Assessment of the impact of NUC accreditation exercise on personnel in business education programmes of universities

This is a survey research aimed at determining the impact of National Universities Commission’s accreditation exercise on personnel in the business education programmes of the universities in the South-east Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria. One research question and one null hypothesis guided the study. The population comprised 66 respondents made up of 6 directors of academic planning and 60 academic staff of the departments of Business Education of the six universities in the zone. A researcher-developed instrument duly validated by three experts was used for data collection. Test re-test method was used for testing the reliability of the instrument. With the use of the Pearson Product Moment, the reliability co-efficient correlation was found to be 0.86 which was considered adequate for the study. The mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research question while t-test was used to test the null hypothesis. The findings of the study indicated that NUC accreditation exercise had impacted in some aspects of minimum standards for quality of personnel in Business Education programmes to a high extent. However, the exercise had a low extent of impact on staff/student ratio of 1:30, on students understanding of departmental mission and on competent technical officers manning the computer laboratory in business education programmes. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that NUC should continue to insist on on-line registration for lecturers in business education departments to ensure that all the claims made on personnel during accreditation were actually in existence.Keywords: NUC, Accreditation and Personne

Effect of Aqueous Fruit Extract of Cucumis Sativus on Some Biochemical Parameters in Streptozotocin Induced-Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus is among the major global public health problems and its prevalence is currently increasing at an alarming rate. The research was carried out to evaluate the effect of aqueous fruit extract of Cucumis sativus on blood glucose, total protein, total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), urea, creatinine levels as well as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and electrolytes (Na+, Cl- and HCO3-) levels on normal and streptozotocin induced-diabetic rat. The aqueous fruit extract was administered orally at a dose of 400mg/kg body weight to both normal and streptozotocin induced-diabetic rat. Twenty adult male rats were divided into four groups of five rats each, two groups were made diabetic and the other two groups were non-diabetic. One of the diabetic groups were administered with the aqueous fruit extract and the second served as diabetic control. The streptozotocin was administered intraperitoneal at a dose of 55mg/kg per body weight. The administration of the aqueous fruit extract lasted for 28 days. Effect of aqueous fruit extract on blood glucose, total protein, total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, urea, creatinine, and electrolytes (Na+, Cl- and HCO3-) levels were analysed. The toxic effect of the aqueous fruit extract was determined using biochemical enzymes markers. The photochemical screening of the aqueous fruit extract showed the presences of Alkaloids, Balsam, Cyanogenic glycosides, Flavonoids, Saponins, Resins and Carbohydrate. Administration with the fruit extract showed significant (P<0.05) reduction on the serum blood glucose level and other biochemical parameters analyzed. The extract possesses no toxic effect as indicated by lowered AST and ALP levels and may be used for the management of diabetes mellitus. Keywords: Cucumis sativus, Phytochemicals, Diabetic Mellitus, Liver enzymes, hypoglycemic activity. DOI: 10.7176/JNSR12-2-04 Publication date: January 31st 202

Aspergillus species colonization of termite-damaged peanuts in parts of West Africa and its control prospects

A survey of farmers' peanut fields in Benin showed that Aspergillus flavus Link ex Fries infection was influenced by Microtermes (Isoptera: Termitidae) damage. Field trials conducted at the ICRISAT station and a farmer's plot in Mali on termite damage and Aspergillus spp. infection showed that peanut plots treated with carbofuran at planting and supplemented with chlorpyrifos at 40 days after planting (dap), or treated with only chlorpyrifos at 40 dap, significantly reduced pod damage by the termite M. lepidus Sjostedt. and colonization by A. flavus. The cultivar ICG 10946 which had significantly more A. flavus (P < 0.05) also had a higher percentage of damaged pods compared with tlle other cultivars at the on-station trials. The least infected cultivar in all the trials was 47-16 which also had a comparatively lower percentage of termite-damaged pods, although this was not Significant. However, termite damage was correlated with A. flavus percentage colonizatio

Autism spectrum disorder in a community-based sample with neurodevelopmental problems in Lagos, Nigeria

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a globally prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder for which early diagnosis and intervention is the mainstay of management. In the African continent, limited data is available regarding the non-clinic based samples. Lack of information available to caregivers and inadequate skilled manpower often limit early detection and access to the few available though under resourced services in the community. Community based screening can be an important drive to create awareness and improve information dissemination regarding services available for those living with this disorder. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study utilizing data obtained from participants of a community-based autism screening exercise. The surveillance exercise was part of the annual Orange Ribbon initiative for autism awareness and screening held in 2014. Data was obtained from 85 participants involved in the Autism Surveillance screening exercise within the Lagos community. Community public service radio announcements state wide and word of mouth were used to invite and enroll eligible participants to the screening and consultation exercise. A second stage screening and a brief sociodemographic questionnaire followed by a third stage clinical interview and evaluation using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5 Edition (DSM 5) were used. Appropriate consultation and referrals to services in the community were given. Participants had a mean age of 7.53 years (SD 4.35). Twenty-nine (34.5%) met the diagnosis of ASD. Other diagnosis included attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), language and speech disorder, intellectual disability (8.3%) and learning disorders (9.5%). Main health concerns to caregivers were poor language development in all (100%), of which 11 (40.7%) were non-verbal; gaze avoidance was seen in 14 (48.3%) and challenging behavior in 12 (42.9%). Comorbidities included seizure disorders (3.4%) and ADHD (6.9%). Persons with autism had history of ASD behavior more often when compared to the other neurodevelopmental disorders and these findings were statistically significant. Referrals were given to caregivers to engage in services within the community. As seen in this study, community understanding of ASD is poor in such locations, in which many persons with other neurodevelopmental disorders are often presented as having autism. Caregivers in the study location are distressed by many symptoms associated with autism and their comorbid conditions. Currently there is an evident role for frequent large scale community based screening and autism awareness exercises possibly using inter-sectoral collaboration as a strategy.Yewande O. Oshodi, Andrew T. Olagunju, Motunrayo. A. Oyelohunnu, Elizabeth A. Campbell, Charles S. Umeh, Olatunji F. Aina, Wellington Oyibo, Folusho E.A. Lesi, Joseph D. Adeyem

Soil pests of groundnut in West Africa - species diversity, damage and estimation of yield losses

Among the major arthropods in soil and plant samples taken from groundnut farms during the 1996 cropping season in Mali, Burkina-Faso, Niger, and Nigeria, termites in the genus Microtermes (Isoptera: Termitidae) were the most abundant and widely distributed species of economic importance. None of the termite species identified on trees in the surveyed farms attacked groundnuts. At plant maturity, termites were less frequently observed in soils taken from bare ground but were predominantly found on plants. Residues of previous cereal crops in the fields contributed to termite spread. Most of the whitegrub (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and millipede (Myriapoda: Odontopygidae) species identified belonged to the genera of Schyzonycha and Peridontopyge, respectively. There was a general decrease in both their population densities and the percentages of farms they infested at plant maturity compared to the early stages of the crop. Mean percentages of plants attacked by termites, whitegrubs and millipedes in the surveyed groundnut fields were 39.4, 10.9, and 9.3%, respectively. Yield loss due to termites, which predominantly damaged harvested kernels, was estimated at 9.6-30.4%, and was significantly correlated with percentage of plants damaged by termites (r²=0.73

Is backreaction really small within concordance cosmology?

Smoothing over structures in general relativity leads to a renormalisation of the background, and potentially many other effects which are poorly understood. Observables such as the distance-redshift relation when averaged on the sky do not necessarily yield the same smooth model which arises when performing spatial averages. These issues are thought to be of technical interest only in the standard model of cosmology, giving only tiny corrections. However, when we try to calculate observable quantities such as the all-sky average of the distance-redshift relation, we find that perturbation theory delivers divergent answers in the UV and corrections to the background of order unity. There are further problems. Second-order perturbations are the same size as first-order, and fourth-order at least the same as second, and possibly much larger, owing to the divergences. Much hinges on a coincidental balance of 2 numbers: the primordial power, and the ratio between the comoving Hubble scales at matter-radiation equality and today. Consequently, it is far from obvious that backreaction is irrelevant even in the concordance model, however natural it intuitively seems.Comment: 28 pages. Invited contribution to Classical and Quantum Gravity special issue "Inhomogeneous Cosmological Models and Averaging in Cosmology

No Sex Differences in Use of Dopaminergic Medication in Early Parkinson Disease in the US and Canada - Baseline Findings of a Multicenter Trial

Background: Sex differences in Parkinson disease clinical features have been reported, but few studies have examined sex influences on use of dopaminergic medication in early Parkinson disease. The objective of this study was to test if there are differences in the type of dopaminergic medication used and levodopa equivalent daily dose between men and women with early Parkinson disease enrolled in a large multicenter study of Creatine as a potential disease modifying therapy – the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Exploratory Trials in Parkinson Disease Long-Term Study-1. Methods: Baseline data of 1,741 participants from 45 participating sites were analyzed. Participants from the United States and Canada were enrolled within five years of Parkinson Disease diagnosis. Two outcome variables were studied: type of dopaminergic medication used and levodopa equivalent daily dose at baseline in the Long-Term Study-1. Chi-square statistic and linear regression models were used for statistical analysis. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of use of different types of dopaminergic medications at baseline between men and women with Parkinson Disease. A small but statistically significant difference was observed in the median unadjusted levodopa equivalent daily dose at baseline between women (300 mg) and men (325 mg), but this was not observed after controlling for disease duration (years since Parkinson disease diagnosis), disease severity (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Motor and Activities of Daily Living Scores), and body weight. Conclusions: In this large multicenter study, we did not observe sex differences in the type and dose of dopaminergic medications used in early Parkinson Disease. Further research is needed to evaluate the influence of male or female sex on use of dopaminergic medication in mid- and late-stage Parkinson Disease

Nonlinear relativistic corrections to cosmological distances, redshift and gravitational lensing magnification. I - Key results

The next generation of telescopes will usher in an era of precision cosmology, capable of determining the cosmological model to beyond the percent level. For this to be effective, the theoretical model must be understood to at least the same level of precision. A range of subtle relativistic effects remain to be explored theoretically, and offer the potential for probing general relativity in this new regime. We present the distance-redshift relation to second order in cosmological perturbation theory for a general dark energy model. This relation determines the magnification of sources at high precision, as well as redshift space distortions in the mildly non-linear regime. We identify a range of new lensing effects, including: double-integrated and nonlinear integrated Sach-Wolfe contributions, transverse Doppler effects, lensing from the induced vector mode and gravitational wave backgrounds, in addition to lensing from the second-order potential. Modifications to Doppler lensing from redshift-space distortions are identified. Finally, we find a new double-coupling between the density fluctuations integrated along the line of sight, and gradients in the density fluctuations coupled to transverse velocities along the line of sight. These can be large and thus offer important new probes of gravitational lensing and general relativity. This paper accompanies arXiv:1402.1933, where a comprehensive derivation is given.Comment: 7 pages. v2 has significant presentational changes. v3 has new discussion on the magnitude of the corrections, plus minor corrections, and is the version to appear in CQ

The 4 youth by youth HIV self-testing crowdsourcing contest: A qualitative evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: Crowdsourcing, a participatory approach to solicit ideas from a large group of diverse individuals, provides an opportunity to nurture youth participation in HIV self-testing service design. The objective of this study was to describe the responses to a crowdsourcing contest aimed at soliciting ideas on how to promote HIV self-testing (HIVST) among young people in Nigeria. METHODS: The "4 Youth by Youth" HIV Self-Testing Crowdsourcing contest was an online and off-line contest that asked Nigerian youth (10-24 years old) for ideas in response to the following: How might we promote HIVST among young people in Nigeria? All data were collected and analyzed between October 2018, and June 2019. Ideas and perceptions generated from the crowdsourcing contest were qualitatively analyzed using thematic content analysis. Specifically, four reviewers analyzed whether the ideas generated were desirable (appealing to young people), feasible (easy to implement) and impactful (will significantly influence HIVST uptake among young people). RESULTS: A total of 903 entries were received in response to the contest prompt. Participants submitted entries in various forms: online form (39.7%), offline Dropbox (44.6%), email (6.1%) and WhatsApp (9.7%). Of the total entries, 85% (n = 769/903) entries were eligible and were scored as having either high, moderate or low level of feasibility, impact and desirability, on a 3-point Likert scale. A significant portion of the entries were given a score of 3 for feasibility (4.9%), desirability (7.1%), impact (3.0%) or a total overall score of 7 or more (8.2%). The three main themes that emerged from the entries include:1) Peer-to-peer distribution and leveraging on existing infrastructures 2) Youth-Oriented Branding of the HIVST Kit 3) Mobile platforms and social media technology. CONCLUSION: The "4 Youth by Youth" Self-Testing contest engaged a broad audience of young people to generate ideas and perspectives on how to promote HIVST. This process informed the development of youth innovated implementation strategies to increase uptake of HIVST among adolescents and youth at risk for HIV

Sex Differences in Clinical Features of Early, Treated Parkinson\u27s Disease

INTRODUCTION: To improve our understanding of sex differences in the clinical characteristics of Parkinson\u27s Disease, we sought to examine differences in the clinical features and disease severity of men and women with early treated Parkinson\u27s Disease (PD) enrolled in a large-scale clinical trial. METHODS: Analysis was performed of baseline data from the National Institutes of Health Exploratory Trials in Parkinson\u27s Disease (NET-PD) Long-term Study-1, a randomized, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 10 grams of oral creatine/day in individuals with early, treated PD. We compared mean age at symptom onset, age at PD diagnosis, and age at randomization between men and women using t-test statistics. Sex differences in clinical features were evaluated, including: symptoms at diagnosis (motor) and symptoms at randomization (motor, non-motor, and daily functioning). RESULTS: 1,741 participants were enrolled (62.5% male). No differences were detected in mean age at PD onset, age at PD diagnosis, age at randomization, motor symptoms, or daily functioning between men and women. Differences in non-motor symptoms were observed, with women demonstrating better performance compared to men on SCOPA-COG (Z = 5.064, p\u3c0.0001) and Symbol Digit Modality measures (Z = 5.221, p\u3c0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, men and women did not demonstrate differences in clinical motor features early in the course of PD. However, the differences observed in non-motor cognitive symptoms suggests further assessment of the influence of sex on non-motor symptoms in later stages of PD is warranted