Nnamdi Azikiwe University Journals
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TIME MANAGEMENT AND TASK DELEGATION AS PREDICTORS OF PRINCIPALS’ ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA
No full textThe study investigated time management and task delegation as predictors of principals’ administrative effectiveness in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Two research questions guided the study, and two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted correlational research design. The population comprised all the 267 principals in the 267 public secondary schools in Anambra State. Due to the manageable size of the population, census sampling technique was employed. Two researcher-structured questionnaires titled "Principals’ Time Management and Task Delegation Strategies Questionnaire (PTMTDSQ) and Principals’ Administrative Effectiveness Questionnaire (PAEQ)" were used for data collection, after the face and content validation were determined. Cronbach Alpha was used to compute the collected data gotten through pilot test. PTMTDSQ yielded reliability coefficients of 0.98 and 0.80 for clusters A and B were, respectively, while PAEQ yielded reliability coefficient of 0.88. The researcher administered copies of the questionnaires directly on the respondents with the help of five research assistants. Simple linear regression analysis (R) was used to answer the research questions, while R was used to determine the extent of the prediction between the independent variables (Principals’ time management and task delegation Strategies) and the dependent variable (principals’ administrative effectiveness) in the study. Findings, among others revealed that time management, and delegation of tasks significantly predict principals’ administrative effectiveness in public secondary schools in Anambra State. This implies that principals who actively adopt time management and tasks delegation are more likely to maintain high levels of administrative effectiveness in public secondary schools in Anambra State. The study recommends that the Anambra State Ministry of Education should encourage principals to adopt effective time management strategies since this has been shown to enhance their administrative effectiveness and improve the smooth running of school activities. 
Inclusive Mentorship Support Provided by Primary School Teachers to Early Childhood and Primary Education Student-Teachers during Teaching Practice
No full textThe challenges in the implementation of inclusive education in developing nations reflect teachers’ insufficient skills in teaching children with special education in regular schools. Professional exposure and practical experience of teachers have been noted to be significant in inclusive education. To hone these skills, mentorship in inclusive education has become essential for developing inclusive teaching competence, particularly among student-teachers who are novice practitioners. There is dearth of studies that are devoted to understanding specific mentoring support for inclusive education given to student-teachers. Consequently, this qualitative research design was employed, involving 20 student-teachers to explore inclusive mentorship support provided by primary school teachers during the teaching practice exercise. Using thematic content analysis, themes that emerged include variability in the provisions of mentorship during teaching practice, structural concerns in the provisions of mentorship during teaching practice, true inclusive mentorship programmes, development of professional confidence and attitudinal change, practical pedagogical guidance, support for learners with special education needs (SENs) and use of inclusive teaching strategies. The findings indicate that mentorship provision varied significantly across student-teachers, underscoring the need for more structured, intentional, and policy-driven mentorship frameworks within teaching practice programmes. Implications were highlighted
Molecular detection of AmpC-beta lactamase CITM gene in gram-negative bacterial isolates obtained from clinical specimens in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.
No full textIn most developing countries, the β-lactam antibiotics are still the most predominantly prescribed antibiotics to treat bacterial infections. Resistance to third-generation cephalosporins is typical of multidrug resistance (MDRs), being mainly due to the production of AmpC-type β-lactamases. The aim of the study was to detect blaCITM gene in Gram-negative bacterial isolates obtained from clinical specimens in a tertiary hospital.
A total of 220 Gram-negative bacterial isolates obtained from clinical specimens were involved in the study. The primary screening of the AmpC enzyme-producing strains was conducted by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Isolates that yielded a zone diameter ≤18 mm (screen positive) to cefoxitin sensitivity disc were further subjected to confirmatory tests using the AmpC disc test technique. Genomic DNA was extracted using Quick-DNATM Fungal/Bacterial Miniprep Kit; Zymo Research). Conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis was carried out in order to detect the presence of blaCITM.
Out of 220 isolates, 45 (20.5%) were found to be resistant to cefoxitin (Screening test for AmpC β-lactamase) of which 10 (4.5%) were positive for AmpC β-lactamase (confirmatory positive by AmpC Disk Test). However, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed that none of the isolates harboured the blaCITM gene. The results from this study implied that not all cefoxitin resistant isolates are AmpC β-lactamase producers. The absence of blaCITM gene may be as a result of other enzymatic mechanism such as extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs) and metallo beta-lactamase (MBL) or because of the non-enzymatic mechanism such as porin channel mutation
Formulation and evaluation of fingerprint powder to aid forensic investigation in a depressed economy
No full textThis study was designed to produce an effective, locally produced fingerprint powder for identifying latent prints on various surfaces. Fingerprint identification uses the impressions of unique ridge patterns on the fingertip, visualized through powder application [1, 2]. Three research questions were used to guide the study on how the particle size and retention ability affect the visualization of the powder. The objective is to evaluate a crime scene effectively using locally-produced fingerprint powder. Our materials and methods combine comparison analysis, sieve analysis (#100 mesh, #150mesh (μm), and infrared (IR) spectroscopy using florescent, lycopodium-based powder. Equipment includes: thermal /electric driers (oven), ultraviolet scanning devices, and Optical and Electronic Microscopes. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), was used to determine the molecular structure and group of the element used; Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) determined the particle arrangement, others are X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used for crystal structures, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) for elemental composition. Results proved that finer powder particles adhere better to surfaces, while IR spectroscopy enables rapid powder constituent detection. The study demonstrates the importance of particle size and color for optimal latent print visualization on diverse surfaces [3]. Production of local powder will reduce the crime rate in our society, and lower the cost of crime investigation
In silico validation of anti-inflammatory activities of compounds isolated from Avena sativa (Oat Meal) extract
No full textOat (Avena sativa) Fam. Poaceae is a cereal originally used as animal feed but now serves as a functional food, as a result of its robust nutritional content such as carbohydrate, protein, lipids, fibres and reported therapeutic uses including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. This study is aimed at a systematic molecular docking evaluation of fifteen (15) phytocompounds derived from Oat meal against the active site of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) which is a well-known enzyme implicated in inflammatory responses and a key target in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) development. This procedure has the core objective of predicting the binding affinity and assess the binding mode stability of each ligand in complex with COX-2, with the aim of identifying novel or optimized scaffolds for selective COX-2 inhibitor. The physicochemical properties of the studied compounds were determined to further assess their drug likeness and pharmacokinetic feasibility of the tested compounds with key indicators of logP, aqueous solubility, (logS), molecular weight, number of hydrogen bond donor (HBD), hydrogen bond acceptors (HBA), rotatable bonds (b-rotN) and polar surface area (ASA-P). This study employs the technique of molecular docking simulation using the 10-crystalized ligand of COX-2, S58 a well characterized selective COX-2 inhibitor with the validation done using the molecular operating environment (MOE) software suite. The result shows that 3 compounds; Decanamide, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)- (-4.39±0.33 kcal/mol), Propan-2-ol, 1-(2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexy (-16.21±0.04 kcal/mol), 2-Octylcyclopropene-1-heptanol (-10.46±0.03 kcal/mol) show good promise as potential drug candidate compared to Celecoxib (-11.48±0.03) with Propan-2-ol, 1-(2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexy having the most favourable docking score among drug like compounds and zero Lipinski’s violation
Assessment of Industrial Maintenance Management Strategies on Productivity.
No full textThe effectiveness of industrial operations is closely linked to the success of maintenance management techniques, which are crucial for preventing operational disruptions, minimizing equipment downtime, and preserving ideal production levels. This research examines the effects of various maintenance management strategies, including preventive, corrective, and predictive maintenance, on the productivity of industrial systems. By examining both theoretical models and practical applications, the study assesses each strategy\u27s impact on equipment performance, cost-effectiveness, and overall production output. A quantitative approach was applied by carefully analyzing secondary data from the three-year 2019 Plant Engineering Maintenance and 2020 State of Industrial Maintenance surveys (2018-2020). Descriptive statistics, ranking analysis, comparative analysis, and correlation approaches were deployed to investigate the effectiveness of predictive, preventive, and reliability-centered maintenance processes together with as their relationship to significant productivity measures. The findings of the ANOVA and post-hoc analysis showed that, although maintenance strategies were not different between sectors, they were significantly different throughout the course of the three years that were studied. Chi-square analysis supports the significant switch in maintenance tactics between 2018 and 2020. The research\u27s ranking analysis identifies the top maintenance techniques, difficulties, and technology as being preventive maintenance, financial restrictions, and computerized maintenance management systems, respectively. Technology\u27s contribution to maintenance is becoming more widely acknowledged. As per the polls, the deployement of IoT and CMMS has increased from 60% in 2019 to 65% in 2020. Additionally, predictive analytics increased, suggesting a tendency toward using digital technologies to maximize productivity and efficiency. The study\u27s findings emphasize the importance of a comprehensive strategy to management of maintenance, whereby well-considered maintenance expenditures lead to enhanced equipment reliability, longer machinery lifespans, and better overall productivity. This research provides industry practitioners with useful insights on how to develop and implement maintenance programs that support productivity targets
Application of Measured Value Approach’s and MATLAB Programme in Prediction of Drillship Station Keeping Status in various Sea State
No full textThe study was undertaken to predict the seakeeping ability of a drillship at sea using a set of measured data retrieved from the ship. The study applied measured techniques and MATLAB program to predict the station keeping ability of a drillship with emphasis on wave estimate, true heading angle and generated wave motions. Findings from the study with respect to the research methodologies revealed disparities in wave height estimate, true heading angle estimate and regenerated wave in various ship motions using the measured value approach. Likewise, the drill ship speeds by transfer functions showed huge difference between the encounter domain and absolute domain as the drillship speed influences the heading accuracy of the ship, thus, resulting in various ship motions and degrees which alter the optimal station keeping ability of the drillship. In addition, the accuracy of the estimation of the peak period was revealed to be relatively high while the accuracy for the mean period and zero-up crossing period deviated from the true value. In general, the measured values were not reflections of the true heading state of a drillship, as there is need for incorporating more modified systems and simulations to better predict the ship keeping ability under various wave impacts at sea.
EXAMINING CRISIS MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS IN LAGOS PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS
No full textEffective school leadership is a critical factor that enhances school effectiveness, change, and innovation in achieving educational goals. The study examined crisis management approaches, challenges, and leadership effectiveness in Lagos public secondary schools. Three research questions guided the study. A correlation research design was used for the study. The target population comprised all secondary school teachers in senior secondary schools in Ojo Lagos Government Area of Lagos State. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 20 teachers from 5 secondary schools in the same local government. Self-structured Examining Crisis Management Approaches and Leadership Effectiveness Questionnaire (ECMALEQ) was used to generate data. The instrument comprised 20 close-ended items with responses on a modified Likert scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD) respectively. All positive responses were scored normally as negative items were scored reversed. The scale was content validated by two experts in the Department of Educational Management, Lagos State University of Education, LASUED. Through Cronbach alpha reliability form, an r-value of 0.809 was obtained which means that the instrument was suitable for the study. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and Correlation analysis were used to analyse data and tested at a 0.05 significant level. The findings reveal that crisis management strategies and leadership styles affect effective leadership in Lagos public secondary schools. It concluded that the ability to apply crisis management approaches effectively is a prerequisite for aspiring educational leaders, especially among secondary school teachers. The study then recommended that crisis management courses should be made compulsory for both prospective leaders and active heads of departments and organizations. 
EXPLORATION OF THE EFFECTS OF SUPERVISORY SUPPORT ON TEACHER INSTRUCTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.
No full textThe study investigated the role of supervision in effective teachers’ classroom instructional delivery in Nigerian secondary schools. The study adopted a descriptive survey type which was guided by three research questions and one research hypothesis. The population comprised of all the public secondary school teachers in Anambra East Local Government Area; utilizing the purposive judgmental sampling technique, 104 teachers were sampled. The instrument used for data collection was a Today Teachers’ Supervision Questionnaire (TTSQ), validated by two experts, and 0.71 reliability index was ascertained using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. The results of the study were presented in tables and analysed using mean and chi-square. It was discovered that effective supervision of teachers’ classroom instruction is an indispensable tool for improving the teaching and learning process among secondary schools. The study further revealed that effective supervision has a positive effect on teacher instructional effectiveness, as it propels the best out of teachers and help them improve their instructional methods. However, the study also found that supervisors do not frequently visit schools, and supervision not effectively carried out. It was recommended that supervision should be frequent and effectively carried out, supervisors should see themselves as advisers to the teachers and not fault finders.