Cultural Competency in Dramatherapy Training

This research grew out of the researcher’s experience encountered during their Dramatherapy training. It explores the concept of cultural competency and ways in which it can be embedded in the training. Many definitions of cultural competency have been put forth in the growing body of literature related to this subject. Each definition indicates that to become culturally competent, healthcare professionals must actively engage with people who differ from themselves. All the definitions identified in this research indicate that it is a journey that one never fully arrives at. The question that this research poses is ‘when should this journey into cultural competency begin?’ Does it start when one is in training to become a therapist or when one qualifies? All the participants that took part in this research indicate the importance of this journey starting earlier, while one is still undertaking the training. This research highlights that there is a demand for cultural competency to be explored in-depth in Dramatherapy training programmes. One of the important points raised by participants in the research is that cultural competency is explored only when the students bring up the topic and then the lecturers would address it, which indicates that if the topic is not raised by the trainees, then it will not be addressed by the trainers. This research also examines the policies of the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth), who are the professional organisation for Dramatherapists in the UK, along with the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC), who are the regulator for the Dramatherapy profession in the UK. In terms of discovering what emphasis is placed by BADth and HCPC’s policy documents in relation to cultural competency, the findings indicate that not much prominence is placed on the concept. This research uses a qualitative approach and the rationale for choosing this approach is that it’s about discovering the experience of participants with regards to their Dramatherapy training. This forms the descriptive aspect of this study’s methodology, where data is generated through words rather than numbers (Bricki, 2007). A triangulation approach was also used to check and establish the validity of the research by analysing the research questions from multiple perspectives. The contribution that this research makes to the field of study, is through creating a tool-kit that provides a guide to Dramatherapy training institutions of how cultural competency can be embedded in the training. This PHD journey has been one that has met with many challenges and struggles. The most significant of these has been the silence around the topic. How does one capture silence, when the whole aim is to be vocal? One of the aims of this research has been to consider who holds the power to push forward the change that is required in Dramatherapy training regarding cultural competency, which again reflects this concept of being vocal around this issue. The research concludes that all hold the power for change; Dramatherapy trainees can keep demanding that such topics be given greater emphasis. HCPC could also reinforce this in their policies to the training institutions and Dramatherapy training institutions can choose to place greater emphasis on the topic and be willing to break the silence and discomfort around it

Characterization of secondary radioclimatic variables for microwave and millimeter wave link design in Nigeria

A reliable radio propagation data is required in other to propose a well-founded model for radioclimatic study in any area. The two major types of radio propagation data needed are the primary and secondary propagation data. The primary data include temperature, pressure and relative humidity or water vapour pressure, while the secondary radioclimatic data are radio refractivity gradients, geoclimatic factor (K-factor) and the effective earth radius factor (k-factor). In this paper, analyses of the secondary data are carried out instead of the usual primary variables in order to deduce the influences on the Terrestrial line-of-Sight (LOS) based on 5 years data (2009-2013) obtained from five different regions of Nigeria (Akure, Enugu, Minna, Jos and Sokoto). The k-factor values at the surface across the study locations are higher than the prescribed value of 1.33 by the ITU. The same trend could also be observed for the geoclimatic factor K. The overall result will be a very good tool for microwave wireless link design in Nigeria

A Cross-Cultural Assessment of Nigerian Taxpayers’ Perception of Fiscal Exchange Paradigm, Institutional Arrangement and Attitude of Tax Officials

This study empirically assessed procedural justice and fiscal exchange across the three main cultural groups in Nigeria. Targeted population was individual taxpayers (n=500) using mainly questionnaire for its primary data. Data were statistically analysed with SPSS. Result shows favourable perception of each of the psychological factors as well as high level of tax compliance. The three variables are however found to vary significantly across cultures thus establishing relevance of culture on each psychological factors and tax compliance. Other factors found relevant are taxpayers’ bio-data like age, gender, religion, as well as employment category as a measure of opportunity to evade tax. On a general note, major finding from the study agrees with findings from earlier researches. It however concluded that model that can ensure sustainable tax compliance would be a comprehensive one that considers all economic, social, cultural, psychological factors. Recommendations were made to major stakeholders including future researchers. Keywords: Tax compliance, psychological model, fiscal exchange, procedural justice, culture

Production of cellulosic ethanol from wood sawdust

Energy from fossil fuels has played a very important role in our lives, but such an important role has been clouded out due to the environment hazards caused from fossil emissions.  This has led to a new dimension in energy utilization known as renewable energy fuels.  To fully support this type of energy from biological mass, adequate biomass source must be harnessed.  This work thus was carried out to utilize a local available biomass waste as an alternative source of ethanol which is currently used for spark ignition engines as a renewable energy fuel.  It also determined the yield of ethanol from the sawdust used.  The sawdust sample was collected from the Nsukka Sawmill (Timbershade).  Materials used included 18 m (78% concentration) of sulphuric acid, 6 m of sodium hydroxide for hydrolysis, and fermentation process.  The hydrolysis involves the extraction of fermentable sugar from a cellulosic biomass.  The sawdust of sulfuric acid mixture was allowed to sit for 48 hours, then the distilled water was used to dilute in order to bring its pH between 5.0 - 6.0.  10 kg of sawdust gave 500 cm3 of ethanol using Beer-Lambert plot of ethanol water mixture.  The success of the extraction of ethanol shows there are possibilities for improvement. Keywords: Biofuel, climate change, ethanol yield, fermentation, wood sawdus

Psychoactive substance use and level of risk among a geriatric population accessing three primary care facilities in Nigeria

We aimed to assess the prevalence, correlates of psychoactive substance use including misuse of prescription medications and its associated harm among a group of elderly patients attending three primary care facilities in Benin-city, Edo state, Nigeria. The WHO ASSIST was administered to assess for psychoactive substance use and level of risk of some elderly participants. Lifetime prevalence and current prevalence of substance use was obtained. Among participants, 12.7% demonstrated moderate risk to alcohol use while 2.9% demonstrated high risk to its use. Fifteen percent (15%) demonstrated moderate risk to stimulant use while 1.2% demonstrated high risk to its use. Twentyeight percent (28.3%) demonstrated  moderate risk to opioid analgesic use while 0.6% demonstrated high risk to its use. Male gender was associated with a higher risk of tobacco use, alcohol use and stimulant use. Female gender was associated with a higher risk of sedative use. Only 3(1.7%) of these participants had received   previous treatment for a substance use disorder. Keywords: Elderly, primary care, substance use, prescription medication, level of ris

Anatomic Site Variability in Rat Skeletal Uptake and Desorption Of Fluorescently Labeled Bisphosphonate

Objectives Bisphosphonates commonly used to treat osteoporosis, Paget’s disease, multiple myeloma, hypercalcemia of malignancy and osteolytic lesions of cancer metastasis have been associated with bisphosphonate-associated jaw osteonecrosis (BJON). The underlying pathogenesis of BJON is unclear, but disproportionate bisphosphonate concentration in the jaw has been proposed as one potential etiological factor. This study tested the hypothesis that skeletal biodistribution of intravenous bisphosphonate is anatomic site-dependent in a rat model system. Materials and Methods Fluorescently labeled pamidronate was injected intravenously in athymic rats of equal weights followed by in vivo whole body fluorimetry, ex vivo optical imaging of oral, axial and appendicular bones and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid bone decalcification to assess hydroxyapatite-bound bisphosphonate. Results Bisphosphonate uptake and bisphosphonate released per unit calcium were similar in oral and appendicular bones but lower than those in axial bones. Hydroxyapatite-bound bisphosphonate liberated by sequential acid decalcification was highest in oral relative to axial and appendicular bones (p \u3c 0.05). Conclusions This study demonstrates regional differences in uptake and release of bisphosphonate from oral, axial and appendicular bones of immune deficient rats

Disparate Osteogenic Response of Mandible and Iliac Crest Bone Marrow Stromal Cells to Pamidronate

OBJECTIVE Long-term administration of intravenous bisphosphonates like pamidronate is associated with jaw osteonecrosis but axial and appendicular bones are unaffected. Pathogenesis of bisphosphonate-associated jaw osteonecrosis may relate to skeletal-site specific effects of bisphosphonates on osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) of orofacial and axial/appendicular bones. This study evaluated and compared skeletal site-specific osteogenic response of mandible (orofacial bone) and iliac crest (axial bone) human BMSCs to pamidronate. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mandible and iliac crest BMSCs from six normal healthy volunteers were established in culture and tested with pamidronate to evaluate and compare cell survival, osteogenic marker alkaline phosphatase, osteoclast differentiation in co-cultures with CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells, gene expression of receptor activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin, and in vivo bone regeneration. BRESULTS Mandible BMSCs were more susceptible to pamidronate than iliac crest BMSCs based on decreased cell survival, lower alkaline phosphatase production and structurally less organized in vivo bone regeneration. Pamidronate promoted higher RANKL gene expression and osteoclast recruitment by mandible BMSCs. CONCLUSION Mandible and iliac crest BMSC survival and osteogenic differentiation are disparately affected by pamidronate to favor dysregulated mandible bone homeostasis

Associations between Cognition, Gender and Monocyte Activation among HIV Infected Individuals in Nigeria.

The potential role of gender in the occurrence of HIV-related neurocognitive impairment (NCI) and associations with markers of HIV-related immune activity has not been previously examined. In this study 149 antiretroviral-naïve seropositive subjects in Nigeria (SP, 92 women and 57 men) and 58 seronegative (SN, 38 women and 20 men) were administered neuropsychological testing that assessed 7 ability domains. From the neuropsychological test scores was calculated a global deficit score (GDS), a measure of overall NCI. Percentages of circulating monocytes and plasma HIV RNA, soluble CD163 and soluble CD14 levels were also assessed. HIV SP women were found to be younger, more educated and had higher CD4+ T cell counts and borderline higher viral load measures than SP men. On the neuropsychological testing, SP women were more impaired in speed of information processing and verbal fluency and had a higher mean GDS than SN women. Compared to SP men, SP women were also more impaired in speed of information processing and verbal fluency as well as on tests of learning and memory. Numbers of circulating monocytes and plasma sCD14 and sCD163 levels were significantly higher for all SP versus all SN individuals and were also higher for SP women and for SP men versus their SN counterparts. Among SP women, soluble CD14 levels were slightly higher than for SP men, and SP women had higher viral load measurements and were more likely to have detectable virus than SP men. Higher sCD14 levels among SP women correlated with more severe global impairment, and higher viral load measurements correlated with higher monocyte numbers and sCD14 and sCD14 levels, associations that were not observed for SP men. These studies suggest that the risk of developing NCI differ for HIV infected women and men in Nigeria and, for women, may be linked to effects from higher plasma levels of HIV driving activation of circulating monocytes

Leveraging Modelling and Simulation to address Manufacturing Challenges

The diverse range of simulation and modelling (s&m) encompasses all aspects of the society, military, and economy particularly the major fields of endeavour that are germane to national development and national security, for example, health care, aviation, information technology, manufacturing, transportation, education, and agriculture. nonlinearity, uncertainty, and high complexity of the research objectivity are collective feature fields. as digital technologies are transforming manufacturing, ranging from product design, planning, and scheduling, to life cycle assessment of the products. emerging technologies have remarkably increased the impact of modelling and simulation. the manufacturing industry has started to incorporate enhanced methodologies toward the interdependent systems that aid accurate decision making and actual depiction of the digital world entities. modelling and simulation have demonstrated unique and cutting‐edge advantages in the field of manufacturing. in this paper, we critically examined works of literature on the simulation and modelling of manufacturing systems, areas of application in the manufacturing industry, and challenges associated with modelling and simulation