EFFECTIVE DECISION-MAKING AND ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL ACHIEVEMENT IN A DEPRESSED ECONOMY

Effective decision-making occupies key position in the life of an organization be it a public establishment or a private corporate entity. On daily basis, executives and leaders make multiplicity of decisions involving the exchange of information, data review, generation of new ideas, evaluation of alternative courses of action and implementation of policies. This article examines how effective decision-making impacts organizational goal achievement especially in a depressed economy. Descriptive research method was adopted in the article. Instrument used to gather data was questionnaire designed on 5-point scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Tables and percentages were used to analyze the data generated from the questionnaires. Chi-square inferential statistical tool was used to test the hypothesis of the study stated in null terms as follows: “cutting-edge knowledge of information technology and relevant data availability are not essential ingredients of effective decision-making for the achievement of organizational goals” The result of the chi-square test showed that chi-square calculated value (X2 cal 36.5) exceeded the table value of the chi-square (X2 tab 9.49). The result led to the rejection of the null hypothesis (Ho) and the acceptance of the Alternative hypothesis (Hi) thereby lending credence to the fact that effective decision-making with cutting-edge knowledge of modern information technology and relevant data availability lead to the achievement of desired organizational goals. This article is of the view that the chief executive and top management of an enterprise must seek broad spectrum of input from both inside and outside sources to make good decisions that would move the organization forward. Information from customers, suppliers and employees are instrumental to successful decision-makin

Acetylcholine and Rivastigmine as Corrosion Inhibitors of Cu – Sn - Zn – Pb Alloy in Hydrochloric Acid Environment: DFT & Electrochemical Approach

The study on the action of Acetylcholine and Rivastigmine as Corrosion Inhibitors of Cu – Sn - Zn – Pb Alloy in Hydrochloric Acid Environment was carried out using density functional theory, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Potentiodynamic polarization, Scanning electron microscopy and weight loss. The result revealed that both Acetylcholine and Rivastigmine expired drugs were good inhibitors of Cu – Sn - Zn – Pb Alloy in Hydrochloric Acid Environment. This was confirmed from results of weight loss (99.1 % and 95.0 %), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) (92.5 % and 91.8 %), and Potentiodynamic polarization (97.4 % and 87.1 %). Both inhibitors were able to increase the charge transfer resistance and corrosion current densities of the electrical solution and reduce the double layer capacitance of the metal – solution interface. Inhibition was as a result of adsorption of inhibitor molecules on the Cu – Sn - Zn – Pb surface. Thermodynamically, inhibitors showed greater stability on metal surface, spontaneous in the forward direction and reduction in level of disorderliness. Inhibitors demonstrated a mixed type inhibition while physical adsorption mechanism was proposed for the inhibitor – metal interaction. Langmuir adsorption isotherm was obeyed as data fitted adequately to the isotherm and regression coefficient was approximately unity. A monolayer adsorption was deduces

Nutritional status of children under age five in Benue State, Nigeria

This study aimed at determining the nutritional status of under-five children or pupils in Benue State. The objective of the study was to assess the  prevalence of stunting, wasting and BMI for age of under-five children or pupils in Benue State. The participants for this study were three hundred  and forty (340) under-five children or pupils who were sampled from the Early Childcare Centres (ECCs) across the primary schools in selected Local  Government Areas of Benue State using multistage sampling technique consisting of three rural local government areas and three urban local  government areas. Participants’ stature and body mass were measured in accordance with the protocol of the International Society for the  Advancement of Kinanthropometry. The body Mass Index (BMI) of the participants was derived as a ratio of weight (in kilograms) to height (in  meters) squared (kg/m2) and was expressed in standard deviation unit. The frequency and percentages were adopted in analyzing the prevalence of  stunting, wasting and BMI. The WHO Anthroplus Software (version 3.2.2) was used to compute the under-five nutritional status which was  categorized based on WHO recommendations. The results of the study indicated that, the overall prevalence of stunting and wasting were 44% and  7.6% respectively. The overall prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity were 6.5%, 12.1% and 25.9%, respectively. The prevalence of  stunted under-five children or children was more among rural children (49.5%) than their urban counterparts (38.2%). The prevalence of wasting  among urban children (7.9%) was slightly higher than their rural counterparts (7.4%), though not significant. The prevalence of each of underweight,  overweight and obesity was higher among urban children 7.9%, 13.8% and 27.1% than their rural counterparts which have the  corresponding values of 5.3%, 10.6% and 24.3%, respectively. It was therefore recommended that health personnel especially in Benue State should  create awareness through seminars and workshops in schools, health facilities and the media on the need to provide whole meals to children and  discourage the consumption of snacks or processed foods by not making it part of the children’s lunch pack

Association of the CHEK2 c.1100delC variant, radiotherapy, and systemic treatment with contralateral breast cancer risk and breast cancer-specific survival

Background Breast cancer (BC) patients with a germline CHEK2 c.1100delC variant have an increased risk of contralateral BC (CBC) and worse BC-specific survival (BCSS) compared to non-carriers. Aim To assessed the associations of CHEK2 c.1100delC, radiotherapy, and systemic treatment with CBC risk and BCSS. Methods Analyses were based on 82,701 women diagnosed with a first primary invasive BC including 963 CHEK2 c.1100delC carriers; median follow-up was 9.1 years. Differential associations with treatment by CHEK2 c.1100delC status were tested by including interaction terms in a multivariable Cox regression model. A multi-state model was used for further insight into the relation between CHEK2 c.1100delC status, treatment, CBC risk and death. Results There was no evidence for differential associations of therapy with CBC risk by CHEK2 c.1100delC status. The strongest association with reduced CBC risk was observed for the combination of chemotherapy and endocrine therapy [HR (95% CI): 0.66 (0.55–0.78)]. No association was observed with radiotherapy. Results from the multi-state model showed shorter BCSS for CHEK2 c.1100delC carriers versus non-carriers also after accounting for CBC occurrence [HR (95% CI): 1.30 (1.09–1.56)]. Conclusion Systemic therapy was associated with reduced CBC risk irrespective of CHEK2 c.1100delC status. Moreover, CHEK2 c.1100delC carriers had shorter BCSS, which appears not to be fully explained by their CBC risk

Comparative assessment of several rainfall erosivity indices in southern Nigeria: short communication

Soil erosion, measured in field runoff plots, was correlated with several rainfall erosivity indices. Erosion was measured on field plots established on a Typic Paleudult in southeastern Nigeria. Several erosivity indices were computed from a daily recording rain gauge sited in vicinity of the runoff plots. Erosivity indices computed included EI30 (WISCHMEIER & SMITH 1978), KE>1 (HUDSON 1971) and AIm (LAL 1976). In addition, several new indices were computed including EkIm and EkI30, where, the new kinetic energy (Ek) factor was computed using an empirical relation developed by KOWAL & KASSAM (1976) in northern Nigeria. Two new indices were slightly better correlated with soil erosion than the conventionally used indices

Some physical properties of wetland soils with reference to the Tropics

SIGLEITItal

Spatial variability of uncultivated soils in derived savanna

The spatial variability of some physicochemical properties of topsoils/subsoils under secondary forest, grassland fallow, and bare-soil fallow of three locations was evaluated. The data were analyzed and described using classical statistical parameters. Based on the coefficient of variation, bulk density, total porosity, 60-cm-tension moisture content, and soil pH were of low variability. Coarse and fine sand were of moderate variability. Highly variable soil properties included silt, clay, macroporosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, organic matter concentration, and cation exchange capacity. Overall, soil pH and silt varied the least and the most, respectively. Relative weighting showed that location dominantly influenced the soil variability, except for soil porosity and organic matter concentration influenced mostly by land use. Most of the soil data were normally distributed; others were positively skewed and/or kurtotic. The minimum number of samples (at 25 samples ha-1) required to estimate mean values of soil properties was highly soil property-specific, ranging from 1 (topsoil pH-H2O) to 246 (topsoil silt). Cation exchange capacity of subsoils related fairly strongly with cation exchange capacity of topsoils (R2 = 0.63). Spatial variability data can be used to extrapolate dynamic soil properties across a derived-savanna landscape

Puddling intensity for late-season sawah systems based on soil hydrophysical conditions and rice performance

Lowland sawah farmers often puddle to improve soil hydrophysical conditions for rice, but the puddling intensity beyond which no extra yield increases occur is unknown. Agro- nomic effects of six mechanical puddling intensities were assessed in three Nigerian inland-valley bottoms. All puddled plots, irrespec- tive of intensity, produced similar effects at all three locations. At 10 days after transplanting, soil bulk density of all puddled plots re- presented mean decreases relative to control plots of about 22.4, 15.8, and 31.7% at Akaeze, Adani, and Ejeti, respectively. Soil bulk density and moisture content upon saturation were similar during 40-120 days after transplanting. All puddled plots consistently showed taller plants and greater tillering than control plots only at Ejeti. Grain yields were similar among treatments in Akaeze and Adani (mean, 3.71 and 6.42 Mg ha -1 , respectively), but one-pass puddling yielded numerically highest in both locations. At Ejeti, grain yields followed the trend for plant growth, with mean values of 4.36 and 1.81 Mg ha -1 for puddled and control plots, respecti- vely. One-pass puddling may be sufficient for sawah rice grown late particularly in less humid environments

Characteristics and gender differences of accident case reports in a teaching hospital in Nigeria: A four-year retrospective hospital case file analysis

To describe the characteristics and determine gender differences of accident cases reported at the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Nigeria from January 1, 2013, to 31st December 2017. A descriptive retrospective study employing a systematic sampling of one-in-five patients in the AED nurses register of the UPTH. Patients' demographics, referral departments, and injury classification were extracted from the case files. Data was analysed using frequencies and Chi-square. Four hundred and forty-six patients [male (n=307, 68.8%)] were selected out of 2234 cases. The highest number of accidents (54.2%) occurred among patients aged 21- 40 years. About 67.9% were road traffic accidents (RTA), 23.4% as domestic accident and 8.7% reported as occupational accident. The highest number of accidents (n=157) occurred in 2013 and January/April (n=56 each). Accident cases were classified as head injuries (24.7%) and referred to the orthopaedic department (33.6%). A chi-square showed a significant interaction [χ2= (2) = 25.73, p<0.00001], indicating that male patients (73.6%) suffered more head injury than female (26.4%). Male patients had RTA (73.6%) and occupational accident (84.6%) than female patients. This study's findings should be treated as hypothesis-generating results, as we did not evaluate the total number of cases reported in the AED. Therefore, these findings should be interpreted with caution. There is a need to develop a more extensive population-based epidemiological study to explore the predictors of accidents reported in Nigeria's hospitals. Regardless, road traffic accidents seem to be the leading cause of accident presented at the A & E of UPTH, occurring mostly at the year's festive periods. Occupational health hazard was less reported. Efforts to reduce road traffic accident, especially during the festive periods, is highly recommended