Gregory University Uturu

This study examined financial intermediation spread and financial growth in Nigeria from 1991 to 2024. The objectives were to find out the relationship interest rate spread, lending rate and deposit rates have on growth of loans in Nigeria. Expost facto design was adopted. Data were collected from CBN statistical bulletin from 1991 to 2024. Analysis were carroed out using Ordinary Least Square method, Augmented Dickey Fuller, Johansen Co integration, Error correction model were employed. Findings in this study have shown that interest rate spread has no predictive influence on growth of loans in Nigeria. In fact, it negatively affected financial growth suggesting that a higher interest rate spread reduces the ability to create more credit facilities. In addition, deposit rate showed a negative and insignificant influence on financial growth while lending rate showed a positive and significant impact on financial growth. It made policy recommendation that will enhance the impact of interest rate spread on financial growth.

Glaucoma, the primary cause of permanent blindness, occurs frequently, progresses aggressively, and more challenging to treat among Blacks. In South-East Nigeria, Igbos who have ancestral ties to blacks in the Barbados eye study are more likely to have primary open-angle glaucoma and are at risk of blindness. This study aims to evaluate glaucoma patients' awareness, care-seeking pathway and identify policy areas for planning and advocacy. This cross-sectional survey was performed at three referral ophthalmology facilities. 303 eligible and consented participants were enrolled. Data collected with semi-structured researcher-administered questionnaire were imported into Stata v15.0. Charts and maps were used for descriptive percentages and proportions. At p-value < 0.05, statistically significant risks were determined using multiple logistic regression models. Over half of the participants (56.6%; 87/151) who had heard of glaucoma before diagnosis were early presenters. Social interactions between friends and family (57%), mass media-radio, television and print (31%) and internet (4%) were the three most common ways that participants learned about glaucoma. Fifty-one percent who presented late had been previously screened for glaucoma; a greater percentage of them spent more time visiting a spiritual home, optical store, or traditional healer compared to those who presented earlier. Basic literacy (0.18: CI 0.07-0.47) and the ability to pay rent (0.52: CI 0.31 - 0.91) were socio-economic factors independently associated with lower odds of presenting late to the glaucoma referral facility. Glaucoma awareness was linked to early presentation, although delays persist due to reliance on non-medical providers. Predictors of timely presentation suggest that socioeconomic empowerment may be a crucial lever for improving glaucoma health-seeking behaviour.

Gunshot wounds are among the most common cause of homicide deaths in Nigeria and, in many instances, the most common means of suicide globally. An important and common practice among forensic pathologists is to analyse and interpret fatal gunshot wounds. A correct interpretation of gunshot wounds is essential for the final determination of manner of death and it provides valuable information to law enforcement in their investigations. This study examines the morphological characteristics of gunshot-related fatalities in Aba over a seven-year period, from 2018 to 2024. Utilizing the comprehensive analysis of autopsy reports and medical records, the study identify trends in demographics, wound patterns, and fatality rates associated with gun violence in the region. The results showed that fatalities within the study area indicated that 55% of deaths occurred in urban settings, particularly in high- neighborhoods. Gang-related violence accounted for 40% of cases, while other circumstances included robbery (25%), domestic disputes (15%), and political violence (10%). The morphological analysis of gunshot wounds revealed that handguns were the most commonly used weapons, involved 65% of cases, followed by rifles (25%) and shotguns (10%). From the results, 195(60%) of victims sustaining multiple wounds, followed by the head 91(28%) and extremities 26(08%) as the wound patterns. In relation to the associated injuries, 130(40%) of victims presented with blunt force injuries, often indicating a struggle prior to death. The findings reveal a significant increase in gunshot deaths, particularly among young adult males, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions. The morphological analysis underscores the common types of injuries sustained, including entrance and exit wounds, and their correlation with the type of firearms used. This research aims to provide critical insights for public health officials, law enforcement, and policymakers in formulating effective strategies to combat gun violence and improve community safety in Aba. By elucidating the patterns and implications of gunshot fatalities, we contribute to the broader discourse on violence prevention and health outcomes in urban settings.

Heavy metal contamination in oil-rich regions could be a source of multifaceted threats to human health. This study investigated the site-specific speciation, bioavailability, and associated ecological and human health risks heavy metals (Cd, Mn, Cu, Zn, Co) in surface soils of Ohaji-Egbema a prominent hub of oil and gas exploitation activities within the Niger Delta. After physiochemical charaterisation, the six composite soil samples from six distinct sites were analyzed through a detailed sequential extraction procedurefor concentrations of chemical species of metalusing Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). Appropriate chemometric tools were subsequently employed in identifying potential contamination sources and elucidate their linkages to critical soil properties.Results revealed elevated metal levels, often exceeding established WHO/FAO guideline thresholds for environmental safety. Notably, manganese (average 158.15 mg/kg) and cadmium (average 143.65 mg/kg) exhibited pronounced concentrations and high potential bioavailability, with site-specific ranges of 30.9-185.4 mg/kg for Mn and 10.8-109.4 mg/kg for Cd. Speciation analysis indicated that a significant proportion, often greater than 50%, of the studied metals resided in highly mobile and bioavailable fractions (F1-F3), signifying considerable ecological and human health risks. Key soil properties, particularly acidic pH (4.75-6.44) and high soil organic matter (50-64%), were found to significantly influence metal mobility and bioavailability. Calculated Hakanson Ecological Risk Indices indicated very high ecological risk, primarily driven by cadmium contamination. Human health risk assessment revealed that calculated Hazard Quotients (HQ) for cadmium (1.915) and cobalt (7.414) frequently exceeded unity (HQ ≥ 1) for children, indicating a significant potential for non-carcinogenic health risks to this vulnerable population via soil ingestion. Chemometric analysis provided insights into the likely anthropogenic sources of contamination, linking them to oil and gas activities. This study critically underscores the urgent need for targeted remediation strategies to mitigate heavy metal contamination and safeguard public health and ecological integrity in this heavily oil-impacted region.

Background: Depression is a prevalent and serious mental health issue, particularly among young adults and medical students. Medical students, due to high academic and emotional stress, are particularly vulnerable to developing depression, which is often unnoticed in its early stages. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and patterns of depression among clinical medical students in a University in Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 230 clinical medical students in their fourth to sixth years of study. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess depressive symptoms. Results: The overall prevalence of depression was 30.8%, with 14.8% reporting moderate depression, 1.3% severe depression, and 0.4% extreme depression. The most frequently cited triggers for depression were academic workload (92.5%) and poor social amenities (60.4%). Conclusion: Depression is highly prevalent among medical students, particularly in clinical years, underscoring the need for early screening and mental health interventions.

Perceived organizational support (POS) is a proxy of organizational identification (OI) that draws heavily on the feelings of employees. Sense of feeling affects employees’ level of attachment to the organization, which invariably affects performance and subsequently extra role performance (ERP). The consistent drop in the performance of the Nigerian manufacturing sector, and the need for improvement necessitated the consideration of the human elements as determinants of organizational performance. Hence, this study investigated the effects of POS on ERP with a view to enhancing employees’ productivity vis-à-vis overall performance of manufacturing organizations in Nigeria. The population comprises 3,875 workers from 10 registered member organizations of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria in the southeastern region of Nigeria selected using a multi-stage technique. Employing a survey design, data collection instrument was administered to a sample size of 351. A structured questionnaire utilizing a 5-point Likert scale was employed for data collection. Face-content validity was adopted and a test-retest method showed a high reliability. Data were presented in frequency tables and hypothesis tested at 5% level of significance using ANOVA. It was found that perceived organizational support strongly affects extra-role performance of workers (r=.960; F=3690.322; t=60.748; p&lt;0.05). The finding suggests that manufacturing companies in Nigeria ought to support policies that promote organizational support of employees as this leads to high employees’ OI and subsequent improvement of employees’ ERP in order to enhance organizational growth.

Proximate composition and energy value, macro-mineral concentration, percentage daily value (%DV), nutrient rich index (NRI) and the effect of ethanol and aqueous extracts of Plukenetia conophora leaves on the body weight and blood glucose concentration of diabetic rats were determined using standard methods. The pharmacological model was 120mg/kg b.w. (via intraperitoneal) alloxan monohydrate induced diabetic rat model, with the ethanol and aqueous extracts respectively administered orally at 200mg/kg and 500mg/kg respectively and glibenclamide administered as reference control at 5mg/kg b.w. Chemical analysis showed that all the samples were rich in crude fiber (17.7%;%DV:63.21), ash (11.57%) , carbohydrate (57.14%; %DV:47.71), energy (254.05Kcal/100g; %D.V.:19.96). Spectrophotometric analysis data revealed Potassium concentration (68.07mg/kg; %DV:1.45) as highest while Sodium concentration (0.51mg/kg;%D.V.:0.02) was the lowest. The potassium to sodium ratio was high (136.1) while the sodium to potassium ratio was very low (0.008) and these ratios shows that the leaf may have positive effect on cardiovascular health. Nutrient Rich Index (NRI) based on macronutrients and macro minerals was estimated to be 16.47. Data on the effect of the ethanol extract and aqueous extract of the leaves of P. conophora on the body weight and blood glucose level of the rats revealed that the extracts significantly (p&lt; 0.05), time and dose dependently restored the body weights towards normal compared to the diabetic control. The extracts also significantly (p&lt; 0.05), time and dose dependently lowered blood glucose concentration towards normal compared to the treated rats. The nutritional and nutraceutical potential of the leaves of P. conophora as shown in this study suggest its possible use in food as cheap, effective and safe anti -diabetic agent for the management of diabetes mellitus and its associated complications.

Background and Aim: Malaria remains a significant global health concern, with fever being a hallmark symptom, while fever, often caused by various infections, poses additional health challenges. This study addresses the need to explore natural remedies for these conditions, focusing on the methanol extract of Psorospermum febrifugum leaves. The primary aim of this research is to investigate the effects of the extract on malaria-induced fever and yeast-induced fever in Wistar mice. Additionally, the study includes a phytochemical analysis and the acute toxicity test of the extract. Methods: Malaria parasitaemia (Plasmodium berghei) was obtained from a malaria infected mice gotten at Veterinary Medicine Department in University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The main study involved 45 Wistar mice weighing between 20 g and 32 g and was divided into two sets of animals. The first set was used for anti-malaria and the fever induced by plasmodium beighe inoculation, while the second group was for the antipyretic activity induced by yeast. Results: In the anti-malaria study, Psorospermum febrifugum leaves extract showed a dose dependent significant reduction of the parasitaemia count (p &lt;0.05) for the first, second and the third day of treatment. Within the three days of the study, the temperature check showed a dose-dependent significant difference (p &lt;0.05); the 400 mg/kg of the extract and the Arthemeter (standard drug) at 5 mg/kg, showed significant reduction against the negative control group. In the yeast-induced fever, after the single treatment, 200 mg/kg of the extract exhibited a significant reduction (p &lt;0.05) at 1 hr and 2 hr after treatment compared with the control, while the 400mg/kg of the extract showed significant reductions (p &lt;0.05) at 30 min, 1 hr, and 2 hr post-treatment. Paracetamol at 100 mg/kg also showed a statistical significant reduction (p &lt;0.05). Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that the extract has potential as a treatment for malaria-induced fever due to its significant impact on parasitaemia levels. It also demonstrates antipyretic properties in yeast-induced fever, indicating its potential as an antipyretic agent for various infections.

This paper focuses on investigating the mechanical buckling behavior of composite and orthotropic classical rectangular plates using the Galerkin theory. By utilizing the classical plate theory of elasticity, the governing equations for the functionally graded plate material subjected to a uniaxially distributed load along the x and y axes are derived based on the principle of work energy. Consequently, the displacement function is determined as the solution to a differential equation that satisfies specific boundary conditions. The equilibrium expression derived from the work‐energy equation is then minimized and analytically solved to determine the stresses and critical buckling loads of an orthotropic composite rectangular plate. The critical buckling loads of all edges, including clamped and simply supported orthotropic and isotropic thin rectangular plates with aspect ratios ranging from 0.1 to 3, are calculated and compared with existing literature to assess the stiffness of isotropic and orthotropic plates. The findings reveal that the critical buckling load of a clamped plate decreases as the aspect ratio increases from 0.1 to 1 but increases for aspect ratios between 1 and 3. The average percentage variation of critical buckling load values obtained from previous studies using orthotropic and isotropic (classical lamination plate theory [CLPT]) materials is found to be 1.93% and 3.65%, respectively. Additionally, it is observed that the critical buckling load of clamped edges in isotropic plates is lower than that of orthotropic plates at lower aspect ratios (0.4–1.0) but higher at higher aspect ratios (above 1.0). The results indicate that plates with all‐round clamped boundaries exhibit higher buckling loads due to their effective fixation at all boundaries, which provides greater resistance to deformation and buckling compared to plates with all edges simply supported, where there is more flexibility for deformation under loads. This highlights the influence of boundary conditions on the critical buckling load of the plate. Furthermore, a significant percentage difference is noted when comparing approximate solutions, while a low percentage difference of 0.43% with the author’s derived displacement function indicates close agreement, demonstrating the high level of accuracy and reliability of the proposed model in predicting buckling load of plates. Hence, it can be recommended for stability analysis, especially where the material properties need to be controlled in a specific direction to optimize performance.