Impact of Capital Market on Domestic Resource Mobilization for Economic Development in Nigeria (2000-2015)

The study investigated the impact of Nigerian capital market on domestic resource mobilization for economic development, using time series data from 2000 to 2015. The study employed secondary data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin, the Nigerian Stock Exchange Fact Book and Securities and Exchange Commission database. To evaluate the impact of the independent variables on the dependent, the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) method of estimation was employed. Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test was used to identify the order of integration. Economic growth was proxied by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while the capital market variables considered include: Market Capitalization (MCAP), Total New Issues (TNI) and Value of Transactions (VLT). Applying Johansen and Juselius co-integration test, the result showed that there was at most one co-integrating equation in the model, implying that there is a long run relationship between the variables in the model. The causality test results suggest bidirectional causation between the GDP and the Value of Transactions (VLT) and to the GDP but not vice-versa. Using two-tailed test, the F-statistics is significant at 5 percent level of significance. Furthermore, there was no evidence of reverse causation from GDP to market capitalization and there was no evidence of independence causation between the GDP and Total New Issues (TNI). The study showed that the major problem with domestic resource mobilization in Nigeria have been that not enough savings are being generated to facilitate the required investment. Also, the type of savings available does not easily make financial intermediation possible. The Nigerian stock market has been constrained by policies that tend to make the exchange look like a mechanism by which government raise loan finance rather than an instrument for mobilizing industrial finance. It is recommended therefore that the regulatory authority should appraise and modify the restrictive policies that constrained resource mobilization capacity of the Nigerian capital market

EFFLUX MEDIATED MULTIDRUG RESISTANT PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen and one of the leading causes of multi-drug resistant nosocomial infections. This study was therefore carried out to determine the resistance nature, and the role of efflux pump in multidrug resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from different environmental sources using the efflux pump inhibitor, Carbonyl Cyanide 3-Chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). A total of 220 environmental samples were collected and processed following standard techniques. Susceptibility to antibiotics was performed using disc diffusion methods as described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Activity of the efflux pump system was carried out using the efflux pump inhibitor, CCCP. Results obtained identified 100 (45.5%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 72 (32.7%) other strains of Pseudomonas spp. The susceptibility testing revealed that all the identified strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that were subjected to susceptibility test were significantly resistant to ampicillin and cefotaxime, But the  resistance profile of isolates to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime and perfloxacin were 93%, 72.1%, 79.1%, 58.1% and 51.2% respectively. However, imipenem was the most sensitive (100%), followed by cefepime (65%) and gentamicin (44%). Carbonyl Cyanide 3-Chlorophenylhydrazone decreased the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the isolates by 2 folds. Results obtained have shown the ubiquitous presence of multi-drug resistant P. aeruginosa from the environmental samples examined. Furthermore, it indicated the role of efflux pump in antibiotics resistance in P. aeruginosa isolates which indicate that P. aeruginosa strains from environmental sources could resist antibiotics by the efflux mechanism.     &nbsp

PREVALENCE OF DIARRHOEA AGENTS AND THE IN-VITRO EFFECTS OF THREE PLANT EXTRACTS ON THE GROWTH OF THE ISOLATES

ABSTRACT Isolation of bacteria associated with diarrhoea in young children below the age of five years and the antibacterial efficacy of Dioscorea dumetorum, Oscimum suave, and Ancistracarpus densispinosus were investigated. Leaves of these plants were dried and powdered before being soaked in 70% ethanol for 3 days. The stools were cultured and isolates were identified according to standard bacteriological methods . Agar diffusion method was employed in determining the inhibitory effects of the extracts on growth of the bacterial isolates. Out of 100 samples collected, 97% showed growth of different bacterial species. These include Escherichia coli (28%), Salmonella (21%), Klebsiella (16%), Shigella (15%), Proteus mirabilis (1%), and Staphylococcus aureus (7%). Klebsiella, Proteus and Escherichia coli were susceptible to the inhibitory effect of the three extracts at varying concentrations except for Proteus mirabilis which did not respond at all to Ancistracarpus densispinosus. Statistically, Dioscorea dumetorum proved to be more effective than Oscimum suave (p<o.o5). . Hence, Dioscorea dumetorum and Ocimum suave could serves as an alternative to orthodox drugs in the treatment of diseases due to Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis

Seroprevalence of Dengue and Hepatitis B infections among young adults attending a secondary health care facility at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Nigeria

Hepatitis B and Dengue virus infections carry significant public health implications due to their potential to cause illness and death. This study focused on examining the prevalence of these infections among young adults seeking care at a secondary health facility at Olabisi Onabanjo University. Ninety samples obtained from study participants underwent screening using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for both HBsAg and Dengue IgM. The participants, predominantly female, were aged between 15 and 30 years. The analysis revealed a 13.3% prevalence of Dengue IgM, a 4.5% prevalence of HBsAg, and a 4.4% prevalence for both infections. Regarding age distribution, the highest prevalence occurred among participants aged 15-20 years for both single infections and the co-occurrence of Hepatitis B and Dengue viral infections. Examining gender distribution, female participants exhibited higher seropositivity across all infection categories. Although not statistically significant, these findings lay the groundwork for a comprehensive surveillance study on the Hepatitis B and Dengue viral infections in young adults. This study provides valuable insights into the prevalence patterns of Hepatitis B and Dengue virus, offering a basis for further research and public health interventions in this population

Examination of the effects of a new compression garment on skin tissue oxygenation in healthy volunteers

Objective: Compression devices have been shown to reduce venous stasis, increase blood flow and skin tissue oxygenation (StO2), promoting healthy tissue. This study aimed to explore the efficacy of a new compression garment in three different positions in healthy adults. Methods: In this quantitative study, potential participants were screened and recruited using the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q, Canada). Participants attended three separate, one-hour sessions to evaluate StO2 in supine-lying, chair-sitting and long-sitting positions. StO2 was recorded for 20 minutes pre-, during and post- a 20-minute intervention using a compression garment, TributeWrap (Lohmann-Rauscher, Germany). A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was followed by post-hoc pairwise comparisons. Results: A total of 28 healthy volunteers took part (aged 24.6 ±8.4years; 13 males, 15 females). A significant difference was seen between the three positions (p<0.001). Chair-sitting had the lowest StO2 pre-intervention, increasing StO2 significantly (32.25%, p<0.001) during wear of the compression garment (24.8% higher than baseline post-intervention). No significant difference was seen between long sitting and supine-lying (p=1.000). In contrast, long-sitting and supine-lying StO2 was higher pre-intervention compared with chair-sitting and only increased post-intervention (11% and 16.8% respectively, p<0.001) compared with baseline. Conclusion: The compression garment significantly increased StO2 levels in both seating positions. Further studies are required to determine if increasing StO2 through short intervention sessions with this device has the potential to improve self-management of tissue health in individuals with reduced mobility, oedema or venous insufficiency

Isolation, Growth and Identification of Chlorpyrifos Degrading Bacteria from Agricultural Soil in Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract The extensive use of pesticides is one of the major causes of pollution of soil and water environments. The current method for removing such contaminants from the environment through biodegradation has been shown to be more effective than any other method. Three pesticide degrading bacteria were isolated and identified through cultural and biochemical tests as strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serretia marcescens and Klebsiella oxytoca. Their growth in mineral salt medium supplemented with 20mg/l of Chlorpyrifos was monitored at optical density of 600nm. The result showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa had maximum growth in ten days, while Serretia marcescens and Klebsiella oxytoca recorded highest growth after six days of incubation. HPLC analysis of the residual Chlorpyrifos after 14 days incubation showed that Pseudomonas aeruginosa was able to degrade 60% of the pesticide; Klebsiella oxytoca degraded 54%, while Serretia marcescens had 53% reduction of the pesticide concentration in the mineral salt medium. The results of this research indicated that the isolated bacteria can be used for bioremediation of Chlorpyrifos contaminated soil and water ecosystems

Improving higher education standards through reengineering in West African universities–A case study of Nigeria

This article examines the context of higher education (HE), policies and challenges in the West African context. A multi-level framework and analysis of reengineering, leading change in complexity, activity-based view of the University Business Model and Pedagogical Content Knowledge enable the development of deep connections between the macro- and meso-level and -micro challenges of Higher Education System (HES). These include elements of effective leadership, structures and curriculum and learning pedagogies. Drawing on the analyses of interviews from 25 overseas trained senior academics from Nigerian universities, a preliminary refinement of the philosophy of reengineering, re-thinking and revaluing the higher education system (HES) is offered. These have traditionally been addressed in a piecemeal perspective in HE policy and the academic literature; such a traditional approach has not been the systematic rethinking advocated in the philosophy of reengineering

Complications related to deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis in trauma: a systematic review of the literature

Deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis is essential to the appropriate management of multisystem trauma patients. Without thromboprophylaxis, the rate of venous thrombosis and subsequent pulmonary embolism is substantial. Three prophylactic modalities are common: pharmacologic anticoagulation, mechanical compression devices, and inferior vena cava filtration. A systematic review was completed using PRISMA guidelines to evaluate the potential complications of DVT prophylactic options. Level one evidence currently supports the use of low molecular weight heparins for thromboprophylaxis in the trauma patient. Unfortunately, multiple techniques are not infrequently required for complex multisystem trauma patients. Each modality has potential complications. The risks of heparin include bleeding and heparin induced thrombocytopenia. Mechanical compression devices can result in local soft tissue injury, bleeding and patient non-compliance. Inferior vena cava filters migrate, cause inferior vena cava occlusion, and penetrate the vessel wall. While the use of these techniques can be life saving, they must be appropriately utilized