Public Expenditures as a Fiscal Policy Tool for Sustainable Economic Growth: Its Quality Achievement and Employability in Nigeria

Empirical framework on what makes up Quality Public Expenditure (QPE) has been missing. This paper attempted to bridge this gap by creating and developing an empirical-dimensional approach on QPE. This paper employed Vector Error correction model and broad based framework based on a growth-accounting approach, through causal examination between the productive and protective expenditures and the real Gross Domestic product in Nigeria for the sample period 1979-2012. Results show that productive and protective expenditures grow along with the real GDP with the protective expenditures consistently expanding over productive expenditures. Causality was found to run from Gross domestic product to both productive and protective expenditures in Nigeria. The implication is that public expenditure has not been determined based on their productiveness but passively as a fiscal policy instrument in Nigeria. It is strongly recommended that budgetary decisions should take account of the nature of expenditure with particular allocation of resources to identified productive areas. It is this framework that should drive the Federal government’s Medium Term Expenditure framework. Keywords: Quality, Public Expenditure, Fiscal Policy, Economic Growth, Causality

Sub-national regional development and degree-awarding tertiary educational institutions in Nigeria: descriptive, geo-demographic and geo-spatial analyses

Public and private investments in educational institutions as a means of catalysing economic growth has been recognized a veritable strategy for developing human capital, increasing productivity and competitiveness at various regional levels. Nigeria’s multiplicity of cultural groups whose political sensitivity to (in)equality in the sharing of nationally pooled resources has been a source of conflicts including the 1967-70 civil war, presents an ideal scenario for understanding the extent of balance or otherwise of tertiary educational opportunities across the national landscape. This has not been sufficiently addressed in the academic literature. This article reports findings of a study of the provision of degree-awarding tertiary educational institutions (TEIs) by governments and private entities in Nigeria’s sub-national regions. Geo-demographic-spatial and description analyses were used to analyze secondary data. We found among others that: the numbers of TEIs provided in the sub-national regions (geo-political zones and their constituent states) have not been determined by the population size of the sub-national regions (state/territory); highest concentration/localisation of TEIs were in Nigeria’s SouthWest geo-political zone. It is argued that the full government financing of education implemented in the former (South) Western Region about half a century ago (since the 1950s) laid the foundation for creating critically needed human capital mass that has continued to regenerate in multi-dimensional strategies for establishing more TEIs thereby promoting regional development in the present South-West Region thereby contrasting with Nigeria’s other geo-political regions

Effect of Land Degradation on Maize Yield in Obudu Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria

This study analysed the effects of land Degradation on maize yield in Obudu Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River State. The study adopted the use of primary data and the instrument of data collection was a structured questionnaire administered on100 and 60 respondents for maize farmers in degraded and non-degraded lands respectively. The methods of data analysis used were both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics results on socio-economic characteristics shows that majority (67.0%) of the maize farmers were males, married (86.0%) and had mean age of 43.6years. Result on land degradation types revealed erosion (2.27), flooding (2.11) and desertification (2.02) as most common types of land degradation experienced by maize farmers in the study area. Over-grazing (35.0%) and poor farming method (35.0%) were the major causes of land degradation. Independent sample t-test statistic result comparing maize yield of degraded and non-degraded lands indicated a t-calculated value of 13.100 at 0.05 level of significance, implying significant difference in maize output between degraded and non-degraded lands in the study area. The OLS multiple regression model result with linear functional form as best fit equation of factors affecting output of maize, revealed coefficient of multiple determination (R squared) value of 0.840 which is an indication that 84.0% of the variation in maize output cultivated on degraded lands is explained by explanatory variables included in the regression model viz: cost of fertilizer (-0.002) and cost of seed (-0.006), all significant at 5% confidence level. The value of F-statistic (27.535) was significant at 1% significance level which explains that the explanatory variables jointly had effect on maize yield, therefore the null hypothesis was rejected and the alternate hypothesis accepted. The study recommended subsidization of fertilizer and seed cost for sustainability/better yield in maize production

The impact damage response of plain woven natural silk/epoxy laminated composite plates

MoscowGrayscaleForman Nitrate Negatives, Box

Using 3D gastrointestinal tract in vitro models with microfold cells and mucus secreting ability to assess the hazard of copper oxide nanomaterials

Abstract: Background: Copper oxide nanomaterials (CuO NMs) are exploited in many products including inks, cosmetics, textiles, wood preservatives and food contact materials. Their incorporation into these products may enhance oral exposure in consumer, environmental and occupational settings. Undifferentiated and differentiated monocultures of Caco-2 cells are commonly used to assess NM toxicity to the intestine in vitro. However, the integration of other cell types into Caco-2 in vitro models increases their physiological relevance. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the toxicity of CuO NMs and copper sulphate ( CuSO4) to intestinal microfold (M) cell (Caco-2/Raji B) and mucus secreting (Caco-2/HT29-MTX) co-culture in vitro models via assessment of their impact on barrier integrity, viability and interleukin (IL)-8 secretion. The translocation of CuO NMs and CuSO4 across the intestinal barrier was also investigated in vitro. Results: CuO NMs and CuSO4 impaired the function of the intestinal barrier in the co-culture models [as indicated by a reduction in transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and Zonular occludens (ZO-1) staining intensity]. Cu translocation was observed in both models but was greatest in the Caco-2/Raji B co-culture. CuO NMs and CuSO4 stimulated an increase in IL-8 secretion, which was greatest in the Caco-2/HT29-MTX co-culture model. CuO NMs and CuSO4 did not stimulate a loss of cell viability, when assessed using light microscopy, nuclei counts and scanning electron microscopy. CuO NMs demonstrated a relatively similar level of toxicity to CuO4 in both Caco-2/Raji B and Caco-2/ HT29-MTX co- culture models. Conclusions: The Caco-2/Raji B co-culture model was more sensitive to CuO NM and CuSO4 toxicity than the Caco-2/HT29-MTX co-culture model. However, both co-culture models were less sensitive to CuO NM and CuSO4 toxicity than simple monocultures of undifferentiated and differentiated Caco-2 cells, which are more routinely used to investigate NM toxicity to the intestine. Obtained data can therefore feed into the design of future studies which assess the toxicity of substances (e.g. NMs) and pathogens to the intestine (e.g. by informing model and endpoint selection). However, more testing with a wider panel of NMs would be beneficial in order to help select which in vitro models and endpoints to prioritise when screening the safety of ingested NMs. Comparisons with in vivo findings will also be essential to identify the most suitable in vitro model to screen the safety of ingested NMs

Characterization of Erbium-Doped Nanoparticles in Transparent Glass Ceramic Optical Fibres

We report on using nanometric mass spectroscopy and molecular dynamics modelling to characterize the composition and structure of self-grown erbium-doped nanoparticles in transparent glass ceramic optical fibres fabricated by modified chemical vapour deposition without post-ceramming