Assessment of the Relevance and Experience of Undergraduate Internship Programme: A Focus on University of Cape Coast Psychology Students in Ghana

For an effective and a successful internship programme, the competency and motivation of all parties involved are indispensable and studies have revealed that internship experiences have surfaced as important factors that may positively improve the job placement of students. Using descriptive cross sectional survey design, the investigators assessed the relevance and experience of internships of undergraduate psychology students in the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.  The study adopted a validated questionnaire and a proportional stratified sampling technique, involving 200 students made up of 115 and 85 males and females respectively.Results underscored the relevance of internship experience with greater sense of responsibility and career development it provides. It also suggested that career focus is associated with positive beliefs about intern’s career choice and future job satisfaction. It revealed a statistically significant association between type of organization and the relevance of internship programme to students. The results also showed significant differences in experience of internship programme across respondents’ age and gender.On the basis of the findings, recommendations were made for educational institutions to provide skills that organizations can capitalize on to give work related training during internships. Keywords: Internship, Relevance, Experience, students, gender differences, Learning Theorie

Determination of aflatoxin levels in bokina beverage

Objective: The main aim of this study was to investigate levels of total aflatoxin and aflatoxin M1 in bokina, a homemade non-alcoholic beverage prepared from dairy milk, millet and sugar.Methods: Bokina, dairy milk and millet were purchased monthly over a period of 7 months from bokina producers at Ashaiman and Nima, in Ghana. Total aflatoxin and aflatoxin M1 levels in these samples were measured using a fluorometric procedure and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.Results: Aflatoxin levels in bokina samples ranged from 1.0 to 21.0 ppb for Ashaiman samples and 1.0 to 23.0 ppb for Nima samples. Out of 21 samples from each site 1 from Ashiaman and 2 from Nima had levels total aflatoxin above the acceptable limit of 20 ppb. Similarly, total aflatoxin levels millet samples ranged from 1.0 to 55.0 ppb for Ashaiman and 5.0 to 53.0 ppb for Nima samples, with 2 samples from Ashiaman and 6 from Nima having levels above 20ppb. The levels of Aflatoxin M1 in milk ranged from 0.09 to 6.20 ppb for Ashaiman samples and 0.13 to 12.55 ppb for Nima samples. Out of the samples, 12 from Ashiaman and 10 from Nima (n=21) had levels of Aflatoxin M1 above the acceptable limit of 0.5 ppb.Conclusion: Bokina samples tested were contaminated with aflatoxin. All doses of aflatoxin have a cumulative effect on the risk of cancer. Therefore, farmers and bokina producers must be educated on good storage practices and monitored to protect the public from aflatoxin exposure and toxicity

Anti-ulcerogenic activity of the root bark extract of the African laburnum <it>“Cassia sieberiana”</it> and its effect on the anti-oxidant defence system in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite the widespread use of roots of <it>Cassia sieberiana</it> in managing several health conditions including gastric ulcer disease, there is little scientific data to support the rational phytotherapeutics as an anti-ulcer agent. This paper reports an evaluation of the <it>in vivo</it> anti-oxidant properties of an aqueous root bark extract of <it>C. sieberiana</it> in experimental gastric ulcer rats in a bid to elucidate its mechanism of action.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fisher 344 (F₃₄₄) rats received pretreatment of <it>C. sieberiana</it> root bark extract (500, 750, and 1000 mg/kg body wt.) for 7 days after which there was induction of gastric injury with absolute ethanol. The mean ulcer index (MUI) was calculated and serum total anti-oxidant level determined. Gastric mucosal tissues were prepared and the activity level of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured together with the level of lipid hydroperoxides (LPO). Statistical difference between treatment groups was analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Dunnett’s <it>post hoc t</it> test. Statistical significance was calculated at P< 0.05.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The administration of ethanol triggered severe acute gastric ulcer and pretreatment with <it>C. sieberiana</it> root bark extract significantly and dose dependently protected against this effect. The root bark extract also dose dependently and significantly inhibited the ethanol induced decrease in activity levels of the enzymes SOD, CAT and GPx. The extract also inhibited the ethanol-induced decrease in level of serum total anti-oxidant capacity. The increase in ethanol-induced LPO level and MPO activity were also significantly and dose-dependently inhibited by the root bark extract.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The gastro-cytoprotective effect, inhibition of decrease in activity of gastric anti-oxidant enzymes and MPO as well as the inhibition of gastric LPO level suggests that one of the anti-ulcer mechanisms of <it>C. sieberiana</it> is the anti-oxidant property.</p