Hypoglycaemic effects of the aqueous extract of Newbouldia laevis root in rats

The effect of aqueous root extract of Newbouldia laevis (P. Beauv) of the family Bignoniaceae reportedly used in folk medicine to treat diabetes mellitus, on alloxan experimental hyperglycaemia, and normal blood glucose level was determined in adult male rats by glucose Oxidase method. The extract significantly reduced serum glucose levels in both diabetic and normal rats at the two doses administered (500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight; bucal intubation). In both the normal and diabetic rats, maximal blood glucose lowering effect following extract administration was observed after 4 h and 6 h, respectively, in rats given 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight extract. Phytochemical analysis of the extract reveals a strong presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins. The observed activity of the extract does not appear at variance with known antidiabetic properties of flavonoids. Hypoglycaemia could be a side effect when extract is applied in folk medical treatment of non-diabetic ailments.© 2009 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Alloxan, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, diabetes, glycaemic response

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as Intervention Mechanism for Global Competitiveness: Perspectives from Nigeria.

At national and international platforms, it has been maintained that TVET provides the needed employable skills and attitudes necessary for effective performance in the workplace. In many nations across the globe, some reform strategies to build on the inherent strength of TVET systems has been vigorously adopted, Nigeria not left behind. This paper explores the national TVET system in response to the emergent global issues on economic productivity. The  following outlines provided a guide in the discourse; TVET defined, TVET reform standard and adaptability, TVET and the state of the art in Nigeria, unemployment level and the causes in Nigeria, concept transformation as mechanism for skill acquisition and why few enrolment in TVET Programs. Based on the analysis made in this paper, some recommendations were made on ways of strengthening TVET system in Nigeria for global competitiveness. Keywords: Adaptability, Global competitiveness, TVET, Skill acquisition, Unemployment level

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) In Nigeria and Energy Development, Marketing and National Transformation

Education is considered by many as an agent of human development, social mobility and socio-economic development of any society. However, it is arguable that the type and quality of education a nation offers to its citizens is a function of the level of progression of that nation.  In this context, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has been recognized as the wide-diversified education system instrumental in making the remarkable contribution to economic growth of a country by a way of suitable manpower production relevant to the needs of industry, society and changing technological work environment. This paper explores the TVET situation for Nigeria for its transformation agenda with highlights on such factors as trends on TVET policies for human resource development, capacity building, energy development and professional marketing in the national transformation agenda. Keywords: Capacity building, energy development, human resource development, national transformation agenda, technical and vocational education and training,

Modal Space Controller for Hydraulically Driven Six Degree of Freedom Parallel Manipulator

This paper presents the Modal space decoupled control for a hydraulically driven parallel mechanism has been presented. The approach is based on singular values decomposition to the properties of joint-space inverse mass matrix, and mapping of the control and feedback variables from the joint space to the decoupling modal space. The method transformed highly coupled six-input six-output dynamics into six independent single-input single-output (SISO) 1 DOF hydraulically driven mechanical systems. The novelty in this method is that the signals including control errors, control outputs and pressure feedbacks are transformed into decoupled modal space and also the proportional gains and dynamic pressure feedback are tuned in modal space. The results indicate that the conventional controller can only attenuate the resonance peaks of the lower eigenfrequencies of six rigid modes properly, and the peaking points of other relative higher eigenfrequencies are over damped, The further results show that it is very effective to design and tune the system in modal space and that the bandwidth increased substantially except surge (x) and sway (y) motions, each degree of freedom can be almost tuned independently and their bandwidths can be increased near to the undamped eigenfrequencies

Effect of Government and Private Sector Financing on the Agricultural Sector in Nigeria

The process of economic transformation and development calls for the participation of all interest groups in an economy hence this study set out to examine the effect of public and private sector finances on the development of the agricultural sector in Nigeria. The study employed an econometric procedure with the Ordinary Least Square regression technique. R-squared of 0.9921, obtained implied that 99.2 per cent of the variation in the agricultural sector real gross domestic product was explained by the six independent variables in the model. Loan granted to farmers under the agricultural credit guarantee scheme, commercial banks’ credit to the agricultural sector and Federal Government recurrent expenditure allocated to the sector impacted it positively, while the Federal Government capital expenditure allocated to the sector did not. It is recommended that all the policies put in place by the Monetary and Fiscal Authorities to encourage flow of funds to the agricultural sector be sustained and that the Federal Government should overhaul its capital budgetary processes and provisions so as to make a positive impact on the development of the sector, particularly since crude oil price has been on the decline in the last four years impacting Nigeria’s economy negatively

Patients' views on improving sickle cell disease management in primary care: focus group discussion.

OBJECTIVES: To assess sickle cell disease (SCD) patient and carer perspectives on the primary care services related to SCD that they receive from their general practitioner (GP). DESIGN: A focus group discussion was used to elicit the views of patients about the quality of care they receive from their primary health-care providers and what they thought was the role of primary care in SCD management. The focus group discussion was video recorded. The recording was then examined by the project team and recurring themes were identified. A comparison was made with notes made by two scribes also present at the discussion. SETTING: Sickle Cell Society in Brent, UK. PARTICIPANTS: Ten participants with SCD or caring for someone with SCD from Northwest London, UK. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients perceptions about the primary care services they received, and a list of key themes and suggestions. RESULTS: Patients and carers often bypassed GPs for acute problems but felt that GPs had an important role to play around repeat prescriptions and general health care. These service users believed SCD is often ignored and deemed unimportant by GPs. CONCLUSION: Participants wanted the health service to support primary health-care providers to improve their knowledge and understanding of SCD. Key themes and suggestions from this focus group have been used to help develop an educational intervention for general practice services that will be used to improve SCD management in primary care

Views of patients about sickle cell disease management in primary care: a questionnaire-based pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine how patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) perceive the quality of care that they receive from their primary healthcare providers. DESIGN: A questionnaire-based pilot study was used to elicit the views of patients about the quality of care they have been receiving from their primary healthcare providers and what they thought was the role of primary care in SCD management. SETTING: Sickle Cell Society and Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre, in the London Borough of Brent. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred questionnaires were distributed to potential participants with SCD between November 2010 and July 2011 of which 40 participants responded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Analysis of 40 patient questionnaires collected over a nine-month period. RESULTS: Most patients are generally not satisfied with the quality of care that they are receiving from their primary healthcare providers for SCD. Most do not make use of general practitioner (GP) services for management of their SCD. Collecting prescriptions was the reason most cited for visiting the GP. CONCLUSION: GPs could help improve the day-to-day management of patients with SCD. This could be facilitated by local quality improvement schemes in areas with high disease prevalence. The results of the survey have been used to help develop a GP education intervention and a local enhanced service to support primary healthcare clinicians with SCDs ongoing management

A Co-Integration Analysis of Interest Rate Spread and Corporate Bond Market Development in Selected African Economies

This paper examines the relationship between interest rate spread and corporate bond market development in thirteen African economies comprising of Botswana, Egypt Mauritius Nigeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Cote d’Ivorie, Ghana Namibia, Tanzania from 2004 and 2014 using fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) in an autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) framework. Subsisting literature suggests that in bank-based economies, interest rate spread could adversely affect the potency of corporate bond market development; and thus limits the financial market competitiveness. The result provides evidence that corporate bond issue, as a proxy for financial development is negatively influenced by interest rate gap in the short and long term. The result affirms the ‘group interest' theorem in these African economies leading to a deterrent in competitive financial development. The ECM coefficient satisfies a priori expectation, affirms the short run dynamic relationship, which implies long run equilibrium from the annual speed of adjustment, which is about 100 percent. The paper suggests policy recommendations for the reduction in interest rate, and thus the spread to encourage the growth of corporate bond issues for a market-led financial development

Transactional Sex in Nigerian Universities among Female Students: Drivers and Safety Concerns

Freedom away from parents and guardians for students in higher institutions could have effects on their sexual decisions and behaviours, which when not guided could portend devastating consequences. Such a decision could lead to indulging in transactional sex (TS), a kind of sexual relationship that is adopted in exchange for material and non-material benefits. In this study, we underscored why female students are involved in TS in some Nigerian universities and offer potential remedies that could mitigate or prevent associated negative consequences. The study relied on a qualitative research methodology, adopting in-depth interviews to source data from 40 female students across 5 universities in southeastern Nigeria. Data were analysed in thematic categories that reflected the research questions. Family pressure/parental disconnectedness, gender, peer influence, poor economic background, greed, etc., influenced TS involvement. We also identified some psychosocial and health risks associated with TS. The roles of social service professionals were found to be of much importance, although the universities that were studied barely employed and/or utilised their services

Physicochemical properties of teas sold in Abuja, Nigeria, and evaluation of their caffeine content using HPLC

Tea is commonly consumed in Nigeria. Caffeine, a major constituent in tea, has some beneficial pharmacological properties, but can negatively affect human health if consumed excessively. The objective of the study was to evaluate some physicochemical properties and caffeine content of teas marketed in FCT, Abuja, Nigeria. Ten commercial brands of teas (8 black teas and 2 green teas) were assessed for weight variation, moisture content and pH tests using standard methods. Extraction of caffeine was carried out and the identity determined by thin layer chromatography and melting points, respectively. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for analysis of caffeine was developed, validated, and applied to determine caffeine content in the tea brands. Results of the weight, moisture content and pH tests of the samples ranged from 2.07–2.33 g, 5.65–11.0 % and 4.9–5.5, respectively. Caffeine was isolated from all the samples and showed same Rf value (0.46) with that of the reference standard. Melting points ranged from 236.0–238.5 °C. Caffeine content ranged from 12.25–21.76 mg/g for black teas and 13.35–15.05 mg/g for green teas. The study provides information on the stability, acidity and caffeine content in some commercially available tea brands