From Wooden to Digital Notice Board (DNB): Design and Implementation for University Administration

Many state-of-the-art and cutting-edge universities in the world rely on wooden notice board hanging on a wall to display announcements. The overreliance of this practice in a university is still not enough to pass relevant information round as some of these problems are encountered: (1) Multiple people struggle and cluster a single wooden notice board for information just released, e.g. Exam results. (2) People mutilate, remove or destroy paper notices from the notice board leaving other people to be uninformed.(3) Some people do not have the time to settle down and read all the relevant information posted on a notice board especially where digital printout cannot be made easily. (4) There is unregulated display of information, difficulty in storage and no efficient reference to past relevant information being posted. Taking a case study of Covenant University where information is a vital key for everybody’s progress on campus. This research work looks at the development of a Digital Notice Board (DNB) program, which can be installed on various computers connected together by local area network (LAN) so as to increase the rate at which relevant information is being disseminated to the public within a certain location. The major strength of DNB is its usability with large electronic screen for display of information on numerous strategic points on university campus

An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Globalisation on Performance of Nigerian Commercial Banks in Post-Consolidation Period

The study examined the impact of globalization on performance of Nigerian commercial banks between 2005 and 2010. It specifically determined the effects of policies of foreign private investment, foreign trade and exchange rate on performance of Nigerian banks. The study utilized panel data econometrics in a pooled regression, where time series and cross-sectional observations were combined and estimated. The results of econometric panel regression analysis confirmed that globalization, i.e. foreign private investment, foreign trade and exchange rate have positive effects on the profit after tax of banks but the magnitude of such effects remains indeterminable because we discovered that there are variations in the data for performance of banks understudied. Based on these findings, the study recommends that banks in Nigeria should not relent in their interaction with their foreign counterpart in doing business in order to increase their foreign earnings. Banks should also spend more on information and communication technology since this has the capacity of increasing their profit. This information technology (IT) should be used to localize all the branches to a single branch networking. In spending more on information and communication, they should make use of satellite communication and very small aperture terminal (VSAT) technology and internet banking VSAT technology apart from making possible voice and video banking. We further recommend that more banks should be opened in foreign countries in order to increase foreign participation in home country’s banking

Engineering a Ruled-Based Software Solution for Credit Rating and Worthiness Assessment in Financial Operations

In loan provision, the central worry is whether the borrower will default or payback. A good number of institutions world-wide have gone into distress owing to bad debt arising from inability to recover borrowed funds. Credit Rating is a technique that is widely used to evaluate applications tendered for credit, identify prospective borrowers, and manage existing credit accounts. This work is aimed at the development of a system capable of evaluating the credit worthiness of fund-seeking bank customers and other borrowers towards repayment capabilities of loan facility availed to them in due time. The method carefully examines who qualifies for a loan based on certain rules consisting of Payment History, Credit Owed, Credit Available, Age of Account, Crime Records, Medical Records, Amount to be borrowed. and other factors. Percentage weights for assessment of each of these factors were proposed including threshold percentage above which credit is predicted adequate to be given. This factor creates a sort of satisfaction and level-playing field for correct assessment of lending risk

OsamorSoft: clustering index for comparison and quality validation in high throughput dataset

The existence of some differences in the results obtained from varying clustering k-means algorithms necessitated the need for a simplified approach in validation of cluster quality obtained. This is partly because of differences in the way the algorithms select their first seed or centroid either randomly, sequentially or some other principles influences which tend to influence the final result outcome. Popular external cluster quality validation and comparison models require the computation of varying clustering indexes such as Rand, Jaccard, Fowlkes and Mallows, Morey and Agresti Adjusted Rand Index (ARIMA) and Hubert and Arabie Adjusted Rand Index (ARIHA). In literature, Hubert and Arabie Adjusted Rand Index (ARIHA) has been adjudged as a good measure of cluster validity. Based on ARIHA as a popular clustering quality index, we developed OsamorSoft which constitutes DNA_Omatrix and OsamorSpreadSheet as a tool for cluster quality validation in high throughput analysis. The proposed method will help to bridge the yawning gap created by lesser number of friendly tools available to externally evaluate the ever-increasing number of clustering algorithms. Our implementation was tested alongside with clusters created with four k-means algorithms using malaria microarray data. Furthermore, our results evolved a compact 4-stage OsamorSpreadSheet statistics that our easy-to-use GUI java and spreadsheet-based tool of OsamorSoft uses for cluster quality comparison. It is recommended that a framework be evolved to facilitate the simplified integration and automation of several other cluster validity indexes for comparative analysis of big data problems

INTRA – TRANSFER –SEGMENTAL PRICING,ITS ADAPTABILITY CONCEPT IN DETERMINATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL PROFITABILITY

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to highlight the relevance of intra-segmental-transfer-pricing as a measure of interdivisional, interdepartmental performance efficiency, when goods and services are internally transferred within the units in the organization. Methodology/Approach: An empirical survey-based-data collection from TEXLON NIG. PLC (a textile unit with two functional departments –spinning and weaving), Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, Mile 2, Lagos, Nigeria. Findings: Intra-segmental-transfer-pricing basically, is not a market oriented pricing mechanism. The system under which each independent unit has full freedom to negotiate (LAISSEZ FAIRE) is absolutely absent. The segmental pricing by independent units are virtually regulated by guidelines (CENTRALLY IMPOSED). It is a measure of efficiency rather than “Profit performance”. Research Limitations/Implications: i. In intra-segmental-transfer pricing, selling divisions are allowed to recover selling expenses from the user divisions even though no selling expenses are virtually incurred on intra-segmental transfers. ii. The measurement of segmental profit performance is not possible under regulated guidelines (centrally imposed pricing), hence, profit performance of each unit cannot be measured with absolute certainty. Practical Implication: Intra-segmental transfer-pricing is not a measure of divisional profit performance, its utility is limited to internal adaptability scenario. Originality/Value: This paper exhibits more light on the theory/concept of segmental-transfer pricing as a measure of segmental profit performance and its theoretical utility rather than absolute measure of profitability

Rapid ethical assessment on informed consent content and procedure in Hintalo-Wajirat, Northern Ethiopia: a qualitative study

Background Informed consent is a key component of bio-medical research involving human participants. However, obtaining informed consent is challenging in low literacy and resource limited settings. Rapid Ethical Assessment (REA) can be used to contextualize and simplify consent information within a given study community. The current study aimed to explore the effects of social, cultural, and religious factors during informed consent process on a proposed HPV-serotype prevalence study. Methodology A qualitative community-based REA was conducted in Adigudom and Mynebri Kebeles, Northern Ethiopia, from July to August 2013. Data were collected by a multi-disciplinary team using open ended questions concerning informed consent components in relation to the parent study. The team conducted one-to-one In-Depth Interviews (IDI) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with key informants and community members to collect data based on the themes of the study. Tape recorded data were transcribed in Tigrigna and then translated into English. Data were categorized and thematically analyzed using open coding and content analysis based on pre-defined themes. Results The REA study revealed a number of socio-cultural issues relevant to the proposed study. Low community awareness about health research, participant rights and cervical cancer were documented. Giving a vaginal sample for testing was considered to be highly embarrassing, whereas giving a blood sample made participants worry that they might be given a result without the possibility of treatment. Verbal consent was preferred to written consent for the proposed study. Conclusion This rapid ethical assessment disclosed important socio-cultural issues which might act as barriers to informed decision making. The findings were important for contextual modification of the Information Sheet, and to guide the best consent process for the proposed study. Both are likely to have enabled participants to understand the informed consent better and consequently to comply with the study