PREDICTING FINANCIAL DISTRESS OF PUBLIC COMPANIES LISTED IN AMMAN STOCK EXCHANGE

This study investigates the role of a set of financial ratios in predicting financial distress of publicly listed companies in Jordan. Using Logistic Regression and Discriminant Analysis a comparison has been made between the two models to determine which is more appropriate to use as well as which of the financial ratios are statistically significant in predicting the financial distress of Jordanian companies. During the period 2007 to 2011, the results show that both logistic regression and discriminant analysis can predict financial distress, and that Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA) are the most important two financial ratios, which help in predicting the financial distress of public companies listed in Amman stock Exchange

Analysis of sildenafil citrate in herbal aphrodisiac preparations marketed in Sokoto metropolis and its public health implications

Aphrodisiacs are among the most widely marketed and consumed herbal products in North-Western Nigeria. There are speculations that these products are being adulterated with orthodox medicines in order to boost their effects and sales. The objective of current research was to analyse the presence of adulterated sildenafil citrate in some herbal aphrodisiacs commonly sold and consumed in Sokoto metropolis. Ten different liquid herbal aphrodisiac preparations marketed in Sokoto metropolis were collected from different areas of the city. Each of the preparation was analysed for adulteration with sildenafil citrate using thin layer chromatography and UV spectroscopy. Five of the preparations were found to contain sildenafil citrate in the range of 34 – 291 mg per daily dose. The findings from this study indicate that some of the herbal aphrodisiac preparations marketed in Sokoto metropolis are being adulterated with substantial amount of undeclared sildenafil citrate, a practice that poses serious public health hazard to its consumers. Consequences of which ranges from nausea, dyspepsia, pain, dizziness, abnormal vision, and headache and potentially heart attack especially among adults with underlying chronic diseases such as hypertension among others

Assessing Immunization Status and Factors Influencing Vaccination Coverage Among Children in Rural Suburbs of Sokoto State, Nigeria

Purpose – This study aimed to assess the immunization status of children in the rural suburbs of Sokoto state. The study aimed to examine the knowledge and perception of the respondents towards immunization, their vaccination coverage, and factors that may influence their immunization status.Design/methods/approach – This study, which took place in Sokoto state, Nigeria, used a questionnaire as the data collection instrument for a descriptive observational survey. The participants in the study consisted of opinion/community leaders, community men and women, and healthcare providers from the study area. The study population encompassed all people in the region under investigation. The sample size was 300 respondents selected through cluster sampling, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the X2 test.Findings – The study’s respondents were primarily male (66.7%), with a significant female population (33.3%), all aged 26-35. The majority were married (66.7%) and had tertiary education (66.7%), while some had secondary (16.7%) or primary education (16.7%). Immunization knowledge was primarily obtained through friends (66.7%) and healthcare workers (33.3%), with the expected time to begin immunization after nine months of age. All respondents had vaccinated their children and possessed vaccination cards. Factors affecting immunization included socioeconomic status (33.3%), beliefs (26.7%), geographic barriers (16.6%), and awareness (16.7%). The DPT1/DPT3 immunization coverage rate was 85%.Research implications/limitations – This study offers valuable insights for developing effective immunization programs in rural areas. The findings highlight the importance of educating friends and family members and promoting high levels of awareness and motivation towards immunization to encourage the adoption of similar strategies. However, it is essential to note that the study’s focus on immunization in children may limit its relevance to other age groups. Practical implications – Immunization is crucial for saving lives and protecting individuals, families, and communities from various diseases, offering profound benefits beyond health. This study has practical implications for policymakers, researchers, healthcare providers, students, and non-governmental organizations who can benefit from its findings to improve immunization strategies.Originality/value – This study provides valuable insights into the immunization status of children in rural areas of Sokoto state, highlighting the importance of education, awareness, and motivation towards immunization to promote higher vaccination coverage rates and improve public health.Paper type Research pape

Committer Assessment Practice in Blockchain Project: A Systematic Literature Review

As Blockchain projects gain popularity among developers, the number of patched codes rapidly increases. With such growth, it is difficult for the few committers to maintain it in a timely manner. Subsequently, the community is always in search of new committers. This highlights the imperative importance of committer assessment decisions towards the success of Blockchain. However, the practices come with risks whereby new committers may harm the project. For example, a new committer may initiate a hard fork that splits a project. Numerous systematic literature reviews have investigated developer turnover’s impact on open-source software (OSS) projects. These studies mainly focused on aspects such as community participation, engagement, and motivation. However, previous reviews often overlooked committer assessment practices, particularly in the context of Blockchain projects. Although Blockchain operates as OSS, its distinct attributes, such as decentralisation and cryptography, justify the need for a dedicated review. Therefore, the objectives of this review are to 1) identify committer assessment practices, 2) identify problems in committer assessment, 3) identify existing factors in committer assessment, and 4) suggest some possible research topics. These goals were achieved through a systematic review of literature published between 2010 and 2022. The findings suggest that previous assessment models are useful but mainly focus on technical factors. The results also indicate that studies focusing on behavioural tendencies, which influence human activities, have so far been neglected. Finally, the paper concludes by charting potential open research opportunities

Ethno-botanical survey of medicinal plants used traditionally in the treatment of mental disorders in Kano, Nigeria

Purpose: To identify medicinal plants used by traditional medicine practitioners to treat mental disorders within Kano metropolis, Nigeria.Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was administered. It was made up of demographic information (Section A), description of the medicinal plants (Section B), and the professional experience of the respondents (Section C). The data generated were recorded, processed and analyzed.Results: 255 responses were collected from 127 respondents. Among the participants, 101 (79 %) were male and 26 (21 %) were female. The age groups less than 31 years were 22 (17 %), 31 - 40 years were 29 (23 %), 41 - 50 years were 45 (36 %), and above 51 years were 31 (24 %). The sources of knowledge identified include ancestral (83 %), ancestral/training (9 %), training (6 %), and divination (2 %). Out of the total responses, fifty (50) different medicinal plants with various claims in the treatment of mental disorders were reported. The most commonly stated medicinal plants were Securidaca longepedunculata (8.6 %), Jatropha curcas (7.5 %), Solanum aethiopicum (7.1 %), Artemesia annua (6.7 %), Terminalia macroptera (6.3 %), Aristolochia albida (5.9 %), Nigella sativa (5.5 %), Andira inermis (5.5 %), Calotropis procera (5.1 %), and Burkea africana (4.7 %).Conclusion: This survey revealed fifty medicinal plants used traditionally in the treatment of mental disorders within Kano metropolis

Effects of Jujube Seed on the Mechanical Properties of the Normal Strength Concrete

The effects of jujube seed (JB) as partial replacement of coarse aggregate in concrete production was investigated. Physical properties of jujube seed and coarse aggregate were evaluated and compared. The concrete mix proportion of ratio 1:2:4 was adopted in the study. A total of 45 concrete cube specimens of size 150 × 150 ×150 mm3 with various percentages replacement by weight of coarse aggregate to jujube seeds as coarse aggregate in the order 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% water cured for a maximum of 28 days. The densities and compressive strengths of the reference sample and the concretes mixed with partial replacement were evaluated. The results showed no significant change in concretes' densities with the partial replacement of aggregate up to 20%.   The compressive strength of specimens with percentage replacement of coarse aggregate with jujube seeds at 20% for 7, 14, and 28 days curing age was found to be 6.7 MPa, 11.3 MPa, and 21.6 MPa, respectively. This shows that the compressive strengths at 28 days curing are entirely satisfactory within the range of compressive strength requirements of plain and reinforced concrete structure.  The Jujube Seeds could partly be used to replace coarse aggregate up to 20% in the production of concrete where it is easily accessible and can be recommended as an alternative material to coarse aggregate mostly in tropical Africa and Asia region

Pattern of Cancer in Bauchi: Report from a Departmental Cancer Registry

Context: Cancer ranks second among the major causes of death globally. A projection by 2020 indicated that developing countries wouldaccount for about 70% of total cancer‑related death worldwide. Despite the great threat posed by cancer to this region of the world,  reliable statistics on the trends and patterns of cancer are rare. Aims: The aim of the study is to review the cases of cancer recorded in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2019 Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective, descriptive study. Nine years records of all pathologically diagnosed cancer cases in the ATBUTH, Bauchi were retrieved, reviewed, and grouped in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology. The results were presented as simple frequency tables and charts. Results: A total of 1284 cancer cases were diagnosed during the period, an average of 142.7 cases per annum. There was a female predominance of cancer cases (male: female ratio ‑ 1:1.53. The age range was from seven months to 95 years, with mean and medianages of 49.6 and 50 years, respectively. More than half of the cases were reported in the fifth to seventh decades of life. Prostate (14.6%)and non melanoma skin cancer (11.2%) were the most common cancers seen in males. In females, cancers of the cervix (37.9%) and thebreast (22.9%) were the most common. Conclusions: Breast cancer and cancer of the uterine cervix were the most common cancers in women in this review while prostate cancer was the most common cancer in men. The need to establish a hospital‑based and/or population‑based cancer registry that will generate reliable cancer data in our environment cannot be overemphasized. Keywords: Bauchi, breast, cancer, cervix, prostate, registr

Pseudocedrela kotschyi: a review of ethnomedicinal uses, pharmacology and phytochemistry

Context: Pseudocedrela kotschyi (Schweinf) Harms (Meliaceae) is an important medicinal plant found in tropical and subtropical countries of Africa. Traditionally, P. kotschyi is used in the treatment of various diseases including diabetes, malaria, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Objective: To provide an overview of traditional medicinal claims, pharmacological properties, and phytochemical principles of P. kotschyi as a basis for its clinical applications and further research and development of new drugs. Methods: Through interpreting already published scientific manuscripts retrieved from different scientific search engines, namely, Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, Science Direct and Google scholar databases, an upto-date review on the medicinal potentials of P. kotschyi from inception until September, 2020 was compiled. ‘Pseudocedrela kotschyi’, ‘traditional uses’, ‘pharmacological properties’ and ‘chemical constituents’ were used as search words. Results: At present, more than 30 chemical constituents have been isolated and identified from the root and stem bark of P. kotschyi, among which limonoids and triterpenes are the main active constituents. Based on prior research, P. kotschyi has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, anthelminthic, antimalaria, anti-leishmaniasis, anti-trypanosomiasis, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects. Conclusions: P. kotschyi is reported to be effective in treating a variety of diseases. Current phytochemical and pharmacological studies mainly focus on antimalaria, anti-leishmaniasis, anti-trypanosomiasis and anticancer potential of the root and stem bark of P. kotschyi. Although experimental data support the beneficial medicinal properties of this plant, there is still a paucity of information on its toxicity profile. Nonetheless, this review provides the basis for future research work

The chemopreventive properties of isothiocyanate isolated from the seeds of moringa oleifera lam

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are a group of plant phytochemicals believed to have numerous therapeutic properties. In the current study, Glucomoringin Isothiocyanate (GMG-ITC) was isolated and purified from the seeds of Moringa oleifera Lam. and used to treat Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Liver Cancer in rats. We observed that GMG-ITC treatment attenuated liver damage and significantly prevented the release of liver enzymes into blood plasma. In addition, the treatment significantly increased total antioxidant capacity of liver cancer induced rats that could have decreased the level of alanine amino transferase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase (AST) in the blood. Thus, we postulate that pure isothiocyanate from the seeds of M. oleifera has potential anti-Liver Cancer activity