Osteocalcin and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase in Sickle cell haemoglobinopathies

Osteocalcin or bone gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (gla) protein and Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (b-AP) total protein levels were evaluated as indicators of bone turnover in twenty patients with sickle cell haemoglobinopathies and in twenty normal healthy individuals. The serum bonespecific alkaline phosphatase total protein level was measured by immunoradiometric (IRMA) method. The concentrations of serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase total protein were higher in the study group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The serum osteocalcin (BGP) showed no significant difference with the control healthy subjects. There was no correlation between the serum osteocalcin and serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase total protein in the patient group. In conclusion, serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase total protein determined or measured by IRMA can be considered a sensitive marker of bone turnover and could be especially useful as valuable non-invasive biochemical marker for identifying sickle cell patients with bone complications.Key Words: Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (b-AP); Osteocalcin; sickle cell haemoglobinopathie

Hybrid Strategy Implementation in a Hybrid Youth-Training Organisation: A framework for hybrid strategy implementation based on a case-study of a hybrid youth training organisation in Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: A lingering organisational problem among hybrid youth training organisations in Lagos, Nigeria, is the lack of any clear-cut initial competitive strategy that ultimately affects the competitiveness of the organisation. Empirical evidence suggests that sole strategy implementation is less efficient than hybrid strategy implementation due to the dynamic business environment leading to a change in consumer behaviour and expectations. Purpose: To apply Action Research methodology to developing and applying a framework for hybrid competitive strategy implementation in a hybrid youth training organisation hitherto without a competitive strategy. Design/Methodology/Approach: This qualitative action research study will focus on Emedith Consulting Nigeria Limited (ECNL) as the single case-study and will involve Action Learning (AL) collaboration with managers from other hybrid youth training organisations within Lagos, consultants employed at ECNL, as well as semi-structured open-ended interviews with target customers. Findings: The results from this study are a framework for implementing a hybrid competitive strategy in a hybrid youth training organisation, a customer-driven hybrid competitive strategy implementation process for ECNL, and indices by which the efficacy of ECNL training services can be measured. Originality/Value: This study on hybrid competitive strategy implementation in a hybrid youth-training organisation reveals practical conclusions and provides a basis for improved competitiveness through implementation of the identified customer-oriented framework

Legitimising the fight against Terrorist Financing

Scholars have argued that the 9/11 attack exposed the presence of a previously unknown global menace and its funding structure.[1] However, the reality is that national and international terrorists have caused casualties over the years, through access to various conduits of financial or asset transfers. The bombing of three sites in a five-week period in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1975, the Egypt archaeology site bombing in 1997 and the 1998 US Embassy bombing in Tanzania were all acts of terrorism that could not have been implemented without access to funding channels.[2

Beyond Banks:A Case for Interagency Collaboration to Combat Trade-based Money Laundering in Africa

Regulation regarding trade-based money laundering (TBML) has focused mainly on documentary trade financing arrangements, which are bank intermediated. Yet, African countries predominantly employ alternative forms of trade financing models that span beyond banks’ usual purview. These alternative models are supported by many actors across the supply chain that are not holistically supervised given the fragmented regulatory framework at the global and domestic levels. In contending that TBML significantly undermines intra-African trade and therefore amounts to a non-tariff barrier (NTB) to trade, this article challenges the need for globally transplanted solutions to address TBML. Rather, it argues for the introduction of new approach: a country focused experimental legislation that facilitates inter-agency collaboration beyond banks. This approach would ensure a homegrown, responsive, and legitimate framework that encompasses currently un-supervised actors. It contends that if the experimental legislation works at a country level, it may then be cascaded to the African Union level for contextual adaptability across other African countries

A regulatory misfit? A closer look at the counter-terrorist financing strategies in African states

This article undertakes a multivariate empirical study in examining the correlation between compliance levels with the Financial Action Task Force standards on counter-terrorist financing (CFT) and the frequency of terror activities in African states. Results indicated that irrespective of compliance levels to specific CFT recom- mendations, assessed independently, terror levels remained unaffected. This is suggestive of misguided CFT recom- mendations which are mainly focused on the banking sector and blindsided to the position in African states where alternative means of conduits prevail. Consequently, the viability of home-grown, targeted solutions to CFT, is explored as crucial for reduced terror activities in the continent

Compliance with the global AML/CFT regulation: parameters and paradoxes of regulation in African countries and emerging economies

In the light of the agency theory, this thesis examines the extent to which ACs/EEs can harness and comply with the global AML/CFT standards. Whilst appreciating the importance of cross-border AML/CFT regulation, it critiques the requirement for uniformly applicable standards, thereby exposing the parameters and paradoxes of such standards when applied to ACs/EEs. This is achieved by examining the displacement of ACs/EEs in the evolution of IFIs/FATF and resulting AML/CFT standards by IFIs/FATF, which do not consider the socio-economic and political uniqueness of ACs/EEs. It argues that ACs/EEs do not possess the pre-conditions for effective AML/CFT regulations, hence the behavioral impact of the FATF’s standards on ACs/EEs do not align with the IFIs/FATF’s expectations. This regulatory design flaw persists irrespective of the adopted RBA. Consequently, ACs/EEs engage strategically with IFIs/FATF to evade sanctions from non-compliance whilst facilitating their continued integration into the global economy. This is indicative of an unfavorable agency relationship between ACs/EEs and IFIs/FATF and an ingrained legitimacy crisis which are further undermined by ACs/EEs capacity challenges. Through multidisciplinary research on law and economics, this thesis examines the impact of uniform standards on ACs/EEs. This thesis assesses the agency theory, legislations, design of law, FATF and FSAP reports, and interviews. Consequently, this thesis gives a detailed analytical account of the compliance experiences of ACs/EEs, and identifies their sources of behaviour within the context of existing pre-conditions. Findings from the analysis of secondary data revealed that although ACs/EEs had similar socio-economic and political backgrounds, EEs were better able to comply with AML/CFT standards. A crucial factor was legitimacy as EEs had slightly more leverage in the re-formulation of AML/CFT standards. The main strength of this thesis is that it contributes to understanding the factors that influence ACs/EEs’ compliance, and therefore, the conditions under which the FATF standards are likely to facilitate proactive compliance

Bitcoin Regulation? Imperfect Knowledge of Identities and the Money Laundering Risk: A West African Perspective

Arguments for regulating Bitcoin are built mainly on the technologically disruptive nature of the currency and its susceptibility to facilitating financial crimes on a scale larger than financial institutions. This paper questions this notion and proposes instead that the disruptive nature of Bitcoin is not technological but legal. The legal disruption requires a legislative response aimed at ensuring suitable regulation that can circumvent the identity crises in Bitcoin transactions

Risk factors and assessment for cardiovascular disease among HIV-positive patients attending a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Introduction: cardiovascular risk factors are prevalent in HIV-positive patients which places them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We aimed to determine the risk factors and risk assessment for CVD in HIV-positive patients with and without antiretroviral therapy. Methods: this was a cross-sectional study of HIV-positive patients attending the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were performed; fasting lipid profile, plasma glucose, homocysteine and hsCRP were determined, as well as prevalences and risk assessments. Statistical tests were used to compare the groups and p-value &lt;0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: 283 subjects were recruited for this study (100 HIV-positive treatment-naive, 100 HIV-positive treated and 83 HIV negative controls). Compared to the controls, mean (sd) values were significantly higher among HIV-treated subjects: waist circumference=88.7 (10.4), p=0.035; systolic bp= 124.9 (20.7), p=0.014; glucose= 5.54 (1.7), p=0.015; triglyceride= 2.0 (1.2), p&lt;0.001; homocysteine= 10.9 (8.9-16.2), p=0.0003; while hsCRP= 2.9 (1.4-11.6), p=0.002 and HDL-C=0.9 (0.4), p=&lt;0.0001 were higher among the HIV-naïve subjects. Likewise, higher prevalences of the risk factors were noted among the HIV-treated subjects except low HDL-C (p&lt;0.001) and hsCRP (p=0.03) which were higher in the HIVnaïve group. Risk assessment using ratios showed high risk for CVD especially in the HIV-naïve group. The median range for Framingham risk assessment was 1.0 - 7.5%. Conclusion: Risk factors and risk assessment for CVD are increased in HIV-positive patients with and without antiretroviral therapy.Routine evaluation and risk assessment for CVD irrespective of therapy status is necessary to prevent future cardiovascular events.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2