The Mediating Effect of Financial Distress on the Relationship between Profitability and Value of Listed Non-Financial Firms in Nigeria

This study examined mediating effect of financial distress on the relationship between profitability and firm value. The prior studies have focused on the FND and firm value, individually. To date, relatively little research has been conducted in this area, the current study would like to investigate this issue and fill such a research gap in Nigerian capital market. The study used listed non-financial services firms in the Nigerian Exchange Group for the period 2011 to 2020. Purposive sampling technique was used in the study. The study used 72 firms out of the 113 non-financial services firms that were listed for the period under study. The descriptive statistics, correlation and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used as techniques for data analysis while Monte Carlo model was used to determine the level of significance of the indirect effects. The study found that profitability has positive and significant effect on value, as well as financial distress of listed non-financial services firms in Nigeria. Financial distress has negative and significant effect on firm value. Finally, financial distress partially mediates the relationship between profitability and value of listed non-financial service firms in Nigeria. Hence, the study recommends among others that listed non-financial service firms in Nigeria should put profitability into consideration as it may the effect of profitability reduce financial distress and increase the value of their firms

Impact of AAOIFI’s Governance Standards on Quality Corporate Governance by Islamic Financial Institutions

This study examines the impact of AAOIFI’s governance standards on quality the corporate governance practices by Islamic Financial Institutions. The paper is purely a literature-review-based research work where adequate literature relevant to the study are reviewed and the AAOIFI Governance Standards are studied with a view to finding out how compliance with the standards by the IFIs could translate into achievement of their set objectives, especially the objective of growing up the wealth of the shareholders. A rundown was given to the thirteen (13) governance standards (GS 1-13) issued by the AAOIFI, to show importance compliance with them would make the IFIs more “lovely” and more wealth-creating. It was found that AAOIFI’s governance standards have positive impact on the corporate governance practices of IFIs, as the standards lead to a certain degree of consistency in products and services offered by IFIs and the promotion of standardized practices at country level, as well as at the global level. The study also revealed that scholars in the field of Corporate and Public Governance have less interest in conducting studies on the AAOIFI’s GS the way they pay research attention to conventional Corporate Governance and Public Governance matters. The study recommended that AAOIFI should ensure that scholars and professionals in the field of Corporate and Public Governance are encouraged to pursue high level research on the practicality of all the 13 Governance Standards through provision of Research Grant, seminars and workshops

Insilico analysis of binding interactions and evaluation of mode of action of hydroxy tyrosol on candida albicans I, ii and parapsilosis

This work was aimed at purifying the most potent antibiofilm principle from Acalypha wilkesiana leaves against Candida species, analyzing its binding interactions with the molecular targets and evaluating its mode of action. Bioassay guided fractionation was carried and purification of the most potent fraction was achieved by Preparative -TLC. Proton NMR -spectroscopy was used to elucidate the structure of the most potent fraction which was hydroxy tyrosol (HT). There was significant (p < 0.05) increase in the IC50 of HT and caspafungin in the presence of sorbitol. In the presence of ergosterol, there was no significant (p > 0.05) increase in the IC50 of HT but there was significant (p < 0.05) increase in the IC50 of voriconazole. Insilico molecular studies revealed a good docking score (-7.7 and 4 hydogen bonds) with glucan synthase and (7.0 and 1 hydrogen bond) with lanosterole-14α- demethylase. The mode of action of HT is most likely by inhibiting the activities of β-1,3-D glucan synthase. The Significant increase in IC50 of HT in the presence of sorbitol showed that its inhibition leads to depletion of cell wall glucan and subsequent lysis of fungal cells

Catalyst-free crosslinking modification of nata-de- coco-based bacterial cellulose nanofibers using citric acid

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has gained research attention in materials science and biomedicine due to its fascinating properties. BCs' fiber collapse phenomenon (inability to reabsorb water after dehydration) is one of the drawbacks that limit its potentials. To overcome this, a catalyst-free thermal crosslinking reaction was employed to modify the BC using citric acid (CA) without compromising the biocompatibility. Properties evaluation of the modified BC (MBC) by FTIR, XRD, SEM/EDX, TGA, and Tensile analysis confirmed the fiber crosslinking and improvement of some properties that could be advantageous for various applications. The modified nanofiber seems to maintain its inherent crystallinity and thermal stability with an increased water absorption/swelling and tensile modulus. The resulting MBC reported here can be relevant for wound dressings and tissue scaffolding

Rhinometry: Spectrum of nasal profile among Nigerian Africans

Nasal parameters measurements are useful in anthropology to distinguish people into racial and ethnic groups. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey among Nigerians aged 18 to 70 years of Nigerian parentage randomly selected at the ENT Clinic of the University of Ilorin teaching hospital (U.I.T.H.), Ilorin, Nigeria without gender discrimination had measurement of their nasal parameters done using a sliding caliper: Nasal height, width, tip protrusion, alar thickness, nasal septal thickness and nares diameter. Results: 105 subjects were seen, the age range 18 to 70 years (mean of 28.63 + 13.06 years). There was 58 males and 47 females with a male/female ratio of 1.2:1. The mean nasal width/height (Nasal index -NI) was 90.7 in males and 88.2 in females. Males had a higher NI compared to female (p < 0.03). The commonest type of nasal variability is Type A (70.5%), Platyrrhine nose, Type B (26.7%) especially in females (mesorrhine) and Type C (leptorrhine) (2.8%). Conclusions: There is significant association between the sex of an individual and type of Nose. Platyrrhine nose, among males and mesorrhine among females, only 2.8% being leptorrhine. The nasal indices were higher in males than in females

Citric acid: a green cross-linker of biomaterials for biomedical application

The application of biomaterials in biomedicine currently suffers some drawbacks, such as inflammation and immunological responses due to mismatching and/or limited compatibility. Biomaterials that are cross-linked with citric acid (CA), also called citrate-based biomaterials (CBBs), have exhibited advanced in-vitro and in-vivo material properties that make them suitable for various biomedical applications. Tunable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biofunctionality are among other factors that make CBBs interesting in this field. To emphasize the safety and greenness nature of CA, in this review, we have highlighted the history, potential considerations of exploration, and a summarized stage-wise criterion for developing CBBs. We also discuss several points of view about the application of CA and CBBs in many different aspects of biomedicine, such as in tissue engineering, cancer therapy, and wound dressings

Modification of bacterial cellulose with citric acid and its evaluation for potential application in bone tissue regeneration

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an advanced biocompatible polymeric biomaterial with a wide range of biomedical uses, including tissue engineering scaffolds and wound dressings. The main barriers to employing BC in tissue engineering (TE) were the collapse phenomena (the inability to reabsorb water after dehydration) and poor cell adhesion. This research focuses on modifying the nata-de-coco-based BC through thermal crosslinking with citric acid (CA) monohydrate in the absence of a catalyst as the first phase. This is to enhance the BC’s biomineralization ability and biocompatibility for application as a bone tissue scaffold. Morphological, physicochemical, and mechanical characterizations of the modified BC were done by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), energydispersive x-ray (EDX), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), swelling rate (SR), water contact angle (WCA) and tensile analyses. The second phase of the work explored the hydroxyapatite (HA) biomineralization potential of the MBC via a biomimetic synthesis in simulated body fluid (SBF). Selected modified BC (MBC) samples were immersed in SBF and incubated at 37 °C in a water bath for 1, 7, 14, and 21 days. Biomineralized samples (BMBC) were freeze-dried and characterized by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), ATR-FTIR, XRD, TGA, and wet samples for compressive modulus. The third phase was the evaluation of the biological responses of the BMBC scaffolds to human fetal osteoblast cells. MTS (3- [4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) reagent and trypan blue dye were employed for cell viability and cytotoxicity while glutaraldehyde fixation was used to evaluate the cell attachment. The finding shows the emergence of ester bond associated FTIR peaks and additional crystalline XRD peaks on all MBC samples which were evidence of the CA crosslinking on the BC. The MBC samples have shown potential antibacterial activity against some bacterial species at certain concentrations based on the disc diffusion technique (DDT) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. Antioxidant activity evaluation has also revealed some radical atom scavenging activity of the MBC in 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) solution. Samples showing the best HA nucleation were tested in vitro for cell viability, cytotoxicity, and attachment. Osteoblast cell proliferation and attachment on the BMBC samples after 3, 5 and 7 days of culture were the proof of its biocompatibility. Based on the in vitro study results presented here, it is apparent that the developed BMBC scaffold is bioactive and biocompatible; thus, it can be considered as a potential

Challenges facing health service providers in Nigeria 2013

West Afric

Association between Maternal Socio-economic Status, Polygamy and Risk of Pre-eclampsia in Rural Areas of Northern Nigeria

Objective: To examine association between maternal socio-cultural status, as indicated by maternal Income, education and polygamy with severity of pre–eclampsia. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out in Primary Health Centers in Katsina, Adamawa and Borno States. A total of two groups of subjects were selected for the study, with 50 Subjects in each group. Group A - pregnant non hypertensive women; Group B women with pre-eclampsia. Blood pressure was measured in a sitting position with sphygmomanometer after at least 10 minutes of rest. A semi structured questionnaire was administered to each respondent. P value≤ 0.05 was accepted as significant difference.  Results: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure BP was significantly different. (167.60±2.75 and 107.48±8.01 Vs. 116.70±0.98 and 76.80±8.67 in group B Vs. group A respectively, P<0.05). In Socio–cultural background significant correlation exists between pre–eclampsia and age at first marriage (P= 0.01). There also exists a correlation between age and number of marriages (P= 0.05). Age, parity, history of hypertension and number of marriages are negatively and significantly correlated with pre– eclampsia. Conclusion: This study found that seclusion and polygamy are not risk factors for developing pre-eclampsia

Overview of inexpensive production routes of bacterial cellulose and its applications in biomedical engineering

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an innovative polymeric nanofibre, which meets the demands of rapidly advancing industries, such as biomedical engineering, food packaging, pulp and paper and electrical appliance engineering. The versatility of bacterial cellulose is largely due to its unique properties, such as high crystallinity, high thermal stability, high water absorption capacity, hydrophilicity, good mechanical strength, biodegradability, high biocompatibility and high porosity, making it well-suited for applications in various fields. In recent years, advances for enhancing the applicability of BC through modification and its inclusion into composites have been in focus. Unfortunately, despite the multiple advantages it offers, the production cost of BC is too high, thus reducing/limiting its commercial attractiveness and industrial scale production. This paper is an overview of the current research trends for developing cheaper BC production pathways and of recent advances performed so far with the prospect of enhancing its potential application in biomedical engineering