Effect of Micro Economic Factors on Residential Property Value in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, Nigeria

The research aims to assess the microeconomic factors affecting residential property values in Birnin Kebbi. Property serves as an asset for any individual, as real estate is one of life\u27s primary goals. Besides the need to eat and drink, property also plays a crucial role in daily life. Property values are influenced by various factors, which can be either microeconomic or macroeconomic in nature, or both. Many microeconomic variables are related to property attributes and buyer demographic profiles. To achieve this aim, two objectives were formulated: (i) to examine the types of property and microeconomic factors affecting property values in the study area, and (ii) to assess the effect of microeconomic factors on residential property values. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used for data collection. Out of 377 questionnaires administered, 321 were retrieved. Simple random sampling and stratified random sampling methods were employed. Quantitative methods were used for data analysis, and all data gathered were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Likert scale. The study found that physical characteristics of residential properties, such as types of materials used, building design, room sizes, parking spaces, building age, and landscape, significantly influence property values. Additionally, the types of finishes (roofs, walls, ceilings, and floors), infrastructural facilities, and social amenities (number of toilets, electricity fittings, waste disposal and sewage, potable water supply, and various sanitation facilities) also play a role. The effects of microeconomic variables on property values in the study area include insecurity, increased traffic, property price changes, nuisances, environmental quality, property demand, and time consumption. The study recommends that prospective property developers ensure the use of standard building finishes to maximize returns on their investment in property value. Additionally, the government should introduce policies to ease difficulties in importing housing materials and promote the manufacture of local ones

Mental health issues in unaccompanied refugee minors

Previous studies about unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) showed that they are a highly vulnerable group who have greater psychiatric morbidity than the general population. This review focuses on mental health issues among URMs. Articles in databases PsycINFO, Medline and PubMed from 1998 to 2008 addressing this topic were reviewed. The literature had a considerable emphasis on the assessment of PTSD symptoms. Results revealed higher levels of PTSD symptoms in comparison to the norm populations and accompanied refugee minors. In several studies, age and female gender predicted or influenced PTSD symptoms. The existing literature only permits limited conclusions on this very hard to reach population. Future research should include the analysis of long-term outcomes, stress management and a more thorough analysis of the whole range of psychopathology. Additionally, the development of culturally sensitive norms and standardized measures for diverse ethnic groups is of great importance

Perceptions of eye health in schools in Pakistan

BACKGROUND: Research exploring children's and their teachers' perceptions of eye health is lacking. This paper reports for the first time on perceptions of primary schoolchildren and their teachers of healthy and diseased eyes, things that keep eyes healthy and damage them, and what actions to be taken in case of an eye injury. METHODS: Using draw and write technique, 160 boys and girls (9–12 years old) attending four primary schools in Abbottabad district, northern Pakistan, were invited to draw pictures in response to a set of semi-structured questions and then label them. Sixteen teachers who were currently teaching the selected students were interviewed one-on-one. RESULTS: Analysis of text accompanying 800 drawings and of the interview scripts revealed that most children and teachers perceived healthy eyes to be those which could see well, and diseased eyes to be those which have redness, watering, dirty discharge, pain, and itching; or those which have "weak eyesight" and blindness. Among things that students and teachers thought damage the eyes included sun, television, and sharp pointed objects, particularly pencils. Teachers noted that children with eye problems "have difficulty seeing the blackboard well", "screw up their eyes", and "hold their books too close". CONCLUSION: We conclude that schoolchildren and their teachers had a good knowledge of eye health, but many of them had serious misconceptions e.g., use of kohl, medicines and eye drops keeps eyes healthy. Kohl is an important source of lead and can reduce children's intelligence even at low blood levels. Health education in schools must take into account children's existing knowledge of and misconceptions about various aspects of eye health. Such steps if taken could improve the relevance of eye health education to schoolchildren

Checkpoint kinase inhibitor AZD7762 strongly sensitises urothelial carcinoma cells to gemcitabine

Background: More effective chemotherapies are urgently needed for bladder cancer, a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We therefore explored the efficacy of the combination of gemcitabine and AZD7762, a checkpoint kinase 1/2 (CHK1/2) inhibitor, for bladder cancer. Methods: Viability, clonogenicity, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were assessed in urothelial cancer cell lines and various non-malignant urothelial cells treated with gemcitabine and AZD7762. DNA damage was assessed by ?H2A.X and 53-BP1 staining and checkpoint activation was followed by Western blotting. Pharmacological inhibition of CHK1 and CHK2 was compared to downregulation of either CHK1 or CHK2 using siRNAs. Results: Combined use of gemcitabine and AZD7762 synergistically reduced urothelial carcinoma cell viability and colony formation relative to either single treatment. Non-malignant urothelial cells were substantially less sensitive to this drug combination. Gemcitabine plus AZD7762 inhibited cell cycle progression causing cell accumulation in S-phase. Moreover, the combination induced pronounced levels of apoptosis as indicated by an increase in the fraction of sub-G1 cells, in the levels of cleaved PARP, and in caspase 3/7 activity. Mechanistic investigations showed that AZD7762 treatment inhibited the repair of gemcitabine-induced double strand breaks by interference with CHK1, since siRNA-mediated depletion of CHK1 but not of CHK2 mimicked the effects of AZD7762. Conclusions: AZD7762 enhanced sensitivity of urothelial carcinoma cells to gemcitabine by inhibiting DNA repair and disturbing checkpoints. Combining gemcitabine with CHK1 inhibition holds promise for urothelial cancer therapy

A review of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and therapeutic strategies

Lung transplantation is an important treatment option for patients with advanced lung disease. Survival rates for lung transplant recipients have improved; however, the major obstacle limiting better survival is bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). In the last decade, survival after lung retransplantation has improved for transplant recipients with BOS. This manuscript reviews BOS along with the current therapeutic strategies, including recent outcomes for lung retransplantation

Visualization of plasmid delivery to keratinocytes in mouse and human epidermis

The accessibility of skin makes it an ideal target organ for nucleic acid-based therapeutics; however, effective patient-friendly delivery remains a major obstacle to clinical utility. A variety of limited and inefficient methods of delivering nucleic acids to keratinocytes have been demonstrated; further advances will require well-characterized reagents, rapid noninvasive assays of delivery, and well-developed skin model systems. Using intravital fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging and a standard set of reporter plasmids we demonstrate transfection of cells in mouse and human xenograft skin using intradermal injection and two microneedle array delivery systems. Reporter gene expression could be detected in individual keratinocytes, in real-time, in both mouse skin as well as human skin xenografts. These studies revealed that non-invasive intravital imaging can be used as a guide for developing gene delivery tools, establishing a benchmark for comparative testing of nucleic acid skin delivery technologies