Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program for Patients with Depressive Disorder: A Parental Perspective

Psychosocial support from family is important in outpatient treatment programs for individuals with depressive disorder. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of parents of patients with depressive disorder regarding intensive outpatient treatment. The research question was what are the experiences and perceptions of parents of patients with depression regarding their role as caretakers in intensive outpatient treatment? The conceptual framework was a biopsychosocial framework and family systems theory. Content analysis was used to analyze data provided from interviews with parent participants (n = 8). Many participants reported high levels of involvement with various forms of support. They maintained positive relations with professionals, were involved in patient socialization, and facilitated adherence to patients\u27 treatment plans. The results of this study indicated that family caregivers experienced ambivalent emotions toward their roles and patients. Findings also indicated experiences of exhaustion, strong emotions about the burden of having to support the patient, and concern for their own and the rest of the family\u27s well-being. Future researchers should study these aspects further. Researchers, clinical practitioners, and policy makers must increase efforts to support those who help family members suffering from depression to intensify the search for effective ways to reduce the toll on those caregivers. Because of these findings, researchers could expand literature to illuminate the decisions and practices of psychotherapists, leading to improvements in intensive treatment programs for both patients and their caretakers. This study impacts social change by providing insights to aid policy makers in ensuring that outpatients receive the best treatment program available and that their primary caretakers are psychologically prepared and healthy

The Influence of Cameroon Cooperative Credit Union League (CAMCCUL)’S Activities on Innovation and Learning in Affiliated Credit Unions

Organisations are more conscious about future performance than past performance nowadays. It is on this note that this paper seeks to determine the influence of Cameroon Cooperative Credit Union League (CamCCUL)’s activities on innovation and learning in affiliated Credit Unions. The study adopted a causal research design. The study relied on the Balanced Scorecard Framework of Norton and Kaplan (1996) on which performance measurement is tilted away from solely financial perspective to include others with one being innovation and learning. The Ordinary Least Square (OLS) Technique, particularly the multiple regression given that it assumes linearity. The data was processed using STATA version 14 and tested for significance using t-statistics at 10, five and one levels of significance. Stationarity was tested using unit root test and further regression analysis revealed that adjusted correlation coefficient is represented by Adjusted R-square which is 0.9589 (95.89 percent). This value implies that the combined efforts of training/education, auditing, publicity/promotion, supervision and loans had a 95.89 percent effect on the number of employees trained in affiliated Credit Unions in Cameroon. Post-test like Durbin Watson was equally conducted and the results were reliable. The researchers recommended that comprehensive performance reports be made compulsory to present a comprehensive view of the Credit Unions’ performance. Keywords: CamCCUL, innovation/learning and affiliated Credit Unions. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/13-4-02 Publication date: February 28th 202

Reduced Levels of Some Iron Parameters of Protein Energy Malnourished Children in Calabar, Nigeria

Hunger and malnutrition are among the most devastating problems dominating the health of the world’s poorest nations. This research was carried out to assess iron related parameters of protein energy malnourished children in Calabar. One hundred (100) malnourished children within the ages of 1-10 years and admitted in the Paediatric clinic of University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar were enrolled for this study. Fifty (50) apparently healthy children of similar age were used as controls. Assays were performed using standard methods. The mean values of haemoglobin, packed cell volume and serum ferritin obtained from protein energy malnourished (PEM) children were significantly lower (P<0.05) when compared to values for control subjects. Conversely, the serum iron and transferrin saturation of the test group were significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the controls. Serum ferritin level of the protein energy malnourished children who were 6-10 years of age was significantly lower (P<0.05) than their counterparts who were 1-5 years old. Iron parameters were observed to be the same irrespective of the type of PEM. The body mass index (BMI) of the control was higher than that of the test group. The iron stores of protein energy malnourished children has been observed to be significantly reduced (P<0.05) when compared with apparently healthy children. Poor diet and the low socio-economic status of the parents are implicated. Key words: Protein energy malnutrition, iron, kwashiorkor, marasmu

Security Spending and Public Sector Debt: Implication on Nigeria’s Economy.

This paper examines the impact of security spending and public sector debt on real GDP in Nigeria using annual data from 1994 – 2016. The study explores the long and short-run dynamics amongst the variables within the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) framework. The Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) and Philip Perron’s (PP) test reveals that all variables contained a unit root and were integrated of order one I(1).  The Bounds test to cointegration confirms the existence of a long-run relationship between security spending, public sector debt and real GDP. The ARDL results suggest that in both long and short-run estimations that an increase in internal security expenditure and domestic debt significantly leads to a rise in real GDP, conversely an increase in defence expenditure and external debt constitutes a fall in real GDP. This study therefore recommends that emphasis should be placed on internal security spending and domestic debt. Again defence expenditure should be greatly reduced especially when compared to a reduction in external borrowings.    &nbsp

Contribution of Microfinance Banks to the Development of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Nigeria

This study investigated the contribution of microfinance banks to the development of small and medium scale enterprises in Nigeria. This was done because small and medium scale enterprises have been known to play an important role in the development of any country. In order to accomplish the set out objectives of this study, two research hypotheses (Ho1 - Ho2) were formulated which were tested via primary and secondary data. The ordinary least square analysis was also used. Based on the results gotten, both hypotheses were rejected. The study ended by giving recommendations that were considered necessary for development. Keywords:Small and medium scale enterprises , microfinance bank

Econometric Analysis of Foreign Direct Investment and Nigeria’s Economic Performance

The fluctuation in the economic fortune of developing economies coupled with the attendant low level of savings and unemployment has been a cause for concern among experts and policy makers in recent years. Motivated by the above and the controversy in international finance/economic literature with respect to the effectiveness and potency of foreign direct investment on economic performance of Nations; the study, using multiple regression analytical technique, discovered that a statistically significant relationship exist between GDP, FDI and EXR. . The result showed that variations in gross domestic product had been significantly influenced by FDI, Financial depth and exchange rate within the period under study. The study also confirmed the existence of long run relationship between GDP and FDI, with GDP granger causing FDI and not the other way round.  It is therefore recommended among others that government should put up policies that will nip insurgency and other vices in the bud, so as to create a conducive atmosphere for the attraction of foreign direct investment into the country. The issue of money and capital market deregulation should be sustained, so as to deepen the financial market space, as well. Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment, Economic Performance, Financial deepening, Co-integration

Causality between External Reserves, Economic Growth,Import, Money Supply and Public Debt Servicing: Evidence from Nigeria

The issue of International Reserves have taken a prominent place among scholars over the years, basically due to the importance of globalization. International transactions to a great extent depends on foreign reserves, which in turn is a function of production (GDP). This reserves determines a nation’s capacity to import, as well as the power of her currency. This paper examine the importance of holding international reserves and the causal relationship existing between the reserves maintenance, economic growth and import. The study discovered that foreign reserves improve economic growth in Nigeria as an insurance and interventionist mechanism, as well as also, ascertaining that within the short and long run periods a reduction on import greatly improve the nation’s foreign reserves. The study recommended among others the need to reduce import, especially on consumption and frivolities, for there to be an improvement on foreign reserves and by extension GDP. Keywords: Foreign Reserves, Economic Growth, Import and Granger Causalit

Side effect profile of Jadelle implant in Nigerian women during the first 12 months of usage

Background: Most of the reasons for discontinuation of Jadelle implants by clients are related to the progestogenic side effects, which are dependent on the plasma levels of the hormone. The plasma level of levonorgestrel from Jadelle implant is about 100µg in the first month of insertion, but declines sharply in the first 12months of usage to stabilize at 30µg per day from 24 months of usage. This study was designed to assess the side effect profile of Jadelle implant in users during the first 12months of usage in a view to assessing its acceptability to the clients.Methods: Data sheet was designed to obtain demographic and clinical parameters of clients and prevailing side effects were surveyed longitudinally over the first 12months of usage.Results: There was no request for discontinuation of the method and no accidental pregnancy occurred during the period of the study. There was significant disruption of the menstrual pattern of clients over time with 31.1% developing irregular uterine bleeding from 6months of usage, whereas 16.6% of clients became amenorrheic from the 12month of usage. (p= 0.000) Changes in blood pressure and body weight of clients were not significant during the 12month period of the survey. Non menstrual side effects of Jadelle implants, which included headache, breast tenderness, dizziness among clients were noted at 6months of usage but became less prevalent by the 12month of usage.Conclusions: Jadelle implant proved to be highly effective, safe and acceptable to Nigerian clients during the study period, even though the implant had significant impact on their menstrual pattern

GC-382 Artificial Intelligence(AI) for Quantitative Trading

This project involves the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques in quantitative trading and stock market analysis for educational purposes. The goal of this project is to predict stock market movement to help investors mitigate risks associated with trading and to provide higher returns. It involves the use, implementation, and refinement of basic python framework codes, sklearn library (pandas and numpy), in addition to the development and application of a Linear Regression labeling strategy to predict future daily stock trends, and the utilization of a Supervised Learning AI model. The techniques developed and utilized during this project will be used to analyze market trends, predict market movements, and optimize investment strategies. This project will provide knowledge and practical skills in AI, ML, and quantitative trading

Review on natural plant fibres and their hybrid composites for structural applications: Recent trends and future perspectives

© 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Sustainability and environmental protection have given rise to the use of renewable and biobased materials in several application areas. Fibre reinforced composites are currently gaining a high market value in both structural and semi-structural applications. Making these materials environmentally friendly, renewable and lighter will protect the environment and increase resource use efficiency. Opposed to synthetic fibres such as carbon and glass, natural plant fibres are less expensive, lighter, degradable, easy to produce, non-toxic and environmentally friendly. However, natural plant fibres are inferior to their synthetic counterparts in both mechanical performance and tolerance to harsh environmental conditions. One method of compensating for these disadvantages is to combine natural and synthetic fibres in a single matrix forming a hybrid composite where the disadvantages of one are compensated by the other. In this way, sustainability and cost minimisation are achieved with acceptable mechanical and physical responses. However, successful implementation and advancement in the development of natural plant fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) hybrid composites require the development of workable conceptual design, suitable manufacturing techniques and understanding of the strengthening mechanisms. The main objectives of this review are to critically review the current state of knowledge in the development of natural FRP hybrid composites, outlining their properties and enhancing them while reducing environmental impact of the product through the hybridisation approach.Peer reviewe