Higher Education Institutions and Post-Covid In-Demand Employability Skills: Responding Through Curriculum that Works

This study explained that the post-Covid world of work would demand a new set of employability skills. Higher education institutions need to respond by preparing graduates with manifest post-COVID-19 employability skills through innovatively delivered curricula. Through literature review, the study identified post-Covid-19 in-demands employability skills and ways of innovatively fostering them. The study adopted the descriptive survey method and canvassed (104) faculty members’ (from 9 public universities) opinions through an online poll on the skills they considered relevant for post-pandemic graduate employability and integrating them into universities curricula. Data collected were descriptively analyzed using frequency count and percentage. Findings showed that when universities commit to innovative curriculum delivery, students can easily acquire skills and competencies required to effective security and create jobs in the post-Covid job market effectively recommended that universities should innovate their curricula by integrating post-Covid in-demands skills needed for students’ post-Covid job market

Microbial, Physical and Sensory Attribute Of Cookies Produced From Wheat Flour Fortified with Termitomyces robustus and Spiced with Curry Leaves (Xylopia aethiopica)

Wheat flour was used to substitute mushroom flour at the ratio of 70:30, 50:50, and 30:70. And each category were substituted with spice (Xylopia aethiopica) which concentration ratio from 5g, 10g, 15g respectively. The cookies prepared without wheat flour and also without mushroom flour serve as positive control. The parameters, thickness, diameter and spread factors were determined with meter rule. Total staphylococcus, bacillus and coliform count were determined using standard form and the effect of spiced (Xylopia aethiopica) concentration was noted. Consumer preference or otherwise was also determine using a taste panel list. The main quality scores of bacteria count on the cookies ranges at 70:30 (1.5x103, 1.0x103 and 9.2x102) ranges from highest  to lowest for total viable count on nutrient agar, and also (1.0x102, 0.9x102,0.7x101) for fungi count on PDA, (1.1x103,9.0x102,6.8x102) for Staphylococcus aureus count on manitol salt agar, and (1.2x103, 1.1x103, 9.2x102) for Bacillus count on tryptose soy agar. The physical quality parameters indicate a range of thickness (0.35-0.45), diameter (4.2-4.1) for 70:30, (0.35-0.4), (3.95-3.85) for 50:50. (0.35-0.4), (3.75-3.75) for 30:70. As the spice concentration increases from 5g, 10g, 15g respectively. The mean quality sensory scores of the cookies ranges for 70:30 from: colour (4.0-3.0), flavour (4.0-3.0), taste (3.5-3.0), overall acceptability (4.0-3.5), for 50:50 colour (3.0-3.0), flavour (3,5-3.0), taste (2.5-2.0), overall acceptability (3.0-3.0) and for 30:70 colour (2.0-1.75), flavour (2.0-2.0), taste (2.0-1.75), overall acceptability (2.5-2.0). The result shows a significant difference at probability level P<0.05 as the spice concentration increases for category A and B but C display no significant difference. the production of cookies from wheat flour fortified with (Xylopia aethiopica) be encouraged to achieve and harvested the preservatives, potential of the spice (Xylopia aethiopica) and the other medical properties that has been recorded from literature review. Key Words: Xylopia aethiopica, Spice, Termitomyces robustus, Wheat flou

Transforaminal epidural steroid injections for the treatment of lumbosacral radicular pain in a Nigeria tertiary hospital: observational study

Background: Lumbosacral radicular pain is a common cause of chronic low back pain. Despite published reports of effectiveness of transforaminal epidural steroid for lumbosacral radicular pain, it is underutilised in many tertiary hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed the clinical effects of transforaminal epidural steroid injections in patients with lumbosacral radicular pain at a major tertiary health facility in Nigeria.Methods: This is a prospective observational study carried out between March 2012 and February 2016. Under fluoroscopy, the epidural space was accessed through the neuroforamen using 22G spinal needles in 47 adult patients with lumbosacral radicular pain; and a mixture of 10 mg triamcinolone acetonide and 0.25% plain bupivacaine (2 mLs per level) was injected. Pain intensity and functional impairment were assessed with the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores respectively at three and six months.Results: The pain and ODI scores at baseline and at six months’ follow-up improved significantly; 8.49 ± 1.28 vs. 3.6 ± 1.5 (p = 0.002) and 45.1 ± 11.5 vs. 32.4 ± 11.5 (p = 0.001) respectively.Conclusion: Transforaminal epidural steroid injections provided significant pain relief and improved function in patients with lumbar radicular pain due to intervertebral disc herniations.Keywords: herniated intervertebral disc, lumbosacral radicular pain, Nigeria, pain relief, transforaminal epidural steroid injectio

PROFESIONALNI STRES I ISHODI INDUSTRIJSKIH ODNOSA: DOKAZI IZ ODABRANIH PROIZVODNIH ORGANIZACIJA U LAGOS METROPOLISU, NIGERIJA

Purpose: The study investigated the relationship between occupational stress and industrial relations outcomes using the manufacturing organizations in Lagos Metropolis as the unit of analysis. The study identified two dimensions of occupational stress (psychological and physiological stress) and four industrial relations outcomes (quit, absenteeism, industrial actions, and management-employee relations). Methodology: The study made use of multi-sampling techniques for the preservation of the characteristics and status of the respondents and the research questionnaire was administered randomly to the selected sample size of 363 respondents. Findings and implications: It was found that there exists a positive and significant relationship between and among all the variables of occupational stress and industrial relations outcomes with absenteeism as the potent force. It was concluded that occupational stress is dominant and permanent in the selected manufacturing organizations and manifested in the form of absenteeism. Limitations: The study concentrated on the Lagos Metropolis, but further studies can look farther into other geopolitical zones in Nigeria to further expand the frontier of knowledge in the area of study. Originality: The study provides a more comprehensive understanding of occupational stress dimensions on industrial relations outcomes, thus, expanding the existing literature in the area of study.Svrha: Studija je istraživala odnos između profesionalnog stresa i rezultata industrijskih odnosa koristeći proizvodne organizacije u Lagos Metropolisu kao jedinicu analize. Studija je identificirala dvije dimenzije profesionalnog stresa (psihološki i fiziološki stres) i četiri ishoda industrijskih odnosa (prestanak rada, izostanak s posla, industrijske akcije i odnosi između uprave i zaposlenika). Metodologija: Korištena je tehnika višestrukog uzorkovanja za očuvanje karakteristika i statusa ispitanika, a upitnik istraživanja primijenjen je slučajnim odabirom na uzorku od 363 ispitanika. Rezultati i implikacije: Utvrđeno je da postoji pozitivan i značajan odnos između svih varijabli profesionalnog stresa i ishoda radnih odnosa s izostankom s posla kao moćnom silom. Zaključeno je da je profesionalni stres dominantan i permanentan u odabranim proizvodnim organizacijama, a manifestira se u obliku izostanaka s posla. Ograničenja: Studija se usredotočila na Lagos Metropolis, ali daljnje studije trebaju istraživati druge geopolitičke zone u Nigeriji kako bi se dodatno proširile granice znanja u području proučavanja. Znanstveni doprinos: Studija omogućuje sveobuhvatnije razumijevanje dimenzija profesionalnog stresa i utjecaja na ishode industrijskih odnosa, čime se proširuje postojeća literatura u području istraživanja

The Nexus Between Recruitment and Selection Practices and Business Performance of Nigerian Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises

This paper examined the relationships between recruitment and selection practices with business performance in the manufacturing sector using the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Lagos metropolis as the unit of analysis. It identified employee referral, job vacancy advertisement, employment agency and employee promotion as the most commonly used recruitment and selection practices in the manufacturing SMEs’ environment. The study made use of a questionnaire administered to 288 respondents and the results obtained showed that the vacancy advertisement and employment agency have a moderate relationship with business performance while employee promotion has a weak relationship with business performance while employee referral has a negative relationship with business performance. Regression results also indicated a positive relationship between combined recruitment and selection practices and business performance. It was concluded that the management of SMEs should prioritise employment agency among the recruitment and selection practices since it was found to have a more decisive influence on business performance. Thus, having the patronage of the employment agency with sound personnel policies that will be costeffective and outline human resource requirements is recommended

Design, recruitment, and retention of African-American smokers in a pharmacokinetic study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>African-Americans remain underrepresented in clinical research despite experiencing a higher burden of disease compared to all other ethnic groups in the United States. The purpose of this article is to describe the study design and discuss strategies used to recruit and retain African-American smokers in a pharmacokinetic study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The parent study was designed to evaluate the differences in the steady-state concentrations of bupropion and its three principal metabolites between African-American menthol and non-menthol cigarette smokers. Study participation consisted of four visits at a General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) over six weeks. After meeting telephone eligibility requirements, phone-eligible participants underwent additional screening during the first two GCRC visits. The last two visits (pharmacokinetic study phase) required repeated blood draws using an intravenous catheter over the course of 12 hours.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Five hundred and fifteen African-American smokers completed telephone screening; 187 were phone-eligible and 92 were scheduled for the first GCRC visit. Of the 81 who attended the first visit, 48 individuals were enrolled in the pharmacokinetic study, and a total of 40 individuals completed the study (83% retention rate).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although recruitment of African-American smokers into a non-treatment, pharmacokinetic study poses challenges, retention is feasible. The results provide valuable information for investigators embarking on non-treatment laboratory-based studies among minority populations.</p

Soft windowing application to improve analysis of high-throughput phenotyping data.

MOTIVATION: High-throughput phenomic projects generate complex data from small treatment and large control groups that increase the power of the analyses but introduce variation over time. A method is needed to utlize a set of temporally local controls that maximizes analytic power while minimizing noise from unspecified environmental factors. RESULTS: Here we introduce \u27soft windowing\u27, a methodological approach that selects a window of time that includes the most appropriate controls for analysis. Using phenotype data from the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC), adaptive windows were applied such that control data collected proximally to mutants were assigned the maximal weight, while data collected earlier or later had less weight. We applied this method to IMPC data and compared the results with those obtained from a standard non-windowed approach. Validation was performed using a resampling approach in which we demonstrate a 10% reduction of false positives from 2.5 million analyses. We applied the method to our production analysis pipeline that establishes genotype-phenotype associations by comparing mutant versus control data. We report an increase of 30% in significant P-values, as well as linkage to 106 versus 99 disease models via phenotype overlap with the soft-windowed and non-windowed approaches, respectively, from a set of 2082 mutant mouse lines. Our method is generalizable and can benefit large-scale human phenomic projects such as the UK Biobank and the All of Us resources. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The method is freely available in the R package SmoothWin, available on CRAN http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=SmoothWin. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online

Design, baseline characteristics, and retention of African American light smokers into a randomized trial involving biological data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>African Americans experience significant tobacco-related health disparities despite the fact that over half of African American smokers are light smokers (use ≤10 cigarettes per day). African Americans have been under-represented in smoking cessation research, and few studies have evaluated treatment for light smokers. This paper describes the study design, measures, and baseline characteristics from <it>Kick It at Swope III </it>(KIS-III), the first treatment study of bupropion for African American light smokers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Five hundred forty African American light smokers were randomly assigned to receive bupropion (150mg bid) (n = 270) or placebo (n = 270) for 7 weeks. All participants received written materials and health education counseling. Participants responded to survey items and provided blood samples for evaluation of phenotype and genotype of CYP2A6 and CYP2B6 enzymes involved in nicotine and bupropion metabolism. Primary outcome was cotinine-verified 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence at Week 26 follow-up.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 2,628 individuals screened, 540 were eligible, consented, and randomized to treatment. Participants had a mean age of 46.5 years and 66.1% were women. Participants smoked an average of 8.0 cigarettes per day, had a mean exhaled carbon monoxide of 16.4ppm (range 1-55) and a mean serum cotinine of 275.8ng/ml. The mean Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence was 3.2, and 72.2% of participants smoked within 30 minutes of waking. The average number of quit attempts in the past year was 3.7 and 24.2% reported using pharmacotherapy in their most recent quit attempt. Motivation and confidence to quit were high.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>KIS-III is the first study designed to examine both nicotine and bupropion metabolism, evaluating CYP2A6 and CYP2B6 phenotype and genotype in conjunction with psychosocial factors, in the context of treatment of African American light smokers. Of 1629 smokers screened for study participation, only 18 (1.1%) were ineligible to participate in the study because they refused blood draws, demonstrating the feasibility of recruiting and enrolling African American light smokers into a clinical treatment trial involving biological data collection and genetic analyses. Future evaluation of individual factors associated with treatment outcome will contribute to advancing tailored tobacco use treatment with the goal of enhancing treatment and reducing health disparities for African American light smokers.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="URL">NCT00666978</a></p