Academic Achievement and Admission Policy as Correlate of Student Retention in Nigerian Federal Universities

The research focused on Nigerian federal universities to determine the relationship between academic performance of students admitted through criteria policy and their retention. A Sample of 42,288 first-year undergraduate students from five federal universities in South-West, Nigeria was surveyed. Variables being examined vis-a-vis retention rate were admission policy and academic achievement. Data collected were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that significant relationship existed between academic performances of students admitted through criteria policy and retention. The study suggested that admission policy should be better align with institutional strategies that can improve student academic performance and subsequently impact on the retention of students. Key words: admission criteria, merit, locality, educationally less developed, quality

Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Serum Cortisol Level as Stress Index in Symptomatic HIV/AIDS Male Subjects on Antiretroviral Therapy Negative to Malaria Parasite in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

Background: HIV infection is a risk factor for a variety of endocrine problems. Objectives: This study investigated the body mass index (BMI), Systolic blood pressure (SBP), Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and serum cortisol level as stress factor/index symptomatic HIV/AIDS male subjects on ART who are negative to malaria parasite in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 274 adult male participants aged between 18 and 60 (42 ±13) years were randomly recruited at the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Centre in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital and grouped based on WHO criteria for staging HIV into symptomatic HIV (stage 11) infected male participants on ART (A: n=69), Symptomatic HIV subjects not on ART (B: n= 69), Asymptomatic HIV positive subjects (C: n= 68) and HIV seronegative subjects (D: n= 68). Blood samples were collected from the participants for the determination of HIV status by immunochromatography and HIV confirmation by Western Blot. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to assay for cortisol level. Results: The results showed a significantly increased BMI and decreased mean serum cortisol level in HIV/AIDS seropositive participants on ART than in those, not on ART (p<0.05). Also, the BMI and mean serum cortisol level were significantly decreased and increased respectively in  HIV/AIDS seropositive participants not on ART than in Asymptomatic HIV positive subjects and control respectively (p<0.05). However, the mean SBP and DBP did not differ significantly between the groups studied (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed a decreased stress index in HIV/AIDS subjects on ART with hypercortisolism and lower BMI in symptomatic HIV participants, not on ART. Keywords: HIV; AIDS; Malaria uninfected male subjects; Cortisol; Blood pressure; Antiretroviral therapy

Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure and Serum Cortisol Level as Stress Index in Symptomatic HIV/AIDS Male Subjects on Antiretroviral Therapy Negative to Malaria Parasite in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

Background: HIV infection is a risk factor for a variety of endocrine problems. Objectives: This study investigated the body mass index (BMI), Systolic blood pressure (SBP), Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and serum cortisol level as stress factor/index symptomatic HIV/AIDS male subjects on ART who are negative to malaria parasite in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 274 adult male participants aged between 18 and 60 (42 ±13) years were randomly recruited at the Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Centre in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital and grouped based on WHO criteria for staging HIV into symptomatic HIV (stage 11) infected male participants on ART (A: n=69), Symptomatic HIV subjects not on ART (B: n= 69), Asymptomatic HIV positive subjects (C: n= 68) and HIV seronegative subjects (D: n= 68). Blood samples were collected from the participants for the determination of HIV status by immunochromatography and HIV confirmation by Western Blot. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to assay for cortisol level. Results: The results showed a significantly increased BMI and decreased mean serum cortisol level in HIV/AIDS seropositive participants on ART than in those, not on ART (p<0.05). Also, the BMI and mean serum cortisol level were significantly decreased and increased respectively in  HIV/AIDS seropositive participants not on ART than in Asymptomatic HIV positive subjects and control respectively (p<0.05). However, the mean SBP and DBP did not differ significantly between the groups studied (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed a decreased stress index in HIV/AIDS subjects on ART with hypercortisolism and lower BMI in symptomatic HIV participants, not on ART. Keywords: HIV; AIDS; Malaria uninfected male subjects; Cortisol; Blood pressure; Antiretroviral therapy

Effect of coffee consumption on liver enzymes (alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase), total and conjugated bilirubin levels among students in Nnewi

Background: Coffee has a number of bioactive compounds that have beneficial effects on human health in general and more importantly is the fact that coffee consumption has positive impact on the liver function. The present study investigated the effect of coffee consumption on liver enzymes: alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TB) and conjugated bilirubin (CB) levels among student in Nnewi.Methods: A total of twenty-five (25) apparently healthy participants aged between 18 and 30 years which were randomly recruited from College of Health Sciences’ students to serve as both test and control group. Each participant was advised to abstain from coffee and similar beverages for a period of three weeks prior to the commencement of the study. Subsequently, in addition to their normal diet, each of the subjects was given 2 gm of coffee dissolved in 150 ml of hot water in which 50 mg of non-dairy creamer was added before breakfast daily for 28 consecutive days. 6 ml each of baseline and test samples (after an overnight fast) were collected at day 0 and 29 respectively from each participant. Liver enzymes such as ALT, AST, and ALP activity as well as TB and CB levels was determined using standard laboratory methods.Results: This showed significant reductions in the mean serum AST and ALT activity, TB and unconjugated bilirubin (UB) levels with no significant alterations in the mean ALP activity and CB level in participants studied after short-term coffee consumption.Conclusions: This study revealed the hepatoprotective effect of coffee intake at short term basis

MAGMO: Polarimetry of 1720-MHz OH Masers towards Southern Star Forming Regions

From targeted observations of ground-state OH masers towards 702 Multibeam (MMB) survey 6.7-GHz methanol masers, between Galactic longitudes 186$^{\circ}$ through the Galactic centre to 20$^{\circ}$, made as part of the `MAGMO' project, we present the physical and polarisation properties of the 1720-MHz OH maser transition, including the identification of Zeeman pairs. We present 10 new and 23 previously catalogued 1720-MHz OH maser sources detected towards star formation regions. In addition, we also detected 16 1720-MHz OH masers associated with supernova remnants and two sites of diffuse OH emission. Towards the 33 star formation masers, we identify 44 Zeeman pairs, implying magnetic field strengths ranging from $-$11.4 to $+$13.2 mG, and a median magnetic field strength of $|B_{LOS}|$ $\sim$ 6 mG. With limited statistics, we present the in-situ magnetic field orientation of the masers and the Galactic magnetic field distribution revealed by the 1720-MHz transition. We also examine the association statistics of 1720-MHz OH SFR masers with other ground-state OH masers, excited-state OH masers, class I and class II methanol masers and water masers, and compare maser positions with mid-infrared images of the parent star forming regions. Of the 33 1720-MHz star formation masers, ten are offset from their central exciting sources, and appear to be associated with outflow activity