Macroeconomic Policies and Stock Market Liquidity: Evidence from Nigeria

This study investigated the effect of macroeconomic policies on stock market liquidity in Nigeria using annual time series data that spanned from 1986 to 2018. Specifically, the paper analyzed how monetary and fiscal policies interactions affect stock market liquidity. Stock market liquidity was measured by stock turnover ratio. Unit root test confirmed that the variables were of mixed integration which necessitated the application of ARDL technique. The ARDL bounds testing revealed that a long-run relationship existed between fiscal and monetary policies instruments, and stock market turnover ratio. In the long-run, it was found that government debt had negative and significant effect on stock market turnover ratio while monetary policy variables such as monetary policy rate and cash reserve ratio had significant effect on stock market turnover, but only the policy rate was positive. In the short-run, all the explanatory variables were significant apart from monetary policy rate which was, though, significant after one period lag and liquidity ratio which was not significant at any level. The results of the ECM suggested that stock market liquidity was affected by the interactions of fiscal and monetary policies instruments in Nigeria. Consequently, the paper concluded that macroeconomic policies that would enforce sustainable and efficient financial market towards improving stock market liquidity be strictly implemented

Sexual Abuse of Children in Awka, Anambra State Nigeria

This exploratory study used sixty six (66) children as research participants aimed at establishing the following: the incidence of sexual abuse of children in Awka, the Anambra State Capital of Nigeria, and its environs; the profiles of the victims and assailants; the motivational factors associated with the problem. Findings revealed a high incidence of sexual abuse among children in Awka and its environment. The result also showed that almost every child is vulnerable to being sexually abused by parents, guardians, relatives, caretakers or strangers. Based on this, a viable child protection policy by government was advocated. Keywords: Sexual Abuse, Children in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeri

Numerical energy and exergy evaluation of a filament bulb controlled convective heat dryer

The mathematical model for temperature regime thermal analysis evaluation of convective heat dryer has been done. Control volume analysis was adopted in this work while taking note of all the feasible heat transfer mechanisms around the system. Mathematical expressions for the energy, exergy, entropy generation as well as destroyed exergy were derived using the control volume. The consumed energy, exergy, entropy generation and exergy destruction of the dryer were computed. The system temperature gradually increased from its initial room temperature of 270˚C to 720˚C at approximately 2700 secs. The temperature thereafter dropped and stabilized to about 670˚C at 4600 secs while the element dried gradually. The moisture removal curve followed the same trend as that of the temperature with gradual variation from 0.5 to 13.2g/mol. The peak energy from the system is approximately 958J against the useful exergy of 443J which shows that 46.24% of the expended energy was actually useful for the drying purpose and about 10.23% was lost. The energy and exergy efficiencies were also computed and results showed that the efficiencies are functions of temperature just like other influencing parameters which has to be technically controlled. Peak energy efficiency of approximately 54.6% was recorded in the dryer with the peak exergy efficiency of 23.4%. The dryer also yielded a better dried product as compared with the traditional means of drying

Characterization of Annona cherimola mill. Seed oil from Madeira Island: a possible biodiesel feedstock

The possibility of using Annona seed oil as an added value product, namely as a source of biodiesel, is explored. Milled Annona seeds were extracted with hexane at room temperature (72 h) and at solvent boiling point (6 h). Oil content was found to be 25 and 22.4% respec tively. The oil was characterized in terms of lipid compo sition (HPLC–APCI–MS and 13C NMR), resistance to oxidation and acidity index. FAME composition was determined by GC–MS and five major peaks were identi fied. Production of biodiesel from Annona’s seed oil was achieved by base-catalyzed transesterification. Density, viscosity, refraction coefficient, acid value, cold filter plugging point, cloud point and oxidation stability were measured. The iodine value and the ‘‘apparent cetane number’’ were calculated. Density, viscosity, acid value, iodine value, cold filter plugging point and cloud point were within EN14214 specifications and the calculated ‘‘apparent cetane number’’ was also indicative of a suitable product.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

INITIATION IN AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION : a systematic symbolic analysis, with special reference to aspects of Igbo Religion in Nigeria

From the history of the Church, we gather that one of the most major tests that confronted the early Christian community was whether everyone who wanted to become a Christian also of necessity had to become a Jew as a pre-requisite for entrance into the new community of believers. The issue at stake is whether one qualifies to be a Christian through adherence to the Jewish identity, which centres on circumcision and the observance of the Mosaic legal code. The crisis resulted to the convocation of the Jerusalem Council (cf. Acts 15), which tasked itself with the definition of the Christian identity. The Council bases its definition of Christian identity, separable from adherence to the Jewish cultural practice (a form of cultural imperialism), solely on election by God in Jesus Christ. Moreover, the event of the Pentecost in Jerusalem demonstrated what the nature of the spreading of the message of this new community of believers in Jesus Christ should be: that people from other cultures, “Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Capadocia, Ponthus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylis, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome, Jews and Proselytes alike, Cretans and Arabs” (Acts 2: 9-11), could understand the message that Peter communicated to them through the force of the breath of the risen Jesus in their own mother tongue, without first becoming Jews. Against the background of this crucial point in the history of the early Church and in consideration of the Second Vatican Council, this dissertation seeks to address the problem of identity, unity and diversity in the Christian religion with special reference to Africa. It proposes that the traditional African Rites of Initiation that mark the transition from one stage of life to the other and therefore the existential and essential transformation of the individual and group offer with their rich symbolisms a very fertile ground for dialogue with the Christian religion. It views the various Rites of Initiation (from birth and ritual circumcision over puberty and adult to marriage and funeral rites) as vital and immutable seminal points in the life of the individual African and his/her society at large. These Rites that express in various ways the African holistic view and conception of life and reality are, in terms of their religious symbolism, meaning and function, analogous to their Christian counterparts (such as baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, ordination, marriage) and can as a result be conveniently accepted or at least incorporated even if in modified forms as authentic African initiation rites for African Christians. Without being syncretistic, such an incorporation and modification at one and the same time recognizes and respects the cultural identity of the African and marks his/her transformation and acceptance of his/her new identity, modelled on Christ. In this way, the African Christian will be enabled to live, articulate and express his/her faith within his/her own historical-cultural milieu. On the whole, the presentation is predictive and prescriptive with regard to what the relationship and dialogue between Christianity and the African Traditional Religion should be or should not be. It is an honest effort to make the Christian message relevant to the African in his/her own perceptual and conceptual world-view. This task remains a steady challenge to African Christians who want to maintain at one and the same time and at the same level their African identity and their Christian calling. The balancing and reconciling of these two identities in a correlating rather than confrontational manner remains a task for the Church of today and tomorrow. The dissertation is a foundational contribution to building up and sharpening consciousness for this problem

Direct Spread of Primary Testicular Lymphoma along the Gonadal Vessels Detected on F-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron-Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging

A 63-year-old male presented with left scrotal swelling and the ultrasound showed a large heterogeneous mass consistent with a testicular malignancy. The patient underwent left-sided orchiectomy which showed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient was then referred for whole-body F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) imaging which showed multiple hypermetabolic foci extending along the left inguinal canal to the retroperitoneum and the left perinephric space, suggesting direct contiguous spread of the tumor along the gonadal vessels, a form of metastasis unique to primary testicular lymphoma, and demonstrated for the first time on FDG PET/CT imaging