Moonlighting: An Antecedent to Job Commitment Between Academic Staff and Medical Doctors in Southwest Nigeria

This study investigated the effects of moonlighting on job commitment between academic staff and medical doctors in Southwest Nigeria. The study employed descriptive research design and multi-stage sampling technique to select the respondents. Questionnaire was adopted as the research instrument and it was administered to 393 academic staff and 348 medical doctors respectively across various Universities and hospitals in Southwest, Nigeria. The returned questionnaire were coded in Excel and IBM SPSS 23 version respectively and were further analysed through t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Evidence from these tests indicated that moonlighting has positive and significant effect on job commitment, also that there is a difference between academic staff and medical doctors whereby academic staff were found to moonlight more often than medical doctors; the study also indicated that moonlighting has positive and significant effect on job commitment however the differences indicated that academic staff enjoy benefit from moonlighting than medical doctors. The study concluded that management of Universities and hospitals should develop a Human Resources Management practice that has potency of satisfying their employees with the aim of getting them more committed to their primary duties and assignments. In this way, moonlighting will be drastically reduced among academic staff and medical doctors. Keywords: Job Commitment, Moonlighting, Public Institutions and Comparative Analysis DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-2-08 Publication date: January 31st 202

INFLUENCE OF pH, SOME CHLORIDE AND PHOSPHATES ON EMULSIFYING AND SOLUBILITY PROPERTIES OF CASHEW KERNEL (Anacardium occidentale) PROTEIN ISOLATE

Effect   of   pH,   NaCl,   KCI,   KH PO or   NaH PO on   solubility   and   emulsifying   properties   of   cashew                                      2   4         2   4         (Anacardium occidentale L.) protein isolate (CPI) were determined. The emulsifying properties of CPI        were assessed turbidimetrically. Maximum soluble protein observed at pH 2 and pH 12 media were 62         and 95%, respectively. CPI solubility in NaCl, KCI, KH PO  or NaH PO    solutions were better than in                                                               2   4       2   4         H O. This solubility is salt concentration dependent. pH 5 gave a better emulsion activity {EA} than          2         other pH values. Its emulsion appeared stable at pH 2, 11 or 12. CPI stabilized oil-in-water emulsion                                                                                         3         has longer shelf life at low chloride and phosphate concentrations (0.1 - 0.4mol/dm  ). EA of CPI in NaCl,         KCl, NaH PO   or KH PO   showed positive correlation with solubility.                  2   4      2   4&nbsp

ACTwatch 2009 Supply Chain Survey Results, Nigeria

In Nigeria, as in many low-income countries, private commercial providers play an important role in the treatment of malaria. To design effective interventions for improved access to accurate diagnosis and effective malaria treatment, there is a need to understand retailer behaviour and identify the factors that influence their stocking and pricing decisions. Private commercial retailers are the last link in a chain of manufacturers, importers and wholesalers and their supply sources are likely to have an important influence on the price and quality of malaria treatment that consumers can access. However, there is limited rigorous evidence on the structure and operation of the distribution chain for antimalarial drugs that serves the retail sector. The ACTwatch Supply Chain Study, one of the ACTwatch project components, aims to address this gap by conducting quantitative and qualitative studies on distribution chains for antimalarials in the ACTwatch countries (Nigeria, Cambodia, Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Uganda and Zambia). Other elements of ACTwatch include Retail Outlet and Household Surveys led by Population Services International (PSI). This report presents the results of a cross-sectional survey of antimalarial drug wholesalers conducted in Nigeria between July and September 2009

Effects of Moonlighting on Job Satisfaction in Public Institutions in Southwest Nigeria (A Comparative Analysis)

This study investigated the effects of moonlighting on job satisfaction between academic staff and medical doctors in Southwest Nigeria. The study employed descriptive research design and multi-stage sampling technique to select the respondents. Questionnaire was adopted as the research instrument and it was administered to 393 academic staff and 348 medical doctors respectively across various Universities and hospitals in Southwest, Nigeria. The returned questionnaire were coded in Excel and IBM SPSS 23 version respectively and were further analysed through t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The study revealed that moonlighting has positive and significant effect on job satisfaction whereas the academic staffs moonlight more often than medical doctors. The study concluded that It was suggested that Management of Universities and hospitals should develop Human Resources Management practices that has potency of satisfying their employees with the aim of getting them more committed to their primary duties and assignments. In this way, moonlighting will be drastically reduced among academic staff and medical doctors. Keywords: Moonlighting, Job Satisfaction, Public Institutions and Comparative Analysis DOI: 10.7176/JESD/11-4-02 Publication date: February 29th 202

A Qualitative Assessment of the Private Sector Antimalarial Distribution Chain in Nigeria, 2009

In Cambodia, as in many low‐income countries, private commercial providers play an important role in the treatment of malaria.  To design effective interventions for improved access to accurate diagnosis and effective malaria treatment, there is a need to understand retailers' behaviour and identify the factors that influence their stocking and pricing decisions.  Private commercial retailers are the last link in a chain of manufacturers, importers and wholesalers, and their supply sources are likely to have an important influence on the price and quality of malaria treatment that consumers can access.  However, there is limited rigorous evidence on the structure and operation of the distribution chain for antimalarial drugs that serves the retail sector. The ACTwatch Supply Chain Study, one of the ACTwatch project components, aims to address this gap by conducting quantitative and qualitative studies on distribution chains for antimalarials in the ACTwatch countries (Cambodia, Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia).   This report presents the results from qualitative interviews with antimalarial drug wholesalers, retailers and other key stakeholders conducted in Cambodia between April and November 2009. A summary of the key findings is given below.  To provide a complete description of the supply chain for antimalarial drugs, this report should be read in conjunction with the report on the results of the structured supply chain survey also conducted as part of this study [1], available at www.actwatch.info. • As the bulk of antimalarial treatment is manufactured outside of the country, pharmaceutical importers, including PSI/Cambodia, constitute a critical component of Cambodia’s private sector distribution chain for antimalarials by ensuring a regular national supply of antimalarials and also by facilitating their distribution throughout the country. Non‐importing wholesalers also play a role in distributing antimalarials, particularly to more remote areas and to retail outlet types not targeted by importers, including more informal types such as drug shops, grocery stores, etc.   • The degree of competition varied by level in the distribution chain: at import level, competition was restrained by sole distributor and like agreements between foreign manufacturers and domestic importers, and also by a number of barriers to entry, including the costs of importing, the limited size of the overall market and lack of access to capital. Competition was less restrained at lower levels of the chain where the key barrier in theory to market entry was the difficulty of securing a license to operate, though many believed it was a barrier easily circumvented. • Commodities for malaria treatment, including ACTs and RDTs, were perceived to be generally available in the private sector distribution chain; however, availability of ACTs and RDTs at lower levels of the chain was poorer. At both wholesale and retail levels, stocking decisions were driven by perceived drug quality, which was in turn affected by factors such as media promotion and social marketing targeting wholesalers, retailers and consumers, as in the case of Malarine (the ACT brand socially marketed by PSI/Cambodia). However, supplier stock outs of Malarine combined with its perceived side effects led some providers to continue stocking alternatives treatments, including artemisinin monotherapies, even though they were aware that sales of such products were prohibited.   • Most wholesalers and retailers purchased new stock from either one or two suppliers. When choosing a supplier, factors considered were supplier selling prices, availability of delivery services, and perceived knowledge/expertise of the supplier in the treatment of malaria. Offering credit facilities was also cited as a strategy to attract custom, but access to supplier credit was perceived to be restricted to customers known to suppliers. 2 • Retailers and wholesalers had similar price setting behaviours. Providers reported setting their price on the basis of antimalarial purchase price and their price mark‐ups on the basis of transport costs. At the top of the chain, importers considered a broader range of costs when setting prices, including overhead and promotion costs among others. In addition, most providers admitted seeking profits, although many argued that their pricing decision was constrained by the price set by other shops. Second and third‐ degree price discrimination strategies were commonly reported by both retailers and wholesalers who varied prices on the basis of volume purchased and customer characteristics. • Retailers employed a wide range of tactics to gain competitive advantage over other businesses, attract consumers and generate demand. A retailer’s reputation for delivering high quality treatment, reflected in their length of operation in a market, positive consumer experiences, and through the provision of ‘cocktail’ therapies, was viewed as crucial to achieving this; however, providing added value services, such as of blood diagnostic testing, was not. Nevertheless, RDTs were available from many outlets and were perceived to be easy to use, although less precise than microscopy for confirming malaria infection

Comparative evaluation of antioxidant properties of methanol extracts of allium cepa bulb, allium cepa bulb peels and allium fistulosum

Medicinal plants have protective effects against many physiological diseases because of their phytochemical components which are better antioxidants. This study was aimed at comparing the in vitro antioxidant activity, phenolic and flavonoid content of the methanol extracts of Allium cepa bulb, Allium cepa bulb peel and Allium fistulosum. The antioxidant activity was determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), iron chelating activity and molybdate ion reduction assays. The total flavonoid and total phenolic content (TPC) were carried out using aluminium chloride and Folin-Ciocalteu assay respectively. The results showed that A. cepa bulb peel has the highest phenolic content and the antioxidant activity while the A. fistulosum showed the least. Furthermore, the total flavonoid content and metal iron chelating activity was highest in A. cepa bulb, while lowest values were obtained in A. fistulosum and A. cepa bulb peel respectively. The results suggest that the A. cepa bulb peel, A. cepa bulb and A. fistulosum extracts can be used as sources of natural antioxidants. However, A. cepa bulb peel may be the most potent

Poverty and trade liberalization: empirical evidence from 21 African countries

The study investigated the possible nexus between trade liberalization and poverty in 21 African countries covering the period 2005–2014. The study deployed the following econometric tests: descriptive statistics; the correlation matrix and variance inflator; the panel unit root test; the pooled OLS technique; and the panel co-integration test (Johansen co-integration test). In order to confirm the robustness and validity of the regression model result, Ramsey RESET, cross dependence, autocorrelation and heteroscedasticity tests were conducted. The findings reveal that foreign direct investment and inflation rate had a positive relationship with the human development index while exchange rates and trade openness were negatively related to poverty level at the 5 percent level. The study recommended urgent policy measures aimed at revamping the poverty alleviation programmes. The study recommended that in a bid to diversify export market, developing countries should target other developing countries in the spirit of South–South cooperation. Such countries should also consider the joining or strengthening of regional economic integration. Incentives for production and human capacity building in the export-oriented sector should be emplaced. Social and economic policies are required to protect any country against the adverse effects of lowered trade barriers

Prevalence of chronic kidney disease among people living with HIV/AIDS in Burundi: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Since little is known about chronic kidney disease (CKD) among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence and nature of CKD were assessed in Burundi through a multicenter cross-sectional study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Patients underwent assessments at baseline and 3 months later. Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) was estimated using abbreviated 4-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Diseases (MDRD) and Cockroft-Gault estimation methods. Patients were classified at month 3 into various CKD stages using the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) definition, which combines GFR and urinary abnormalities. Risk factors for presence of proteinuria (PRO) and aseptic leukocyturia (LEU) were further analyzed using multiple logistic regression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median age of the patients in the study (N = 300) was 40 years, 70.3% were female and 71.7% were on highly active antiretroviral therapy. Using the MDRD method, CKD prevalence in patients was 45.7%, 30.2% of whom being classified as stage 1 according to the NKF classification, 13.5% as stage 2 and 2% as stage 3. No patient was classified as stage 4 or 5. Among CKD patients with urinary abnormality, PRO accounted for 6.1% and LEU for 18.4%. Significant associations were found between LEU and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use, previous history of tuberculosis, low body mass index and female gender and between PRO and high viral load.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study, using a very sensitive definition for CKD evaluation, suggests a potentially high prevalence of CKD among PLWHA in Burundi. Patients should be regularly monitored and preventative measures implemented, such as monitoring NSAID use and adjustment of drug dosages according to body weight. Urine dipsticks could be used as a screening tool to detect patients at risk of renal impairment.</p

Strengthening Renal Registries and ESRD Research in Africa

CITATION: Davids, M. R., et al. 2017. Strengthening renal registries and ESRD research in Africa. Seminars in Nephrology, 37(3):211-223, doi:10.1016/j.semnephrol.2017.02.002.The original publication is available at http://www.seminarsinnephrology.orgENGLISH ABSTRACT: In Africa the combination of non-communicable diseases, infectious diseases, exposure to environmental toxins and acute kidney injury related to trauma and childbirth are driving an epidemic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Good registry data can inform the planning of renal services and can be used to argue for better resource allocation, audit the delivery and quality of care, and monitor the impact of interventions. Few African countries have established renal registries and most have failed due to resource constraints. In this paper we briefly review the burden of CKD and ESRD in Africa then consider the research questions which could be addressed by renal registries. We describe examples of the impact of registry data and summarise the sparse primary literature on country-wide renal replacement therapy (RRT) in African countries over the past 20 years. Finally, we highlight some initiatives and opportunities for strengthening research on ESRD and RRT in Africa. These include the establishment of the African Renal Registry and the availability of new areas for research. We also discuss capacity-building, collaboration, open access publication and the strengthening of local journals, all measures which may improve the quantity, visibility and impact of African research outputs.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaarhttp://www.seminarsinnephrology.org/article/S0270-9295(17)30002-5/fulltextPostprin