Evaluating Managerial Skills for Business Education in a Technological Age

Having witnessed the extraordinary development of information technology in recent time, one needs to critically examine some systematic changes it triggered in Business Education. This will go a long way in determining whether Business Education is still relevant in accomplishing its goals such as provision of managerial skills for economic sustainability. Based on the above, the researchers thought it reasonable to evaluate the managerial skills acquired through Business Education in present day technology. The researchers‟ findings revealed that Business Education still has the unique and significant potentials in providing managerial skills needed in handling personal affairs, as well as management of business and skills for gainful employment, but calls for improved provision of needed personnel and equipment such as computer for training the would be managers

Severe Tinea corporis resulting from the use of topical steroids as skin lightening cream – Report of three cases

Use of systemic and topical steroids is associated with many side effects. Cutaneous side effects of steroid include with many others susceptibility to cutaneous infections. One of such infections is Tinea corporis. Steroids form an important component of skin lightening and toning creams. Among females in our society the fair complexion is regarded as a plus for beauty, therefore many use these creams to make their skin fairer and, by their reckoning, more beautiful. We here present three cases of severe Tinea corporis resulting from the use of steroid-based body creams. Keywords: tenia copris, topical steroids, skin lightening, bleaching creams Sudanese Journal of Dermatology Vol. 5 (2) 2008: pp. 67-7

The Relative Effectiveness of Monetary and Fiscal Policies in Economic Stabilization in a Developing Economy: An Empirical Evidence From Nigeria

This study investigates econometrically, the relative effectiveness of Monetary and Fiscal policies, by focusing on the relative effectiveness of Broad Money Supply and Government Fiscal Deficits with respect to their influences on economic activity represented by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The ultimate research objective centers on an empirical investigation of which policy tool has greater, more predictable and faster effect on output growth. In order to achieve the objective, we propose and specify the model with parameters, which consist of a two-equation system. The Domestic Price Inflation taken as a proxy for price stabilization policy and the output stabilization function. These two equations were estimated and used to test the hypothesis on the relative effectiveness of monetary vis-à-vis fiscal policy. The model was an adaptation and subsequent modification of the St. Louis model of the Federal Reserve Bank of USA by Anderson and Jordan 1978. The econometric method of cointegration and error-correction modeling is applied to establish the extent of the quantitative impact and relative significance of the variables were investigated by conducting a unit root/non-stationarity test using annual  time series data from CBN Statistical Bulletin and Annual Reports, for the period 1970 through 2001. The results of the study confirm that of Bogunjoko (1997) that the contemporaneous contribution of Broad Money Supply (MS2) to the inflationary cycle in Nigeria is weak, but its one year lagged value is strong, positive and significant. The effects of Money Supply factors on inflation in Nigeria appear dominant, while the role of Fiscal Deficit is pervasive. Also the study confirmed that the role of fiscal policy (especially Fiscal Deficits) although positive, is negligible and in some instances statistically insignificant in influencing cyclical inflation rate in Nigeria within the period under review. Our output model confirms that money matters in Nigeria and that the appropriate monetary target is the Broad Money Supply. The effect of monetary policy on output growth has an edge over fiscal policy variable as a measure of output stabilization. The fiscal policy factor, although statistically insignificant, also has a negative association with the domestic output factor. Therefore fiscal policy efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria are not positive in stimulating output growth. It is interesting to note that the coefficients of the error  correction mechanism capture the short-run impact, which is tied to the long-run relationship between the cointegrating variable through the feedback mechanism. In most instances, the coefficient shows a slow feedback mechanism. The results shed some light on the objectives of the study. Finally, in line with our results, appropriate policy recommendations were proffers to enhance the stabilization efforts of the Nigerian Government

Molecular and functional characterization of cDNAs putatively encoding carboxylesterases from the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria

Citation: Zhang J, Li D, Ge P, Guo Y, Zhu KY, et al. (2014) Molecular and Functional Characterization of cDNAs Putatively Encoding Carboxylesterases from the Migratory Locust, Locusta migratoria. PLoS ONE 9(4): e94809. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094809Carboxylesterases (CarEs) belong to a superfamily of metabolic enzymes encoded by a number of genes and are widely distributed in microbes, plants and animals including insects. These enzymes play important roles in detoxification of insecticides and other xenobiotics, degradation of pheromones, regulation of neurodevelopment, and control of animal development. In this study, we characterized a total of 39 full-length cDNAs putatively encoding different CarEs from the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, one of the most severe insect pests in many regions of the world, and evaluated the role of four CarE genes in insecticide detoxification. Our phylogenetic analysis grouped the 39 CarEs into five different clades including 20 CarEs in clade A, 3 in D, 13 in E, 1 in F and 2 in I. Four CarE genes (LmCesA3, LmCesA20, LmCesD1, LmCesE1), representing three different clades (A, D and E), were selected for further analyses. The transcripts of the four genes were detectable in all the developmental stages and tissues examined. LmCesA3 and LmCesE1 were mainly expressed in the fat bodies and Malpighian tubules, whereas LmCesA20 and LmCesD1 were predominately expressed in the muscles and hemolymph, respectively. The injection of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) synthesized from each of the four CarE genes followed by the bioassay with each of four insecticides (chlorpyrifos, malathion, carbaryl and deltamethrin) increased the nymphal mortalities by 37.2 and 28.4% in response to malathion after LmCesA20 and LmCesE1 were silenced, respectively. Thus, we proposed that both LmCesA20 and LmCesE1 played an important role in detoxification of malathion in the locust. These results are expected to help researchers reveal the characteristics of diverse CarEs and assess the risk of insecticide resistance conferred by CarEs in the locust and other insect species

Bioerosion along a bathymetric gradient in a cold-temperate setting (Kosterfjord, SW Sweden): an experimental study

In the cold-temperate setting of the Swedish Kosterfjord, a 2-year experiment was launched in order to assess bioerosion rates and to investigate the endolithic borer communities in relation to light availability (relative bathymetry), hydrography and exposure time. The inventory of microendolithic traces, studied by SEM analysis of epoxy resin casts of planted bivalve shells, yields diverse ichnocoenoses comprising a total of 21 traces produced by boring cyanobacteria (7), chlorophytes (4), fungi (6) and traces of uncertain affinity (4). The link between the endoliths (biotaxa) and the traces they leave (ichnotaxa) is evaluated by the study of the boring organisms in situ by transmission light microscopy of planted Iceland spar and bivalve shells. Additionally, the activity of various macroborers (foraminiferans, polychaetes, echinoids, gastropods and sponges) is documented, adding to a distinct diversity maximum at 7 m water depth. A highly condensed photic zonation, due to the high latitude (59 degrees) and eutrophic conditions, is recorded by the measurement of the Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) and is confirmed by the bathymetric range of the photic related ichnocoenoses. At 1 m water depth, a mature shallow euphotic ichnocoenosis dominated by cyanobacteria and at 7 m, a deep euphotic ichnocoenosis dominated by chlorophytes, respectively, is developed after as little as 12 months exposure. With the vanishing light availability from 15 m downwards, the ichnocoenoses development is significantly slowed and only immature dysphotic and aphotic borer communities (dominated by fungi) are encountered. Strong fluctuations of salinity (down to 8%) and temperature (0-20 degrees C) in the euphotic zone indicate most phototrophs present to be considerably euryhaline and eurytherm, while most endolithic fungi appear preferentially in the deeper, more stable marine waters