Corporate environmental disclosure and sustainability governance practices among listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria

The primary aim of this research is to assess how sustainability corporate governance influences the disclosure of environmental practices by manufacturing companies listed in Nigeria. The research methodology employed in this investigation is ex-post facto, also referred to as a retrospective or causal-comparative design. The study's sample comprises ten selected listed manufacturing companies, chosen through purposive sampling techniques. Data for the study was gathered from sustainability reports and annual reports of these manufacturing firms listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). To investigate the relationships specified in the model, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis was applied. The coefficients for CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer) and EC (Environmental Committee) are 0.152 and 0.119, respectively. Their corresponding t-test values of 6.156 and 3.111 demonstrate statistical significance at the 5% level (p 0.05). The research findings highlight significant connections between sustainability corporate governance practices and the disclosure of corporate environmental activities. Notably, Chief Sustainability Officers and Environmental Committees play influential roles in promoting more comprehensive and transparent environmental reporting practices among the listed manufacturing companies. Top of Form Key words: Sustainability Corporate Governance (SCG), Corporate Environmental Disclosure (CED), Environmental Committee, Corporate Governance, Sustainability, Environmental Performance, Environmental Impact

Seven year review of retention in HIV care and treatment in federal medical centre Ido-Ekiti

Introduction: Poor retention of patients in care is a major driver of poor performance and increased  morbidity and mortality in HIV/AIDS programme despite the expansion and advancement Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART). The objective of this study is to assess retention rates and possible determining factors in People Living with HIV (PLHIV) on ART. Methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in Federal Medical Center, Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria. Medical records of clients who were enrolled in ART Care and support unit (HIV Clinic) of the health facility from 2005 to 2012 were reviewed and analyzed using SPSS version 16. A total of 621 client records were reviewed for basic demographic information, CD4 count, WHO stage, number of follow-up visit, client ART status and client retention status (defined as client attending at least one clinic visit in 2012. Results: A total of 347(63%) patients were retained in care and 208(37%) were not retained over the seven year review period. Retention was statistically significant with age (P-value 0.031), ART status (P-value 0.000) baseline CD4 (P-value 0.004), year of diagnosis and ART initiation (P-value= 0.027). Poor retention was associated decreasing age, pre-ART client, HIV stage 1&IV client and baseline CD4 above 400cell/mm3. Conclusion: Retention in care of PLHIV is a minimum necessary condition for maintaining or restoring health in the long run. The strategies to sustain and improve retention rate should be adopted to maximize ART benefits. A follow-up study on other factors affecting retention from diagnosis to long term retention ART programme is recommended.Key words: AIDS, antiretroviral, CD4, HIV, retentio

Early sexual debut: prevalence and risk factors among secondary school students in Ido-ekiti, Ekiti state, South-West Nigeria

Background: Early adolescent sexual activity remains a recurring problem with negative psychosocial and health outcomes. The age at sexual debut varies from place to place and among different individuals and is associated with varying factors. The aim was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of early sexual debut among secondary school students in Ido-Ekiti, South-West Nigeria.Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study. The respondents were selected using multi-stage sampling technique. Pre-tested, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 15.Results: More than two-thirds, 40(67.8%), had early sexual debut. The prevalence of early sexual debut was about 11%. The mean age of sexual debut was 13.10±2.82; the mean age for early sexual debutants was 11.68±1.98. The mean number of sexual partners was 2.44±1.99. Male gender, having friends who engaged in sexual activities had association with early sexual exposure (p<0.05). Alcohol intake had the strongest strength of association for early sexual debut among the students.Conclusion: The high prevalence of early sexual exposure among the students calls for urgent interventions to stem the trend. This will help to reduce the devastating negative psycho-social and health sequels.Keywords: Sexual debut, prevalence, risk factors, Nigeri

Numerical simulation of heat transfer and fluid flow around a cylinder of varying cross-section

The present paper discusses the effects of geometric parameters on mixed convective heat transfer and fluid flow in a lid-driven square enclosure fitted with an internal elliptical cylinder. The side walls of the enclosure were kept at a cold constant temperature and the lower horizontal wall, and the top moving wall were isolated thermally while the elliptical cylinder wall was sinusoidal heated. The dimensionless equations were solved with the aid of COMSOL Multiphysics software which relies on the finite element method. Simulations were performed for different Grash of numbers 103 aspect ratios 1:0 � AR � 3:0ð Þ, and inclination angle of the elliptical cylinder.Results are presented in the form of velocity streamlines, isothermal contours, and average Nusselt number. Findings from this study show that the highest heat transfer enhancement occurred when Gr ¼ 105. Also, for all the inclination angles and Grashof numbers considered, the more the surface of the ellipse exposed to flow, the greater the heat transfer enhancement. Finally, beyond AR ¼ 1:5, inclination angle of the ellipse inhibits heat transfer enhancemen

Early sexual debut: prevalence and risk factors among secondary school students in Ido-ekiti, Ekiti state, South-West Nigeria.

Background: Early adolescent sexual activity remains a recurring problem with negative psychosocial and health outcomes. The age at sexual debut varies from place to place and among different individuals and is associated with varying factors. The aim was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of early sexual debut among secondary school students in Ido-Ekiti, South-West Nigeria. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study. The respondents were selected using multi-stage sampling technique. Pre-tested, semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 15. Results: More than two-thirds, 40(67.8%), had early sexual debut. The prevalence of early sexual debut was about 11%. The mean age of sexual debut was 13.10\ub12.82; the mean age for early sexual debutants was 11.68\ub11.98. The mean number of sexual partners was 2.44\ub11.99. Male gender, having friends who engaged in sexual activities had association with early sexual exposure (p<0.05). Alcohol intake had the strongest strength of association for early sexual debut among the students. Conclusion: The high prevalence of early sexual exposure among the students calls for urgent interventions to stem the trend. This will help to reduce the devastating negative psycho-social and health sequels

Self-medication among health workers in a tertiary institution in South-West Nigeria

Introduction: inappropriate self-medication results in wastage of resources, resistance to pathogen and generally entails serious health hazard. This study was undertaken to determine the knowledge, practice and reasons for practice of self-medication among health workers in a Nigerian tertiary institution. Methods: this was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among staff of Federal Medical Center Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 305 respondents that were interviewed via a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Analysis was done using SPSS version 15 and while chi-square test was used to test significance between variables, significant (p value set<0.05). Results: among the 305 respondents interviewed, the age range was 18-52yrs with greater proportion being males (51.8%). Majority of respondents were aware of self-medication (94.8%), but only 47.2% had good knowledge of it. Reasons for practicing self-medication were financial problem (10.8%), mild sickness (10.8%), lack of time (13.4%), knowledge of diagnosis (5.6%), convenience (2.3%) and non-availability of doctors (3.0%). The drugs used by respondents without prescription included analgesics (38.2%), antibiotics (19.0%) anti-malaria drugs (13.3%), and others (29.4%). Conditions for which respondents self-medicated were body pains (14.9%), catarrh (14.9%), headache (14.3%), sore throat (11.5%), diarrhea (11.2%), fever (9.0%) and toothache (5.6%). Conclusion: the study demonstrates that the prevalence of self-medication is relatively high. There is need for health education on the implication and danger of self-medication. There is also need for government to pass and enforce law to restrict free access to drugs.The Pan African Medical Journal 2016;2

The use of soil microbial potassium solubilizers in potassium nutrient availability in soil and its dynamics

Abstract Background An increase in population has led to a higher demand for food. Meeting up this demand has necessitated the use of chemical fertilizers. However, utilization of these fertilizers has a considerable deleterious effect on the soil, plant, human, environmental sustainability, and only increase the cost and reduced profitability. With these identified problems, there is a need for efficient and sustainable methods regarding managing natural resources to enhance food production. Naturally, potassium (K) is an abundant element present in the soil but in an inaccessible form. There is therefore a need to seek an alternative method to improve the K availability to plants noting that K is an essential plant nutrient that plays a major role in plant physiological and metabolic processes. Subsequently, employing microbial potassium solubilizers is an efficient method to enhance the potassium availability in the soil, which in turn improves productivity. Therefore, this review discusses the various types of potassium solubilizing microorganisms in soil, their mechanism of action, and their importance in sustainable crop production. Main body Potassium solubilizing microorganisms (KSM) such as bacteria and fungi can solubilize K from an insoluble form to a soluble form to enhance uptake by plants. These microorganisms solubilize K through the production of organic acids such as tartaric acid, citric acid, and oxalic acid to release K from its minerals. Apart from making potassium available, these microbes can improve soil health and crop yield and act as bio-control agents by producing antibiotics. Potassium solubilizing microbes also produce hormones that help plants withstand both biotic and abiotic stresses. Hence, the application of KSM to agricultural soils will reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and enhance the sustainability of food production. Conclusion One of the most efficient ways of improving plant utilization of potassium in the soil is to use potassium solubilizing microbes, which can make potassium ions available from minerals of both igneous and sedimentary origins. The use of potassium solubilizing microbes as biofertilizers may be the awaited solution to increasing crop productivity, concerns linked to chemical fertilizer application, and earth resource diminution

Response of Soil Microbial Community (Bacteria and Fungi) to Organic and Inorganic Amendments Using Tomato as a Test Crop

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the response of soil microorganisms (bacteria and fungi), to some soil amendments (organic and inorganic) at site A and site B. The experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The treatments applied were compost (3.4 t/ha), poultry manure (4.2 t/ha), Tithonia diversifolia (4.8 t/ha), NPK (15:15:15) (0.8 t/ha) at 120 kg N/ha, and the control. Treatments were replicated three times. Tomato seedlings were raised in the nursery and transplanted to the field after 3 weeks with a spacing of 50 × 50 cm. Soil microbiomes (Fungi and Bacteria) were isolated using the serial dilution technique. Compost improved both the total number of fungi by 12%–178% and diversity by 1.09%–85% compared to the other amendments at both sites, while the diversity of bacteria was increased more by Tithonia diversifolia (11%–75%). The total number of bacteria was highest in plots amended with compost at site A. Compost had the highest percentage of bacteria suppressed compared to other amendments studied at both sites (27.3% and 28.5%, respectively). NPK had the highest bacteria suppression at site A. The plot amended with NPK had the highest percentage of bacteria enhanced at site A. NPK had the highest at site B. Poultry had the highest reduction in bacteria at site A. Tithonia diversifolia had the highest percentage proliferation of allochthonous bacteria at both sites with 23.7% and 27.7%, respectively, while compost plots had the least allochthonous bacteria at both sites. At both sites, the percentage of suppressed fungi was highest in plots amended with poultry manure and control. Compost and T. diversifolia had the highest percentage of fungus growth reduction in site A (26.3%). At site A, compost had the highest percentage of allochthonous fungi (29%). Application of compost, poultry manure, and Tithonia diversifolia is recommended for the improvement of soil microbial properties

Ferulic acid interventions ameliorate NDEA-CCl4-induced hepatocellular carcinoma via Nrf2 and p53 upregulation and Akt/PKB-NF-κB-TNF-α pathway downregulation in male Wistar rats

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a prevalent form of liver cancer that is life threatening. Many chemically synthesized anti-cancer drugs have various degrees of side effects. Hence, this study investigated the effect of FEAC interventions on NDEA-CCl4-induced HCAR in male Wistar rats. HCAR was induced by intraperitoneal administration of 200 mg/kg of NDEA and 0.5 mL/kg CCl4 (as a promoter of HCAR). Following the induction of HCAR, rats were treated differently with two different doses (25 and 50 mg/kg) of FEAC. HCAR induction was confirmed by the significant elevation of serum levels of ALT, AST, and α-FP. Also elevated significantly were liver levels of Akt/PKB, NF-κB, TNF-α, MDA, GSH, and activities of GST, SOD, and CAT, while levels of liver p53 and Nrf2 were significantly lowered compared with normal rats. Treatment interventions with both 25 and 50 mg/kg of FEAC against the DEN-CCl4-induced HCAR gave comparable effects, marked by a significant reduction in the levels of serum ALT, AST and α-FP, as well as liver levels of MDA, GSH, Akt/PKB, NF-κB, TNF-α, GST, SOD, and CAT, while levels of liver p53 and Nrf2 were significantly elevated compared with normal rats. Put together and judging by the outcomes of this study, FEAC being a potent antioxidant may also be potent against chemical-induced HCAR via upregulation of p53 and Nrf2, as well as downregulation of the Akt/PKB-NF-κB pathway in rats