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Banks in all climes are primarily faced with problem of credit risk whenever they mediate between the surplus and the deficit units of the economy. This study examined the impact of credit risk management on the profitability of deposit money banks in Nigeria. Specifically, this study evaluated the impact of credit risk management on return on assets, return on equity, and net operating income of deposit money banks in Nigeria. This study adopted an ex post facto research design. Nineteen listed deposit money banks as at December 31, 2018 form the population of this study out of which a sample of fifteen banks were selected based on complete availability of data from 2007-2018. Data obtained was subjected to fixed and random effects regression estimations for the various models in this study using the Hausman test. Findings revealed that: (i) loan-value ratio and loan-deposit ratio significantly impacted on return on assets of deposit money banks, while non-performing loan ratio, bank size, and log of total loans did not significantly impact on return on assets of deposit money banks in Nigeria; (ii) total loans significantly affected return on equity of deposit money banks, while loan-value ratio, loan-deposit ratio, bank size, and non-performing loans did not significantly affect return on equity of deposit money banks in Nigeria; and (iii) bank size, non-performing loan, and total loans were found to significantly affect net operating income of deposit money banks in Nigeria, while loan-value ratio, and loan-deposit ratio did not significantly exert on net operating income of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study therefore, concluded that loan-value ratio, loan-deposit ratio, value of total loans, bank size, and non-performing loans influence banks profitability in Nigeria, and recommended that proper attention be paid to these variables in order to increase the profitability of deposit money banks in Nigeria.

The over-reliance on fossil fuels as a primary source of energy is partly responsible for the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2), depletion of the ozone layer, and general environmental pollution. In this study, torrefaction of Albizia zygia wood-calcium hydrogen phosphate (CaHPO4) catalyst blends was carried out in a tubular furnace to examine the impacts of temperature, time, and particle size on higher heating value (HHV) and energy yield (EY). Albizia zygia wood was obtained at an industrial sawmill junkyard nearby Kwara State University, dried, crushed, and sieved into 1 - 3 mm particle size. Optimal Combined Design (OCD) was employed for the design, modelling, and optimization of HHV and EY under the ranges of selected temperature (200 - 300°C), residence time (15 - 30 min), and particle size (1 - 3 mm) in an inert environment tubular furnace. The results of the analysis indicated that the temperature of 245°C, time of 22 min, and size of the particle 3 mm yielded a maximum HHV of 19.59 MJ/Kg and EY of 76.37% respectively. Also, the addition of catalyst (CaHPO4) at 10% reduced the ash content but enhanced the fixed carbon content of the biochar. The mathematical models for the HHV and EY for the torrefaction using the OCD imply an excellent fit with R2 of 0.92 and 0.96, respectively. The prediction accuracy indicates that OCD can be deployed for the accurate prediction of HHV and EY in torrified biomass.

Objective: This study assessed the prevalence, causes, pattern of management and outcome of care among patients SCI in University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: The study adopted a retrospective research design and case files of all patients with spinal cord injury that received treatment at the hospital from 2015 to 2018 were used for the study. A self-developed checklist was used for data collection. Collected data were analysed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 25. The data were presented with descriptive and inferential statistics at a significance level of p = 0.05. Results: Findings showed that 132 admitted patients out of a total of 850 admissions over four years had SCI with a prevalence rate of 15.5% with highest percentage in 2018 and 65.2% of the SCI resulted from trauma and 34.8% were non-traumatic. Majority of the patients (99.2%) were given analgesics, 97.7% were placed on bed resting, 90.2% received psychotherapy, 89.4% were placed on adequate nutrition, 71.2% were placed on anticoagulants 68.2% placed on catheterization and 57.6% benefited from surgery. Findings also showed that outcomes of care for spinal cord injury ranges from Paraplegia (29.5%), salvaging of bladder or bowel continence (25.0%) and Quadriplegia (15.2%). Conclusion: The study concluded that there is high prevalence of SCI and trauma, road traffic accident and occupational hazard were the major causes of spinal cord injury.

Introduction: The quality of care received by patients during the first few hours following an accident and/or acute life-threatening conditions can significantly affect the overall outcome of treatment. This study, therefore, assessed the quality of emergency nursing care in two tertiary healthcare settings in a developing Sub-Saharan African Country. Methods: The study was conducted in two renowned tertiary hospitals in Southwest Nigeria. Four hundred and twenty-eight patients selected by purposive sampling technique from the two hospitals formed the sample. The Donabedian three-pronged approach of structure, process and outcome domains was employed for data collection. Two instruments; an adapted validated structured questionnaire and an observation checklist were used for data collection and data collected were analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 24) using mainly descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentages. Results: Results showed that a majority (62.6%) rated the quality of emergency nursing care as high though observation revealed glaring differences in the structure, process and outcome domains of quality in selected hospitals. Discussion/Conclusion: The study, therefore, concluded that while the quality of emergency nursing care in the selected hospitals can be described in general as average, a lot still needs to be done to address the identified deficiencies in emergency nursing care.

BOOK REVIEW of Driscoll, Barry. 2023. Power, Patronage, and the Local State in Ghana. Athens: Ohio University Press. 272 pp. $34.95 (paper). Barry Driscoll's monograph addresses a significant gap in [...]

Background: The manufacture of paint involves a variety of processes that present with medical hazards. Safety initiatives are hence introduced to limit hazard exposures and promote workplace safety. This aim of this study is to assess the use of available control measures/initiatives in selected paint factories in Lagos West Senatorial District, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 400 randomly selected paint factory workers were involved in the study. A well-structured World Health Organization standard questionnaire was designed and distributed to the workers to elicit information on awareness to occupational hazards, use of personal protective devices, and commonly experienced adverse symptoms. Urine samples were obtained from 50 workers randomly selected from these 400 participants, and the concentrations of the heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium) were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results: The results show that 72.5% of the respondents are aware of the hazards associated with their jobs; 30% have had formal training on hazards and safety measures; 40% do not use personal protective devices, and 90% of the respondents reported symptoms relating to hazard exposure. There was a statistically significant (p

The World Health Organization (WHO) has shown concern about the burden of tuberculosis in the developing countries. Even though rifampicin is an effective drug in the management of tuberculosis, it has been documented to have some toxic effects in humans. Therefore, this study intends to investigate the modulatory effect of vitamins C and E on the hepatotoxicity, sperm quality and brain toxicity of Rifampicin. Forty Wistar albino rats were used, 10 animals per group. Group 1 animals received 0.3 mL of distilled water, the Group 2 animals received the therapeutic dose of rifampicin, Group 3 animals received therapeutic doses of rifampicin plus vitamin E, while Group 4 received therapeutic doses of rifampicin and vitamin C. The administration was performed orally during three months; the animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation at the end of that period. Blood samples were collected and liver function and lipid profile was analyzed using fully automated clinical chemistry device. The liver, brain and reproductive organs underwent histopathological examination. Sperm samples were collected from the epididymis to achieve count and motility and morphological analysis. Results showed rifampicin alone to raise (p < 0.05) liver function enzymes (Aspartate amino transferase [AST], Serum alanine amino transferase [ALT] and Total Bilirubin) when compared with controls. While the vitamin E treated group showed remarkable protection, the vitamin C treated group showed questionable protection against the rifampicin induced liver damage. Sperm count results showed an important (p < 0.05) increase in the sperm quality in vitamin E and C treated groups. However, the vitamin E plus Rifampicin treated group showed increased lipid peroxidation. The histopathological findings revealed structural damages by rifampicin in liver, brain and epididymis while some remarkable architectural integrity was observed in the antioxidant-treated groups. It can be concluded that vitamin E or C improved sperm quality and protected against the brain damage caused by rifampicin. Moreover, vitamin E demonstrated remarkable hepatoprotection against rifampicin induced damage while vitamin C shows a questionable hepatoprotection.A Organização Mundial da Saúde tem mostrado preocupação acerca da eclosão da tuberculose nos países em desenvolvimento. Embora a rifampicina seja droga efetiva para o controle da tuberculose têm sido documentados seus efeitos tóxicos em pacientes. Portanto este estudo tem a intenção de investigar o efeito modulador das vitaminas C e E na hepatotoxicidade, qualidade de esperma e a toxicidade cerebral da rifampicina. Quarenta ratos albinos da raça Wistar foram usados, 10 animais por grupo. O grupo 1 de animais recebeu 0,3 mL de água destilada. O grupo 2 recebeu a dose terapêutica de rifampicina. O grupo 3 recebeu doses terapêuticas de rifampicina mais vitamina E, enquanto o grupo 4 recebeu doses terapêuticas de rifampicina e vitamina C. A administração foi feita por via oral durante três meses; os animais foram sacrificados por deslocação cervical após este período. Amostras sanguíneas foram coletadas e função hepática e o perfil lipídico foram analisados usando aparelho automático de química clínica. O fígado, o cérebro e os órgãos reprodutivos foram submetidos a análise histopatológica. As amostras de esperma foram coletadas do epidídimo para contagem, motilidade e análise morfológica. Resultados revelaram que a rifampicina isoladamente aumenta (p < 0,05) os enzimas de função hepática (aspartato amino transferase {AST], alanino amino transferase sérica [ALT] e bilirrubina total) quando comparados com os controles. Embora o grupo tratado com vitamina E mostrasse marcada proteção, o grupo tratado com vitamina C mostrou proteção questionável contra a lesão hepática induzida pela rifampicina. Resultados da contagem espermática mostraram importante (p < 0,05) aumento na qualidade do esperma no grupo tratado com vitamina E e C. Entretanto, o grupo tratado com vitamina E e rifampicina mostrou aumento da peroxidação lipídica. Os achados histopatológicos revelaram danos estruturais pela rifampicina ao fígado, cérebro e epidídimo enquanto uma notável integridade arquitetural foi observada no grupo tratado por anti-oxidantes. Pode-se concluir que as vitaminas E e C melhoraram a qualidade do esperma e protegeram o cérebro de danos causados pela rifampicina. Mais ainda, a vitamina E demonstrou notável hépato-proteção contra o dano induzido pela rifampicina enquanto a vitamina C mostrou hépato-proteção questionável.

This quantitative study examines the effects of internationalization practices on university quality service and students' loyalty as perceived by international students in Malaysian public universities. A total of 1,575 international students from 10 different public universities in Malaysia and from different home countries participated in this study. Stratified sampling was used to select the international students by dividing the population into continents. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using SmartPLS Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM). The findings of PLS-SEM confirmed the effect of internationalization of higher education practice and university quality service on international student loyalty in Malaysia. It was also found the effect of internationalization of higher education practice on university quality service. The research reported here adds to the growing body of knowledge on foreign student satisfaction and perceptions of quality, internationalization of education, and student mobility. It also helps provide some insights for the education industry in Malaysia and beyond in their effort to gain global recognition in the field of academic teaching, research, and professional development.

Children have very sensitive minds that are shaped mostly by the environment where they grow up. These include their day by day experiences of which their parents play a significant role. It has been found globally that cartoons affect children's behavior. However, in Nigerian context, the nature of cartoon influence on children is not known, and also it has not been determined if parents are aware of this influence. This study examined the influence of cartoons on Nigerian children's social behavior from the perspective of parents. A survey research design was adopted for the study and data were collected from 100 parents through questionnaire. Frequency counts and percentages were used for data analysis. The findings showed that most children watched cartoons on daily and weekly basis; most of the children watched violent cartoons where there were lots of fights, hero was violent, characters shouted and abused one another. Parents perceptions on influence of violent cartoon on children behavior was found to be neutral. It is recommended that training programs should be organized for parents and guardians by the government and organizations on the influence of media on children social behavior and development. Parents should examine the contents of cartoons they provide for their children to ensure that they do not have elements of violence that can affect the children negatively. Parents should intentionally censor the cartoons that their children are exposed to, in terms of age appropriateness and portrayal of violent behavior to be able to prevent the negative influences such cartoons might have on children. Parents and guardians should educate their children on acceptable family and societal values. Entertainment industries should provide policies that will educate parents on what to look out for in violent cartoons.

Wastewater characteristics, which depend on wastewater source, are increasingly becoming more toxic in recent times. The concentrations of oil and grease in wastewater streams have been observed to increase in wastewater stream with increasing adverse effects on the ecology. This results from the increasing use of oil and grease in high-demanded oil-processed foods, establishment and expansion of oil mills and refineries worldwide, as well as indiscriminate discharge of oil and grease into the water drains, domestically and industrially. This study reports the applications, efficiencies and challenges of the wastewater treatment techniques currently employed in the removal of oil and grease from the industrial wastewater and municipal water stream. The results shows that the concentrations of oil and grease injected into the ecosystem are of higher environmental impact and this needs to be given the desired attention. The desired development for effective removal of oil and grease as emerging pollutants of concern (EPC) in wastewater stream are thus proposed. ABSTRAK: Ciri-ciri air sisa, bergantung kepada punca air sisa tersebut, menjadi semakin toksik akhir-akhir ini. Kepekatan minyak dan gris dalam air sisa anak sungai dilihat makin bertambah dalam air sisa anak sungai dengan bertambahnya kesan negatif ke atas ekologi. Ini disebabkan oleh peningkatan penggunaan minyak dan gris dalam makanan berproses yang tinggi permintaannya, penubuhan dan perkembangan kilang pertroleum dan loji penapisan di seluruh dunia. Minyak dan gris juga dibuang sewenang-wenangnya ke dalam parit air, dari kalangan domestik dan industry. Kajian ini membentangkan tentang aplikasi, keberkesanan dan teknik cabaran rawatan air buangan yang kini digunakan dalam pembuangan minyak dan gris dari air sisa industry dan air sungai perbandaran. Keputusan menunjukkan kepekatan minyak dan gris yang wujud dibuang ke dalam ekosistem mempunyai impak yang lebih tinggi terhadap persekitaran dan hal ini perlu diambil berat. Keinginan untuk kemajuan penyingkiran minyak dan gris sebagai keprihatinan terhadap pencemaran (emerging pollutants of concern (EPC))ke atas air sisa sungai dicadangkan. Key words: wastewater, oil and grease, emerging pollutant of concern

Women's labour force participation is an aspect of empowerment and a leeway to achieving the SDGs due to the contribution of women's labour to economic growth. This study investigated the impact of women labour force participation on economic growth in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Important lessons were drawn from Israel as to how Israel has been empowering and currently improving women's labour force participation and economic growth in general. The study employed a two-step system Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) with panel data from 35 selected SSA countries. The findings showed a positive relationship between gross fixed capital formation, female labour force participation rate, economic growth in SSA countries, and a negative relationship between growth in the region and fertility rate. The study therefore recommended that governments should provide a policy framework to favour and encourage more women's participation in the SSA region. Keywords: Gender, Empowerment, Poverty, Labour force, Gender discrimination, Arellano-Bond, Introduction The number of women participating in the labour force has witnessed a remarkable surge globally in recent times. This may be as a result of a greater population of [...]