Hybrid Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria: A Review of Literature with Qualitative Research and Content Analysis

In today’s Nigeria, employment in organizations has turned upside down due to poor economic situations which do not allow many companies to pay their employees well. There is a need for individuals to look for ways to increase their incomes for meeting financial obligations. The need for hybrid entrepreneurship is critical as well. This paper conducts a review of literature on hybrid entrepreneurship as a tool for poverty reduction. The research employs qualitative research approach and content analysis. The study concludes that, hybrid entrepreneurship is a determinant practice to reduce the rate of poverty in Nigeria. The paper recommends that, hybrid entrepreneurship should be encouraged among the Nigerian citizens so as to reduce the poverty level that has become a problem of Nigerians. Also, every Nigerian should try to get involved or engage in other businesses to augment their incomes so as to achieve their personal and family goals

Self-Assessment of Final Year Medical Students’ Proficiency at Basic Procedures

BACKGROUND: Procedural tasks are important in patient management, with varying degrees of proficiency expected at different levels of medical training. Little has been done in this region to assess the medical students’ proficiency at performing basic procedures.AIM: The aim of this study is to determine their self-assessed proficiency, degree of participation in performing these procedures and the use of skill-lab training.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study is questionnaire-based, amongst final year medical students of University of Lagos, Nigeria.RESULTS: One hundred and forty students participated in the study.  A significant number (82{58.6%}) self-reported level of proficiency for venepuncture was above average or excellent; for IV line placement it was  a little less than half (65{46.4%}) and for urethral catheterisation 44 (31.7%); however it was quite low for the other procedures. Many students self-reported high level of participation for venepuncture (83{59.2%}); sixty one (43.6%) for IV line placement and 30 (21.7%) for urethral catheterization. The correlations between self-assessed levels of proficiency and participation were significant for all procedures. There was no exposure to the use of mannequins.CONCLUSION: Self-reported proficiency is lacking for basic procedures in a significant proportion of students with a low level of participation

Performance Related Pay and Organizational Commitment - Evidence from Nigeria

Aim/purpose - The study examined the causal relationship between Performance Related Pay (PRP) and Organizational Commitment (OC) in the Nigerian insurance industry. Design/methodology/approach - The study adopted a quantitative research approach to validate the relationship; through the administration of structured self-report questionnaire to the senior staff in Nigerian insurance industry. A sample size of 217 respondents completed the questionnaire and data was quantitatively analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Findings - Results of the study show that PRP components, like Merit-Based Pay (MBP) Performance Appraisal (PA) and Supervisor's Support (SS) were correlated moderately and positively with affective OC, at 95% confidence level. In addition, the regression analysis revealed that variances in OC dimensions - affective, continuance and normative-respectively, were explained by the variance in PRP components (MBP, PA, and SS).Research implications/limitation - The study revealed that PRP is positively correlated with OC in the Nigerian insurance industry. Thus, insurance management should motivationally reward their talented employees to earn their commitment. However, the study only focused on insurance industry. Originality/value/contribution - Empirically, the study attempted to quantify the causal relationship between PRP and OC in Nigeria. The results of the study suggest that PRP strongly predicts OC in the Nigerian insurance industry. (original abstract

Modelling the influence of hot air on the drying kinetics of turmeric slices

The influence of different drying temperatures and slice thicknesses on the drying kinetics of turmeric slices was studied to show how moisture is removed. The best model for predicting the drying kinetics was also determined. Turmeric slices (3 mm, 5 mm, and 7 mm) were dried at 40, 50, and 60 °C in a laboratory oven dryer. Four thin layer drying models (Newton, Henderson and Pabis, Logarithmic, and Page) were fitted to the experimental data and the selection was done based on the model with the highest correlation coefficient (R2), and lowest reduced chi-square (χ2), the sum of square error (SSE), and root mean square error (RMSE). Drying time varied between 420 min and 1140 min as the air temperature increased from 40 °C to 60 °C. The effective moisture diffusivity coefficient increased with increasing drying temperature and was found to be between 1.35×10-10 m2/s, and 5.00×10-10 m2/s, 3.00×10-10 m2/s and 10.91×10-10 m2/s, and 4.56×10-10 m2/s and 13.00×10-10 m2/s at 40 °C, 50 °C, and 60 °C, respectively. The values obtained for the activation energy for moisture diffusion were found to be 56.809, 56.060, and 45.561 kJ/mol for 3, 5, and 7 mm, respectively. The page model was found to best describe the oven drying of turmeric slices

A phase II trial of bendamustine in combination with rituximab in older patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Bendamustine in combination with rituximab (BR) has been associated with high response rates and acceptable toxicity in older patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Evaluation of BR is warranted in the front-line setting for DLBCL patients not eligible for anthracyclines or for the elderly. In this phase II study, we enrolled DLBCL patients aged ≥65 years who were poor candidates for R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) to determine the efficacy and safety of BR in previously untreated stage II–IV DLBCL. Twenty-three patients were enrolled with a median age of 80 years. 52% of patients presented with poor functional status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score of ≥2). The overall response rate was 78% with 12 complete responses (52%). At a median follow up of 29 months, the median overall survival was 10.2 months and the median progression-free survival was 5.4 months. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were haematological. Combination therapy with BR demonstrates high response rates as front-line therapy in frail older patients with DLBCL, but survival rates were low. BR should be used with caution in future clinical trials involving older DLBCL patients with poor functional status

Collaborative Molecular Epidemiology Study of Metabolic Dysregulation, DNA Methylation, and Breast Cancer Risk Among Nigerian Women: MEND Study Objectives and Design

PURPOSE To elucidate the role of metabolic dysregulation and associated DNA methylation changes on breast cancer risk and aggressive subtypes among Nigerian women. We describe the design and methods of a collaborative molecular epidemiology study of breast cancer in Nigerian hospitals. METHODS The Mechanisms for Novel and Established Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Women of Nigerian Descent (MEND) study was designed as a matched case-control study of 350 patients, age 18 to 75 years, with newly diagnosed, treatment-naive breast cancer and 350 age-matched healthy controls from surrounding geographic areas. Patients with breast cancer seen for initial diagnosis at four large tertiary hospitals in southwest Nigeria and one affiliated private hospital were recruited. Healthy female controls were selected from a cohort of 4,000 healthy women recruited as part of the Human Heredity and Health (H3) in Africa Chronic Kidney Disease Case-Control Study in Nigeria. Tumor and adjacent normal tissue, and blood and saliva samples were collected for molecular and epigenetic assays. RESULTS Although recruitment is ongoing, a total of 416 patients have been recruited to date, with tumor and blood samples obtained from at least 310 patients. Data on age-matched (6 months) controls have also been obtained and harmonized. Lipid assays for 350 pathologically verified cases and 350 age-matched controls is underway, and pathologic characterization of tumors (including immunohistochemistry for subtyping) is ongoing. Data on DNA methylation for tumors and adjacent normal tissue are expected by the end of the study period. CONCLUSION The MEND study will provide a unique, high-quality source of data to evaluate the contribution of metabolic dysregulation such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome to the biology of breast cancer among Nigerian women and foster collaborative studies relevant for women of African descent globally. J Global Oncol. (C) 2019 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Fogarty International Center [K01TW010271]Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Collaborative Molecular Epidemiology Study of Metabolic Dysregulation, DNA Methylation, and Breast Cancer Risk Among Nigerian Women: MEND Study Objectives and Design

PURPOSE To elucidate the role of metabolic dysregulation and associated DNA methylation changes on breast cancer risk and aggressive subtypes among Nigerian women. We describe the design and methods of a collaborative molecular epidemiology study of breast cancer in Nigerian hospitals. METHODS The Mechanisms for Novel and Established Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Women of Nigerian Descent (MEND) study was designed as a matched case-control study of 350 patients, age 18 to 75 years, with newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve breast cancer and 350 age-matched healthy controls from surrounding geographic areas. Patients with breast cancer seen for initial diagnosis at four large tertiary hospitals in southwest Nigeria and one affiliated private hospital were recruited. Healthy female controls were selected from a cohort of 4,000 healthy women recruited as part of the Human Heredity and Health (H3) in Africa Chronic Kidney Disease Case-Control Study in Nigeria. Tumor and adjacent normal tissue, and blood and saliva samples were collected for molecular and epigenetic assays. RESULTS Although recruitment is ongoing, a total of 416 patients have been recruited to date, with tumor and blood samples obtained from at least 310 patients. Data on age-matched (± 6 months) controls have also been obtained and harmonized. Lipid assays for 350 pathologically verified cases and 350 age-matched controls is underway, and pathologic characterization of tumors (including immunohistochemistry for subtyping) is ongoing. Data on DNA methylation for tumors and adjacent normal tissue are expected by the end of the study period. CONCLUSION The MEND study will provide a unique, high-quality source of data to evaluate the contribution of metabolic dysregulation such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome to the biology of breast cancer among Nigerian women and foster collaborative studies relevant for women of African descent globally

Association of Body Composition with Odds of Breast Cancer by Molecular Subtype: Analysis of the Mechanisms for Established and Novel Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Nigerian Women (MEND) Study

BACKGROUND: The association between obesity and breast cancer (BC) has been extensively studied among US, European and Asian study populations, with often conflicting evidence. However, despite the increasing prevalence of obesity and associated conditions in Africa, the continent with the highest age-standardized BC mortality rate globally, few studies have evaluated this association, and none has examined in relation to molecular subtypes among African women. The current analysis examines the association between body composition, defined by body mass index (BMI), height, and weight, and BC by molecular subtype among African women. METHODS: We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association between measures of body composition and BC and molecular subtypes among 419 histologically confirmed cases of BC and 286 healthy controls from the Mechanisms for Established and Novel Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Women of Nigerian Descent (MEND) case-control study. RESULTS: Higher BMI (aOR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.95) and weight (aOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.98) were associated with reduced odds of BC in adjusted models, while height was associated with non-statistically significant increased odds of BC (aOR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.90, 1.28). In pre/peri-menopausal, but not post-menopausal women, both higher BMI and weight were significantly associated with reduced odds of BC. Further, higher BMI was associated with reduced odds of Luminal A, Luminal B, and HER2-enriched BC among pre/peri-menopausal women, and reduced odds of triple-negative BC among post-menopausal women. CONCLUSIONS: Higher BMI and weight were associated with reduced odds of BC overall and by molecular subtype among West African women. Larger studies of women of African descent are needed to definitively characterize these associations and inform cancer prevention strategies

Association of body composition with odds of breast cancer by molecular subtype: analysis of the Mechanisms for Established and Novel Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Nigerian Women (MEND) study

Background: The association between obesity and breast cancer (BC) has been extensively studied among US, European and Asian study populations, with often conflicting evidence. However, despite the increasing prevalence of obesity and associated conditions in Africa, the continent with the highest age-standardized BC mortality rate globally, few studies have evaluated this association, and none has examined in relation to molecular subtypes among African women. The current analysis examines the association between body composition, defined by body mass index (BMI), height, and weight, and BC by molecular subtype among African women. Methods: We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association between measures of body composition and BC and molecular subtypes among 419 histologically confirmed cases of BC and 286 healthy controls from the Mechanisms for Established and Novel Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Women of Nigerian Descent (MEND) case-control study. Results: Higher BMI (aOR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.95) and weight (aOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.98) were associated with reduced odds of BC in adjusted models, while height was associated with non-statistically significant increased odds of BC (aOR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.90, 1.28). In pre/peri-menopausal, but not post-menopausal women, both higher BMI and weight were significantly associated with reduced odds of BC. Further, higher BMI was associated with reduced odds of Luminal A, Luminal B, and HER2-enriched BC among pre/peri-menopausal women, and reduced odds of triple-negative BC among post-menopausal women. Conclusions: Higher BMI and weight were associated with reduced odds of BC overall and by molecular subtype among West African women. Larger studies of women of African descent are needed to definitively characterize these associations and inform cancer prevention strategies