Women Education and Sustainable Economic Development in Nigeria

The paper focuses on the role of women education in ensuring sustainable economic development in Nigeria. The paper relied on the use of secondary source of data collection for data analysis. As such, qualitative method of data analysis was employed. The concept of womanhood was defined as well as the meaning of women education. The meaning of sustainable development was also highlighted. The factors that inhibit the education of women such as cultural beliefs, low self esteem among women and inadequate infrastructures were also highlighted. The role of women in ensuring sustainable economic development such as quality leadership, increase in GDP and reduction in dependency rate in the country were also identified. Ways of improving the education of women in the country such as provision of infrastructures, proper legislation and provision of education grant to female students were similarly suggested. It was therefore recommended that for women education to contribute to sustainable economic development in the country the government must make proper legislation to support women education and the various educational stakeholders must contribute immensely to the success of women education in the country. Key words: Women Education, Sustainable Development, Quality Leadership, Insecurity and Gender Equalit

Human Capital and Energy Infrastructure: Implications for Economic Growth in Nigeria

Both hypothetical and empirical evidences have found the roles that human capital and energy infrastructure in spurring the economic growth of a nation as very germane. These key variables are undoubtedly working together in a quest to achieve equitable redistribution of the nation’s economic resource and ensuring poverty reduction. This study is based on an attempt to use co-integration and ARDL modeling framework to examine the empirical evidence of the impact of the different components of human capital and energy infrastructure on economic growth in Nigeria between 1981 and 2018. Findings from the study showed that the quality of educational, transportation and communication facilities had a significant and contemporary influence on economic development. In the same way, investment in physical resources calculated by gross fixed capital development, quality of healthcare facilities, availability of power supply were also found to have a positive impact with a lag effect on economic growth. Implicitly, an increase in these facilities over the past decade in terms of their availability and efficiency would boost economic development over the current period. The study therefore recommended that education and health should be given an unwavering focus on investment by the policy maker as components of human capital coupled with energy infrastructure if the desired growth for which Nigeria aspires is to be attaine

Test-Retest Reliability of Self-Reported Sexual Behavior History in Urbanized Nigerian Women.

BACKGROUND: Studies assessing risk of sexual behavior and disease are often plagued by questions about the reliability of self-reported sexual behavior. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of self-reported sexual history among urbanized women in a prospective study of cervical HPV infections in Nigeria. METHODS: We examined test-retest reliability of sexual practices using questionnaires administered at study entry and at follow-up visits. We used the root mean squared approach to calculate within-person coefficient of variation (CVw) and calculated the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) using two way, mixed effects models for continuous variables and [Formula: see text] statistics for discrete variables. To evaluate the potential predictors of reliability, we used linear regression and log binomial regression models for the continuous and categorical variables, respectively. RESULTS: We found that self-reported sexual history was generally reliable, with overall ICC ranging from 0.7 to 0.9; however, the reliability varied by nature of sexual behavior evaluated. Frequency reports of non-vaginal sex (agreement = 63.9%, 95% CI: 47.5-77.6%) were more reliable than those of vaginal sex (agreement = 59.1%, 95% CI: 55.2-62.8%). Reports of time-invariant behaviors were also more reliable than frequency reports. The CVw for age at sexual debut was 10.7 (95% CI: 10.6-10.7) compared with the CVw for lifetime number of vaginal sex partners, which was 35.2 (95% CI: 35.1-35.3). The test-retest interval was an important predictor of reliability of responses, with longer intervals resulting in increased inconsistency (average change in unreliability for each 1 month increase = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.07-0.38, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that overall, the self-reported sexual history among urbanized Nigeran women is reliable

Isolation of a pentacyclic triterpenoid from the antiplasmodial bioactive fraction of Nauclea latifolia (Sm) roots

Purpose: To research the antiplasmodial property of aqueous extract, fractions, and residue of Nauclea latifolia roots and to isolate the components responsible for the antiplasmodial activity.Methods: Roots of N. latifolia were macerated with distilled water; the extract was obtained, successively partitioned with ethyl acetate and butanol. The extract, fractions, and the residue obtained were evaluated for their in vivo antiplasmodial activity and compared with amodiaquine and artesunate. The residue (which exhibited the best therapeutic index) was subjected to column and thin layer chromatography to isolate its components. Purification led to the isolation of betulinic acid, which was characterized with the aid of spectroscopic techniques (1H, 13C NMR, and EI-MS).Results: The residue significantly inhibited parasite growth from 42.8 % (D2) to 77.6 % (D5). Therefore, residue exhibited the highest therapeutic index against Plasmodium berghei in the three in vivo antiplasmodial (prophylactic, suppressive, and curative) models and it compared favourably with amodiaquine (80.5 %) and artesunate (85.9 %). The major component of the residue was betulinic acid.Conclusion: The results validate the antiplasmodial claims of the roots of N. latifolia in folkloric medicine, and demonstrated that the isolate has a high therapeutic index in this regard. Further investigations, however, are required to determine the clinical efficacy and safety of the compound/isolate

Effects Of Artesunate Alone And In Combination With Folic Acid On The Liver And Serum Iron Level Of Male Wistar Rats. Udobre et al. Effects of Artesunate Alone and In Combination with Folic Acid on the Liver and Serum Iron Level of Male Wistar Rats Effect

ABSTRACT The effects of oral administration of artesunate alone and with folic acid on the liver and on the serum levels of iron were assessed in eighty-one male wistar rats with a mean weight of 180 g (172-188 g). Thirty-six rats received artesunate of graded doses ; another thirty-six rats received a combination of artesunate and folic acid; while normal saline was administered to the remaining nine rats which served as the negative control group. Comparison of means of results was done with the student's ttest at a 95% level of significance. The results showed that in rats treated with 6.00 mg/kg of artesunate alone, there was a significant decrease in liver weight from 3.25±0.55 to 2.64±0.12g. Necrosis of the hepatocytes as revealed by liver histology also occurred. The serum iron level rose significantly from 784±11.49 mol/L to 1773±11.32 mol/L. It was also found that folic acid reversed metabolic and tissue disorder associated with lower doses of artesunate but offered partial relief to the same disorders associated with higher doses of the drug. This is evident by the decrease in serum iron and the the healthy cytoarchitecture of the liver

Antimicrobial activity of compounds isolated from the leaves of Aspilia africana (Pers.) C. D. Adams (Asteraceae)

Background: Incidences of serious failures in the treatment of infectious disease by antibiotics caused by the emergence and spread of drug resistant strains of the microorganisms/multiple drug resistant bacteria have led to new global search for more effective anti-infective microbial agents from natural sources. This study intends to examine the anti-microbial potentials of the leaves of Aspilia africana, which is employed in the treatment of wounds and sores by traditional medical practitioners in Nigeria. Objective: To evaluate the anti-microbial potentials of the isolates from leaves of Aspilia africana (Pers.) C. D. Adams (Aristeraceae), using isolated clinical strains of pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus substilis, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Candida albicans and Candida stellafoidea. Methodology: Three compounds isolated from butanol fraction of the methanol extract of the dried powdered leaves of Aspilia africana through repeated silica gel column-chromatography and sephadex gel filtration, were evaluated for anti-microbial potentials using Agar-well diffusion method. Results: The isolated compounds identified as oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, and corosolic acid by 1D, 2D-NMR and FITR spectroscopic analyses inhibited the growth of all the pathogens with inhibition diameters ranging between 25 – 33 mm compared with the standard drugs used. The MIC, MBC/MFC of the plant extracts ranged from between 5.00 and 10.00 mg/mL while that of the isolated compounds ranged between 0.0125 and 0.0500mg/mL Discussion: From the results, we conclude that isolated compounds namely oleanolic acid, ursolic acid and corosolic acid are the bioactive constituents responsible for the anti-microbial activity of Aspilia africana. Key words: Aspilia africana, Anti-microbial, Oleanolic acid, Ursolic acid, Corosolic aci

UTILIZATION OF DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR 21ST CENTURY RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

The study investigated the utilization of digital resources for 21st century research activities in public Universities in Rivers State. Three research questions and three related hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Population of the study was 2,734 academic staff in the three public Universities in Rivers State. The sample for the study was 610 comprising 325 male academic staff and 285 female academic staff selected through systematic random sampling technique. The minimum sample size used for the study was estimated using Taro Yamane minimum sample size determination technique. The instrument used for collection of data was a21-item questionnaire titled “Digital Resources for University Research Activities Questionnaire” (DRURAQ). The DRURAQ was face and content validated by two Educational Management Experts in the Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt. Cronbach alpha statistic was used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire with a co-efficient of 0.79. The research questions were answered using percentage, mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using z-test at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there was a high extent to which statistical data base is used for research activities while e-books were utilized to a low extent in public Universities in Rivers State. It was recommended among others that academic staff should be given stipends to regularly subscribe to e-book sites that are relevant to the research activities of staff of these Universities. Article visualizations

Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the management of university education in Nigeria

The paper examines the role of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in the management of University education in Nigeria. A brief history of University education in Nigeria as well as the creation of TETFund was examined. Also the paper was guided with the use the Management by Objectives theory developed by Drucker in 1954. Emphases were laid on the basic functions of TETFund such as that of project facilitation, funding and staff development. The challenges confronting TETFund and ways of improving TETFund’s relevance in Universities in Nigeria were also discussed. It was concluded that if well co-ordinated, TETFund can help to boost the structure of University education in Nigeria. It was therefore recommended that various private organizations should contribute to the empowerment of TETFund and appropriate legislations should be made to assist the agency carry out its activities effectively.Keywords: Management, Staff Training, Tertiary, Education, Fundin

Test-Retest Reliability of Self-Reported Sexual Behavior History in Urbanized Nigerian Women.

BACKGROUND: Studies assessing risk of sexual behavior and disease are often plagued by questions about the reliability of self-reported sexual behavior. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of self-reported sexual history among urbanized women in a prospective study of cervical HPV infections in Nigeria. METHODS: We examined test-retest reliability of sexual practices using questionnaires administered at study entry and at follow-up visits. We used the root mean squared approach to calculate within-person coefficient of variation (CVw) and calculated the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) using two way, mixed effects models for continuous variables and [Formula: see text] statistics for discrete variables. To evaluate the potential predictors of reliability, we used linear regression and log binomial regression models for the continuous and categorical variables, respectively. RESULTS: We found that self-reported sexual history was generally reliable, with overall ICC ranging from 0.7 to 0.9; however, the reliability varied by nature of sexual behavior evaluated. Frequency reports of non-vaginal sex (agreement = 63.9%, 95% CI: 47.5-77.6%) were more reliable than those of vaginal sex (agreement = 59.1%, 95% CI: 55.2-62.8%). Reports of time-invariant behaviors were also more reliable than frequency reports. The CVw for age at sexual debut was 10.7 (95% CI: 10.6-10.7) compared with the CVw for lifetime number of vaginal sex partners, which was 35.2 (95% CI: 35.1-35.3). The test-retest interval was an important predictor of reliability of responses, with longer intervals resulting in increased inconsistency (average change in unreliability for each 1 month increase = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.07-0.38, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that overall, the self-reported sexual history among urbanized Nigeran women is reliable