A TRANSLOG ANALYSIS OF INSURANCE ECONOMIES IN NIGERIA

Recapitalization process that has recently become an imperative process in the Nigerian Financial industry has implications for the survival of insurance sector, especially on their service delivery efficiency. This study therefore seeks to investigate the problem of inefficiency in the Nigerian Insurance market from the perspective of their cost structures. The study takes advantage of secondary data of financial reports of thirty randomly selected insurance firms which span over a period of ten years and applied transcendental logarithm model to evaluate their performance from the cost structures strategy. The results indicate that only large scale firms enjoy cost saving advantages. Twenty percent firms sampled belong to this category. The result suggests that premium income would contribute to insurance firm’s performance, only when a sound investment decisions are made.Transcedental Logarithm, Cost Structures, Insurance firms and Efficiency

Acquired DNA damage in adolescent obesity – a promoter and predictor of cancer?

Introduction Epidemiological evidence linking obesity with increased risk of cancer is steadily growing, although the causative aspects underpinning this association are only partially understood. Obesity coincides with deficiencies in micronutrients such as Vitamin D, a key player in DNA repair processes. As a result, vitamin D deficiency in obesity may have a marked impact on DNA stability and integrity. 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is a well-established marker of oxidative DNA damage that has been identified in higher concentrations in cancer patients. Here we report, preliminary, unpublished findings from our study on acquired DNA damage in childhood obesity. Material and Method Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist to Hip ratio (WHR) and body fat percentage via bioelectrical impedance was assessed in over 70 participants, aged 11-18 and recruited from National Health Service (NHS) obesity clinics and schools in London. A non-invasive, integrated evaluation of urinary 8-OHdG and salivary vitamin D was conducted using ELISA based methods and compared to markers of adiposity. Results and Discussion A BMI percentile >99 was found to be associated with decreased salivary vitamin D and increased urinary 8-OHdG when compared to healthy weight controls (BMI = 5th-85th percentile). Vitamin D levels in saliva were found to be inversely correlated with BMI and body fat percentage. Urinary 8-OHdG positively correlated with body fat percentage and WHR. Most importantly, an inverse correlation between vitamin D in saliva and 8-OHdG in urine was also identified. Recent evidence has suggested vitamin D in obesity to be a consequence of altered behaviour, reduced intestinal absorption, and sequestration of vitamin D into adipose tissue. As a result, DNA repair processes against oxidative DNA damage in obesity may be impaired, resulting in the excess of lesions including 8-OHdG. The effects of excess 8-OHdG lesions have been well researched to include various mutations that can drive carcinogenesis. Conclusion Our results suggest Vitamin D deficiency in obese adolescents may play a significant role in triggering oxidative DNA damage, thus increasing the likelihood of cancer later in life

Genome Instability in Childhood Obesity – a potential role for bariatric surgery in cancer prevention?

Severe paediatric obesity is associated with a range of metabolic complications and is characterised by a chronic meta-inflammatory state. It is postulated that this inflammatory response may result in an excess of systemic reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are well known for inducing DNA damage and reducing the capability of DNA synthesis and repair enzymes. Consequently, chronic inflammation in obesity may promote an accumulation of deleterious DNA mutations, leading to genome instability and driving carcinogenesis. This research aims to accrue evidence to consolidate or refute a causative link between genome instability in childhood obesity and the increased risk of developing cancer at a later stage in life. For the purpose of this study, a novel, non- invasive analytical ‘tool-kit’ for the combined and comprehensive assessment of systemic inflammation and acquired DNA damage has been developed and is being tested on a cohort of severely obese children and healthy weight controls recruited from King’s College Hospital and St George’s NHS trust. Furthermore, this research aims to propose biomonitoring of the genome to inform prioritization and severity of intervention measures based on the suggested reversibility of DNA damage following early surgical weight-loss treatment

The Mechanism of Sediment Depositional Environment of Core Drilling of Gilimanuk Coast, Bali and Ketapang, East Java, Based on Sediment Textures

The analysis result of grains frequency curve and relation between grains size to cumulative have shown medium grains at Gilimanuk (Core drilling-1) and coarse grains at Ketapang (Core drilling-2). In general both of them are showed by pattern uniformity, which is represented by the similar of curve pattern. On the grain size of -2 phi as medium gravel with percentage between 6.47 to 35.88%, while core drilling -2 on the size of -2 phi between 6.86 to 61.11%.The average grains size of core drilling -1 are gravel about 21.3%, sand 60.2%, silt 5% and clay about 0.4% while core drilling-2 are characterized by 44.3%, sand 26.8%, silt 24.6% and clay about 0.6%. These result shows that at location of Core drilling -1 is dominated by sand where as at location of Core drilling -2 is dominated by gravel. These situation can be interpreted that the sediment at core drilling -2 location have influenced by strong marine current which can transport the large amount of gravel size compare to the location of Core drilling-1 which is dominated by sand. Based on the relation shape of grains size curve versus cumulative frequency shows that the sediment of Core drilling-1is interpreted as a beach sand deposits and only one sample which shows as a river sand deposits which was found at depth 0 – 3 m depth. In general, the sample of Core drilling –2 shows that the pattern of sediment tend as a beach sand deposits and only one sample which shows the combination between coastal deposits and river deposits ( 4 – 5 m depth). From this sample, the coarse to fine grains is deposited by coastal media and fine grains material (about 10%) is deposited by river media. The sample of river deposits is found as lamination because the only one which is created from combination between coastal and river depos its from all sample of core drilling-2.Keywords: core drilling, grain sediments, media transport, environmental deposition Hasil analisis menggunakan kurva frekuensi butiran serta hubungan antara besar butir terhadap kumulatif menunjukkan dominasi ukuran butiran sedang di daerah Gilimanuk (Bor-1) dan kasar di daerah Ketapang (Bor-2). Pada kedua daerah tersebut, secara umum memperlihatkan pola keseragaman, yang ditunjukkan oleh pola kurva yang sama. Pada ukuran butir -2 phi (kerikil sedang) pada Bor-1 berjumlah antara 6,47 – 35,88%, sedangkan pada Bor-2 pada ukuran -2 phi berjumlah antara 6,86 – 61,11%.Kandungan rata-rata butiran pada Bor-1 adalah: kerikil 21,3%, pasir 60,2%, lanau 5% dan lempung 0,4%, sedangkan Bor-2 adalah: kerikil 44,3%, pasir 26,8%, lanau 24,6% dan lempung 0,6%. Hasil ini menunjukkan bahwa pada Bor-1 didominasi oleh pasir dan pada Bor-2 didominasi oleh kerikil. Hasil ini dapat memberi gambaran bahwa pada Bor-2 berarus lebih kuat karena mampu menstranspor butiran kerikil dalam jumlah yang lebih besar dibandingkan dengan Bor-1 yang didominasi oleh pasir. Berdasarkan beberapa kurva hubungan antara besar butir vs frekuensi komulatif pada Bor-1 menunjukkan endapan pantai (beach sand), hanya satu contoh menunjukkan endapan sungai (river sand), yaitu contoh B1 (0 – 3m). Pada Bor-2, secara umum menunjukkan pola yang lebih mendekati endapan pantai (beach sand), hanya satu contoh menunjukkan kombinasi endapan pantai dan endapan sungai (river sand), yaitu contoh B2 (4 – 5 m). Pada contoh ini, butiran berukuran kasar sampai halus diendapkan oleh media pantai dan ukuran halus dengan persentase sekitar 10% merupakan endapan sungai. Contoh endapan sungai adalah pada B2 (4 – 5 m) ini merupakan endapan sisipan karena satu-satu terbentuk dari kombinasi pantai dan sungai dari seluruh contoh pada Bor-2

Pengaruh Parameter Fisika terhadap Hasil Tangkapan Alat Tangkap Gill Net di Perairan Kelurahan Sumber Jaya Kecamatan Kampung Melayu Kota Bengkulu Provinsi Bengkulu

This research was done in December 2013 in the waters of Sumber Jaya village Kampung Melayu subdistrict Bengkulu Bengkulu province. The method used was a survey method. Data taken consisted of 1) the location of the operation of gill net fishing gear, 2) the location of the catch in gill net fishing gear pengoperaisan, 3) water temperature, 4) salinity, 5) flow velocity, 6) brightness and 7) depth. The highest fish production in the 10 operating locations gill net fishing gear different, for gill net boats GT ≤ 5 highest and lowest 110 kg 45 kg. While gill net vessel GT ≥ 5 highest and lowest reaches 750 kg 350 kg. Physical parameters obtained for salinity in the range of 24-26 ‰, flow velocity in the range of 0.200 to 0.250 m / sec, the depth was 58-62 m range, water transparency in the range of 6.0-8.0 m, water temperature in the range of 27 -30 0C. Multiple linear regression analysis showed Total catches (Dependent Variable) with physical parameters (Predictors) obtained the effect of x on y by 54.0%, while the remaining 46% are caused by other factors. The need for further research by grouping objects larger research and predictive variables that have continuous time series in order to obtain a clearer influence between variables and objects