Disaggregated Government Spending on Infrastructure and Poverty Reduction in Nigeria

This study examined the relationship between government spending on infrastructure and poverty reduction in Nigeria Per capita income was used to proxy poverty reduction government spending on infrastructure was proxied by government spending on building and construction government spending on transportation government spending on education and government spending on health Time series data of 43 years were employed and Augmented Dickey Fuller unit root test showed that the variables were not stationary at level but were stationary at first difference the order of integration was I 1 The lag length as selected by Vector Autoregressive model was one Vector Error Correction model showed that there was a long run relationship between government spending on infrastructure and poverty reduction in Nigeria The regression result showed that government spending on building and construction has a positive and significant effect on poverty reduction in Nigeria while government spending on transportation has a negative and significant effect on poverty reduction The effect of government spending on education and health were insignificantly negative and positive respectively It is recommended that the government of federal republic of Nigeria should increase spending on building and construction as poverty reduction responds to it brilliantly wel

Stock Market Development and Welfare in Nigeria: A VECM Approach

This study examined both long run and short run causality between stock market development and welfare in Nigeria. The indicators of stock market development were; market capitalization (CAP) and All Share Index (ASI) while the indicator for welfare was Human Development Index (HDI). Time series data for 34 years (1980 - 2014) were used. The variables were stationary at first difference I(1) which necessitate the use of Johansen co-integration test. Vector Error Correction Models (VECM) was used. The study found out that there was a long run causality running from stock market development to welfare in Nigeria with the speed of adjustment of about three years. The results of Wald test showed that short run causality runs from market capitalization to welfare and short run causality runs from All Share Index to welfare in Nigeria. We therefore recommended that policy makers should take note of the speed of adjustment in making policies relating to stock market in Nigeria in order to achieve improved welfare of Nigerians. Keywords:  Nigerian Stock Market, Welfare, VECM, Market Capitalizatio

Nurses\u27 Lived Experiences of Comfort Care Among Residents at the End of Life

Nurses provide comfort care for individuals who are at the end of life and reside in the long-term care environment. However, how nurses provide comfort care to those who are dying and nurses\u27 perceptions about providing comfort care are not known. The purpose of this phenomenological study, guided by Kolcaba\u27s theory of comfort, was to examine nurses\u27 lived experiences of comfort care among residents at the end of life in long-term care facilities. The research questions were designed to elicit rich data about the lived experiences of nurses in providing comfort care to dying residents to find out factors that help nurses determine what comfort measures to implement and what the concept of comfort means to nurses. Interviews were conducted with 13 nurses who provided care to patients at end of life. Date were transcribed each recorded interview into a Word document coding then used NVivo 12 to organize the codes. Study findings reflected that nurses\u27 experiences included being emotionally drained, being part of a peaceful transition, feeling ambivalent regarding use of pain medication at the end of life, and being vigilant at recognizing which comfort measures to implement at the end of life. The findings may be used to inform nurses that their experiences with residents at the end of life are shared by other nurses and to help them design plans of care for end-of-life symptom management, which can effect positive social change. Further study is needed to gather lived experiences of other members of the healthcare team, such as the physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nursing assistants, and social workers, and to explore perspectives on endo of life care from nurses from different cultures

Working Capital Management and Profitability: Evidence from Quoted Food and Beverages Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria

The study investigated the relationship between working capital management measured by Aggressive Investment Policy (AIP), Account Collection Period (ACP), Inventory Conversion Period (ICP), Average Payment Period (APP), Cash Conversion Cycle(CCC) and Net Operating Profit of quoted food and beverages manufacturing firms in Nigeria. Survey research design was employed using primary data. Regression analysis (OLS) was used to establish the relationship.It was found that Working capital management had significant positive relationship with profitability; Cash conversion cycle and Aggressive investment policy had insignificant positive relationships with profitability. Account collection Period had significant negative relationships with profitability;Inventory Conversion Period and Account Payment Period had insignificant negative relationship with profitability. Therefore, It was recommended that; there should be a reduction in the average collection period of quoted food and beverages manufacturing firms in Nigeria in order to increase their profitability. The management of food and beverages manufacturing firms in Nigeria should be more efficient in the management of working capital by reducing their cash conversion cycle in order to have improved  profitability. Key Words: Working Capital Management, Profitability, Account collection period, Aggressive Investment Policy, Cash Conversion Cycle

The Relationship between Information and Communication Technology, Financial Development, Electricity Consumption and Economic Growth in OECD Countries: A Panel Investigation

This study attempts to investigate the dynamic relationship between information and communication technology (ICT), electricity consumption (EC), real gross domestic product per capita (GDPC) and financial development (FD) for selected sixteen OECD countries in a balanced framework between the periods of 1990 and 2014. This paper employs relatively new panel estimation techniques that accounts for heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependency in order to enable robust estimates and avoid spurious analysis. Empirical evidences reveal that there is cross-sectional dependency among the countries investigated as shown by Pesaran (2004). Thus, this current study proceeds to second generation panel econometrics techniques for reliable and consistent estimates. Pesaran (2007) panel data unit root test was employed to check for stability and asymptotic features of the data. For long-run equilibrium relationship among series bootstrap panel technique advanced by Westerlund and Edgerton (2007) was utilized. Findings here have no favor for cointegration relationship among the series examined. Subsequently, this paper examined causal interaction among series via the Dumitresu & Hurlin (2012) Granger causality test. The causality test has the following revelations: A bi-directional causality running from EPC to ICT, EPC to FD, GDPC to ICT and ICT to FD. This bi-directional (feedback) causality is indicative to policy makers who design policy framework and as well as stakeholders, in the sense that if information and communication technology is enhanced, its multiplier effect would influence electric power consumption and the economy at large given that there is also causality from information and communication technology to financial development. Further insights are explained in the conclusion section of the paper

Insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a review of the pathophysiology and the potential targets for drug actions

Insulin resistance refers to the reduced physiological effects of insulin on various tissues. Insulin resistance has been implicated in the pathophysiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is a spectrum of diseases ranging from hepatic steatosis on one end to steatohepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma on the other end. In most parts of the developed world, it is now the most commoncause of chronic liver disease and the most commonindication for liver transplantation. A similar findingis emerging in the developing world due to the rising prevalence of obesity and widespread adoption of Western lifestyles. Despite these epidemiological data, there are no universally approved medications for the treatment of NAFLD. The pathophysiological mechanisms of NAFLD essentially include adipose tissue insulin resistance, hepatic insulin resistance, inflammation and fibrosis. At the subcellular level, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative changes and endoplasmic reticulum dysfunction have been documented. Several drugs have been tested in vitro and in animal studies to target these pathophysiological mechanisms. Some are presently going through clinical trials, while others have already gone through clinical trials with variable results. Other potential target sites of drug development for the treatment of NAFLD are based on the complex pathophysiology of the disease. Insulin resistance plays an important role in the development of NAFLD. There are potential targets in the pathophysiology of NAFLD that can be explored in the development of medications for the disease

Internal Control and the Financial Performance of Selected Deposit Money Banks Listed in Nigeria

There is a general consensus that any organization without an Internal Control system in place is generally exposed to several threats that are capable of crumbling the organization in less or no time. Prominent amongst such threats are: Problem of incorrect financial statement and loss of the company’s assets; stealing and mismanagement of organizational vital documents which may be done by an employee to take undue advantage. This study investigated the impact of internal control on financial performance covering the period of 10 years (2009-2018).The study employed an ex-post facto research design which is based on secondary data obtained from the fifteen (15) selected deposit money banks listed in Nigeria stock exchange. Pooled regression analysis was used while an inference were drawn at 5% significant levelThe study findings showed that board independence is positive but insignificant to financial performance (β=0.021; P–value > 0.05). More so, on compliance with CBN regulatory framework have positive and significant influences on the financial performance (β = 0.051; P -value<0.05), Furthermore, risk management is negatively but insignificant influences the financial performance of listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria (β = -0.002; P–value < 0.10) while internal communication of information positively and significantly influences the financial performances of listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria (β = 0.820; P–value<0.05) The study concluded that there is insignificant effect of internal control on the financial performances of listed Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria. The study recommended that banks must have an independent Board of Directors and its committee as a Corporate Governance regulatory requirement. Besides this, an independent audit department that is well trained and staffed should be set in all the branches of the banks to facilitate effective implementation of internal controls. Keywords: Corporate governance, Deposit money banks, Financial performance, Internal control, Nigeria. DOI: 10.7176/DCS/10-4-07 Publication date: April 30th 202

Regressing Consumer Price Index on selected Financial Market Indicators in Nigeria

The post-2008 fear of the financial meltdown seems to have reduced the interest of investors in financial investments such as treasury bills, Government bonds and Development stock. Was there a relationship between these indicators and inflation in Nigeria? Using a times series data from 1987-2010, a multiple regression model was adapted (with some adjustments in consideration to the Nigerian Situation) from the model of Norliza, Malaysia. The Augmented Dickey Fuller Unit root diagnostic test (ADF) was used to test for Stationarity.  Government bond rate was stationary (p = 0.0000) at level. Development stock was stationary (p = 0.0343) at 5% first difference. Treasury bill rate time series data however was stationary (p = 0.0064) at first difference. Commercial papers rate was stationary (p = 0.0002) at level, The data for annual inflation rate in Nigeria was not stationary up to 4th difference, hence it was removed from the model and replaced with Consumer Price Index (CPI)  which was stationary at 5% level (p = 0.0357). The coefficients of the explanatory variables were -0.0600, -0.047, -1.073,  -0.045 and  -0.005, for commercial papers rates,  Interest rates, government bond rates, Development stocks and Treasury bills rates, respectively. Consequently, the empirical regression function indicated that all the explanatory variables were negative to the CPI. This implies that when an incremental change occurs in any of the explanatory variables, CPI will fall. The necessity was the relevance of sustaining investment interest in the indicators, which called for Investment Interest Sustenance Program (IISP) and/or Investment Holding Trap (IHT). Key words: Consumer Price Index, financial market indicators, Inflation rate, Development stock and rates of returns. JEL Classification: C25, E44, G13, E4

Comparison of caecal intubation rates between morning and afternoon colonoscopies at a tertiary hospital in Southwest Nigeria

Background: Caecal intubation is an important measure of the quality of colonoscopy. Information on the effect of the time of colonoscopy on caecal intubation rate (CIR) is scarce. This study aimed to compare the CIR between morning and afternoon colonoscopies at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.Methods: A descriptive study of consenting patients referred for colonoscopy at the endoscopy unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, from January 2016 to March 2017. Bowel preparation consisted of liquid diet and Epsom salt. Pre-medications were intravenous Midazolam 2.5-5 mg and Pentazocine 15-30 mg in titrated doses. Colonoscopy was performed using Olympus Exera III Videocolonoscope (CF HQ190L, Olympus UK). Morning procedures were those carried out between 8.30 am and 12.00 noon, while those after 12.00 noon were classified as afternoon procedures. Caecal intubation was considered successful when the medial wall of the caecum was visualized.Results: Total of 177 colonoscopies were performed with 115 (65%) performed in the morning and 62 (35%) in the afternoon. In the morning, median age was 60 yrs, while in the afternoon, it was 61 yrs. Males (60.9% vs 58.1%) predominated in the morning, whereas females predominated in the afternoon (41.9% vs 39.1%), (p=0.72). In the morning, 100 (87%) patients had good/satisfactory bowel preparation, but 52 (83.9%) patients in the afternoon.(p=0.57). CIR was higher in the morning (90.4%), compared to afternoon (88.7%) (p=0.72).Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference between CIR in the morning and afternoon procedures.Keywords: Caecal intubation rates, morning, afternoon, Southwest Nigeri

Bayesian Regression Model for Counts in Scholarship

Discrete Weibul (DW) is considered to have the ability to capture under and over-dispersion simultaneously and also have a closed-form analytical expression of the quantiles of the conditional distribution. There is a need to further investigate how effective the model is, as compared to other competing models in the context of classical and Bayesian technique. In this study, the strength of DW is investigated, for both on frequentist and Bayesian technique. The Bayesian DW adopts parameterization, which makes both parameters of the discrete Weibull distribution to be dependent on the predictors. Bayesian Generalized linear mixed model is also implemented and is compared with the BDW, since Bayesian generalized linear mixed model is known to be robust in handling over-dispersion in count data. A simulation study and real life data was carried out for over and under-dispersed count data. The empirical analysis shows the superiority of Bayesian Generalized linear mixed model over Bayesian DW in the case of over-dispersed data as identified in the simulated data and real life data, but not for under-dispersed data as in the case of simulated study.   Keywords: Discrete Weibull, Bayesian Statistics, MCMCGlmm, over-dispersion, under-dispersio