Gombe State University

Hypertension remains a leading contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and premature mortality worldwide, with increasing prevalence observed among younger populations. Although avoidable lifestyle factors account for a substantial proportion of hypertension risk, prevention efforts depend heavily on adequate awareness and understanding of these factors. This study examines the level of knowledge of avoidable risk factors of hypertension among university students in England and evaluates the relationship between these factors and hypertension status. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed using a structured questionnaire administered to students at a large English university. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and multinomial logistic regression were used to analyse the data. Findings indicate a high level of knowledge of avoidable risk factors, including alcohol consumption, obesity, high salt intake, and junk food consumption. Despite this, significant associations were observed between several avoidable risk factors and hypertension status, particularly alcohol use, body mass index, salt intake, and frequent consumption of junk food. The results highlight a clear disjunction between knowledge and health behaviour, suggesting that awareness alone is insufficient to reduce hypertension risk among university students. The study underscores the need for prevention strategies that extend beyond information provision to address behavioural, social, and environmental drivers of risk.

Background: Gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancers encompass a heterogeneous group of malignancies with distinct histological and biological characteristics. Histological classification remains central to diagnosis, prognostication, and therapeutic decision-making, particularly in settings where molecular profiling is not routinely available. Objective: This study examined the histological spectrum and classification patterns of gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancers diagnosed over a ten-year period in Anambra State, South-East Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancer cases diagnosed between January 2011 and December 2020 across four major histopathology laboratories in Anambra State. Archived haematoxylin and eosin–stained slides and paraffin blocks were reviewed. Tumours were classified according to the 2019 World Health Organization classification of gastric tumours, with carcinomas further categorised using the Lauren classification system. Descriptive statistics and chi-square testing were applied, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Ninety-three cases met inclusion criteria. Carcinomas constituted the majority of tumours, followed by mesenchymal tumours, lymphomas, and neuroendocrine tumours. Tubular adenocarcinoma was the most frequent carcinoma subtype, while intestinal-type carcinoma predominated under the Lauren classification. Most graded carcinomas were well differentiated. No statistically significant associations were identified between histological subtype and patient age or sex. Conclusion: Gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction cancers in this setting are dominated by epithelial malignancies, particularly tubular and intestinal-type adenocarcinomas. The observed histological profile aligns with patterns reported across Nigeria and other low- and middle-income settings, underscoring the continuing relevance of morphology-based classification in regional cancer practice.

This study examines the effect of intellectual capital and corporate governance on the firm value of listed non-financial companies in Nigeria over the period 2014–2023. Anchored on the Knowledge-Based View and Agency Theory, the study employs panel data from 56 firms listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group and applies fixed effects regression techniques to control for unobservable firm-specific heterogeneity. Intellectual capital is measured using the Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAIC) framework, decomposed into human capital efficiency, structural capital efficiency, and relational capital efficiency, while firm value is proxied by Tobin’s Q. Corporate governance mechanisms include board size, board independence, board meetings, board financial expertise, gender diversity, and ownership concentration. The results reveal that intellectual capital, particularly human capital efficiency, exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on firm value, underscoring the strategic importance of knowledge-based resources in emerging economies. Relational capital exhibits a weak positive effect, while structural capital is insignificant. Among governance mechanisms, board gender diversity is the only attribute with a positive and significant influence on firm value. The findings suggest that intellectual capital and inclusive governance structures play complementary roles in enhancing firm valuation. The study contributes to the limited Nigerian literature by providing long-term empirical evidence on the joint impact of intellectual capital and corporate governance on firm value and offers policy-relevant insights for regulators, managers, and investors.

This study is an assessment of the effects of e-governance on tertiary educational system in Nigeria. The objective of the study is examine how e-governance influences transparency and accountability in Nigerian tertiary institutions. The study focused on e-governance, scope of e-governance, relevance of e-governance, challenges of e-governance, tertiary educational system in Nigeria, application of e-governance in Nigerian tertiary institutions. The theoretical framework of the study is rooted in Technology Acceptance Model by Davis (1989). The research work adopted qualitative research methods, relying primarily on secondary data from textbooks, academic journals, government reports and online sources. A content analysis approach was employed to interpret various conceptual themes. The study found out that e-governance has significantly improved transparency in Nigerian tertiary institutions by digitalization of administrative functions. The study recommended that stakeholders must invest in reliable internet access, modern hardware and updated software to support e-governance across institutions.

Abstract Snakebite is a neglected public health problem that results in significant morbidity and mortality, necessitating the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop a snakebite roadmap that aimed to halve the burden of snakebite envenoming (SBE) by 2030. This study predicted healthcare workers’ priorities regarding the WHO’s 2030 snakebite strategic key activities for preventing and controlling SBE. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Kwahu Afram Plains North and South districts of Ghana from August to December 2024 and involved 137 healthcare workers, including physici n assistants, clinical officers, medical doctors, certificate/enrolled/general nurses, pharmacists, dispensing technicians, and community health nurses, using a multistage sampling technique. Maximum difference choice experiments and five machine learning models were used to analyze the data. Healthcare workers prioritized the activity “Making safe, effective antivenoms available, accessible, and affordable to all” as the most crucial key activity, with a utility estimate (UE) of 0.8256 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7300 to 0.9213), followed by “Effective first aid care and ambulance transport” (UE = 0.4348, 95% CI: 0.3266, 0.5430), “Coordinated data management and analysis” (UE = 0.3744, 95% CI: 0.2353, 0.5134), and “Promoting advocacy, effective communication, and productive engagement” (UE = 0.3630, 95% CI: 0.2528, 0.4732). The use of choice experiments and ML models has provided insights into healthcare workers’ priorities concerning the WHO’s 2030 key activities for snakebite prevention and control. This innovative approach offers a nuanced understanding of local perspectives on WHO’s key activities, which is essential for combating the burden of SBE in Ghana.

Devising pathways to achieving SDG-13 in MINT becomes crucial as the economies are positioned to become a powerful force in trade and growth due to their dominant geographic and demographic structures. While the economies are focused on driving inclusive growth, there remains a concern about how quality institutions could shape their achievement of environmental sustainability. Based on the sustainable development framework, data were obtained on key variables from 2000 through 2023. Environmental sustainability, inclusive growth, and institutions were proxied with the SDG-13 performance index, human capital index, and institutional quality index, respectively. The institutions were further decoupled into political, economic, and governance. Using the PSCE estimator to analyze the dataset, the findings show that (i) Inclusive growth frustrates environmental sustainability. (iii) All the institutional dimensions dampen the influence of inclusive growth on environmental sustainability. Amongst the recommendations is that the regulators pay particular attention to strengthening institutional dynamics in MINT countries by ensuring a system of transparency, accountability, and political stability to enhance public trust in the inclusive growth policies. Also, policy actors should ensure that inclusive growth policies are eco-friendly by initiating policies and programs that could raise citizens’ awareness on the adoption of sustainable practices. The findings of this study are highly relevant to broader sustainable development goals. Strengthening political, economic, and governance institutions (SDG 16) promotes transparency and accountability in implementing climate-related projects (SDG 13). Similarly, integrating renewable energy investments (SDG 7) and fostering inclusive employment opportunities in green sectors (SDG 8) can reinforce both environmental and social dimensions of sustainability. Institutional efficiency also underpins innovation-driven industrialization (SDG 9), supporting a circular and low-carbon economy in MINT countries.