Nnamdi Azikiwe University Journals
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GREY DIRECTORS ATTRIBUTE AND IDIOSYNCRATIC RISK OF LISTED MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN NIGERIA
No full text The study investigated the nexus between grey directors’ attribute and idiosyncratic risk of listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria using a ten (10) year time frame that span through 2014 to 2023. To achieve the stated broad objectives, specific attributes of grey directors’ which have been widely employed in related extant literature to include, grey director nationality, and grey director overlap function were selected to ascertain the extent to which they affect idiosyncratic risk. This study employed ex-post facto and descriptive research design on a panel data set sourced from annual financial reports of a sample of forty-six listed manufacturing firms in Nigeria. Further, Iterated Generalized Least Squares (IGLS) Random Effects with Heteroskedastic Panels regression model was employed to test the formulated hypotheses. The findings revealed that grey director attributes and overlapping roles did not exhibit significant relationship with firm-specific risk, nationality of grey directors showed a strong negative relationship with idiosyncratic risk. Therefore, based on the foregoing empirical outcomes, this study recommends among others that stakeholders in the manufacturing industry should refrain from formulating or implementing governance reforms solely on the assumption that dual-role occupancy inherently enhances risk oversight
IMPACT OF MICROFINANCE CREDIT ON SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs) PERFORMANCE IN SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA
No full text This study examined the impact of microfinance credit on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Southwest Nigeria. The specific objectives are to analyse credit facilities offered by MFBs to enhance SMEs\u27 performance in Southwestern Nigeria and investigate the extent of SMEs\u27 accessibility to microfinance credits in the study area. The study utilized a descriptive survey design. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire. A total of 354 participants were selected using a multistage sampling approach. Stratified selection alongside simple random sampling was employed to identify owner-managers from 36 communities in the region. Data were analyzed using simple percentages and frequency. The findings revealed that microfinance banks in Southwest Nigeria offer various credit facilities to small and medium-sized enterprises, including long-term and short-term loans. Specifically, bank overdrafts accounted for 38.1%, term loans constituted 40.7%, and financing for assets/equipment made up 18.1% of the available options. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) with strong governance, transparent and ethical lending practices are more likely to attract investors and funding, leading to improved services and greater expansion efforts. The study concluded that enhanced access to microfinance lending facilities would lead to an increase in performance for small and medium-sized businesses in Southwest Nigeria. The study recommended that MFIs should reduce interest rates to encourage more SME startups and enhance loan utilization capacit
KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, PRACTICE AND ACCEPTABILITY OF CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING AMONG WOMEN IN SELECTED HEALTH FACILITIES IN ABUJA, NIGERIA
No full textBackground: Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer among women in Nigeria. Most studies indicate that the level of knowledge of cervical cancer and its preventive measures are low among the women population.
Aim: To assess the level of Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Acceptability of cervical cancer screening among women in FCT, Abuja.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used and data were collected from respondents using self-administered structured questionnaire. Data were collected from three hundred and fifty-seven (357) respondents whose ages ranged from 20 to 60+ years. Data was presented using descriptive statistics of frequency distribution tables and charts, while chi-square was used to determine associations at the <0.05 level of significance.
Results: The result showed that the women had a good knowledge (90.0%) and a positive attitude (90.0%) with a poor practice (44.0%) of cervical cancer screening. The acceptability among the women was reasonably good (60.0%) and the most preventive measure against cervical cancer infection was Human Papilloma Virus vaccination before sexual debut (98.0%, p=0.001), followed by regular PAP smear test (92.0, p=0.003). Fear of diagnosis (p=0.032), embarrassment (p=0.021), financial constraints (p=0.001), stigma (p=0.001) and staff attitude (p=0.036) were the barriers to cervical cancer screening among the study population.
Conclusion: The study revealed that the women had a good knowledge of cervical cancer screening, and positive attitude towards cervical cancer screening. However, a poor practice of cervical cancer screening was observed among the women, therefore, there is need for enlightenment campaign towards increasing the involvement of more women in participating in the cervical cancer screening programmes that will enable and encourage them to participate more in the screening exercises
QUALITY OF LIFE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG LOWER LIMB AMPUTEES VISITING PHYSICAL REHABILITATION CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI TEACHING HOSPITAL, NIGERIA
No full textBackground: Lower limb amputees usually have reduced mobility which affects their capacity to carry out daily tasks and physical activity which greatly affects their quality of life (QoL).
Aim: This study determined the QoL, physical activity and their associations with demographic and clinical factors of lower limb amputees at University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey involving fifty amputees recruited through a convenience sampling technique. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-Bref (Hausa version) while physical activity (PA) was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)- short form (Hausa version). Socio-demographic information of age, gender, level of education, and clinical factors such as cause of amputation, level of amputation and time since amputation were also obtained. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics of Chi-square (ꭓ2 ) test. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Quality of life was higher in the “psychological” domain (67.88±13.52), relatively lower in the “social” domain of QoL (59.00±17.30). It shows (30%) low physical activity (570.24±555.69 MET min/week), a high percentage (56%) of moderate physical activity level (649.60±884.61 MET-min/week) and (14%) vigorous physical activity (685.60±1868.24 MET-min/week) among the amputees. Significant associations between physical domain and age (p<0.05), psychological domain and level of education (p<0.05), environmental domain and cause of amputation (p<0.05). No significant associations (p>0.05) were found between the QoL domains with either gender, level of amputation and time since amputation. There was a significant association between physical activity levels with age and time including amputation (p<0.05) respectively.
Conclusion: There was a moderate physical activity level among lower limb amputees, with quality of life higher in the psychological domain which significantly associated with age, level of education and cause of amputation. Benefits of physical activity to the amputees at both the preoperative and postoperative phases of rehabilitation should be disseminated by healthcare professionals to enhance overall quality of lining
SONOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF FOETAL LIVER VOLUME CHANGES IN PREECLAMPSIA
No full textIntroduction: The foetal liver serves as a central site for foeto-placental metabolism and vascular connection with the heart, and it is markedly influenced by intrauterine pathologies, rendering liver size assessment by ultrasonography essential for evaluating growth, nutrition, and maturation, and for early detection of microsomia and macrosomia.
Aim: This study aimed to assess foetal liver volume changes in pregnant participants with preeclampsia and to correlate foetal liver volume with the gestational age.
Material and methods: A case-controlled study involving 602 participants was conducted at Borno State Specialist Hospital. Purposive sampling method was adopted to recruit pre-eclamptic pregnant women, while non-pre-eclamptic pregnant women were selected using convenience sampling. The foetal biparietal diameter, femoral length, liver dimensions (anteroposterior, transverse, cephalocaudal), was measured with ultrasonic diagnostic software. Descriptive statistics and normality tests (Shapiro-Wilk) were performed. Mann-Whitney U tested differences in foetal liver volumes between two groups. Spearman’s rho assessed correlations between foetal liver volume with gestational age. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Statistically significant reductions (p < 0.001) were observed in foetal liver volume of the pre-eclamptic participants compared to non-pre-eclamptic individuals. Strong positive statistically significant correlation existed between the foetal liver volume with gestational age.
Conclusion: Sonography effectively identified a significant reduction of foetal liver volume in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia
Kinetic Analysis and Adsorptive Efficiency in Ciprofloxacin Removal from Pharmaceutical Waste-water using an Effective Adsorbent
No full textThis work exploits palm tree trunk (PTT), an agricultural byproduct, as an efficient adsorbent to remove Ciprofloxacin (CIP) chemicals from pharmaceutical wastewater. The batch adsorption procedure was used to examine the effects of parameters on the adsorption rate, including contact duration, adsorbent dosage, temperature, concentration, and pH. The sorption potential of palm tree trunks was investigated further using studies on adsorption kinetics, thermodynamics, and isotherms. At an ideal pH of 4, the percentage of CIP removed by PTT was 90.94 %. Ciprofloxacin adsorption on the same adsorbent improved as the concentration of ciprofloxacin in wastewater reduced, the solution pH increased to 7, and the solution temperature rose to 50° C. The Freundlich, Temkin, and Langmuir isotherm models examined the equilibrium data. The maximum adsorption capacity value for PTT was 3.571 mg/g, according to the result of R2 values, which showed a strong fit for the Langmuir model. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model provided the best explanation for the adsorption process. The results of the calculations of thermodynamic variables, such as ΔH, ΔG, and ΔS, at the ideal temperature of 40 0C were -6.022 KJ/mol, -2617.64 KJ/mol, and 3.495206 J/molK, respectively, confirming the adsorptive process\u27s feasibility and exothermicity. Enthalpy was less than 84 KJ/mol. According to the results, PTT was an efficient adsorbent for eliminating CIP, and its adsorption capacity rose with temperatur
Electrochemical Studies of Hybrid Botanical Extracts on Mild Steel Corrosion in Hydrochloric Acid Medium
No full textCorrosion\u27s detrimental effects on materials and structures compromise their functionality, leading to economic burdens through replacement, maintenance, and environmental degradation, thereby sparking interest in eco-friendly corrosion inhibitors. Although plants deemed weeds exhibit limited corrosion inhibition, hybridizing them with potent extracts enhances their efficacy. This study investigated hybrid extracts from water hyacinth, bitter leaf, and Moringa oleifera for controlling mild steel corrosion in 2M HCl solution, utilizing gravimetric and electrochemical techniques at 25°C ± 2°C. A 70:30 Eichhornia crassipes-Moringa oleifera hybrid extract demonstrated exceptional corrosion inhibition, achieving 65% gravimetric efficiency, 92.5% linear polarization resistance, and 94.7% potentiodynamic polarization efficiency. Surface-active components strengthened the protective metal coating, aligning with the study\u27s primary goal and revealing a synergistic interaction between hybrid and individual inhibitors
Sustainable Bio-Aviation Fuel Production from Biobased Oil: A Novel Hydrogen-Free Biorefinery Approach
No full textThis study investigates a novel biorefinery strategy for the sustainable production of bio-aviation fuel. The process involves a single-step, hydrogen-free simultaneous (heterogeneous) fluid catalytic conversion and recovery (SFCCR) of Jatropha seed oil (JO) using a low-cost oxalic acid functionalized-activated carbon catalyst from rice husk. To optimize the process, response-surface-methodology (RSM) was employed using a central composite rotatable design (CCRD). The study examined the influence of temperature, catalyst loading, and reaction time on the SFCCR process and evaluated its kinetics and thermodynamics. A maximum bio-aviation fuel yield of 88.60% was achieved under optimized conditions: 394.69 °C, 4.67 g catalyst loading, and 62.25 minutes reaction time. Kinetic analysis revealed that the SFCCR process best fit a pseudo-second-order model, characterized by a high coefficient of determination (R² = 0.96), adjusted R² (0.94), and low values for the sum of squares of errors (SSE = 4.75) and root mean squared error (RMSE = 1.0). Thermodynamic analysis yielded a negative Gibbs free energy (∆G = -13.66 kJ/mol), indicating a spontaneous reaction. Furthermore, the process was found to be endothermic (∆H = 389.32 kJ/mol) and irreversible (∆S = 0.61 kJ/mol). The resulting bio-aviation fuel, composed of hydrocarbons in the C9-C16 range, met ASTM specifications for aviation turbine fuel. This study demonstrates the potential of this hydrogen-free, single-step catalytic process for sustainable bio-aviation fuel production, highlighting the viability of utilizing functionalized activated carbon catalysts in biorefinery systems
Corrosion inhibition of mild-steel in sulphuric acid solution using expired Promethazine -Theoclate drug as inhibitor
No full textThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of expired promethazine-theoclate in sulphuric acid environment as mild-steel corrosion inhibitor. The drug was characterized for its functional groups and chemical constituents using infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography methods. Experimental techniques and gravimetric methods were also employed. The inhibitory effects (thermodynamic and adsorption parameters) of the drug were assessed. Inhibition efficiencies were optimized and modeled using RSM and ANN models. The predominant functional groups were found to be O-H, CO-NH-CO stretches; =C-H stretching; N-H deformation, and contains 2, 4- di-tert-butylphenol, 1-Heptadecene, tridecane, Propyl 11-octadecenoate, and others. The heat of adsorption (Qads) results at various inhibitor concentrations were all negative with a value of -67151.6 J/mol with promethazine-theoclate concentration of 0.8 g/L. The Frumkin isotherm provided the best fit from the isotherm fittings since it gave the highest average R2. Gibb’s free energy of adsorption values of -10.23 kJ/mol and -10.29 kJ/mol at 313 K and 323 K, respectively, indicated that promethazine-theoclate molecules’ adsorption was physical and not chemisorption. Maximum efficiency of 92.89% was attained from the gravimetric method. The ANN gave better prediction of inhibition efficiency with higher value of R2 (0.9999) and lower values of RMSE (0.0180) and SEP (0.0230). RSM optimization gave an optimum efficiency of 92.39 %. The impedance method displayed a capacitive loop, signifying charge-transfer process, and polarization measurements indicated that the drug was a mixed-type inhibitor. Hence, promethazine-theoclate proved to be an excellent inhibitor for controlling mild steel corrosion in H2SO4 media
Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Biolubricant Production from Lard Oil Using EG and TMP
No full textThis study presents the kinetics and thermodynamics correlation of biolubricants derived from lard oil-based stock using ethylene glycol (EG) and trimethylolpropane (TMP). Kinetic data fitting for LOBLEG to both first and second-order kinetic rate laws showed that the R^2 value for the first-order model were higher than that for the second-order model. This implies that the kinetic data for LOBLEG follows a simpler kinetic behavior that can be easily modeled. In contrast, in LOBLTMP, the R^2 value of the second-order model was higher, indicating a better fit. In terms of thermodynamics, it was observed that the reaction process for LOBLEG was endothermic, with an ∆H value of 54.9 kJ/mol, while for LOBLTMP, it was exothermic with an ∆H value of -91.5 kJ/mol. Furthermore, the kinetic data for LOBLEG did not align with the Michaelis-Menten rate law, as indicated by an R^2 value of 0.81, in contrast to the R^2 value of 0.95 obtained for LOBLTMP which agrees closely with the kinetic reaction to produce LOBLTMP. These findings suggest that LOBLTMP exhibits a more temperature-driven reaction rate than LOBLEG, while the latter showed a higher energy-saving capacity due to lower activation energy. Thus, both routes offer means through which environmentally friendly lubricants can be produced and data provided here could be used to design reactors that can produce biolubricants.