The practice and challenges of e-Government in Nigeria in the 21st century

This paper investigates the state of the present condition of e-government commitment in Nigeria. It also, examines the difficulties encountered in the implementation process.Layne and Lee (2001) “Stages of growth theory” was adopted to explain the position of Nigeria in the implementation and the challenges it faced on e-government.To do this,this paper used secondary data as a source to collect different articles and report.This paper finds that while e-government is present in Nigeria, it is still in its initial stage.Not only have that, the environment lacked many prerequisites for the survival and continued maintenance of e-governance due to many factors such as inadequate electricity, technical expertise etcetera.It is therefore suggested that both the government and the stakeholders should take it up as a challenge to find quick and lasting solutions to them. There must also be political will and government should have its administrative staff retrained in IT to properly manage the facilities and infrastructure necessary for e-government

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Crude Saponin Extracts from Five Nigerian Medicinal Plants

Crude saponin extracts of five medicinal plants used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, gout and haemorrhoids were screened for anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema test. These plants were the whole plant of Schwenkia americana Linn (WSA), the rhizomes of Asparagus africanus Lam (RAA), the leaves of Dichrostachys cinerea Linn (LDC), the stem bark of Ficus iteophylla Miq (BFI) and the leaves of Indigofera pulchra Willd (LIP). A modify traditional method of crude saponins extraction was used to give the following percentage yields: WSA-2.74%, RAA-3.59%, LDC-1.62%, BFI-0.81% and LIP-1.57% respectively. Thin-layer chromatography was used to identify the type of saponins present in the extracts. The acute toxicity study of the crude saponin extracts in mice gave the following intraperitoneal LD50: WSA-471.2mg/kg, RAA- 1264.9mg/kg, LDC-1264.9mg/kg, BFI-118.3mg/kg and LIP-1264.9mg/kg respectively.  The antiinflammatory study of the extracts showed statistically significant (P<0.05) decreases in the rat paw-oedema as compared to the control. The percentage inhibitions of the extracts after four hours were as follow: WSA-61%, RAA-55%, LDC-72%, BFI-66% and LIP-40% respectively. These values were found to be comparable to that of ketoprofen-63%. The study showed that the antiinflammatory properties attributable to these plants may be due to their saponins contents.Keywords: - Asparagus africanus, Dichrostachys cinerea, Ficus iteophylla, Indigofera pulchra, Schwenkia americana, Saponin,Anti-inflammatory activity, Carrageenan, TLC

The impact of online banking on the performance of Nigerian banking sector

In this contemporary life, information technology (IT) has become a significant medium in economic and social development.Banking sector nowadays cannot move forward rapidly without the use of IT. In particular, online banking (ebanking) is one of the IT applications with the highest impact on the global economy in creating a new business environment in the sector.Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the impact of e-banking on the performance of the banking sector in Nigeria.E-banking will be measured by the expenditure made on information and communication technology (ICT) investments, number of debit cards issued to customers, and number of automated teller machines (ATMs) installed by the banks. Return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), and net interest margin (NIM) will be used as performance variables.The impact of ebanking on the bank performance will be examined in two periods: pre-consolidation (i.e., before adopting the e-banking) and post-consolidation (i.e., after adopting the e-banking). Data collection involves secondary data gathered via annual reports of 21 Nigerian banks.The SPSS software will be used for data analysis

Phylogenetic diversity of Burkholderia pseudomallei isolated from veterinary cases and the environments in Peninsular Malaysia

This study was designed to determine the genotype and the phylogeny of Burkholderia pseudomallei isolated from veterinary cases and from the animal environments in Peninsular Malaysia. The Malaysian B. pseudomallei population were then compared to those found elsewhere. A total of 113 isolates from veterinary cases (35) and the environment (56 from soil and 22 from water) were characterized using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Two novel alleles, allele 97 and 69 of the gene locus ace and lepA respectively were recovered. Isolates were resolved into 12 distinct sequence types (STs) out of which five were novel, namely ST1130, ST1131, ST1338, ST1339 and ST1367. The isolates from veterinary cases co-clustered with those from the environment. B. pseudomallei isolates in this study were highly clonal and have descended from a common ancestor clonal complex (CC) 48 found in Southeast Asia. This study shows that veterinary case isolates are often caused by similar STs, with similar populations found in the direct animal environment and those previously reported to cause human infections in Malaysia and elsewhere. Isolates of B. pseudomallei from human infections have been given more attention, with a comparatively lower focus on isolates from animals and the farm environment. This study highlighted the genotype and phylogeny of B. pseudomallei isolated from animals and the environment and their relations to the isolates from human cases reported in Malaysia and elsewhere. Most STs reported in this study, from veterinary cases and animal environment are similar to those previously reported as causing human infections in Malaysia and elsewhere. Therefore, even though direct zoonosis is uncommon, monitoring melioidosis occurrences in animals can provide insights on the bacterial strains infecting humans

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF CRUDE SAPONIN EXTRACTS FROM FIVE NIGERIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS

Crude saponin extracts of five medicinal plants used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, gout and haemorrhoids were screened for anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema test. These plants were the whole plant of Schwenkia americana Linn (WSA), the rhizomes of Asparagus africanus Lam (RAA), the leaves of Dichrostachys cinerea Linn (LDC), the stem bark of Ficus iteophylla Miq (BFI) and the leaves of Indigofera pulchra Willd (LIP). A modify traditional method of crude saponins extraction was used to give the following percentage yields: WSA-2.74%, RAA-3.59%, LDC-1.62%, BFI-0.81% and LIP-1.57% respectively. Thin-layer chromatography was used to identify the type of saponins present in the extracts. The acute toxicity study of the crude saponin extracts in mice gave the following intraperitoneal LD50: WSA-471.2mg/kg, RAA- 1264.9mg/kg, LDC-1264.9mg/kg, BFI-118.3mg/kg and LIP-1264.9mg/kg respectively. The anti-inflammatory study of the extracts showed statistically significant (

Enhancement of complex permittivity and attenuation properties of activated carbon derived from oil palm fruit fiber for microwave application

This study aimed to synthesize activated carbon (AC) from empty oil palm fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber to enhance its complex permittivity properties by modifying the particle size and surface area via physical activation. Sample characterizations of complex permittivity were conducted using open-ended coaxial technique and a vector network analyzer. The absorption properties were analyzed using the finite element method (FEM) simulations of the transmission coefficients and the distribution of electric fields via the microstrip models. Simulations and measurements were all carried out within the range 8–12 GHz. The initial surface area of the unactivated sample was 4.02, after 700, 750, and 800 °C activation, 730.40, 814.00, and 927.01 m2/g was obtained respectively. With increased surface area, the dielectric constant and loss factor values increased and attained maximum values of 6.13 and 0.83 at 8 GHz, respectively from initial values of 3.63 and 0.52, as the surface area increased from 4.02 to 927.01 m2/g. The improved absorption properties displayed by the AC in the simulations demonstrated their capacity to attenuate X-band microwaves

Molecular Detection of Influenza A(H1N1)Pdm09 Virus Among Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Peripheral Blood Sample Approach and Assessment of the Associated Risk Factors

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive loss of functional nephron characterized by various risk factors. Influenza virus has been found to cause rhabdomyolysis, which is toxic to the kidneys and can initiate or worsen CKD. This study aims to investigate the frequency and molecular detection of Influenza A(H1N1)Pdm09 Virus gene among CKD patients attending University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 150 CKD patients. One-step RT-PCR was performed for detection of influenza virus using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol. Relevant clinical data were collected in standardized questionnaires from each patient, and medical history was obtained from their hospital records.Results: Conventional PCR analysis revealed that 16% of the CKD patients tested positive for Inf A/Pdm H1N1. The virus frequency was found to be higher among patients in CKD stage 5 (end-stage CKD) and lower in CKD stage 3 (moderate CKD). Additionally, female CKD patients and those in the age group of 55-64 years showed a higher susceptibility to Inf A/Pdm H1N1 infection.Discussion: The study provides evidence of the presence of Inf A/Pdm H1N1 in CKD patients, aligning with previous research showing its involvement in kidney disease aggravation. CKD patients often exhibit immune dysregulation, which might facilitate the virus's invasion and persistence. Conclusion: This study provides evidence of an association between Influenza A(H1N1)Pdm09 viraemia and decreased kidney function among CKD patients. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring and preventing influenza infection in CKD patients to prevent further kidney damage

Is There Sexual Activity After Low Back Pain? A Clinical Commentary

No Abstract

A pilot study of malnutrition among elderly in a Malaysia elderly care centre - part I: assessment of handgrip strength measurement.

The number of elderly population in Malaysia of aged 60 years and above is expected to increase every year. Apart from that, the life expectancy of the elderly population is also estimated to rise up with female tend to live longer than male. These uncontrollable factors can lead to a declining healthy lifestyle if the current health care system is inadequate and inappropriate in providing services to the elderly population especially to those that require rehabilitation program to return to their premorbid function. In some cases, these frail elderly were sent to Elderly Care Centre by their primary care taker due to limited nursing ability, time and space. In this pilot study, handgrip strength among elderly and pre-elderly community residing at an Elderly Care Center in Branang, Malaysia is measured using a cross-sectional study design. In overall, 12 male occupants (8 elderly, 4 pre-elderly people) aged 50 years and above were interviewed to obtain data on their sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, hand functionality and hand strength measurements. The overall sample mean (standard deviation) age are 63 (8) years. The mean (standard deviation) of handgrip measurements is 12.47 (6.69) kg