Processing Speed Mediates Visual Attention in Patients With Remitted Major Depression

Information processing and attention in psychiatric patients have received limited research interests among neuroscientists. This has further limited clinical interventions in neuropsychological areas of psychiatric disorders. The present study was on processing speed and visual attention in patients with remitted major depression (RMD). Forty two participants were recruited for the study. Twenty one (21) of them were patients with RMD while the other 21 were healthy controls (HC). Four instruments were used to assess processing speed (TMT A and TMT B)  and visual attention (Letter Cancellation TaskS (LCT): Coloured and black-white), while the between group quasi experimental design was used. The findings of the study showed significant differences between RMD and HC on time taken to complete TMT A: F(1,35)=11.01, TMT B: F(1,35)15.50; LCT (coloured) F(1,35)=19.04, LCT (Black-white) F1(1,35)=29.65 at p<0.05 level of testing. Similarly the path model analysis showed that TMT B mediates significantly TMT A (overall processing speed) on time taken to complete LCT (Colored): B=0.62, and LCT (Black and White): B=0.77. The discussion of the study centered on the roles of the ability to shift the task in visual attention search and likely tendency that visual search has common neural circuitry pathway with ability to shift task.

Real-time Inpatients Risk Profiling in Acute Care: A Comparative Study of Falls and Pressure Injuries Vulnerabilities

To effectively manage patients of different vulnerabilities to falls and pressure injury entails understanding the risk drivers and predicting risk profiles in real-time, thus, we determined the core drivers of patients’ proneness to these risks while developing a machine learning strategy for their real-time prediction in acute care hospital. By implementing a multivariate logistic analysis, the risk drivers and injury risk probabilities were obtained while establishing a comparative machine learning technique for patients’ risk-profiling. We observed Multi sclerosis & motor neuron disease (MSN) and Fall during current admission (FDA) as pronounced risk drivers, and Extra Tree Classifier (ETC) and Random Forest (RF) as the best algorithms with prediction accuracy of 90.6% - 99.8%. With a cost saving of 2.3% - 38.89%, our framework will provide an efficient technique for cost-effective management of inpatients susceptible to falls and pressure injury risks on admission

Predictors of Examination Integrity among Secondary School Students: Framework for Proactive Actions Against Examination Malpractices

This study focused on determination of predictors of academic integrity during examinations among secondary school students. The population consisted of 300,000 final year secondary school students in South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria out of which a sample of 3000 students (1720 females and 1280 males) were selected through multistage proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Analysis of data collected with the aid of Examination Integrity Questionnaire (EIQ) that was adopted and validated by the researchers showed significant influence of students’ gender on academic integrity during examinations with female students having higher mean score on examination integrity. Moreover, Study Habits, Examination Ethics, Examination Anxiety, Moral Background, Examination Attitude and Past Experience were significant predictors of examination integrity of students. Past experience was the strongest predictor of students’ examination integrity. However, there was no significant impact of Age on students’ examination integrity. These findings have implications for preventive actions against examination malpractices. For instance, proactive actions should be targeted at improving students’ study habits, examination anxiety, moral reasoning, attitude towards cheating or examination ethics and subjective norms before they sit for school examinations. This proactive action framework based on the Modified Theory of Planned Behaviour may be more effective in curbing examination malpractices than the extant practice of administering punitive measures after examination ethics violations

Acalypha wilkesiana (Copper leaf) Leaves Alters Acute Cyanide Induced Hepatoxicity in Wister Rats

The aim of this investigation is to ascertain the possible ameliorating potential of Acalyphaw ilkesiana (subsp. macrophylla) methanolic leaf extract on cyanide induced hepatotoxicity and haemato toxicity in Wister rats. A total of 35Wister rats weighing between 100 and 150g were apportioned into 7 groups at random, each containing 5 rats. Group 1: negative control, received no treatment; group 2 and 3 received 200 and 400 mg/kg of A. wilkesiana crude extract respectively; group 4: received cyanide only (positive control); group 5: received cyanide and 660 mg/kg sodium thiosulphate (standard group); group 6 and7 received 200 and 400 mg/kg of crude extract of A. wilkesiana respectively. The result indicates that methanolic extract of A.wilkesiana irrespective of the concentration significantly reduced ALT, AST, and ALP activities in the rats induced with cyanide when compared with the positive control. However, Albumin and Total Protein concentrations were significantly increased in the treated Groups when compared with the positive control. In conclusion, Acalypha wilkesiana leaves were able to ameliorate cyanide induced hepatotoxicity comparable to standard cyanide antidotes in Wister rats

Batch Adsorption Study of Methylene Blue in Aqueous Solution using Activated Carbons from Rice Husk and Coconut Shell

The removal efficiency of activated carbons prepared from rice husk and coconut shell in the adsorption of methylene blue (azo dye) from the synthetic industrial wastewater was investigated in a batch system. Rice husk and coconut shell were both processed into activated carbon by carbonizing at 600 oC and activated with 3.0 M H3PO4 at 80 oC for 3h. Synthetic solutions of methylene blue were prepared and the adsorption process was carried out by varying initial, methylene blue concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact. The results showed that higher values of adsorbent dosage and contact time favored the adsorption of methylene blue from the simulated waste water. Activated carbon from coconut shell proved a better adsorbent compared to the activated carbon obtained from rice husk as coconut shell has the highest percentage removal for methylene blue

Relationship between self-handicapping and academic buoyancy among final year students in secondary schools

The study examined the relationship between self-handicapping and academic buoyancy among final year students in secondary schools in Nsukka education zone of Enugu State of Nigeria. This study adopted the cross-sectional survey research design. Through multistage sampling technique, 120 final year students were selected. The questionnaires, such as Academic Buoyancy Scale (ABS) and Self-handicapping Scale were used to collect data. The internal validity of self-handicapping and academic buoyancy scales were ascertained using the Bartlett’s tests for Sphericity and it was reported to be highly significant (p&lt; 0.05). The internal consistency of the questionnaires was ensured by using the Cronbach's alpha and a value of 0.844 and 0.867 was reported for the self-handicapping and academic buoyancy scales respectively. The quantitative data from questionnaires was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that there was low negative insignificant relationship between the two variables (Beta=-.105; R=-.105; p &lt; .253), indicating that high level self-handicapping is negatively associated with academic buoyancy among final year students in secondary schools. The study recommends that student counselors should develop structured and comprehensive cognitive behavioral therapy sessions to enhance the self-handicapping of final year students in secondary schools

The application of disperse dyes derived from 4-bromoaniline and 3-chloroaniline on to polyester fabric

A series of new disazo disperse dye compounds based on 4-amino-2-chlorophenylazo-4-bromobenzene intermediate were prepared by linking various arylamines and phenolic derivatives to this intermediate through diazo coupling reactions. The structures of the azo compounds were confirmed by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and UV-visible spectral data. The results of the UV-vis absorption spectra of some of the dyes showed near-infrared absorptions around 573-800 nm. The results of the colour fastness to washing and sublimation gave an excellent value of grade 5. The light fastness values were found to be technically acceptable with the grey-scale grade of 5 to 6-7. Also, the rubbing fastness was observed to be grade 3/4 to 4.               KEY WORDS: Disazo dyes, Spectral absorption, Polyester, Fastness, Near-infrared absorption Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2019, 33(1), 127-134DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v33i1.12   

Counselling Services and Social Homes as Remediators to Challenges of Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria

Persons with Disabilities (PWD’s) in Nigeria are faced with tons of daily challenges. These challenges range from stigmatization, discrimination, rejection and ostracization from family and friends; socialization problems, infrastructural deficit issues, exclusion and welfare needs from the society and government and also; dejection, depression, mood swing and pity from self. All these pose demeaning tendencies to their psycho-socio-cultural wellbeing. This paper seeks to advocate the provision of counseling services and also proper and adequate institutional homecare to help remediate their diverse challenges. It also tasks the legislature in Nigeria to implement policies and laws that creates enabling environment for her citizenry living with disabilities