The influence of media on political knowledge amongst undergraduate students in Ibadan, Nigeria

Knowledge about politics and government activities increases due to the socialization and enlightenment functions of the mass  media. Youths and students are the largest bloc of voters in Nigeria but seemingly least political informed. This study examines the frequency of the forms of media accessed and level of political knowledge among Nigerian students. It also assessed the relationships between political knowledge and access to  radio, television, newspaper, and social media. Moreover, it investigated the predictive influence of the frequency of media access on Nigerian  students’ political knowledge. The study adopted Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) to explain how media is used to the advantage of people. Using cross-sectional survey research design, a structured questionnaire was used to collect information on students’ demographic, frequency of  media access and knowledge of Nigerian politics from 246 randomly selected students of the Polytechnic, Ibadan (Mean age is 25.07 years, SD = 6.23). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Findings identified social media as the most frequently use media,  followed by radio, television and newspaper.31% of the respondents had very high political knowledge while 3% had no political knowledge. Access to radio is the only significant correlate (r = 0.42, p<0.05) and independent predictor (β= 0.43, t=-3.98, p<0.05) of political knowledge although access  to radio, television, newspaper and social media are significant joint predictors of political knowledge (R2= .18, F (4, 241) = 4.32). Therefore, the study concludes that radio is the foremost source of political knowledge amongst undergraduate students in Ibadan, Nigeria. It recommends that various  media institutions and political analysts should take advantage of the social media to make more audience politically knowledgeable. Keywords: Political knowledge; Mass media; Social media;  Traditional media; Nigerian students

Evaluation of Escherichia coli as indicator of point-of-use chlorination efficiency of drinking water

In this study, the relevance of the presence of Escherichia coli in drinking water as an indicator of point-of-use chlorination efficiency is examined. The survival of clinical isolates of human enteric pathogenic bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis and Vibrio cholerae) as well as E. coli was monitored as a function of effective germicidal concentration and contact time. The  inactivation kinetics indicated that the minimum effective dose for three-log units (99.9%) inactivation of E. coli (C·T99.9% = 10 mgl-1-min) can sufficiently  eliminate the other pathogens (C·T99.9% ranged from 5.6–10.5 mgl-1-min); the exception being K. pneumoniae, which required more than 1.4-times higher dose. In general, the results implied that the branded hypochlorite solution should effectively inactivate almost all vegetative  bacteria in household drinking water at the manufacturer’s recommended dosage of 0.5 mgl-1 after at least 30 minutes contact time. The application of point-of-use chemical disinfectants to drinking water in households will significantly reduce the incidence of water-borne infections  particularly in rural communities where central treatment of water is mostly unavailable.Keywords: Effective dose; Point-of-use disinfectants; Indicator bacteria; Pathogen; Escherichia coli; Chlorinatio

Spatial analysis of tuberculosis and risk factors at the lowest administrative level in Nigeria

BACKGROUNDFew studies have utilized modern techniques of spatial data analysis to understand the distribution of tuberculosis (TB) and its possible predictors. In 2013, an estimated 9 million new TB cases and 1.5 million deaths occurred worldwide, out of which 360,000 deaths were HIV related. AIMTo assist in planning key interventions for the control of TB at a sub-national level, the studysought to explore the spatial distribution of TB and associated risk factors at the lowest administrative level in Nigeria. METHODOLOGYThis was an ecological study carried out using number of notified TB cases for the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 2013. Bayesian spatial regression analysis was conducted to identify high-risk clusters of the disease and to assess associated factors . RESULTSAnalysis revealed that TB was significantly clustered in 138 (17%) LGAs. Significant associations were found with household size, urban residence, access to transportation, population density, number of TB diagnostic services. Other predictors, including a composite index of socioeconomic status, living in a single room, number of TB treatment centres, and total health facilities in the LGA were not significantly associated with TB incidence. CONCLUSIONThe study identified LGAs with elevated risk as well as significant factors associated with TB. This information can assist policymakers in rationally planning targeted specific interventions with the potential to effectively control TB in the country

Male Partners Involvement in Spousal Contraceptive Use: A Perspective of a Contemporary African Setting

Background: Contraceptive use by women is one of the tools used for promoting family health and slowing population growth. Evidence has suggested that contraceptive use in Nigeria is below acceptable levels in spite of the fact that family planning services are readily available, accessible and affordable. The involvement and participation of males in spousal contraceptive use is seen as the driver to achieving better reproductive outcomes. Hence, this study aimed to determine the level of male involvement in spousal contraceptive use so as to provide evidence based and people oriented information on the available male partner support system for contraceptive use and factors influence it.Methodology: This was a cross sectional study conducted among 80 male partners between April and May, 2017 using quantitative method of data collection and SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis.nbsp Crude and adjusted odds ratios as well asnbsp 95% confidence interval were used in this study with a p-value of le 0.05 considered statistically significant.Results: The mean age of the respondents in the study was 40.0 plusmn 10 years with only 13 (16.3%) of the respondents adjudged as being involved in their spousal contraceptive use. Currently use of male contraceptive method was found to significantly influence involvement in spousal contraceptive use (AOR = 7.1 95% CI = 2.1092 ndash 10.5818 P = 0.015). Conclusion: This study has demonstrated a low level of male involvement in spousal contraceptive use hence, relevant male educational intervention on contraception is required

Isolation and characterization of new phenolic siderophores with antimicrobial properties from Pseudomonas sp. UIAU-6B

We thank Russell Gray, Subha Arjuna, and Shan Wang of the Marine Biodiscovery Centre, Aberdeen for assisting in NMR, mass spectrometry and Marfey analyses, respectively. We also appreciate the support of Dr. Soji Fakoya and Blessing Akinboyo of Ondo State University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Nigeria, for their support in the collection of sediments. This work was supported by funding from TETFund, Nigeria for a University Senate Based research.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Neonatal jaundice and its management: knowledge, attitude and practice of community health workers in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Neonatal jaundice (NNJ) is still a leading cause of preventable brain damage, physical and mental handicap, and early death among infants in many communities. Greater awareness is needed among all health workers. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge of primary health care workers about the description, causes, effective treatment, and sequelae of NNJ. METHODS: The setting was a local government area i.e. an administrative district within the south-western part of Nigeria. Community health workers in this area were interviewed by means of a self-administered questionnaire which focused on awareness and knowledge of neonatal jaundice and its causes, treatment and complications. RESULTS: Sixty-six community health workers participated in the survey and male-to-female ratio was 1:5. Their work experience averaged 13.5 (SD 12.7) years. Only 51.5% of the respondents gave a correct definition of NNJ. 75.8 % knew how to examine for this condition while 84.9 % knew at least two of its major causes in our environment. Also, only 54.5 % had adequate knowledge of effective treatment namely, phototherapy and exchange blood transfusion. Rather than referring affected babies to hospitals for proper management, 13.4 %, 10.4 % and 3 % of the participants would treat with ineffective drugs, natural phototherapy and herbal remedies respectively. None of the participants knew any effective means of prevention. CONCLUSION: Primary health care workers may have inadequate knowledge and misconceptions on NNJ which must be addressed concertedly before the impact of the condition on child health and well-being can be significantly reduced. We recommend regular training workshops and seminars for this purpose

The quest for universal access to effective malaria treatment: how can the AMFm contribute?

Access to quality assured artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) has remained very low in most malaria endemic countries. A number of reasons, including unaffordable prices, have contributed to the low accessibility to these life-saving medicines. The Affordable Medicines Facility-Malaria (AMFm) is a mechanism to increase access to quality assured ACT. The AMFm will use price signals and a combination of public and private sector channels to achieve multiple public health objectives: replacing older and increasingly ineffective anti-malarial medicines, such as chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine with ACT, displacing oral artemisinin monotherapies from the market, and prolonging the lifespan of ACT by reducing the likelihood of resistance to artemisinin

Integration of priority population, health and nutrition interventions into health systems: systematic review

Objective of the study was to assess the effects of strategies to integrate targeted priority population, health and nutrition interventions into health systems on patient health outcomes and health system effectiveness and thus to compare integrated and non-integrated health programmes. Systematic review using Cochrane methodology of analysing randomised trials, controlled before-and-after and interrupted time series studies. We defined specific strategies to search PubMed, CENTRAL and the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group register, considered studies published from January 1998 until September 2008, and tracked references and citations. Two reviewers independently agreed on eligibility, with an additional arbiter as needed, and extracted information on outcomes: primary (improved health, financial protection, and user satisfaction) and secondary (improved population coverage, access to health services, efficiency, and quality) using standardised, pre-piloted forms. Two reviewers in the final stage of selection jointly assessed quality of all selected studies using the GRADE criteria. Of 8,274 citations identified 12 studies met inclusion criteria. Four studies compared the benefits of Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses in Tanzania and Bangladesh, showing improved care management and higher utilisation of health facilities at no additional cost. Eight studies focused on integrated delivery of mental health and substance abuse services in the United Kingdom and United States of America. Integrated service delivery resulted in better clinical outcomes and greater reduction of substance abuse in specific sub-groups of patients, with no significant difference found overall. Quality of care, patient satisfaction, and treatment engagement were higher in integrated delivery models. Targeted priority population health interventions we identified led to improved health outcomes, quality of care, patient satisfaction and access to care. Limited evidence with inconsistent findings across varied interventions in different settings means no general conclusions can be drawn on the benefits or disadvantages of integrated service delivery

The first-line antituberculosis drugs, and their fixed-dose combination induced abnormal sperm morphology and histological lesions in the testicular cells of male mice

Rifampicin (RIF), Isoniazid (INH), Ethambutol (EMB), Pyrazinamide (PZA), and/or their fixed-dose combination (FDC) are extensively prescribed in the cure of Tuberculosis (TB) globally. In spite of the beneficial effect, these drugs are capable of inducing cellular toxicity. Existing information on the genotoxic effects of the first-line anti-TB drugs is limited and contentious. Herein, we evaluated the reproductive genotoxicity of RIF, INH, EMB, PZA, and their FDC utilizing the mouse sperm morphology assay. Histological examination of the testes of exposed mice was also performed. Male Swiss albino mice (11–13 weeks old) were intraperitoneally exposed for 5 consecutive days to each of the anti-TB drugs at four different doses of 6.25, 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg bw of PZA; 2.5, 5.0, 10, and 20 mg/kg bw of RIF; 1.25, 2.5, 5.0 and 10 mg/kg bw of INH; 3.75, 7.5, 15 and 30 mg/kg bw of EMB; and 7, 14, 28 and 56 mg/kg bw of FDC corresponding respectively to ×0.25, ×0.5, ×1 and ×2.0 of the standard daily dose. In comparison with the negative control (normal saline), there was no significant difference in the testicular weight and organo-somatic index of exposed mice. There was an increase (p > 0.05) in the frequency of abnormal spermatozoa at most of the tested doses of each drug and a dose-dependent decrease with the FDC. Each of the anti-TB drugs except the FDC induced pathological lesions in the testes. These findings suggest that the individual first-line anti-TB drug unlike the FDC has the potential to provoke testicular anomalies in male mice

Improving Records Management And Security For Successful Business Performance: The Role Of New Media

The paper identifies how New Media has become one important phenomenon in shaping records management and security of information for successful business performance. With the advent of new media, paper documents could be read and converted automatically into electronic files thereby saving man hour of expensive data entry labour. The paper examines how records stored on electronic media can be readily accessed, and the importance of document security through proper document management. The paper findings reveals that records management plays a vital role in running a successful business and that businesses maintain sensitive information daily, as a result security measures are a critical issue. It is recommended that Electronic records should be reliably and securely maintained in their electronic form because preserving the context and structure of records and facilitating access to them is best accomplished in the electronic environmen