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The development of PUs consequently results in significant physical, financial, and emotional burdens on the affected patients and their relatives including healthcare providers. This study aimed to assess knowledge of pressure ulcer risk assessment (PURA) and prevention strategies among nurses at University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive design among 264 nurses was selected through a simple random sampling technique using a structured pre-tested questionnaire for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The level of significance is set at a p-value 0.05). Knowledge of pressure ulcer and prevention strategies was inadequate. Nurses need regular training programs to improve their knowledge and skills in PURA and the prevention of pressure ulcers among at-risk patients according to international best practices in order to bridge the previously identified gaps.

Background: Nigeria has the highest burden of tuberculosis (TB) in Africa and is among the 14 countries in all the 3 world health organization global high-burden countries for TB, TB/HIV and MDR-TB. The aim of this study was to assess patients’ perception of the quality of TB healthcare in Southwest Nigeria Methods: The study utilized the cross-sectional design, and data was collected from drug-sensitive TB clients receiving care at health facilities providing TB healthcare services Results: The average time clients spent to get to TB facilities from home was 23 minutes, the average waiting time was 6.7 minutes, and the average medical visit time was 17 minutes. Sixty-seven percent of respondents strongly agreed that doctors explained medical test result with them and 68.7% strongly agree that they wanted the medical doctors to spend more time with them. The mean score for convenience of accessing drugs was 4.8±0.5 mins, mean score for convenience of accessing laboratory test was 4.7±0.6 mins and mean score for convenience of accessing chest x-ray was 3.8±1.4 mins. Overall, the quality of TB care was perceived to be good. Conclusions: Overall, the quality of TB services is very good from the perspectives of the patient, however, there is need to improve integrated patient-centered TB healthcare services by medical doctors. In addition, access to chest x-ray services should be improved to enhance quality of TB services.

In recent years, vaping has increased in both popularity and ease of access. This has led to an outbreak of a relatively new condition known as e-cigarette/vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI). This injury can be caused by physical interactions between the pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the lungs and toxins typically found in vaping solutions, such as medium chain triglycerides (MCT). MCT has been largely used as a carrier agent within many cannabis products commercially available on the market. Pulmonary surfactant ensures proper respiration by maintaining low surface tensions and interface stability throughout each respiratory cycle. Therefore, any impediments to this system that negatively affect the efficacy of this function will have a strong hindrance on the individual’s quality of life. Herein, neutron spin echo (NSE) and Langmuir trough rheology were used to probe the effects of MCT on the mechanical properties of pulmonary surfactant. Alongside a porcine surfactant extract, two lipid-only mimics of progressing complexity were used to study MCT effects in a range of systems that are representative of endogenous surfactant. MCT was shown to have a greater biophysical effect on bilayer systems compared to monolayers, which may align with biological data to propose a mechanism of surfactant inhibition by MCT oil.

HIV transmission risk significantly increases at HIV viral load (VL)1500 copies/mL. We sought to determine the percentage of person-time spent with VL1500 copies/mL (pPT1500) and the associations of demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors and this outcome among persons with HIV receiving care. A retrospective analysis of data from clients enrolled in the Ryan White Program from 2017 to 2019 was performed. We assessed pPT1500 in HIV care by utilizing consecutive VL pairs and calculating the length of time between each pair and the corresponding time spent for the observation period. The association between pPT1500 and selected client characteristics were analyzed using a random-effects zero-inflated negative binomial model. Among the 6390 clients, 42% were aged 50 or older, 52% MSM, and 59% Hispanic. Overall, 7.5% of clients spent, on average, 27.4 days per year at substantial risk of transmitting HIV. Younger age, AIDS diagnosis, and reported drug use in the preceding 12 months were associated with higher pPT1500. Tailored interventions should be implemented to meet the unique HIV needs of groups with consistent viremia to significantly minimize transmission risk.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine the impact of a 48-hour time-out on the utilization of targeted empiric intravenous (IV) antibiotics through a systematic approach. Methods: This is a single-center, prospective, interventional study approved by the Institutional Review Board. Study groups were stratified into a control and intervention arm. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients 18 years of age or greater, on targeted broad-spectrum IV antibiotics for more than 24 hours: daptomycin, ertapenem, meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, vancomycin. Exclusion criteria included febrile neutropenic, pregnant, critically ill, and surgical prophylactic patients. Targeted interventions made by pharmacists included: IV to oral conversions, dose optimizations/adjustments, and de-escalations. Primary endpoints were days of therapy per 1000 patient days (DOT/1000), days of therapy at risk per 1000 patient days (DOT/1000 DAR), and de-escalation rates. Results: Table 1 depicts a total 88.69% mean reduction of DOT/1000 of the intervention arm for vancomycin, piperacillin/tazobactam, and meropenem ( P-value

This study examined factors associated with self-reported ART nonadherence during the COVID-19 pandemic among Miami-Dade County Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) clients. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2020-January 2021 in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. The survey included questions on self-reported ART adherence, HIV care access (compared to before the pandemic), social and economic pandemic impacts, and demographics. We carried out descriptive bivariate analyses and weighted logistic regression to estimate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for self-reported nonadherence. 12.7% of participants reported ART nonadherence. Adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and nativity, factors associated with nonadherence included greater difficulty accessing an HIV doctor compared with before the COVID-19 pandemic (aOR=3.6, 95% CI: 1.4–9.2) and experiencing financial impacts due to the pandemic (aOR=4.2, 95% CI: 1.5–12.2). Ensuring RWHAP clients maintain access to HIV medical care providers and receive support for financial shocks are critical to sustaining ART adherence.

It is no longer news that Nigeria runs a single-product economy where the only source of revenue for the country is crude oil exportation. Changes in the prices of crude oil in the international market continue to have severe implications on the country's economy's growth rate, exchange rate and even inflation. This study seeks to investigate the impact of four key variables (crude oil price, real exchange rate, inflation and population) on Nigeria’s economic growth. This is to give necessary policy makers a clear direction on the inter-relationship of these explanatory variables on the economic growth of Nigeria. This study employs annual time series data obtained from the World Development Indicator (WDI). Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test was used to determine the presence of unit roots among the variables before the Johansen Before the Johansen Cointegration test and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) were carried out to determine the co-integration and relationships existing among the variables. The study reveals that all the variables were all integrated at the first order I which necessitated the presence of a long-run of a long-run relationship among the variables; this is further confirmed by the Johansen Cointegration test carried out. The findings of this study clearly show that the explanatory variables used in this study are all significant on the response variable (GDP) in both long-run and short-run. The rise and fall in the prices of crude oil have negatively affected Nigeria’s economic growth, real exchange rate and are equally responsible for the inflationary increase in the country in the long run.

The livability of cities has been a matter of global concern in recent times. Importantly, the ease of mobility and accessibility in cities remained paramount factors in enhancing residents’ locational decisions and suitability. It is on this basis that this study examined the nexus between city livability and transportation in the Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria. Anchored on the concept of livability, the study descriptively and inferentially analyzed the results of 1264 questionnaires administered to residents based on key livability themes. The study revealed low satisfaction with the livability key performance indicators. Similarly, the study revealed that most of the assessed transportation infrastructure facilities are in poor condition and thus hinder the ease of commuting and livability in the city. The result of the regression analysis revealed that transportation infrastructure statistically influenced the livability of the Lagos metropolis. The study recommends the need for expedited proactive measures, particularly structural improvement in transportation infrastructure, towards improving the livability of the Lagos Metropolis.

Anorectal mucosal melanoma (AMM) is a rare, aggressive malignancy. The symptoms of AMM mimic common benign conditions in the anus, such as haemorrhoids; hence diagnosis is often made late, a third of patients having metastasis at first presentation. Surgical resection remains the standard of treatment, and adjuvant therapy is varied, including immunotherapy, brachytherapy, and chemotherapy. The prognosis is poor, with a 5-year survival of 20%. A 65year old woman presented with a five-year history of symptoms suggestive of haemorrhoids and was diagnosed with a malignant anorectal mucosal melanoma after symptoms worsened and further investigation was performed. She underwent surgical resection and is currently receiving adjuvant therapy. The prognosis of AMM, the lack of consensus on the treatment regimen to date, and the need for a high index of suspicion for early diagnosis are discussed.

Objectives: To review the Computed Tomography( CT )features of pediatric oncological patients with abdominal and pelvic tumours and correlate these findings with their histopathological diagnosisDesign: This was a retrospective cross-sectional facility-based study.Setting: This study was conducted in the Pediatric Oncology Unit and Radiology Department of the Korle Bu Teaching HospitalParticipants: Fifty-six pediatric oncology patients with contrast-enhanced abdominal and pelvic CT scans.Data Collection: The abdominal and pelvic CT scans findings, patient biodata, and histopathology reports of oncology patients over four years were reviewedStatistical analysis: Simple descriptive statistics using frequency distribution, percentages, means, and standard deviation were used to describe the various variables and presented tables. Results: The four commonest tumours were nephroblastoma, neuroblastoma, lymphoma, and hepatoblastoma. The mean age at diagnosis was 4.8 years, with a slightly higher male predominance. The majority of the tumours were extremely large at presentation. Overall, the CT – histopathology concordance was 79.2%. Conclusion: Abdominal and pelvic CT scans play an important role in the diagnostic workup of pediatric malignancies by ensuring early and accurate diagnosis of these tumours

The present investigation is concerned with the development of non-power series solutions for the unsteady state nonlinear thermal model of a radiative-convective fin having temperature-variant thermal conductivity using Laplace transform-Galerkin weighted residual method. In the study, it is demonstrated that the symbolic solutions do not involve a large number of terms, complex mathematical analysis, high computational cost, and time as compared to the power series solutions in previous studies. The solutions allow effective predictions of the extended surface thermal performance over a large domain and time. The results of the non-power series solutions are verified numerically, and very good agreements are established. Parametric studies are carried out with the aid of the symbolic non-power solutions. It is found that as the conductive-convective and conductive-radiative increase, temperature distribution decreases since the rate of heat transfer becomes augmented and hence, the fin thermal efficiency is improved. Additionally, when the thermal conductivity of the fin increases, the temperature distribution in the passive device increases. The temperature increases with time at the different positions in the fin. Following the time histories of the solution, it is shown that unsteady state solutions converge to a steady state as time progresses. It could therefore be stated the developed non-power series analytical solutions provide a good platform for comparison of the nonlinear thermal analyses of fins in thermal systems.

This study seeks to build an appropriate model that will be used to forecast the US Dollar to the Nigerian Naira Exchange Rate. The exchange rate market is known to be unstable; this is due to the constant changes in the economic or market environment of countries. Therefore, forecasting the exchange rate accurately is very important in the economic decisions of countries and the organized private sector. The Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA model) is used as the basis of the time series analysis to forecast the US dollar to Naira Exchange Rate. We also test to check the stationarity condition of the variable using the time plot and Augmented Dickey Fuller. Data used for this study was derived from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) spanning from 2002 to 2022. After model estimation, identification and diagnostic, results show that ARIMA (1, 1, 1) remains a better model to forecast the US dollar to Naira Exchange Rate.

This study aimed at determining the proximate, functional, and physicochemical properties of Basella alba whole flour (BWF) and Basella alba protein concentrate (BPC) for use as food ingredients with a view to improve their utilization by producing concentrate from its protein content which will serve as a cheap but abundant source of protein. OAU farm provided fresh Basella alba leaves. The stalk was quickly cut off, and the leaves were cleaned under running water to get rid of any mud or dirt that had stuck to them. Following cleaning, the leaves were dried in an oven for 4-5 hours at 60 °C. The powdered leaves were then sieved through sieves with a mesh size of 60 to 80. (Basella alba whole flour). The whole flour was used to prepare the concentrate by combined process of insolubilisation, neutralization and lyophilisation. The resulting flour was subjected to proximate, functional, and physicochemical properties determination. The results of the functional properties revealed that Basella alba protein concentrate (BPC) exhibited higher bulk density, water absorption, Oil absorption capacity and emulsifying properties when compared with BWF. This implies that that BPC will find better application as food ingredient. The proximate composition's findings revealed that the BPC has higher protein content than the BWF. In conclusion, the study revealed that Basella alba protein concentrate can be used as protein fortification and enrichment owing to its favorable protein content.

Maternal deprivation during the early neonatal period is linked to many neurodevelopmental disorders. This study was designed to investigate the protective action of vitamin B complex (Vit Bco) on maternal deprivation-induced cerebellar damage in Wistar rats. Pups were divided into four groups: control, which received 50 ml/kg of normal saline from postnatal day (PND) 21-35; Second group received 40 mg/kg of Vit Bco orally from PND 21-35; Third and fourth groups were maternally deprived for 24 h on PND 9, but the fourth group received Vit Bco in addition from PND 21-35. The pups were sacrificed on PND 36 and the cerebellar tissues were harvested and processed for histological and immunohistochemical studies, as well as oxidative status using enzymatic markers (superoxide dismutase and catalase). Cerebellar microarchitecture of maternally deprived pups revealed disruption of cortical layers, pyknotic Purkinje cells and activated astrocytes. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were significantly reduced in maternally deprived pups when compared with the control and the Vit Bco alone group. Pups that received Vit Bco after maternal deprivation had well-delineated cortical layout, moderately stained Purkinje cells and non-activated astrocytes, while the oxidative enzymes activities were increased compared with pups that did not receive Vit Bco intervention. Conclusively, Vit Bco ameliorates cerebellar histomorphological, neurochemical and oxidative alterations associated with maternal deprivation.

BACKGROUND: Direct Skills Teaching (DST) is a method for distilling a skill into digestible components for ease of teaching and learning of a new skill. Job retention is a complex phenomenon requiring numerous social competencies that include verbal and non-verbal fluency among others. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often struggle with social communication and therefore are at a disadvantage in employment settings; even when otherwise qualified for the position. OBJECTIVE: This preliminary pilot study tested the feasibility of a DST group intervention to assist individuals with ASD with work-related soft skills, with a particular focus on informal conversational skills. METHODS: Eight master’s level Rehabilitation Counseling students facilitated groups of adults with autism spectrum disorder seeking employment. Student facilitators followed the Conversing with Others manualized curriculum, designed to teach workplace based informal conversational soft skills. Participant feedback was sought both pre and post intervention, and student facilitators recorded their observations of each group session. RESULTS: The initial findings support the feasibility of soft-skills training for work-related conversational skills teaching for job seekers with ASD. The results also supported the need for significant adjustments to the intervention as well as any future studies of the small group intervention Conversing with Others. CONCLUSIONS: Workplace conversational skills can be facilitated in a small group setting. Master’s level counselors-in-training, were able to follow a manualized DST soft-skills small group.

Gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumors. Although gliomas are relatively rare, they are among the deadliest types of cancer, with a survival rate of less than 2 years after diagnosis. Gliomas are challenging to diagnose, hard to treat and inherently resistant to conventional therapy. Years of extensive research to improve diagnosis and treatment of gliomas have decreased mortality rates across the Global North, while chances of survival among individuals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain unchanged and are significantly worse in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) populations. Long-term survival with glioma is associated with the identification of appropriate pathological features on brain MRI and confirmation by histopathology. Since 2012, the Brain Tumor Segmentation (BraTS) Challenge have evaluated state-of-the-art machine learning methods to detect, characterize, and classify gliomas. However, it is unclear if the state-of-the-art methods can be widely implemented in SSA given the extensive use of lower-quality MRI technology, which produces poor image contrast and resolution and more importantly, the propensity for late presentation of disease at advanced stages as well as the unique characteristics of gliomas in SSA (i.e., suspected higher rates of gliomatosis cerebri). Thus, the BraTS-Africa Challenge provides a unique opportunity to include brain MRI glioma cases from SSA in global efforts through the BraTS Challenge to develop and evaluate computer-aided-diagnostic (CAD) methods for the detection and characterization of glioma in resource-limited settings, where the potential for CAD tools to transform healthcare are more likely., Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2107.02314

Soft skills in the workplace are critical factors to consider when seeking and maintaining employment. Soft skills that can be beneficial in the workplace include making a request for help, problem-solving, and responding to criticism. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of a small group intervention using the Direct Skills Teaching (DST) approach to teach help-seeking skills for use in a work setting to persons with disabilities. A four-session group intervention using the “Asking for Help” curriculum based on the DST approach was delivered to 52 participants with various disabilities in nine groups by graduate counseling students. Participants reported an increase in confidence in asking for help from potential or current employers. Also, participants reported an overall high satisfaction with the intervention. This feasibility study provided data on the positive outcomes of soft skill interventions, and supported its use as a potentially useful tool to teach help-seeking skills in a group setting with a preplanned curriculum.

This study was performed to examine the efficacy of corn husks (CH) fine particles as potential natural demulsifier for breaking crude oil emulsion. Stable emulsions were formed using distilled water/crude oil and oil-water ratio was 4:6. The concentrations of CH particles ranging from 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1% were added into vials containing the prepared emulsions and demulsification test was conducted inside the oven at 75 °C. Rheology was used to illustrate the demulsification mechanism of CH as potential demulsifiers. According to the experimental outcomes, the demulsification activity from the bottle test showed that water removal increased with the increasing CH concentration. The demulsification efficiency (DE) of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1% CH was 8.33%, 50%, 73.33% and 81.67%, respectively; after 60 minutes of demulsification duration. Rheological characterization showed that the incorporation of CH particles caused the reduction of emulsion viscosity which indicated the breaking of emulsion and separation of oil and water. Optical microscopic analysis revealed the morphologies of emulsion immediately after preparation, as well as oil and water phases after separation.

Surfactants are widely employed in chemical enhanced oil recovery (cEOR) technique. The economics of a cEOR project is directly impacted by the amount of surfactant loss caused by adsorption on a rock. Therefore, surfactant adsorption reduction is imperative. Both static and dynamic adsorption experiments were conducted to test the adsorption reduction of a novel Gemini surfactant on Indiana limestone. This novel surfactant is tolerant to high-salinity and high-temperature environments. Low salinity water was made by diluting sea water ten times. The salinity of Low salinity water was 6771 ppm. Rock characterization was performed first using XRD. Static adsorption tests were run using a crushed rock sample. Whereas core flood experiments were conducted to determine the dynamic adsorption behavior. High-performance liquid chromatography integrated with an evaporative light scattering detector was employed to calculate the unknown concentration of the surfactant. The effect of both high and low salinity water along with Gemini surfactant was investigated on the static adsorption of Gemini surfactant on Indiana limestone. It was shown that high salinity conditions result in the adsorption reduction in comparison with Gemini surfactant in deionized water. However, the use of low salinity water in the aqueous solution of Gemini surfactant further results in reducing surfactant adsorption. Dynamic adsorption test on Indiana limestone was found consistent with static tests. The ultimate reduced adsorption value of Gemini surfactant on Indiana limestone was found to be 0.11 mg/g-rock using low salinity conditions in dynamic experiments. Such low value lies under the economic limit, making a chemical EOR process efficient and economical. The novelty of this work is the use of low-salinity water in reducing the adsorption of a Gemini surfactant on Indiana limestone. The use of such a technique helps industrialists and researchers in designing an efficient and economical chemical EOR process.

This study investigated the effectiveness of fly ash (FA) and extracted silica (SC) from sand as natural demulsifiers for breaking stable crude oil emulsions and spiltting oil-water into phases. A series of stable emulsion was formulated and the oil-water ratio was 4:6. Various concentrations of either FA or SC ranging from 0.25 – 1% were added into vials containing the prepared emulsions and demulsification test was conducted inside the oven at 70 °C. Rheology and interfacial tension characterizations were used to illustrate the demulsification mechanism of FA and SC demulsifiers. According to the experimental outcomes, the demulsification from the bottle test showed that water removal increased with the increasing FA concentration. The demulsification efficiency (DE) of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1% FA was 35.33%, 81.99%, 92.67% and 93.77%, respectively; within 150 minutes of demulsification duration while all the tested SC concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1%) achived 90.11%, 93.87%, 95.89%, and 95.89%, respectively; under the same demulsification period. The reference sample (blank) only achieved DE of 14.76%. Rheological characterization showed that the incorporation of either FA or SC caused the reduction of emulsion viscosity which indicated the breaking of emulsion and separation of oil and water. The results from the interfacial tension measurments revealed that FA and SC could migrate and adsorb at oil-water interface. The addition of either FA or SC in the oil-water system led to a more drastic reduction in the interfacial tension as compared to the interfacial tension of oil-water system devoided of the FA and SC. The interfacial tensions of oil/water system in the presence of 0.25% and 1% FA were 18.91 mN/m and 14.85 mN/m, respectively, and that of 0.25% and 1% SC were 16.44 mN/m and 14.80 mN/m, respectively, after 200 seconds and that of blank sample was recorded to be 18.1 mN/m in the same duration.

The study's objective was to examine variations in viral load (VL) suppression definitions among clients in the Ryan White Program (RWP). Data from clients enrolled in the RWP during 2017 were examined to calculate the proportion of virally suppressed clients using three definitions: recent viral suppression, defined as having a suppressed VL ( 200 copies/mL) in the last test in 2017; maintained viral suppression, having a suppressed VL for both the first and last tests in 2017; and sustained viral suppression, having all tests in 2017 showing suppression. Relative differences across all three definitions were computed. Recent viral suppression measures were higher than maintained and sustained viral suppression measures by 7.0% and 10.1%, respectively. Significant relative differences in definitions by demographic, socioeconomic and clinical status were observed. It may be beneficial for care planning to report not only estimates of recent viral suppression but maintained and sustained viral suppression as well.

Achieving the desired efficiency in cuttings transport has always been a challenge during drilling situations due to complex wellbore trajectories and drilling hydraulics. These issues require suitable additives to formulate the drilling muds. Hence, nanocomposite (NC) particles formed from silica and polypropylene was modified by (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (termed PP-SiO2 NC-NH2) and the impact of the concentrations of the PP-SiO2 NC-NH2 between 0.4 and 1.2 ppb on the cuttings transport efficiency (CTE) of complex water-based mud (WBM) system was assessed. Mud system containing 0.5 ppb PP-SiO2 NC-NH2 on CTE was measured and compared with that of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA) using sandstone grains of diameters between 0.50 and 3.20 mm at hole angles 0, 30, 45, 60, and 90° with a 42 L/min pump rate. The zeta potential (ζ-potential), particle size distribution, morphology, and temperature resistance of the NC were examined. The ζ-potential data revealed the stability and the long-term stabilization of the modified NC in drilling muds. By adding the concentration of the modified NC into the WBM system, the thinning characteristics and consistency factors were enhanced as the NC concentration increases. Furthermore, the rheological test program reveals that the NC concentrations and 0.5 ppb PHPA increased the shear stress of the WBM with an increase in the shear rate. However, the mud system of PHPA exhibited a larger viscosity, while the NC samples showed a flat viscosity-profile. Also, the NC demonstrated better cuttings recovery than the PHPA product at 0.5 ppb concentration, especially at the worst hole angle of 45°. The cuttings recovery from a minimum to a maximum was found to occur in this order; 45°, 60°, 30°, 90°, and 0°. In contrast with the smallest and intermediate sand grains, the largest grains have complex and less fluid transport. With a pipe orbital motion of 150 rpm and a pump rate of 42 L/min, the CTE of the muds showed higher improvement. Overall, the mud properties of the modified NC exhibited a strong enhancing impact on the cuttings carrying capacity of the base mud than the PHPA.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of critical macroeconomic drivers like economic growth (gross domestic product (GDP)/capita), inflation and population size on the mortality rate of Nigeria. The general lockdown imposed by the government to curb the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had so many effects like loss of jobs, insecurity, businesses collapsing, salary cuts, unemployment and increased prices of commodities in the market.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focused on secondary data for the period 1991–2019 for GDP/capita, inflation, population size and mortality rate which were obtained from World Development Indicators (WDI). Time series analysis tests like augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF), Bounds co-integration and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) were used to determine the stationarity conditions of the variables, co-integration presence among the variables and to determine the short-run and long-run relationships between the endogenous and exogenous variables.FindingsThe study shows that the variables are stationary at different orders i.e. I (0) and I (1) and the presence of co-integration among the variables. There exists a positive relationship between GDP/capita and mortality rate on the short-run which means increase in GDP/capita does not reduce the mortality rate in the country, there is also a positive short-run relationship between inflation and mortality rate but there are no long-run relationships among the variables.Originality/valueThe paper clearly examines the impact of GDP/capita, inflation and population growth on mortality rate in Nigeria.

Infertility is one of the major causes of marital discord with damaging condition that exposes couple to emotional, physical and financial stress. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the perceived causes of infertility of married adults in Kwara State. The research design adopted for this study is descriptive survey method. The population of this study is all married adults in Kwara State while the target population comprised married adults in the seven selected Local Governments Areas from the three senatorial districts of Kwara State. 420 respondents were selected as the sample for the study. Proportional and simple random sampling techniques were employed by the authors to select the sample for this study. The instrument (questionnaire) used for this study was designed by the authors. Content validity of the instrument was ascertained, and the reliability of the instrument was established using test-retest method. The correlation of the two sets of scores using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation yielded a co-efficient R=0.81. The data collected was analysed using t-test and Analysis of Variance at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that there were no significant differences on the perceived causes of infertility among married adults in Kwara state on the basis of age and gender. This study, therefore, recommended that Modern and assisted methods of conception such as intra-uterine insemination (IUT), Invitro fertilisation and embryo transfer (IVF/ET), gamete intra fallopian transfer (GIFT) should be encouraged by medical personnel and implemented by couples suffering from infertility. Counselling services should be organised regularly for couples to alleviate the impacts of infertility on the well-being of the couple.

10.13039/501100000780-European Commission on the Horizon 2020 Internet of Radio-Light (IoRL) Project (Grant Number: 761992)

Digital financial trading has brought a new dimension of financial technology transactions to the globe. Cryptocurrency trading is one of the new dimensions. However, cryptocurrency trading is plagued with unlawful and monetary corrupt practices, unregulated foreign currency markets, and unknown party participants. Thus, it creates the unpredicted challenge of instigating fear in the investors’ minds and scaring away economic agents, and in turn, it adversely affects economic activities. The research investigated the effects of cryptocurrency on the performance of the Nigerian economy. The specific objective was to examine the effect of cryptocurrency trading and monetary and monetary corrupt practices on Nigerian economic performance. The research used primary data through 98 copies of the questionnaire. Tobit regression method of analysis was applied to analyze the data. The finding reveals that cryptocurrency and monetary and monetary corrupt practices have a negative but significant effect on Nigerian economic performance with marginal effects of -0,172 and -0,734 with P < 0,05 as the significance level. The research concludes that cryptocurrency and monetary corrupt practices affect Nigerian economic performance. The research recommends that the government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), should regulate and control cryptocurrency trading by using global digital financing system software. The software will monitor and control cryptocurrency trading in Nigeria to enhance cryptocurrency trading to contribute to and increase Nigerian economic activities.