Financial and Accounting Entrepreneurial Competences Needed by Vocational Technical Teacher Education Students in North Eastern Nigeria

Nascent and potential entrepreneurs need some pecuniary advantages that are acquired through knowledge and practice. The knowledge of financial accounting is vital in start-up and transacting businesses. The purpose of this study was to determine the financial entrepreneurial competences needed by vocational technical teachers’ education students. A research question and one null hypothesis were formulated to guide the study. A draft of the instrument was subjected to content validation by two experts from the department of vocational Education, Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola. A pilot test was conducted and the data obtained thereafter was run on split half reliability method. The reliability coefficient of the full test was 0.90. The population of the study was 294. The statistical tools used in the study were mean, standard deviation and student t-test of difference between means. Fifteen financial entrepreneurial competences were found to be desirable for vocational technical teacher education (VTTE) students. It was recommended that these financial and accounting entrepreneurial competences should be infused into VTTE curriculum. Keywords: Financial and accounting, Entrepreneurial competences and Intrapreneurs

Evaluation of antidepressant activity of tramadol in mice: an experimental study

Background: In spite of availability of effective antidepressant drugs, depression continues to be a major problem. Hence, great interest is being taken in development of innovative antidepressants. Tramadol (TRM) is a centrally acting opioid agonist, which is clinically effective in the treatment of moderate to severe pain. By virtue of its action of inhibiting norepinephrine and serotonin uptake, it can function as an antidepressant like venlafaxine. Hence, this study was planned to evaluate antidepressant activity of TRM in comparison and in combination with fluoxetine (FLX) in albino mice.Methods: TRM (20 and 40 mg) and FLX (20 mg) were administered i.p., alone and in combination once daily for acute (7 days) and chronic (14 days) period to Swiss albino mice of either sex. The immobility period of control and treated mice was recorded in forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). The open field test was also done for same period to test the locomotor activity in animal. The antidepressant effect of TRM was compared with FLX and normal saline treated group for acute and chronic study period.Results: TRM (20 and 40 mg) treated group produced significant antidepressant effect alone and in combination with FLX (20 and 40 mg) as indicated by reduction in immobility period compared with control group in FST and TST. TRM and FLX treated groups did not show significant activity in open field test when compared with control group.Conclusions: This study shows TRM has antidepressant activity in standard models of depression

Study of evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of macrolide antibiotics in rats: an experimental study

Background: Inflammation is a complex and dynamic condition in which many changes take place at the site of inflammation, as well as systemically. In general, inflammatory response acts to protect the host, but many times it goes unchecked with tissue destruction leading to a spectrum of inflammatory disorders. Anti-inflammatory drugs have long been used to treat spectrum of inflammatory conditions. Anti-inflammatory agents, in use today, though have efficacy, cause a variety of side effects causing major problems during their clinical use. Amongst newer approaches to treat inflammation, macrolides, the anti-bacterial agents, seem to be beneficial in decreasing the inflammation. Still there is much speculation about the anti-inflammatory activity of macrolide antibiotics. So, we planned this study to assess anti-inflammatory activity of macrolide antibiotics (erythromycin, roxithromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin) and to compare their anti-inflammatory activity with control and indomethacin (standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).Methods: To assess anti-inflammatory activity of macrolides, we used acute (carrageenin-induced paw edema and turpentine oil-induced arthritis), as well as chronic model of inflammation (cotton pellet induced granuloma).Results: All the macrolides, i.e., erythromycin, roxithromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin showed significant (p<0.05) anti-inflammatory activity in acute models of inflammation as compared to control group. However, macrolides showed insignificant activity as compared to indomethacin (acute and chronic models of inflammation) and as compared to control (chronic model of inflammation).Conclusions: This study shows macrolide antibiotics have anti-inflammatory activity in animal models of acute inflammation

A study on the clinico-epidemiological profile and the outcome of snake bite cases in the tertiary care hospital

Background: Snake bite is a common medical emergency and an occupational hazard in India. It is also a major public health issue in rural India where farming is a major source of employment. Very few studies describe epidemiology of snake bite from India. Hence, this study was planned to collect information on various aspects of snake bite in a tertiary care hospital.Methods: A prospective observational study of 167 patients of snake bite and unknown bite carried out from September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2013.Results: Among a total 167 cases, majority were males (54.49%), aged between 20 and 40 years (38.92%). Most of the cases were laborers (61.67%) and farmers (17.36%). Peak incidence was observed during monsoon (64.67%). Bite mark was seen in 46.70% cases, upper extremity being common site (52.09%). Most cases were of vasculotoxic bite (65.26%) and few were of neurotoxic bite (19.76%). Major complications were respiratory failure (4.79%) and acute renal failure (1.8%). Average bite to needle time was 365 min. Bleeding & clotting time was raised in 44.03% & 35.19% cases, respectively. Average dose of anti-snake venom (ASV) required was 17.1 vials. Allergic reactions to ASV observed in 8.38% cases. Mean duration of hospital stay was 4.3 days. Recovery rate was 94.01% with three cases referred to higher center. Mortality rate was 2.39%.Conclusions: Our study highlights various aspect of snake bite cases and tries to find out ways to improve quality of life of patients, decrease mortality and morbidity and decrease economic burden on society

Carbamazepine induced toxic epidermal necrolysis in a patient of seizure disorder

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), also known as Lyell's syndrome, is a widespread life-threatening mucocutaneous disease where there is extensive detachment of the skin and mucous membrane. Many factors are involved in the aetiology of TEN, the most common being the adverse drug reactions. Here we report a case of TEN in a 12 year old female child who presented with fever and blisters all over her body after taking carbamazepine for uncontrolled generalised tonic-clonic seizure. This case has been reported to highlight the importance of using carbamazepine cautiously as this case shows the “probable” association between carbamazepine and TEN, which is a life threatening condition

Timely use of anti-snake venom improves maternal and fetal outcome: a case report

Snake bite is a common medical emergency and an occupational hazard in a rural population of India. Though it is uncommon in pregnancy, it is associated with poor maternal and fetal outcome. Early gestational age and delay in the treatment are the factors responsible for unfavorable prognosis. Here, we report a case of primigravida, aged 22 years, with 22 weeks of gestation presenting with a history of snake bite on the left frontal region of the face. While on anti-snake venom treatment, patient developed anaphylactic reaction. In spite of this, the maternal and the fetal outcome were good in this case

Retrospective record based study of maternal and fetal outcome in induction of labour at 40 and 41 weeks of gestation in uncomplicated primigravida women

Background: The objective of the study was to compare maternal and foetal outcome after induction in two groups: women who were induced at 40-weeks and at 41-weeks.Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted over period of one year from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018 in the obstetrics and gynaecology department. A total of 200 uncomplicated primigravida women were included in the study. The data was collected and comparative analysis was done between two groups: control group (group A), women with induction at 40 weeks; study group (group B), women with induction at 41 weeks. The outcome was then analysed in terms of mode of delivery, oligohydramnios, meconium-stained liquor, Apgar score, need of NICU, perinatal death. The data was collected, analysed and statistical analysis was done using the Chi square test.Results: Out of total 200 women, 104 women were of 40 weeks and 96 women had completed 41 weeks. The LSCS rate was reduced from 25.96% to 17.7%, when the labour was induced at 41 weeks, the instrumental delivery rate was low in the study group compared to the control group. Even though the meconium staining of liquor was high but NICU admission and perinatal mortality was comparatively lower in the study group.Conclusions: Induction of labour done at 41weeks is associated with reduced maternal morbidity and no adverse effect on the perinatal outcome as compare to induction at 40 weeks

Annealing study and thermal investigation on bismuth sulfide thin films prepared by chemical bath deposition in basic medium

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Applied Physics A 124.2 (2018): 166. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-018-1584-7Bismuth sulfide thin films were prepared by chemical bath deposition using thiourea as sulfide ion source in basic medium. First, the effects of both the deposition parameters on films growth as well as the annealing effect under argon and sulfur atmosphere on as-deposited thin films were studied. The parameters were found to be influential using the Doehlert matrix experimental design methodology. Ranges for a maximum surface mass of films (3 mg cm-2) were determined. A well crystallized major phase of bismuth sulfide with stoichiometric composition was achieved at 190°C for 3 hours. The prepared thin films were characterized using Grazing Incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Second, the band gap energy value was found to be 1.5 eV. Finally, the thermal properties have been studied for the first time by means of the electropyroelectric (EPE) technique. Indeed, the thermal conductivity varied in the range of 1.20 - 0.60 W m-1 K-1 while the thermal diffusivity values increased in terms of the annealing effect ranging from 1.8 to 3.5 10-7 m2s-1This work was financially supported by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and by the WINCOST (ENE2016-80788-C5-2-R) project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivenes