tested questionnaires administered to 100 undergraduate students of the University of Ibadan.  Descriptive statistics was used to summarize data and categorical variables were compared with Chi-square at a level of significance of p < 0.05.Results: The response rate was 100%. Gender prevalence showed that 70% of the students with acne are females with 30% being males. Twenty-seven (27%) of the respondents indicated high social effects, 8 (8%) indicated average score while 65 (65%) showed a high social effects. Fourteen (14%) of the respondent had low  emotional effects, 1 (1%) had average score while 85 (85%) had a high emotional effects. Twenty respondents (20%) had low psychological effects, 6 (6%) had an average response and 74 (74%) had high psychological effects.Conclusions: Acne is more prevalent in females than in males among undergraduate students of the University of Ibadan. The socio-psychological effect of acne was  found to be more in students with milder form of acne.Keywords: Socio-psychological, acne, Ibadan, undergraduat

Hypertensive heart disease in Africa

Hypertension has become an important public health problem in Africa. Currently an epidemiologic transition from infectious diseases is going on in the continent and the prevalence of chronic diseases like hypertension is increasing. The response of the heart to the stress/afterload imposed on the left ventricle by the progressively increasing arterial blood pressure is described as hypertensive heart disease. Hypertensive heart disease and failure are the commonest cardiovascular diseases of Africans. Since hypertension is a treatable cardiovascular risk factor, there is need to create more awareness about the disease and educate our patients concerning drug compliance. There is also a need for longitudinal multicentre study in Africa, in order to assess the severity and burden of the disease

International Organizations and Global Governance Agenda: SDGs as a Paragon

International organizations are predominantly innovative capacity-building measures for the conduct of bilateral and multilateral diplomacy in an increasingly complex and symbiotically interdependent global community. Thus, international organizations are important actors in international relations for the conduct and operations of global governance. However, international organizations have in recent time suffered crises of legitimacy and effectiveness due in part to the current global wave of nationalistic aspirations accentuated by forces of globalization. To this end, the paper situates these new forms of populism within the precinct of globalization theory supported heavily by secondary sources of data. Using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an initiative of the United Nations as a model, anchored on content analysis and review the paper argues that the global transformative agenda for people, planet and prosperity could become the most effective vehicle for promoting global governance agenda. It concludes that the twin tyrannies of poverty and war, which fundamentally dominate the objectives of international organizations and by implication, global governance agenda, can be defeated on a more measurable scale under the SDGs. It canvasses that all the global stakeholders both in public and private sectors must intensify their collaborative partnership in order to meet the vision 2030 target in the SDGs’ agenda

Political Consciousness and Governance in Africa

This paper interrogates the subject of political consciousness and political governance vis-à-vis the mounting level of global restiveness precipitated by an unprecedented level of disparity in the global distribution of wealth. It borrows from the mainstream Marxian political-economic framework, arguing that the material existence of the growing and restive global population spurs political consciousness and questions the legitimacy of many national governments, as well as the global governance structures that support them. The paper is a desk study which relies heavily on secondary data, supported by a qualitative review of existing literature. Findings suggest that the global capitalist ideology – regulated by market forces – and accentuated by political globalization has failed to satisfy the legitimate aspirations to better conditions of living for the majority of the world’s population, especially in the developing countries, but particularly in Africa. The paper strongly recommends the strengthening of regional governance architecture in order to hold national leaderships accountable and responsive

Library Use for Agricultural Research by Undergraduate Students of the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Wildlife Resources Management, University Of Calabar, Nigeria

The study investigated the use of the University of Calabar library for agricultural research by students of the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Wildlife Resources Management. The general objective of the study was to determine the use of the University of Calabar library for agricultural research by students of the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Wildlife Resources Management. The specific objectives include to identify the number of students of the Faculty of Agriculture who registered with the University of Calabar library for the 2020/2021 academic session, identify the purpose of library use by students, assess the material and electronic resources available in the University of Calabar library for use by students and determine the constraints to library use by students in the Faculty. The study was conducted in the University of Calabar, Calabar Nigeria. A stratified random sampling procedure was used to select respondents according to the Departments and level of studies from years one-five (1-5) with a total of 250 students as sample size. Data obtained were analyzed using simple frequency and percentage. The findings show that majority of the respondents are male 60%, non registered members recording 74% and 88% of respondents never renewed their registration with the library while their major reasons for non registration/renewal was lack of awareness/ orientation 56%. The major purpose for using the library was during preparation for examination 60%, print and book materials 64% are more in the library; and the greatest constraints was on the difficulty of getting information on specific contents 48%. There is poor usage of the library by undergraduate students of the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Wildlife Resources Management, University of Calabar except during preparation for examination and their greatest constraints was the difficulty of getting information on specific contents. Thus, the need for awareness campaign and orientation on library usage and provision of a well catalogued library for easy access to research material