Adeno-associated virus and lentivirus vectors: a refined toolkit for the central nervous system.

The last two decades have witnessed the increasing instrumentalization of viruses, which have progressively evolved into highly potent gene transfer vehicles for a wide spectrum of applications. In the context of the central nervous system (CNS), their unique gene delivery features and targeting specificities have been exploited not only to improve our understanding of basic neurobiology, but also to investigate diseases or deliver therapeutic candidates. As a result, we have started moving away from the opportunistic use of recombinant vectors that are derived from naturally existing viruses toward the rational engineering of tailored lentivirus (LV) and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for specific use in the CNS

The Effect of Corporate Governance Culture of Banks Financial Performance in Nigeria

This paper examines the effect of corporate governance culture of banks financial performance in Nigeria. The increased incidence of bank failure in the recent period generated the current literature on quality of bank assets and also emphasized good governance as means of achieving banks objectives. This study made use of secondary data obtained from the financial reports of nine (19) banks for a period of ten (10) years (2006- 2016). Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Findings revealed that poor asset quality (defined as the ratio of non-performing loan to credit) and loan deposit ratios negatively affect financial performance and vice visa in the banking sector. It is recommended that banks must strive to be a model for the advanced world in any substantial form they desire which could be in form of developing unique governance strategy that would be reckoned with globally and quicken the pace of applying international accounting conventions in all its financial operations (i.e. IFRS). Keywords: Agency theory, Corporate Governance, Corporate Governance Culture, Financial Performance, Stakeholders theory

EFFECT OF MODELLING TECHNIQUE IN ENHANCING LOW ACADEMIC SELF-CONCEPT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Academic self-concept is important for secondary school students’ personal adjustment and for the influence it has on other desired educational outcomes. This study investigated the effects of modelling technique in enhancing low academic self-concept of senior secondary school students in Onitsha education zone. One research question guided the study, while two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The design for the study is quasi-experimental, non-randomised pre-test and post-test, control group research. The target population of this study was 988 senior secondary school students having low academic self-concept in Onitsha education zone. A sample size of 108 students was selected using purposive sampling technique. A validated instrument for data collection was Academic Self-concept Survey (ASS). The internal consistency reliability coefficient for the instrument is 0.84. Data was collected through direct delivery of the instrument to the respondents. Mean scores were used to answer the research question, while the null hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA). The instrument norm 72.50 guided the decision. The finding of the study revealed that Modelling technique enhanced the academic self-concept of the secondary school students, but the effect was not significant when compared with those who received conventional counselling; the findings further revealed that the difference in the effect of Modelling technique on male and female secondary school students’ Academic self-concepts is not significant. Based on the findings and implications of the study, it was recommended that the practicing counsellors and therapist should make use of the modelling in combination with other effective techniques in administering counselling and therapy of secondary school students to modify and enhance their academic self-concept. Article visualizations

Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development

Business entrepreneurship activities in Nigeria has been on the increase, causing changes and boosting economic development to some existent especially in the provision of self employment and earning profit only. But to meet the challenge of sustainable development we require social entrepreneurship which is the application of entrepreneurship attributes of creativity, innovation and motivation combined with the drive to solve the most pressing social problems in the society. The study evaluated the contributions of social entrepreneurship and its core elements in sustainable development using a cross section of entrepreneurs and interest groups from Imo and Abia States. While simple correlation analysis was used to process the data. It was revealed that social entrepreneurship has not contributed effectively to sustainable development due to low level of creativity and innovation in our entrepreneurs Also, this has adversely affected development of women and rural areas. It is therefore recommended that entrepreneurship programmes should not just focus on business – profit and wealth creation but improvement of citizens creativity and innovativeness capability. This will facilitate sustainable development. Keywords: Business entrepreneurship social entrepreneurship, sustainable development creativity, innovation

Spatial Resolution with Time-and-Polarization-Resolved Acoustic Microscopy

Spatial resolution is an important factor in ultrasonic materials characterization. Scanning acoustic microscopy [1–2] has proved to be a useful tool for materials evaluation with micrometer-scale spatial resolution. Point-focus-beam (PFB) acoustic microscopy has high spatial resolution and is often used to produce images as well as to probe material inhomogeneity. However, a disadvantage of the PFB technique lies in its insensitivity to material anisotropy. In contrast, line-focus-beam (LFB) acoustic microscopy can provide a directional ultrasonic velocity measurement and is employed for characterization of anisotropic materials [3–5]. But the LFB technique, with its unidirectional spatial resolution, is generally incapable of producing images, and is therefore disadvantageous for probing inhomogeneous materials. In response to this need, a variety of lens designs [6–9] in acoustic microscopy have been proposed for measuring materials, which are both inhomogeneous and anisotropic

An Inquiry into the Impacts of Personnel Evaluation as a Control Mechanism on Employee’s Performance

This paper centers on an inquiry into the impacts of personnel evaluation as a control mechanism on employee’s performance. Three research questions were raised as a guide to this study while data generated through the questionnaire were analyzed using Non-parametric chi-square test. The outcome of the study revealed the followings: that personnel evaluation plays a significant role as a control mechanism for employee’s commitment, that personnel evaluation has a significant role as a control mechanism for employee’s productivity; employee’s team participation can be influenced by personnel evaluation. Keywords: personnel evaluation, personnel performance, employees’ commitment, employee’s productivity and employee’s team participation skill

Diversification: A Strategic Option to Survival of Micro-Finance Banks in Imo-State, Nigeria

This study investigated if diversification can play a strategic role in the survival of micro-finance banks in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The study employed a survey approach and used the questionnaire as its major source of data collection.  In order to guide the study, two research questions and hypotheses which are consistent with the objectives of the study were raised. ANOVA was the tool for data analysis, and from the findings of the results, the researchers concludes that diversification can enhance the financial performance and their competitiveness thereby enhance their surviva in the industry. Keywords: diversification, organizational survival, micro-finance banks, competitivenes

Long-Term Renal Function following Exposure to Petroleum Environmental Pollutants in the population of Ogoni Women,Niger Delta: A possible cellular mechanisms of Environmental Pollutants-induced Nephrotoxicity

Environmental toxic pollutants are of environmentalconcern because of its diversity of toxic effects in human body. In this study, randomly selected 184 female volunteers,94  from  Ogoni, Rivers State, Niger Delta and 90 from Ogoja Cross River State,consistently living in the petroleum exploration or gas and oil flaring region and non-petroleum production environments respectively, Nigeria, were used to estimate the contents of renal function indices  using standard procedures. Volunteers’ age ranged from 18 to 50 years. When compared to control, this study indicated significant high level of urea, creatinine, sodium and potassium with the ratio of urea to creatinine of 3:1 for the population of Ogoni women. Correlation coefficient analysis revealed significant positive relationship between heavy metals (lead, cadmium and vanadium) and renal function indices (urea and creatinine). An indication that environmental toxic pollutants cancause direct damage to the kidneysplausibly mediated by the combination of the high content of the exposed environmental pollutants and the induced high level of the renal toxins, specifically urea, which possibly fragmented blood cells without heat leading to nephrotoxicity.Additionally, the inference is that the population in the petroleum exploitation and exploration or oil and gas flaring environments are predisposed to renal dysfunction and are unaware

Effects of pH, Dosage, Temperature and Mixing Speed on The Efficiency of Water Melon Seed in Removing the Turbidity and Colour of Atabong River, Awka-Ibom State, Nigeria

Studies were carried out to determine the effects of operating parameters such as temperature, pH, dosage and mixing speed on the efficiency of watermelon seed in removing the turbidity and colour of Atabong River, which serves the people of Eket and their environs in Akwa-Ibom State. Results obtained showed that at an ideal pH of 7.5, temperature of 25oC, dosage of 0.6g/l and mixing speed of 120rpm the water melon coagulum removed turbidity and colour of the raw river water by 87.9% and 84.3% respectively. At this optimum conditions, water melon coagulum decreased the raw water turbidity from 67.7 to 8.18 NTU and colour, 318 to 50 TCU. The findings have demonstrated the effectiveness of water melon seeds as a possible replacement for chemicals like alum and ferric salts normally used in coagulation-flocculation water treatment

Does A Market Systems Approach Revitalize Smallholder Irrigation Schemes? Evidence from Zimbabwe

Smallholder irrigation schemes potentially improve the livelihoods of rural communities in developing countries. However, they face challenges such as infrastructural decline, lack of funding, lack of markets, shortage of water, underutilization of land, and inefficient irrigation systems. In Zimbabwe, the government carried out rehabilitation programs to address these problems but the performance of smallholder irrigation schemes remained poor. These chronic challenges triggered experts to adopt a market systems approach (MSA) to revitalize failing irrigation schemes. Using primary and secondary data sources collected in 2015, this study used a “before” and “after” descriptive assessment approach to determine the effectiveness of the MSA at revitalizing smallholder irrigation schemes in Zimbabwe. We used Mutema Irrigation Scheme as a case study. Results suggest that the MSA leads to improved efficiency of irrigation infrastructure, farm gross margins, willingness to pay irrigation fees and farmers’ standard of living. While this research does not econometrically establish causation of relations between variables involved, our results provide a foundation for future research on the application of the MSA to revitalize underperforming smallholder irrigation schemes in developing countries