Exercise and other lifestyle habits of patients with type II diabetes mellitus in Jos, Nigeria

Background Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder with complications affecting millions of people worldwide. It has been projected that in the near future, it will affect people in the developing countries like Nigeria more than the developed world. Lifestyle modification including exercise is important in the management of this condition. The other lifestyle of patients with diabetes including cigarette smoking and alcohol ingestion also affects the glycaemic control and the development or worsening of complications in these patientsMethods This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out at the diabetes clinic of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and a diabetes specialist clinic in Jos, North central Nigeria. Ninety patients with diabetes aged 18 years and above were recruited consecutively. Wheel chair bound patients, patients who had amputation in the past and patients who did not consent to the study were excluded from the study. Data was obtained using an interviewer administered questionnaireResults Fifty -four (60%) persons were males. The mean age was 56.8±11.5 years. 52.2 % participated in one form of exercise with 43 (91.5%) persons exercising for <150 minutes per week. The mean duration of exercise per week was 75.6 ±55.5 minutes. Those who exercised were younger, males and with lower HbA1c The . common form of exercise was walking. Barriers to exercise found include lack of time, pain/swelling in the legs, ill health and not knowing what exercise to do. Three (33.3%) out of the nine persons who took alcohol ingested it in significant amount and 1 (1.1%) person smoked cigarette.Conclusion The exercise habit of patients with diabetes in this environment is poor with some persons taking alcohol in significant quantity and smoking cigarette. Education and counseling of these patients therefore are important and should be done at every given opportunity.Key words: Diabetes mellitus, exercise, lifestyle habits

The effect of culture on Corporate Governance Practices in Nigeria

This study focuses on the effect of culture on the application of corporate governance practices in Nigeria. Corporate governance has been receiving serious attention in emerging markets over the past two decades. But relatively little attention has been given to the study on corporate governance in a country study. The current situations in Nigerian public and private sectors such as the corporate scandal resulting from Lever Brothers Nigeria plc, Siemens, Shell, Halliburton, and Cadbury Nigeria plc, have shown that the issue of fraud, corruption, and corporate scandals cannot be overlooked. Most top management, as this study argues, bring in beliefs acquired from their early childhood into their senior management roles and responsibilities. This study adopts a grounded theory and reports on the effect of culture on the implementation of corporate governance in Nigeria. Based on the interview with 32 staffs, this study identifies the effect of culture that shapes corporate governance and they include abuse of power by top management, weak legal framework, poor recruitment and ineffective control. Although having efficient corporate governance is worth pursuing, this depends on the power of top management, the strength of internal control procedures and the legal framework put in place by management

Antimicrobial activities of lactic acid bacteria isolated from akamu and kunun-zaki (cereal based non-alcoholic beverages) in Nigeria

Three lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates designated AS1, AS2 and KN4 isolated from kunun-zaki (a sorghum based non-alcoholic beverage widely consumed in Northern Nigeria) and identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus delbruckii, respectively, produced significant inhibitory compounds in broth. The partially purified inhibitory compounds were screened by agar spot assay method for antagonistic activity against target Gram positive and negative bacteria as well as yeasts associated with food spoilage. The partially purified compounds exhibited strong activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli ATCC 11775. The inhibitory compound produced by AS1 and KN4 inhibited Bacillus subtilis. Only the inhibitory compound produced by AS1 affected Candida albicans and Candida krusei. Analysis of variance indicated that there was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the susceptibility of the different target organisms to partially purified inhibitory compounds. Gram positive bacteria were affected more than yeasts. Proteolytic enzymes, trypsin and pepsin, but not catalase and α-amylase, completely inactivated antagonistic activity of the compounds demonstrating their proteinacious nature. The inhibitory compounds were fairly heat stable and also stable over broad pH ranges. The use of these or related GRAS isolates in the production of this and related beverage may increase the safety, shelf life and marketing appeal of such beveragesKeywords: Bacteriocins, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), target organisms, antimicrobial activity.African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 13(29) 2977-298

Ethno-veterinary practices: the perception among the Fulani cattle rearers in Adamawa State, Nigeria

One hundred homesteads in ten sedentary villages situated north of the State capital were selected because of high density of livestock and used for this study. Questionnaire was used to obtain data on production constraints and types of husbandry practices. The predominant husbandry system is extensive constituting (53.06%). Production constraints in order of importance are diseases (59.0%); feed (37.0%) and theft, (4%). Diseases that affect animals are FMD (36.0%); Helminthosis (31.0%); Pneumonia (10.0%); Dermatophilosis (8.0%); whilst Foot rot and Trypanosomiasis accounted for 5.0% each, with abortion and Blackquarter having 3.0% and 2.0% respectively. Most homesteads (64.28%) treat the animals using their knowledge of ethnoveterinary medicine whilst 15.31% call for veterinary services (orthodox medicine) and 20.41% combine ethnoveterianry and orthodox medicine. Ethnoveterianry and orthodox practices have existed for long together in the treatment of animal ailments, but the basis for which some of the practices are employed might not be explained, it simply works. Though there are limitations, these may be the reasons why orthodox medicine practices are sought

Job satisfaction of academics: does gender matter?

Academic work in higher education has been influenced by global trends such as accountability, massification and deteriorating financial support. Within this broader context, the performance of academic staff as teachers and researchers has an impact on student learning and implications for the quality of higher education institutions (HEIs). Therefore, satisfaction of academic staff is critical to the effective functioning of HEIs. This article reports on a study of academic career satisfaction in Portugal and gender differences with respect to academic job satisfaction. It found that male respondents in HEIs were in higher positions than women, but less so in private institutions. It also analysed some aspects of the professional context in which women and men work in order to explain similarities and/or differences in job satisfaction. The main difference was that women were less satisfied with personal and professional development, especially the balance between work and family