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Item Antiplasmodial Efficacy of Stem Bark Extracts of Pseudocedrela kotschyi in Mice Infected with Plasmodium berghei berghei(British Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 2014-01-12) Dawet, A.; Yakubu, D. P.Aims: To evaluate the antiplasmodial efficacy of stem bark extracts of P. kotschyi against P. berghei berghei in mice. Study Design: Extraction and administration of plant extracts and evaluation of daily parasitaemia of infected mice. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacognosy; Animal House. Department of Pharmacology and Department of Zoology, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria, between June, 2008 and November, 2011. Methodology: Dry zone cedar (Pseudocedrela kotschyi) Family: Meliaceae, stem bark powder was successively extracted using ethyl acetate, ethanol and aqueous solvents. A total of one hundred and twenty mice for each extract (ethanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous) were divided into three groups of forty mice per each test (suppressive, curative and prophylactic). They were inoculated with drug sensitive NK 65 Plasmodium berghei berghei. In each test animals were divided into five groups, each consisted of eight animals and treated separately with one of the following: 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg extracts, chloroquine / pyrimethamine and normal saline. Blood films were prepared and examined, and the changes in percentage parasitaemia were evaluated. Results: The ethanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous crude extracts of P. kotschyi at 200 mg/kg significantly (P=.05) inhibited the parasitaemia by 39.43%, 26.99% and 28.36% respectively in the suppressive test. Ethanol and ethyl acetate crude extracts also showedsignificant (p=.05) cure rate of 29.17 % and 20.28 % respectively. However there was no significant (p>.05) reduction in parasitaemia load in the prophylactic tests. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that P. kotschyi stem bark indeed has antiplasmodial propertyItem Sociocultural factors influencing the control of malaria in an endemic city in North Central Nigeria(International Journal of Biological & Medical Researc, 2010) Godwin T. Jombo; Emmanuel M. Mbaawuaga; Priscilla Denen Akaa; Olusayo O. Alao; Etete J. Peters; Simon J. Utsalo; Edward E. Okwori; Tyavyar J. Akosu; Etiobong A. EtukumanaThe continued persistence of malaria in Africa appears to be largely due to socio-cultural factors which very often, are at variance with the standard control methods. The study was therefore designed to ascertain the socio-cultural factors affecting the control of malaria in an endemic city- Makurdi, north central Nigeria. The study was cross-sectional in nature using systematic sampling methods to identify households; both quantitative and qualitative data were generated from adult women using structured and semi-structured questionnaires, and focused group discussions (FGDs) to obtain information on malaria. Questionnaires were administered requesting such as age, educational level, marital status, and awareness or otherwise of the existence of malaria, and methods of prevention. Focused group discussions were used to obtain qualitative information on malaria not captured in the questionnaires. Data obtained was analysed using Epi Info 6 statistical software. Of the 2,075 adult women studied, 97.0% (n=2,013) were aware of the existence of malaria. Out of these, 83.0% (n=1,671) did not consider malaria to be a serious health problem that would need urgent attention. Educational level and marriage had a positive impact on knowledge about the disease (P< 0.05). Accessibility to information on malaria and general knowledge of the modes of transmission and control was generally low, and to a large extent influenced by their cultural beliefs, values and low economic strengths. There is a need to intensify adult health education and provision should be made for home health educators to raise peoples' knowledge about the disease. Policies meant to reduce the poverty level of the people should be put in place to raise their economic status.Item Sexual risk behavior and HIV infection among adolescents in secondary schools in Jos, Nigeria(Nigerian Journal of Paediatrics, 2014) John C; Okolo SN; Isichei CAbstract Background: In adolescents sexual risk behaviours are believed to enhance the transmission of HIV infection. This study, therefore aims to examine prevalent sexual risk behaviours of adolescents in secondary schools in a town in northern Nigeria and its relation to HIV infection. Method: A total of 883 subjects drawn from 10 schools out of 37, were recruited for the study. Structured self administered questionnaire was given to each subject. Consenting subjects received group pretest counseling and had HIV screening using Determine HIV test kits. HIV positive subjects had confirmatory test using Unigold test kit. Result: Males accounted for 42.5% (374) out of the 883 students studied. Of this, 169 (19.2%) were sexually active. Mean age at sexual debut was 13.8±2.9 years; 13.3±2.7 years for males and 14.6±3.2 years for females, p=0.006. Males 101 (27%) were more sexually experienced as against 13.4% of the females, p<0.0001. Among the sexually active37.6% had two or more sex partners, and 63.9% of them never used condoms. In the sexually active, 54 (42.5%) had nonconsensual sex (NCS), with more of NCS occurring in younger subjects p<0.0001, more females p<0.0001, associated with less condom use (p=0.02). Nine (eight females and one male) of the 883 subjects tested HIV positive. among the sexually active subjects, only four tested HIV positive. Condom use among the sexually active, HIV positive subjects was 25%. Conclusion: Prevalent sexual risk behaviors noted were early sexual debut, nonconsensual sex, unprotected sex and multiple sex partners.Item Subsidising the Cost of Land for Low Income Housing: Some Evidence from Jos, Nigeria(Journal of Surveying, Construction and Property (JSCP), 2017) Maren Mallo Daniel; Sanda Nehemiah Yakubu; Celina Onugba Omogor; Adesina AkandeThis study aims to examine the variables that influence the application of land and infrastructure subsidy for low-income housing provision in the city of Jos, Nigeria. Data was collected by conducting interviews with the representatives of the relevant government agencies and those of the house building companies. This was transcribed and examined alongside documentary evidences. The analysis was conducted in line with the study’s objectives: The first was to examine how the policy for subsidising the cost of land applies in the local context in Jos. The data examined in connection to this objective suggest that there is an absence of a uniform approach to the application of the subsidy policy by the three tiers—federal, state and local—of government. The approaches adopted by the federal and state government agencies were seen not to be effective in supplying the subsidies needed by private developers. The second objective was interested in scrutinising the variables influencing the arrangement for subsidising the cost of land in Jos. The data analysed confirms that the lack of proper understanding of land subsidy policy among government officials, the absence of political will on the part of State and Federal government agencies, the absence of transparency and accountability on the part of government officials, the absence of legislation in support of the subsidy policy, and bureaucratic constraints were the key variables influencing the subsidy arrangement in Jos. These findings were examined and some recommendations were proffered.Item A markov chain model for wet and dry spell probabilities at Yola, Adamawa State.(Nigerian joarnal of pure and applied sciences, 2011) Oduwole, H.K., Binbol, N.L., and Shawul, H.M.The theoretical probabilities of wet and dry spells were derived from Markov Chain Model using the threshold level of 0.25mm per day for a period of 20 years to predict the length of dry spell and wet spell during the rainy season (April to Sepember) at Gyawana meteorological station on Yola, North Eastern Nigeria. The equilibrum probabilities for the station over 20-year period are pie=(0.76,0.24). This implies that the probability of dry day occurence regardless of the weather conditions of the previous days is 0.76. Th mean weather cycle was 7.44. This information can be used to select the best planting date by avoiding the period of high risk of long dry period near the beginning of the rainy season always experienced in northen Nigeria.Item An Assessment of the 'Safety' of Nigerian Women Journalists Online(Jos Journal of Media & CommunicaƟon Studies, 2015) Bulus Comfort; Obateru Taye C.Having a variety of online voices is good for democracy. The democratizing of information dissemination which the internet has brought, good as it is, continues to unveil some negative trends. Online bullying and threats are spreading and journalists are not spared. In Nigeria some women journalists have faced threats of rape; some have been attacked physically while others receive threatening graphic imagery in their inboxes or on social media platforms. Although this is evident for both genders, women appear to be more threatened. The harassment of women online is not a new concept, but in recent years it has become a cause for concern and has become a constraint for the freedom of expression for many women journalists. Nigeria, though a developing economy has seen a rapid rise in internet use. Although access to the world via the net is a good thing, there is a need to examine whether this freedom is being misused in Nigeria to stie the freedom of expression of women journalists. There is also a need to assess the level of awareness among women journalists in Nigeria, of digital threats/harassment, if there are institutions enabled to address any case that may arise and what coping strategies exist when cases arise. The Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) adapted for this study explains a process of threat and coping appraisal in which the behavioral options to diminish the threat are evaluated. The decisions that are made in a way of protecting oneself are how people respond to perceived threats. A quantitative survey of 29 members of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) was conducted. They were purposively selected to ll in the structured questionnaire. The data was presented and descriptively analyzed using tables and percentages. The data revealed an average awareness of digital harassments mostly from social media. The data also revealed different levels of exposure to threats online and a lack of protective policies for Nigeria's women journalists. The paper notes the virtual absence of machinery to check such threats and recommends the creation of policies to protect women journalists and empower Nigerian Journalists Internet Rights Initiative (NJRI) to enforce protection and forestall a deterioration of the trend.Item ASUU’s Prolonged Strike, a way forward for the Nigeria Academia; Strategic non-violent action(AIPGG Journal of Humanities and Peace Studies, 2022) Agberagba John TavershimaThe Nigerian Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on prolonged strikes from 1999-2022 demanding that the Federal Government (FG) fund public universities to be competitive and ranked among the world’s best universities. The strikes have yielded some infrastructural development, but have not raised Nigerian public universities to world standard. Thus, the continued struggle of ASUU with the FG. However, prolonged strikes contribute to low standards in public universities too: contracted school years, half-baked graduates, and extended course time by two or three years. It denies Nigerian graduates enough skills to make them competitive in the job market. Hence, a question about the justification for the use of prolonged strikes and a way forward for ASUU. This article employs a qualitative content analysis of a strategic nonviolent action case study of students in the Ethnic Albanian civil struggle in 2000 with that of ASUU. The sources are books, journals, newspaper articles, and internet databases. This article finds that ASUU needs to use massive strategic nonviolent actions to succeed. Additionally, it must rely less on traditional, religious, National Assembly of Nigeria members and other elite leaders. Rather, it must partner with students and their parents to succeed with massive actions. Public university students belong to the 133 million Nigerian families living in poverty. The students directly benefit from an international standard of public education in Nigeria. If ASUU adopts this new way, it will gain internal cooperation and solidarity; empower students and ordinary Nigerians with the knowledge of how to wage resistance against counterproductive policies of the Nigerian governmentItem The Effects of Cost on the Profitability of an Organization (A Case of Grand Cereals and Oil Mills Limited, Nigeria)(African Scholars Journal of Business Development and Management Research, 2022) Adamu, Daniel K.The topic of this research is'The effects of cost on the profitability of an organization': (a case of Grand Cereals and Oil Mills Limited, Nigeria). The purpose of this study was to discover the relationship between cost and profitability in an organization, to identify the role of proper costing in the growth of an organization, to also identify the challenges of cost and profitability in an organization and to determine ways of reducing cost and maximizing profits in an organization. The design of this study was a cross-sectional survey method. The instrument of data collection was the records of Grand Cereals and Oil Mills Limited and it was analyzed using the Simple correlation as well as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The result of this research shows that there is a negative correlation between cost of production and profitability of Grand Cereals and Oil Mills Limited, there is positive correlation between sales and profitability and there is also a negative correlation between VAT and profitability of an organization. However, for adequate profit to be recorded from a business there is a need for adequate control of cost because a company with adequate cost structure possesses the higher chance of attaining its profit target.Item Seroprevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Toxoplasma Gondii Infection among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos, Nigeria(International Journal of Innovation Scientific Research and Review, 2021) DANUAN, M.B.; DAKUL, A.D.; ADELEKE, E.A.; LUMI, E.B; CHUNDUNG, N.DToxoplasmosis has been famously described as a cosmopolitan disease caused by the zoonotic parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii with the capacity to induce miscarriage and congenital defects during pregnancy. Despite its public health significance, there is a dearth of information about the epidemiology of the infection in pregnant women in Nigeria, consequently this study aimed to determine the burden and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in pregnant women attending Ante-Natal Clinic (ANC) at Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.3mls venous blood was collected from 268 pregnant women within the reproductive age groups of 15 to 50 years. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain demographic and Toxoplasma infection risk related data. Sera were assayed using a commercial ELISA kit (Novo Tec Immunodiagnostica® Germany). 46 out of the 268 women were positive with an overall prevalence rate of 17.16%. The highest prevalence was recorded among women within the age group ≤20 years (28.00%), urban settlers (18.18%), women in their second trimester 18.75%, those who owned cats (25.00%) and those who have contacts with cat’s faeces (29.10`%). There was a significant association (p < 0.05) between the prevalence of T.gondiiantibodies (IgG) with age, ethnic group and blood transfusion history. While other factors show no significant relationship (p>0.05). Asymptomatic Toxoplasmosisis common amongst pregnant women thus it is imperative for policy makers and caregivers to consider introducing routine screening of toxoplasmosis especially as part of antenatal program for pregnant women.Item Parasitic Infection of Edible Terrestrial Gastropods in Benue and Plateau States, North-Central Nigeria(2022) Adeleke Ezekiel Abayomi; Otokpa Ocha JulietAn alternative to red meat due to cholesterol level has made large terrestrial snails a target. they could serve as a good replacement and source of protein but their mode of life especially feeding and locomotion makes them prone to parasitic infections. This study was aimed at investigating the parasitic infection of edible terrestrial snails in relation to specie in some parts of North-Central Nigeria. a total of 579 edible land snails were collected during the wet and dry seasons. Seven snail species belonging to three generals were identified. Out of the 579 collected snails, 447 (77.20%) were positive for parasitic infections. All infected snails showed multiple infections. Infection rates of 82.88%, 77.69%, 67.12% and 53.85% were recorded from Agila, Jos, Utonkon and Wadata respectively. However, no significant difference in snail infection in relation to location. (χ2= , p > 0.05). Parasitic infection of snail species revealed that A. fulica was most infected (90.10%), this was followed by L. flammea (79.31%), A. marginata (77.42%), A. saturalis (75.58%). L. aurora (74.73%), A. achatina (72.09%) and A. ovum (65.39%). No significant difference was observed amongst snail species infection (p > 0.05). S. stercoralis recorded 100% infection rate in all snails, A. cantonensis 76.73%, while Entamoeba sp. recorded the least (1.70%). Different parasites were also recovered from in the tissues/organs of the snails bserved. Public awareness on the public health implications of consuming terrestrial snails should be emphasized by public health workers especially when eaten raw or undercooked. Snail farms should be encouraged rather than consumption of snails gotten from the wild.