Treasury Single Account (TSA) System, Financial System and Economic Growth in Nigeria

This study looked at the effect of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system on the Nigerian financial system and economic growth. Since the inception of the Buhari’s Administration, TSA has been a topic of widespread discussion from all over the media and the economy at large, due to the impact, some experts, especially, those in the financial sector believe it has on the financial institutions in particular and the economy at large.However, using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), a descriptive method was used to analyse secondary data gathered from the financial reports (balance sheet and profit and loss account reports) of five (5) major deposit money banks (DMBs) in Nigeria.This study concluded that, TSA does not have so much negative impact on the Nigerian financial institutions as most of the institutions are still very stable and buoyant financially. Moreover, the financial insolvency being experienced by some deposit money banks, are as a result of factors outside the purview of Treasury Single Account system.This study therefore recommended that government should re-invest the funds taken away from the financial institutions back into the economy in the form of capital expenditure in order to revamp the economy from its current state of recession. Keywords: TSA, Economic growth, financial system, deposit money bank

The Effects of Brand Perception on Consumer Purchasing Behaviour: A Study of Primark, Ireland.

This study captured the brand-related perception of Individual consumers to draw attention of business corporations interested in evaluating their customer’s purchasing frequency. This thesis analyzed “The Effects of Brand Perception on Consumer Purchasing Behavior: A Study of Primark, Ireland”. The research drilled further by examining the core brand perception variables influencing the purchasing behavior of consumers viz Brand Reputation, Price, Product Quality and Customer’s Service Quality. The study objectives and hypotheses formulated were aimed at employing these brand perception variables to measure their respective impact on the purchasing behaviour of consumers in the context of Primark, Ireland. Other, Non-brand perception were examined. The conceptual framework constitutes both the Brand and Non-brand perception core variables feeding into each other to predict the consumer purchasing behavior. The research embraced the positivist belief. The Survey strategy linked with the deductive approach further strengthened the methodological basis of the study. A quantitative study was carried out using the survey questionnaire validated (Face and content) and equally reliable. The Non-Probability sampling technique of purposive and snowball, supported the study to attain the targeted sampled population of 60 participants using online channels, powered by survey monkey. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (PMCC) and Multiple regression were deployed for the research analysis. The findings revealed that Brand Reputation had the highest relative contribution which was significantly positive (B=1.004; t=2.348; p<0.05). This is equally followed by Customer’s service quality, significantly negative (B=-0.876; t=2.387; p<0.05), Product quality, insignificantly negative (B=-0.367; t=-1.057; p>0.05) and Price had the least relative contribution. however, positive but not significant (B=0.259; t=0.746; p>0.05). The results further showed that the Predictor variables for the study had significant composite contribution on consumer purchasing behaviour. (12.7%). The results ultimately indicated that the independent variables examined for this study are good behavioral predictors as they have positive relationship with consumer purchasing behavior. (R=0.432) In conclusion, Primark should endeavour to explore the entity of brand perception in its entirety thus enabling them to have a greater command of their customer’s purchasing behaviour

Managing oral bleeding in children with hereditary bleeding disorders: case series and a review of literature

Bleeding disorders are mostly of genetic or hereditary origin in children. Dental consultations sought by patients with bleeding disorders may follow trauma, dental infections or may be insidious. The present report is on five cases managed at the Paedodontic unit of the Child Dental Health Clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. The report gives a review of some of the challenges faced in the dental management of patients with hereditary bleeding disorders and the treatment options for the different oral presentations. Four of these patients had haemophilia A and the other had von Williebrand disease. All the patients presented with bleeding gingivae secondary to either physiologic processes of eruption, infective or traumatic dental conditions. The management of the patients was comprehensive with a multidisciplinary approach. The prevention of traumatic and infective dental conditions is an important part of oral health care in individuals with hereditary bleeding disorders. This would reduce the need for treatment and should reduce the number of emergency visits

The feasibility of community level interventions for pre-eclampsia in South Asia and sub-saharan Africa: A mixed-methods design

Background: Globally, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are major contributors to maternal and perinatal mortality; of which the vast majority of deaths occur in less developed countries. In addition, a disproportionate number of morbidities and mortalities occur due to delayed access to health services. The Community Level Interventions for Pre-eclampsia (CLIP) Trial aims to task-shift to community health workers the identification and emergency management of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia to improve access and timely care. Literature revealed paucity of published feasibility assessments prior to initiating large-scale community-based interventions. Arguably, well-conducted feasibility studies can provide valuable information about the potential success of clinical trials prior to implementation. Failure to fully understand the study context risks the effective implementation of the intervention and limits the likelihood of post-trial scale-up. Therefore, it was imperative to conduct community-level feasibility assessments for a trial of this magnitude.Methods: A mixed methods design guided by normalization process theory was used for this study in Nigeria, Mozambique, Pakistan, and India to explore enabling and impeding factors for the CLIP Trial implementation. Qualitative data were collected through participant observation, document review, focus group discussion and in-depth interviews with diverse groups of community members, key informants at community level, healthcare providers, and policy makers. Quantitative data were collected through health facility assessments, self-administered community health worker surveys, and household demographic and health surveillance.Results: Refer to CLIP Trial feasibility publications in the current and/or forthcoming supplement.Conclusions: Feasibility assessments for community level interventions, particularly those involving task-shifting across diverse regions, require an appropriate theoretical framework and careful selection of research methods. The use of qualitative and quantitative methods increased the data richness to better understand the community contexts

Determinants of preventive oral health behaviour among senior dental students in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: To study the association between oral health behaviour of senior dental students in Nigeria and their gender, age, knowledge of preventive care, and attitudes towards preventive dentistry. METHODS: Questionnaires were administered to 179 senior dental students in the six dental schools in Nigeria. The questionnaire obtained information on age, gender, oral self-care, knowledge of preventive dental care and attitudes towards preventive dentistry. Attending a dental clinic for check-up by a dentist or a classmate within the last year was defined as preventive care use. Students who performed oral self-care and attended dental clinic for check-ups were noted to have complied with recommended oral self-care. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression models were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: More male respondents agreed that the use of fluoride toothpaste was more important than the tooth brushing technique for caries prevention (P < 0.001). While the use of dental floss was very low (7.3%), more females were more likely to report using dental floss (p=0.03). Older students were also more likely to comply with recommended oral self-care (p<0.001). In binary regression models, respondents who were younger (p=0.04) and those with higher knowledge of preventive dental care (p=0.008) were more likely to consume sugary snacks less than once a day. CONCLUSION: Gender differences in the awareness of the superiority of using fluoridated toothpaste over brushing in caries prevention; and in the use of dental floss were observed. While older students were more likely to comply with recommended oral self-care measures, younger students with good knowledge of preventive dental care were more likely to consume sugary snacks less than once a day

Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Oral Health in Children With Cleft Lip and Palate

OBJECTIVE: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) exist to present recommendations and policies aimed at optimizing the oral health of children and adolescents born with cleft lip and/or palate. The aim of this review is to identify and assess the scope, quality, adequacy, and consistency of CPGs related to oral health in children and adolescents with clefts, along with reporting any differences and shortcomings. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature of CPGs following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews guidelines was conducted. Assessment of selected CPGs was performed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II methodological quality instrument. RESULTS: Only 7 CPGs fulfilled the criteria. Of these, 4 were from the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, and 1 each from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. The lowest overall mean scores were in the domain “Rigor of Development” (mean 29.58%, SD 17.11), revealing lower quality in methodology of the guideline. The domain “Clarity of Presentation” (mean 73.80%, SD 7.87) revealed the best score. CONCLUSIONS: Our review results reveal a lack of integrated high-quality CPGs that can be used as universal guidelines by health workers in a range of disciplines for improving oral health in children and adolescents with cleft problems

The Study of the Impact of Nano Carbon Additives on Astm A53 Mild Steel During Machining

In the world today, most of the treated steels were done using chemicals which in turn degrades rapidly. This study developed treated metal from ASTM A53 mild steel using pulverized palm kernel shell as carburizer and egg shell as energizer due to their high carbon and calcium carbonate content. Samples of hundred (100) pieces of ASTM A53 mild steel with dimensional size of 100 x 30 mm each were used. The elemental composition of the sample was checked using UV-VIZ spectrometric machine. Four sets of steel boxes were fabricated in the dimensions of 200 x 50 x 200 mm with two faces detachable and small extension for carrying the boxes at high temperature. Prepared samples buried in pulverized carburizer and energizer at a mixed percentage ratio of 80 to 20 were put together in a muffle furnace (2,500oC max) for case hardening at different holding temperature and time of (HT- 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes) and (CT- 950, 1000, 1050, 1100OC). This procedure was repeated severally with varying holding time and temperatures. The initial experiment started from 950oC and rose up to1100oC. The hardness for surface, interface and core were taken using hardness tester. Surface hardness of 139.4 HV at holding temperature 980oC and time 180 minutes gave best increase of 43% over the control of 79.7 HV while hardness at interface and core were 146 HV and 147 HV with percentages increase of 9 and 15.3 was achieved. The findings in this study also confirmed that waste materials with some element of carbon can be used to replace foreign chemicals intended for the same purpose

Motivation and incentives of rural maternal and neonatal health care providers: a comparison of qualitative findings from Burkina Faso, Ghana and Tanzania.

In Burkina Faso, Ghana and Tanzania strong efforts are being made to improve the quality of maternal and neonatal health (MNH) care. However, progress is impeded by challenges, especially in the area of human resources. All three countries are striving not only to scale up the number of available health staff, but also to improve performance by raising skill levels and enhancing provider motivation. In-depth interviews were used to explore MNH provider views about motivation and incentives at primary care level in rural Burkina Faso, Ghana and Tanzania. Interviews were held with 25 MNH providers, 8 facility and district managers, and 2 policy-makers in each country. Across the three countries some differences were found in the reasons why people became health workers. Commitment to remaining a health worker was generally high. The readiness to remain at a rural facility was far less, although in all settings there were some providers that were willing to stay. In Burkina Faso it appeared to be particularly difficult to recruit female MNH providers to rural areas. There were indications that MNH providers in all the settings sometimes failed to treat their patients well. This was shown to be interlinked with differences in how the term 'motivation' was understood, and in the views held about remuneration and the status of rural health work. Job satisfaction was shown to be quite high, and was particularly linked to community appreciation. With some important exceptions, there was a strong level of agreement regarding the financial and non-financial incentives that were suggested by these providers, but there were clear country preferences as to whether incentives should be for individuals or teams. Understandings of the terms and concepts pertaining to motivation differed between the three countries. The findings from Burkina Faso underline the importance of gender-sensitive health workforce planning. The training that all levels of MNH providers receive in professional ethics, and the way this is reinforced in practice require closer attention. The differences in the findings across the three settings underscore the importance of in-depth country-level research to tailor the development of incentives schemes