THE NIGERIANISATION OF DEMOCRACY: WHAT TO DO TO MAKE IT WORK

The dominance of the liberal democratic orthodoxy within the political cosmos has become a truism. With the fall of communism, a way has been paved for the triumphalism of democracy, making it politically fashionable these days for nations to embrace liberal democratic tenets. Countries now gravitate to the liberal democratic system because of its endogenous allurements of popular rule and the omnibus of freedoms it promises patron nations. However, in Nigeria, with over a decade of democratic praxis, the citizens are still full of Weltschmerz because of a kaleidoscope of ethnic agitation, civil, political and religious unrests and others which point to a democracy yet to reflect the yearnings of the people. The call for Nigerianising this democracy has become urgent and imperative. However, in this chapter, the focus has been on examining the issues that must be addressed and their implications before democracy can be successfully Nigerianised. The call for more reforms, allowing for greater inclusion of the people, has become a desideratum to keep the ship of state sailing smoothly for the benefit of all stakeholder

The Utilization of Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials in Chemical Engineering

Nanotechnology have witnessed application in almost all areas of chemical engineering from Quantum engineering to biosynthesis and biotechnology. It has improved the resonance properties of metals, semiconductors and quantum dots used for sensing and imaging applications. The greatest impact is in the area of biomedicals where neurodegenerative diseases such as cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and brain tumors are now addressed with great success. In filtration technology, nanomaterials are now used for onsite dictation and removal of heavy metals. Better performance have been discovered regarding nanomaterials for removing water vapor in the atmosphere as nano-hydroxyapatite can now replace silica gel for water vapour absorption. Even the processes leading up to production of nanomaterials are now modified with microorganisms to synthesize nanomaterials such as silver synthesized via H. Leucopus mediated bioreduction. Materials can now be synthesized down to atomic or molecular level through controlled deposition of the precursor material on the substrate. Size conversion of molecules, surface motif exchanges, ligand technology and polymer technology have witnessed turn around all because of nanotechnology. Organic pollutant known as non-biodegradables, can now be degraded excellently using TiO2 functionalized nanoporous anodized alumina in the presence of UV and visible light. Battery storage capacity have been greatly improved by doping of the electrodes with nanoparticles such that the volume changes during charge and discharge operations are reduced. In the end of this preview, a concise presentation of areas for further research was made to further accelerate research in this area. On battery technology and electrochemistry, a novel ternary composite of graphene, MoS2 nanosheets and a small amount (1wt %) of silver nanoclusters (NCs; MoS2/G/Ag) have been discovered with storage capacity as high as 1308 mAhg¬ 1 (at 5Ag-1 well above the traditional binary system with only MoS2/Ag. Other quantitative results of exploit of nanotechnology are littered in this review

Usefulness of X-Rays in the Evaluation of Patients with Pains of the Upper Limb

The conventional use of x-rays in radiodiagnosis is widelyobtainable in Nigeria. This study was intended, therefore todetermine the usefulness of x-rays to evaluate pains of theupper-limb in aspects of its contribution to diagnosis, cost,patient care and management and the views for detailedinformation. Adopting judgemental sampling, a nonprobabilitysampling, approach was used. A total of twohundred and forty seven (247) radiographs were handpickedusing the request forms and radiologist reports on theradiographs. The results obtained showed that the use of xraysto evaluate pain of the upper limb contributed 47.70% totherapeutic decision, cost, patient care and management.Oblique view had a positive outcome of 51.50% as againstposterior anterior and lateral views which had 27.14% and22.16% respectively. In comparison, computed tomography(CT) scans of 72 patients showed that 68.06% of the caseswere diagnosed as pain resulting trauma, spondylosis,ostemomyelitis and narrowing of disc spaces. The CT scanresult showed an improvement over conventional x-ray and anadded advantage to therapeutic decision making and patientcare/management. It was concluded that the use of otherimaging modalities in our hospitals should supplement the useof conventional x-rays on pains of the upper limb to removedoubt on therapeutic decisions in our health institutions

A Frame Work for Customer Relationship Management in Nigerian Banks Using Data Analytics

One of the most crucial challenges that Nigeria banks have to face is in the jurisdiction of customers’ satisfaction. Customers’ satisfaction has become one of the most important factors of success in today’s banking industry in Nigeria. Today Nigeria banks customer’s increases every day, as it is essential for many Nigerian to have proper savings with any bank of their choice; if the performance of bank falls short of their expectations, the very survival of such bank would be difficult. In this paper, a   framework for customer relationship management for Nigeria banks using big data analytics approach was developed. Qualitative research was used to identify customer satisfaction through customer management system information publish annually.  The data were collected from complaint data for financial report 2017 from the Customer Relationship Management System for WEMA Bank Plc. The data were analyzed using excel spread sheet and later converted into CSV and ARFF file format respectively. Data were  exported into WEKA for data analytics which then generated results. The formulated hypotheses are subjected to empirical test using Logistic regression and Machine learning. This new strategy provided solution of these problems identified. Keywords: Data Analytics, Linear regression, Banking,  Customer Satisfactio

Postpartum health related quality of life: relationship to antenatal exercise practice in a Nigerian population

Background: Antenatal exercise (ANE) has been reported to improve postpartum health outcomes in women. However, postpartum health related outcomes of ANE have been inconsistent in previous studies and have not been studied in a Nigerian population. This study assessed the influence of ANE on postpartum health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Nigerian women.Methods: 350 purposively selected women participated in this cohort study. During the last two pregnancy trimesters, participants completed a questionnaire assessing ANE practice/pattern while the Short Form (SF-36) questionnaire was used to assess HRQOL during postpartum. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with alpha level set at 0.05.Results: Majority (82.9%) of the women practiced ANE. Women who did not exercise showed significantly (p = 0.001) higher general health scores than those who did not. Women who exercised for <30 mins also showed significantly (p = 0.040) higher general health scores, as compared to those who exercised for ≥30 mins.  HRQOL was negatively correlated with each of practice and duration of ANE.Conclusions: It was concluded that ANE practice and patterns did not improve postpartum HRQOL. Improved education and supervision of ANE is recommended for improved postpartum health outcomes

How do women prepare for pregnancy? Preconception experiences of women attending antenatal services and views of health professionals

Copyright: © 2014 Stephenson et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Main objective - To determine the extent to which women plan and prepare for pregnancy. Methods - Cross-sectional questionnaire survey of pregnant women attending three maternity services in London about knowledge and uptake of preconception care; including a robust measure of pregnancy planning, and phone interviews with a range of health care professionals. Main results - We recruited 1173/1288 (90%) women, median age of 32 years. 73% had clearly planned their pregnancy, 24% were ambivalent and only 3% of pregnancies were unplanned. 51% of all women and 63% of those with a planned pregnancy took folic acid before pregnancy. 21% of all women reported smoking and 61% reported drinking alcohol in the 3 months before pregnancy; 48% of smokers and 41% of drinkers reduced or stopped before pregnancy. The 51% of all women who reported advice from a health professional before becoming pregnant were more likely to adopt healthier behaviours before pregnancy [adjusted odds ratios for greatest health professional input compared with none were 2.34 (95% confidence interval 1.54–3.54) for taking folic acid and 2.18 (95% CI 1.42–3.36) for adopting a healthier diet before pregnancy]. Interviews with 20 health professionals indicated low awareness of preconception health issues, missed opportunities and confusion about responsibility for delivery of preconception care. Significance of the findings - Despite a high level of pregnancy planning, awareness of preconception health among women and health professionals is low, and responsibility for providing preconception care is unclear. However, many women are motivated to adopt healthier behaviours in the preconception period, as indicated by halving of reported smoking rates in this study. The link between health professional input and healthy behaviour change before pregnancy is a new finding that should invigorate strategies to improve awareness and uptake of pre-pregnancy health care, and bring wider benefits for public health.Department of Healt

Simple tandem repeat (TTTA)(n )polymorphism in CYP19 (aromatase) gene and breast cancer risk in Nigerian women

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer related deaths in women worldwide. The incidence of the disease is increasing globally and this increase is occurring at a faster rate in population groups that hirtherto enjoyed low incidence. This study was designed to evaluate the role of a simple tandem repeat polymorphism (STRP) in the aromatase (CYP19) gene in breast cancer susceptibility in Nigerian women, a population of indigenous sub-Saharan African ancestry. METHODS: A case-control study recruiting 250 women with breast cancer and 250 women without the disease from four University Teaching Hospitals in Southern Nigeria was carried out between September 2002 and April 2004. Participants were recruited from the surgical outpatient clinics and surgical wards of the Nigerian institutions. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay was employed for genotyping and product sizes were detected with an ABI 3730 DNA Analyzer. RESULTS: Conditional logistic regression analysis revealed that harboring the putative high risk genotypes conferred a 29% increased risk of breast cancer when all women in the study were considered (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83–2.00), although this association was not statistically significant. Subgroup analysis based on menopausal status showed similar results among premenopausal women (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 0.76–2.41 and postmenopausal women (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.64–2.49). The data also demonstrated marked differences in the distribution of (TTTA)(n )repeats in Nigerian women compared with other populations. CONCLUSION: This study has shown that harboring 10 or more repeats of the microsatellite (TTTA)(n )repeats of the CYY19 gene is associated with a modest increased risk of breast cancer in Nigerian women

Who is the Teacher and Who is the Student? The Dual Service- and Engaged-Learning Pedagogical Model of Anatomy Academy

Anatomy Academy is a simultaneous service-learning experience for preprofessional school undergraduate students and preclinical professional students acting as classroom paraprofessional teachers (Mentors), and engaged-learning experience for fourth to sixth grade elementary school children (Students). Using didactic and kinesthetic active learning teaching strategies in small-group classroom environments, Mentors taught anatomy, physiology, and nutrition concepts to Students. In this study of the program's early years (2012-2014), overall objectives of improving Mentors' pedagogical confidence; and Students' science interest, science knowledge, and exercise self-efficacy were assessed. Mentors showed (89% response of 595 surveyed) improvement in content delivery (P < .001), student engagement (P < .001), classroom management (P < .001), and professionalism (P = .0001). Postprogram Mentor reflections were categorized into 7 major themes that demonstrated personal growth through the service-learning opportunity: (1) realization of an ability to make a difference in the world now; (2) acknowledgment of the importance of listening in teaching; (3) recognition that lives can and will change with "a little love"; (4) insight into the effectiveness of guiding Students through material rather than lecturing; (5) awareness of the value of respect in the learning environment; (6) cognizance of the power of individualized attention to motivate Students; and (7) reflection of one's own personal growth through the open influence of Students. Students showed (88% response of 1259 surveyed) improvement in science knowledge (P = .014) and exercise self-efficacy (P = .038), but not science interest (P = .371). Thus, while Students are learning more science and becoming more aware of their health, we need to be more overt in our presence as scientists in the educational arena

Flour nutritional profile, and soxhlet-extracted oil physicochemical breakdown-storage performance of white melon (Cucumeropsis mannii Naudin) seed varieties from Southeast Nigeria

White melon (Cucumeropsis mannii Naudin), is among common and yet underutilized oil seed crop within the West African region, does not have sufficient information specific to its nutrient composition for foreign consumers. To supplement existing information, therefore, we investigated the nutritional profile of defatted and full-fat flour, alongside physicochemical breakdown and storage performance of soxhlet-extracted oil from two white melon (C. mannii) seed varieties found in Southeast Nigeria. Nutritional profile involved the determinations of proximate composition, minerals, vitamins, functional properties as well as amino acid profile. Physicochemical breakdown involved the determinations of fatty acid profile, lipid breakdown parameters, as well as associated physical attributes. Results showed defatting of flours increased the protein (69.04%), carbohydrates (16.26%), crude fiber (2.68%), ash (11.9%), mineral (Na ranging from 223.92-246.99 mg/100g), and vitamin contents (Vit B1 ranging from 0.453-0.712 mg/100g). Total amino acid differed slightly when comparing miniature (30.36 g/100g) and large (22.36 g/100g) seeds. Soxhlet-extracted oil possessed low thiobarbituric acid, acid, and peroxide values (0.030 and 0.038 mg MDA/kg, 1.08 and 1.27 mg KOH/g, and 2.95 and 3,94 mEqO2/kg, for large and miniature seeds respectively), and peak linoleic acid (5 and 6.45 mg/ml, for miniature and large seeds respectively). During storage, the thiobarbituric acid and peroxide values of soxhlet-extracted oil increased yet within acceptable limits. © 2023 Nwoke et al