Effectiveness of Cognitive Restructuring Counselling Technique in Managing Anxiety Among Couples with Infertility Challenges in Gombe State, Nigeria

This study investigated the effectiveness of cognitive restructuring counselling technique in managing  anxiety among couples with infertility challenges in Gombe State, Nigeria. The population of this study was seventy-six (76) couples of reproductive age with infertility challenges that were registered and receiving infertility treatment at the two Government owned hospitals selected for this study. These are: Federal teaching hospital, Gombe and Specialist Hospital Gombe. Forty-two (42) patients accessing infertility treatment from Federal teaching hospital and thirty-four (34) patients accessing infertility treatment from specialist hospital Gombe (i.e. 42+34 = 76). Thirty-eight (38) couples were selected to participate in the study. The researcher employed quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test and control group design, in which selected couples were assigned to two experimental groups. The experimental group were treated with cognitive restructuring counselling tecnique while the control group didn’t receive any treatment. The treatments were carried out within eight weeks of counselling sessions. Group counselling method was employed in the study. Each of the subjects was administered with pretest/post-test research instrument using Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) Two research objectives and two research hypotheses were formulated. The data collected were analyzed using dependent sample t-test to test hypothesis 1 and independent t-test was used to test hypothesis 2 at 0.05 level of significance. Results from data analysis revealed that cognitive restructuring counselling technique was effective in managing anxiety among couples with infertility challenges. It was also recommended that cognitive restructuring should be used in managing anxiety level of couples faced with infertility challenges in various health centres

Health care access, utilization and barriers among injection drug users

Background: To curb the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases several studies indicate the need for improved access to medical care for injection drug users (IDUs) including those already linked to syringe exchange programs (SEPs). However, availability and access to services remains a problem for many IDUs. This study seeks to examine perceptions of medical care access among a pharmacy-based sample of IDUs, utilization of medical services among IDUs and, identify barriers to accessing health care services to help ensure that IDUs receive appropriate care when needed and reduce the transmission of diseases. Methods: Data was obtained from the Pharmacists As Resources Making Links to Community Services (PHARM-Link) study. Dependent variables: health care access to the same provider and receiving care a usual source, health care utilization of services including the emergency room, clinic, medical office, medical mobile unit and hospital; and health care barriers categorized as personal or structural. Independent variables were insurance status, homelessness in the prior six months, case management, drug treatment and socio-demographic characteristics such as age, sex, income, education and employment status. Descriptive statistics analysis and logistic regression were performed using SAS version 9.4 (2013) with significance set at p\u3c0.05. Results: Our sample included 615 IDUs participating in the PHARM-Link study. Overall, IDUs accessed health services and having the same provider remained statistically higher among those with legal income above $5,000 OR: 1.60 (95$5,000 were less likely to have any personal barriers OR: 0.64 (95% CI: 0.45 – 0.92). Structural barriers remained more likely among those who were homeless OR: 1.62 (95% CI: 1.13-2.39), but less likely among those 44 years and older OR: 0.58 (95% CI: 0.40-0.85), the insured OR: 0.60 (95% CI: 0.38-0.94), those with positive HIV status OR: 0.53 (95% CI: 0.28-0.99), as well as Non-Hispanic Blacks OR: 0.47 (95% CI: 0.14-0.83) and Latinos OR: 0.47 (95% CI: 0.25-0.86). Conclusion: Our results suggest that most IDUs linked to care through pharmacy-based SEP programs established to expand health services and improve health, did access available health services. However, some continue to experience difficulties such as structural barriers among the homeless as well as few reported visits to the clinic, medical office and the hospital among the employed believed to have resources to pay for such services. These services may have been underutilized because the participants were unsatisfied with the services provided. Therefore, interventions should target structural barriers such as homelessness among IDUs as well as health insurance coverage to help increase access to and utilization of health services

PENGARUH UKURAN PASIR PADA PERLAKUAN SANDBLASTING YANG MEMANFAATKAN PASIR BESI TERHADAP WETTABILITY BAJA TAHAN KARAT 316L

Wettability merupakan sifat material setelah dilakukan proses perlakuan permukaan terhadap ketahanan fluida cair ketika berada diatas permukaan material. Permukaan kasar dan hydrophilic dapat diartikan sebagai senyawa yang memiliki sifat dapat berinteraksi dengan air. Sifat ini menguntungkan pada penyerapan protein dalam membentuk rangkaian sel-sel tulang yang menempel pada implant. Pengujian ini dilakukan dengan memvariasikan ukuran Mesh pasir. Variasi ukuran mesh pasir yaitu 24, 50 dan 60, Variasi waktu penyemprotan yaitu 2,5, 5, 7,5, dan 10 Menit dengan jarak 10 cm dan tekanan 2 bar . Spesimen yang digunakan adalah baja tahan karat 316L dengan ukuran diameter 300mm,300mm dan tebal 3 mm. Variasi waktu penyemprotan menghasilkan perubahan nilai wettability yang sangat besar. Akan tetapi semakin besar mesh pasir yang dilakukan nilai wettability semakin menurun. Selain mesh pasir, waktu penyemprotan juga berpengaruh terhadap nilai wettability benda uji. Ukuran pasir 24 mesh didapat nilai wettability paling tinggi dibandingkan dengan ukuran pasir 50mesh, dan ukuran pasir 60mesh didapat nilai terendah wettability. Kata kunci : Sandblasting, Mesh pasir, Baja Tahan Karat 316L, Wettabilit

Catalytic Copyrolysis of Heavy Oil with Polypropylene

Catalytic and noncatalytic copyrolysis of plastic and heavy oil was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), pyrolysis reactor experiments, and GC analysis of the formed liquid. As revealed by the TGA experiments, predegradation as a pretreatment method had further lowered the decomposition temperature of polypropylene– (PP−) bitumen mixtures and reduced the severity of catalyst deactivation by coke. The presence of PP in the copyrolysis had increased the liquid yield and decreased the coke yield. The presence of PP in the copyrolysis had shifted the product distribution from heavier to lighter fractions while copyrolysis using predegradation displayed the highest percentage of C5–C9 and C9–C14 fractions. Based on the performance of the catalysts, C5–C14 was produced in the following order, HY > 20% USY > APC > K30, while C14–C20 was produced in the reverse order of K30 > 20% USY > APC > HY. In-depth analysis of the percentage product distribution confirmed the availability of synergies during the thermal copyrolysis of PP and Ex-Mwambe heavy oil. Predegradation as pretreatment method has intensified the contact between the two feed constituents, enabling synergistic effects to materialize. The excess percentage of C5–C9 and the insignificant amount of C20+ produced from the thermal copyrolysis affirmed the possibility that the presence of PP facilitates the conversion of waxy hydrocarbons into lighter products. the conversion of waxy hydrocarbons into lighter products. Coke components from predegradation method are more volatile while the coke formed during normal mixing pyrolysis contained a higher percentage of hard coke

Why Practising Effective Journalism in Nigeria Is Challenging

Journalism does not simply entail providing information. For the function of journalism to be achieved, a journalist must provide the public with objective, useful information that can be used to make decisions. It is only after this happens that journalism is effective or has gotten the desired result. However, some challenges make it difficult for many journalists to practise effective journalism in Nigeria. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that make it difficult to practise effective journalism in Nigeria and identify how these factors can be mitigated. This study is based on an interpretivist research paradigm. A qualitative research approach was adopted because this study required nuanced and detailed data to answer the research questions. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the five participants who were chosen using purposive sampling. The participants were chosen because they have considerable experience working as journalists in Nigeria. The findings of the study are similar to the findings gotten from the literature review but are more complex and offer a different perspective. The findings show that inadequate remuneration and funding, brown-envelope journalism, censorship and lack of technological devices are common factors that may affect the ability of a journalist to practise effective journalism in Nigeria. Furthermore, while these factors are common, journalists who are just starting their career are likely to experience these. Lastly, improving the remuneration and allowances of journalists can help to reduce three of the four factors listed. However, the relationship between gender discrimination and effective journalism requires further research to ascertain if gender discrimination impedes effective journalism

Pelatihan Penulisan Karya Ilmiah Bagi Siswa Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri 1 Sape

Tujuan kegiatan ini untuk meningkatkan ketrampilan siswa dalam menulis karya ilmiah. Target dan sasaran kegiatan ini yaitu siswa Sekolah Menengah Atas, sedangkan targetnya adalah siswa klas 3. Secara khusus sekolah yang akan digunakan sebagai tempat pengabdian ditentukan setelah dilakukan survei awal yaitu di SMA N 1 Sape. Kegiatan ini dilaksanakan dengan dua cara, pertama memberikan pengetahuan melalui ceramah tata muka, menggunakan cara belajar orang dewasa, diskusi dan tanya jawab. Kedua, bimbingan kilat dalam menulis artikel ilmiah. kegiatan pengabdian telah terlaksana dngan baik dan berjalan dengan lancar. Peserta antusias untuk mengikuti kegiatan yang ditunjukan dengan keinginan yang tinggi untuk bertanya dan berdiskusi mengenai cara-cara penulisan artikel ilmiah. Sekolah disarankan untuk mengadakan pelatihan penulisan artikel ilmiah secara reguler agar siswa mampu menulis artikel ilmiah dengan baik atau memasukan materi penulisan artikel ilmiah dalam mata pelajaran yang ada. Memfasilitasi siswa untuk mengikuti lomba-lomba artikel ilmiah yang banyak diselenggarakan oleh perguruan tinggi atau institusi lain untuk melatih kemampuan menulis artikel ilmiah

Pelatihan Penulisan Karya Ilmiah Bagi Siswa Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri 1 Sape

Tujuan kegiatan ini untuk meningkatkan ketrampilan siswa dalam menulis karya ilmiah. Target dan sasaran kegiatan ini yaitu siswa Sekolah Menengah Atas, sedangkan targetnya adalah siswa klas 3. Secara khusus sekolah yang akan digunakan sebagai tempat pengabdian ditentukan setelah dilakukan survei awal yaitu di SMAN 1 Sape. Kegiatan ini dilaksanakan dengan dua cara, pertama memberikan pengetahuan melalui ceramah tata muka, menggunakan cara belajar orang dewasa, diskusi dan tanya jawab. Kedua, bimbingan kilat dalam menulis artikel ilmiah. kegiatan pengabdian telah terlaksana dngan baik dan berjalan dengan lancar. Peserta antusias untuk mengikuti kegiatan yang ditunjukan dengan keinginan yang tinggi untuk bertanya dan berdiskusi mengenai cara-cara penulisan artikel ilmiah. Sekolah disarankan untuk mengadakan pelatihan penulisan artikel ilmiah secara reguler agar siswa mampu menulis artikel ilmiah dengan baik atau memasukan materi penulisan artikel ilmiah dalam mata pelajaran yang ada. Memfasilitasi siswa untuk mengikuti lomba-lomba artikel ilmiah yang banyak diselenggarakan oleh perguruan tinggi atau institusi lain untuk melatih kemampuan menulis artikel ilmiah

PELATIHAN PENGOLAHAN PRODUK IKAN BANDENG DENGAN BERBAGAI VARIAN DAN INOVATIF DI DESA BELO KECAMATAN PALIBELO KABUPATEN BIMA

Pemberdayaan nelayan terutama mereka yang bergelut di Usaha Tambak Bandeng memberikan warna tersendiri bagi perkembangan usaha yang mengarah kepada pemanfaatan bandeng yang diolah menjadi berbagai varian sejalan dengan perkembangan inovasi teknologi di bidang kuliner masyarakat. Metode yang digunakan adalah  sosialisasi,  pelatihan dan pendampingan,  monitoring  dan  evaluasi. Peserta pelatihan dari  Kelompok tani nelayan Uma Me’e, staf UD Ruma Niwa dan RT. Hasil yang dicapai bahwa  Pengolahan ikan bandeng sebagai wujud representative perubahan paradigm masyarakat memanfaatkan ikan bandeng yang selama ini diolah secara tradisional dengan bahan lokal yang ada, kemudian beralih dengan pengolahan secara modern dengan menggunakan teknologi yang modern memberikan cita rasa dan selera pengguna jasa yang hoby dengan makanan olahan secara modern seperti : Bandeng Presto, Abon bandeng, Stick bandeng dan Krupuk bandeng.  Melalui  pelatihan pengolahan produk ikan bandeng dengan berbagai varian dan inovatif” yang telah   diselenggarakan   oleh   Tim Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat STISIP Mbojo Bima   dapat   meningkatkan pengetahuan   dan   keterampilan   bagi   kelompok tani nelayan Uma Me’e agar mampu mengolah ikan bandeng yang lebih inovatif dan modern guna meningkatkan kegiatan kewirausahaan dan pendapatan di kalangan mereka. Peserta pelatihan sangat  antusias  dalam  mengikuti  kegiatan  tersebut  dan  besar  harapan peserta  agar  kegiatan  pengabdian  seperti  pelatihan  pengolahan ikan bandeng  dapat  dilaksanakan  secara berkesinambungan  dan  dengan  pemberian  materi  yang  beragam  dalam  upaya  meningkatkan pengetahuan dan keterampilan bagi mereka menuju masyarakat yang sejahtera kedepan

Oral hypoglycaemic agent metformin reduces oxidative stress and improves kidney histologyin streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Persistent hyperglycaemia results in complications in diabetes mellitus (DM) and metformin is the baseline drug used in diabetic management. The effect of metformin on fasting blood glucose (FBG), homogenized kidney tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PCO), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and histology in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were investigated. Eighteen Sprague Dawley rats were assigned into three groups (n= 6 rats per group i.e. A; negative control on distilled water, B; positive control on distilled water and C; on 100 mg/kg/day metformin groups. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced using streptozotocin 65 mg/kg intraperitoneally and treatments were given daily by oral gavage for 3 weeks. Plasma fasting blood glucose (FBG), kidney tissue oxidative stress markers and histology were determined. The results showed that FBG, MDA, and PCO levels were significantly higher in B group compared to A group, and lower in C group compared to B. The TAC level was significantly lower in B compared to A and higher in C compared to B group of rats. Histological study showed improvement in kidney histology in all treatments, however, kidney weight did not differ. The results suggest that, metformin reduces oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats possibly through its antihyperglycaemic effect.Keywords: Diabetes, Metformin, Oxidative stress, Streptozotocin, Kidne