The Antimicrobial Activity of Honey on Bacterial Isolates from Burns/Wound of Patients Attending General Hospital, Ankpa, Kogi, Nigeria

The antimicrobial activity of honey samples from Ankpa, Enjema and Ojoku districts of Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State against coagulase negative Staphylococcus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Proteus species from 200 burns/wound patients attending General Hospital, Ankpa were determined. The sensitivity of honey to the test organisms ranges from 16mm to 19mm in diameter. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the honey samples on the bacterial isolates from Ankpa and Ojoku were 0.16 v/v and 0.32 v/v for honey from Enjema. The results of the study revealed that honey from the area understudy has high antimicrobial activity hence could provide alternative antimicrobial agent to overome the problem of increasing bacteria resistance to synthetic antimicrobial agents. It is therefore recommended that pure natural honey should be stocked in hospitals/clinics in order to encourage its application in the treatment of burns/wound infections

The Global Pattern of Foreign Direct Investment in Recent Years

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has a high impact on income and revenue generation to various countries in developing and developed countries. Some countries via their companies used FDI and Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) to advanced and control flow of investment to their mother countries. Similarly, global pattern of foreign direct investment has shifted from developed countries to developing countries with more inflow to countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). Despite domination of FDI by triangle of trade (TRIAD) countries of America, European Union, Japan and United Kingdom as countries with higher inflow of foreign direct investments. Consequently, most of the countries among BRICS and TRIADS uses Tax haven for tax evasion and manipulations. Capital flight is another advantage used by United States of America to have more FDI due to power of its currency. Within last decade a significant shift FDI to developing countries has indicates change in global pattern in FDI. African countries suffer more from capital flight due to lax custom and border regulation and laws

Risk and Benefits of Economic Globalisation to Less Developed Countries

Economic globalization has both negative and positive impact to countries in terms of trade liberalization economic growth and development. Globalisation is free flow of goods and service between countries and their governments. Least developed countries have to embrace economic globalization as it must to all countries. Developed countries that owns most of  multinational corporations  whom where agent of globalization comes with risks that multinationals are depressing wages of local communities; disrupt local companies’ technological progress and process.  Also, imported technology can create crowd and obsolesces of domestic technology especially to least developed countries. The study uses secondary data from world-bank and United Nation Conference of Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The study finds that home countries of majority of Multinational Corporation have received up to hundred per cent foreign direct investments more than most of least developed countries. Too big to challenge Margin of European countries to formulate European Union serve as a detriment to least developed countries. While, Benefit yield from globalization is not shared equally; the developed economics dominates the global economy. Finally, the study recommends that least developed countries should restructure their countries in terms political, social, economic and technological in other to adapt to globalisation. Conclusively, tariffs should impose as to protect the existing companies from foreign companies’ unfair competition by encouraging production, since they have vast majority of land

The Mixture Of Bio-Oil And Biochar Produced From Slow Pyrolysis Of Oil Palm Wastes For Briquettes Production And Combustion As Solid Fuels

Malaysia generates an enormous amount of agricultural wastes, especially from the oil palm wastes industries. These wastes will continue to bring about the agricultural wastes disposal problem in Malaysia until necessary measures are taken to upgrade their applications. The primary aim of this study is to upgrade the application of these wastes for briquettes formation as a source of heat. In this study, the effect of torrefaction to upgrade higher heating value (HHV) of empty fruit bunches (EFB), mesocarp fibre (MF) and palm kernel shell (PKS) was investigated. The production of durable and qualitative biomass and charcoal briquettes from raw samples and torrefied products (biomass briquettes), and biochar and bio-oil (charcoal briquettes) obtained from pyrolysis were investigated

Influence of priming duration on the performance of Amaranths (Amaranthus cruentus L.) in Sokoto semiarid zone of Nigeria

Two field trials were conducted during the 2012 cropping season at the Fruits and Vegetable Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Crop Science, Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (located on latitude N-N and longitude -), to evaluate the effect of priming duration on the growth and yield of amaranth. Treatments consisted of four priming durations (2, 4, 6, and 8 hours) and control (where no priming was applied). The treatments were laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) replicated three times for the germination test and randomized complete block design (RCBD) for the field trial. Data were collected on days to 50% germination, percentage germination, days to 50% emergence, and percentage emergence. Results revealed significant effect of priming duration on days to 50% germination, percentage germination, and days to 50% emergence. Soaking seeds for 2 hours reduced the number of days to 50% germination and emergence and also recorded higher germination. Thus, from the findings of this study, it could be concluded that priming amaranth seeds for 2 hours could be applied to enhance amaranth production

Effect of Auditor Proficiency and Audit Quality on Internal Audit Effectiveness in Nigeria’s Federal Public Service

The internal audit function, with clearly defined competence and process requirements, has despite its presence within the operations of federal public sector organizations in Nigeria being unable to check the rising cases of frauds and financial improprieties which have continuously been highlighted against them. Furthermore, sufficient attention has not been given to related control issues regardless of the increasing use of information technology (ICT) in public sector operations. The study investigates the effects of competence; the role of ICT; and the quality of internal audit on internal audit effectiveness in Nigeria’s federal public service which is charged with the responsibility of the management of over half of the public revenues accruing to the Nigerian federation but with particular reference to 28 self-accounting federal public organizations operating in the North East Geo-Political Zone. Primary data was obtained from 139 valid responses out of 148 questionnaires administered on the internal auditors of such organizations. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed as the technique of data analysis to test the relationships.   The finding of this study revealed that competence and the quality of internal audit showed positive and significant influence on internal audit effectiveness. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) however showed positive but insignificant contribution. The study recommends an effective compliance with minimum entry requirements in the employment and deployment of Internal Auditors; a review and continuous improvement of operating regulations and standards; as well as the deployment of appropriate ICT audit tools and continuous training of internal audit staff by the relevant government offices (Offices of the Accountant General and that of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation – OAGF & OHCSF; and the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency - NITDA). Keywords: Internal Audit Effectiveness, Competence, ICT, Quality of Internal Work, Public Sector DOI: 10.7176/RJFA/11-6-01 Publication date:March 31st 202

Potential Application of Oil Palm Wastes Charcoal Briquettes for Coal Replacement

This study is aimed at investigating the potentials of oil palm wastes as an alternative to fossil fuels (coal) for domestic heat generation via briquettes (solid fuels) production. In this study oil palm wastes such as empty fruit bunches (EFB), mesocarp fiber (MF) and palm kernel shell (PKS) were pyrolyzed at temperatures of 400°C for 120 min and a heating rate of 10°C min−1. The biochar and bio-oil obtained were blended in the ratio of 60:40 weight percentages and compressed at a constant pressure of 400 kg cm−2 for charcoal briquettes production. The combustion profiles, heat release of the charcoal briquettes and Malaysian sub-bituminous coal were analyzed and compared through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Comparably, MF and PKS charcoal briquettes had higher HHV of 26.15 and 25.99 MJ kg−1, individually than coal which has 24.21 MJ kg−1, while EFB charcoal briquette showed the lowest value 23.93 MJ kg−1. Therefore, it can be said that all the charcoal briquettes showed a positive sign to replace coal. The maximum and minimum heat released of 0.059 and 0.048 W were obtained from the combustion of EFB and MF charcoal briquettes. It was established that in each ton of raw (dry basis) of EFB, MF, and PKS, there is 0.177, 0.212 and 0.228 tons of charcoal briquettes which correspond to 1.866, 2.055 and 2.414 MW of heat. Therefore, the findings in this study could contribute toward achieving the targeted 500 MW of green energy initiated in 2005 by the Malaysian government. Furthermore, the production of charcoal briquettes could be one of the proper methods to minimize the agricultural disposal problem in Malaysia

Does Asian Financial Crisis Serves as a Precursor for Global Financial Crisis?

This study is motivated with the recent happenings in the global economy. A financial crisis hit Asia in 1997-1998 which led to the down fall of some Asian countries financially. With the fall of socialist Soviet government which led to recommendation of new world economic order in a conference in Washington D.C called Washington Consensus. Moreover, among the Washington consensus recommendations and the financial liberalization which there will be no government intervention in the working of invisible hands? In 2008 another financial crisis occurred signifying that lesson where not learnt from the previous financial crisis. However, evidence from this study reveals the similarities in the causes and emergence of two financial crises. Therefore, the study upheld that lessons from Asian financial crisis where not learnt and adequate measures were not taken into cognizance. In this view the paper concludes that there is an urgent need to take precautions against occurrence of another financial crisis. The study offers recommendations to prevent possibilities of another financial crisis and also suggests ways to prevent future financial crisis

Epidemiological studies on rotavirus associated with diarrhoea among calves and children in Kaduna state, Nigeria

Rotaviruses are enteric pathogens causing acute, watery, dehydrating diarrhoea in various host species, including birds and mammals. A total of 716 diarrhoeic stool samples were collected comprising of 249 from calves and 467 from children within Kaduna State Nigeria. Rotavirus antigen was detected in the stools of calves by NSP3 Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction, while RV antigens were detected in children using Enzyme Linked Immunosobent Assay (ELISA). Rotavirus was detected in 34 of the 249 stool sample from calves (13.7%). The infection was higher in males (15.7%:16/102) compared to females calves (12.3%: 11/147). The highest number of cases was detected among calves 2-3 months of age (22.9%:8/35). Further analysis of the result showed no significant difference between rotavirus infection in calves with mode of feeding and presence of other animals in the farm (p>0.05). There was significant difference between rotavirus infection and sanitation on farm and source of water for calves (p<0.05). An overall RV prevalence of 31.0% (143/467) was obtained in children. The infection was higher in females (32.1%:79/246) compared to males (29.9%:66/221). The highest burden was detected in children 25-36 months of age (36.4%:22/77). There was no significant association between source of drinking water boiling of drinking water, attendance of day care and playing with toys and the prevalence of rotavirus (P>0.05). The study has revealed that rotavirus remains an important cause of acute diarrhoea among calves and children in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Hence the need for improvement in sanitation and the implemention of the vaccines into the childhood immunization programme.Key words: Rotaviruses, Stools, Calves, Children, Risk factors, Diarrhoea