DELVING INTO BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS DATA THROUGH DATA MINING: A STUDY OF MAIZBHANDARI SHAH EMDADIA BLOOD DONORS GROUP TO SELECT VOLUNTEER BLOOD DONORS EFFICIENTLY

The demand for blood transfusion is rising gradually. Therefore, volunteer blood donors are needed to save the lives of patients. There are lot of volunteer donors in every society. But, the main problem people face is finding such donors at the right time. To locate potential blood donors, we collected data from the Maizbhandari Shah Emdadia blood donors’ group, which consists of 700 active volunteer blood donors. This study aims to choose potential volunteer donors efficiently at the emergency time from the Maizbhandari Shah Emdadia blood donors’ group based on their past data. We have developed two models, namely descriptive and predictive models, using data mining techniques. The descriptive model analyzes data patterns and explores the donors’ behaviour. A data mining clustering algorithm was used to develop the descriptive model. The underlying factors of donors' intention to donate blood were identified and evaluated using this descriptive model. These factors were then utilized to develop the predictive model, which in turn assists to predict whether a donor will donate blood or not during an emergency. The findings of these two models will assist the clinical experts in locating potential volunteer blood donors within the shortest period and thus save valuable lives.

THE MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONAL SUSTAINABILITY AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN BORROWER’S IN MALAYSIA: AN EMPIRICAL REVIEW

The fundamental aims of this study to construct a new framework between Microfinance Institution’s (MFIs) financial sustainability and social, economic and household women empowerment in Malaysia. The study used both quantitative and qualitative approach. The study used available online empirical recourses by the name of Microfinance Institution’s (MFIs) sustainability and sustainable and social, economic and household women empowerment in different online database sources such as Google Scholars, Springer Link, Wiley, Science Direct, JSTOR, Emerald full text, Scopus, and EBSCO HOST etc. The summary of literature review revealed that it is the unique goal of MFIs for poverty reduction mission through ensuring of financial sustainability while contribution impact in the society. It has also revealed that it is the way the social mission of poverty alleviation through serving the poorest has been overshadowed by profit motive. However, profit orientation of the microfinance industry also emphasis on profit earning. The present study will be recommended for policy considerations for the successful and effective operation of microfinance programs by providing the necessary guidelines for the proper utilization of loan for women borrowers in Malaysia.

CULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS: A CRITICAL OVERVIEW OF SOLID WASTE GENERATION AND MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA

Several studies have presented solid waste generation and management in urban centres as an engineering and technological concern. These studies neglected culture as the basic determinants of all happenings in human society; hence, the cultural facets of solid waste generation and management were rendered insignificant. As culture provides the context within which all human activities take place, culture was envisaged in this paper as a driving force for public perception, decision making and participation in solid waste generation and management in urban centres. Therefore, this study adopted both meta-analysis and meta-synthesis to pinpoint and discuss some theoretical key cultural factors and social practices influencing municipal solid waste generation and management. It identified trends and relationship between findings from the available empirical and theoretical studies. This paper discovered in the available relevant literature that cultural factors such as customs, belief and attitude of the urbanites that promoted their preference for food packaged with non-biodegradable material and the ways they conducted social practices resulted in solid waste generation. Lastly, methods and the cost of solid waste disposal, individualism and nonchalant attitude of people were found as the factors militating against proper management of solid wastes.

FACTORS MILITATING AGAINST PUBLIC HEALTH FINANCING IN NIGERIA: AN EMPIRICAL REVIEW

An effective and quality health care service is one of the fundamental visions of every government to its citizenry because it is only the healthy people that can be governed and will value developmental projects. Citizens having access to quality health services translate to significant development in modern society. Therefore, the provision of adequate funds for the sector is essential. However, the Nigeria health care sector is currently confronted with colossal issues that should be surmounted to enhance effective and quality health care delivery to the citizens. This study is rooted in the evidence of appropriate works of literature in the financing of public health care services in Nigeria. From the extant works of the literature surveyed, it was revealed that public health care services in Nigeria are financed by revenue that is accrued from public tax, funding from donors, health insurance, and direct payments made by individuals. Furthermore, public health service is mostly financed by direct payments made by individuals with the government. The most perturbing issues combating public health care financing are direct payments made by individuals, poor government funding, health care policy defects in implementation, and corruption scandals. On this note, the study recommended an effective and robust government funding of public health, implementation of sound health care policies, efficient monitoring of public funds utilization, and discouraging foreign medical trips. JEL Classification Codes: A19, B10, B25, C10, C53.

ANALYSIS OF HEALTH-SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS IN NIGERIA

Among several forms of infectious diseases, tuberculosis (TB) cannot be exempted. Even though the treatment of TB is free in Nigeria, the costs incurred by most patients do not reveal the significance of free treatment, and this affects the behavioral pattern of TB patients as a result of the numerous visits of patients to the hospital during the treatment of TB which may or may not yield their expected result. The objective of this study is to examine the behavior of TB patients towards seeking help for their health conditions. The study focused on Kwara and Kebbi States, Nigeria. The findings revealed that most of the Tuberculosis patients were more likely to search for treatment and seek medical advice from secondary health facilities, and they sought treatment first at the out-patient services. The out-patient services are among the secondary health facilities. It is therefore recommended that there is a need for health stakeholders (private and public) to ensure primary health coverage for all patients to prevent the exclusion of certain persons from treatment. This is referred to as inclusiveness. JEL Classification Codes: A19, B10, B25, C10, C53.

MITIGATE BANK RISK: SOME REVIEW

Its goal and intent is to examine the structure of capital adequacy, whether or not regulatory regulation is complied with and how shocks from financial and economic stress can be absorbed by the bank's prescription.

POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR IN THE FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES, BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO, NIGERIA

The study examines postgraduate student’s information seeking behavior in the faculty of management sciences, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. Information play critical role in human daily activities such as school life, work, marital life and any other kind of scenario. The concept of information seeking behavior has attracted researchers’ attention and has been of great concern to stakeholders in the academia. Academic libraries avail information from different sources and formats. Objectively the study examines postgraduate students’ information seeking behavior in order to understand students’ information seeking behavior and provide guide to improve the quality of education and performance. Survey research design were use and the population consist of the entire postgraduate students in the faculty of management sciences at Bayero University, Kano, due to difficulty to reach all the population, purposive sampling were applied which result to the selection of (200) respondents comprising of (50) respondents from each of the four departments and questionnaire were issued to them. From the findings it is obvious that in the course of carrying out their studies postgraduate students seek information as a result of activities they engage such exam preparation, dissertation/thesis work, updating knowledge, lecture notes update, personal reading and general reading. However, the result implies that majority of the respondents use library for information concerning exam preparation while the lowest is for general reading to improve their knowledge. The study conclude that postgraduate students do engage in information seeking behaviour for various reasons even though these are hinder by some obstacles. The study recommends the need for management to improve service delivery in the aspect of electronic library, researchers should be guided easily and educated so as to facilitate easy collection of library materials, users should also be guided to enhance easy retrieval of information, continuous training of library staff should be given attention in order for them to be friendly and give quality service to information seekers and finally problem of poor electricity supply should be addressed to make the environment conducive for learning.

COMPARISON OF IN VITRO ACTIVITY OF COLISTIN WITH CEFTOLOZANE/TAZOBACTAM AGAINST MULTI DRUG RESISTANT PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA “A LAST LINE TREATMENT AGAINST MDR”

Objectives To evaluate and compare in vitro activity of Ceftolazane / Tazobactum and Colistin against Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Methodology After ethical approval this in vitro cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2017 to April 2018. Routine samples of pus, wound swabs, blood, tracheal aspirates and urine were collected and received from the in-patient and out-patient clinics. All the samples were submitted for culture and sensitivity testing at the microbiology laboratory of Ziauddin University Hospital, North Nazimabad campus. All the samples were processed according to the provided microbiological procedures, CLSI Guidelines 2018. Results Forty sample from the out-patient clinics represented pre-dominance of Multi Drug Resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (which was found to be 41.2%). On culture and sensitivity testing, it was observed that 60% of the MDR strains of P. aeruginosa were susceptible to Ceftolazane / Tazobactum which was markedly comparable to the susceptibility shown by Colistin (99%).Statistically, P value was highly significant and was found to be 0.0001. Conclusion Colistin showed superior activity as compared to Ceftolazane / Tazobactum against MDR isolates of P. aeruginosa. Thus, Colistin has proven to be a possible and important alternative against MDR isolates of P. aeruginosa, but due to its narrow therapeutic window and toxicity profile this drug can be used only when there is no working alternative, or the infection is severely debilitating.

International Trade and the Economies of Developing Countries

The economic significance and benefits of foreign trade also known as international trade to the economies of developing countries cannot be overemphasized. Its role and contributions to the gross domestic earnings, employment generation, economic development, and poverty reduction in these underdeveloped countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Benin Republic, and others have been too glaring especially in agrarian economies with fertile arable land.The main aim of this paper was to examine in-depth the contributions and relationship between international trade and the economic development of developing African countries. Furthermore, this paper recommended stringent macroeconomic policies that when formulated would encourage and increase the multiplier effect of these (foreign) trades. Part of these policies is targeted towards exchange rates, tariffs, import and export duties, subsidies, and actions that promote international trade.The research further concluded that internationaltradeis a key macroeconomic driver that must be encouraged in developing African countries as its multiplier effects have the potentials of driving the needed development goals of these nations. And for this to be achieved, these nations (developing countries) must formulate workable localized macroeconomic policies that suit and drive their interest as against borrowed economic policies from the developed European and Asian nations. Some of the recommendations proffered include adoption of friendly and pro-active export promotion policies, availability of grants, aids, subsidies, and loans, mechanization of the agrarian sector, adoption of flexible exchange rate, etc.This study made use of time series secondary data obtained from the World Development Indicators (WDI) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) of developing African countries for a period between 2000 and 2019. A forecast of 15 years was also initiated using these data to provide a long-term insight into the benefits of these trading activities on the GDP of developing countries.

An Assessment on the Locational Pattern of Petrol Filling Stations along Lasu-Isheri Road Corridor

This study aimed at assessing the location and spatial distribution of petrol filling stations along LASU/Isheri Road, Ojo, Lagos state. The objectives are to map out all the petrol filling stations in along Lasu/Isheri road; to examine the volume of traffic along the road corridor; to determine the contribution of petrol filling stations to the traffic volume on the road, and to ascertain the road traffic challenges that are caused by the petrol filling stations (PFS). Geographical Positioning System (GPS) was employed to collect primary data; also, questionnaires and traffic count sheets were employed. The study found that the PFS along the road corridor is clustered with a Z-score of -7.34 and NNI of 0.440285. Also, the maximum peak hour volume was estimated to be 4198.6 pcu/hr. The PFS along the corridor are seen to contribute significantly to the traffic volume on the corridor. Finally, the dominant traffic challenges along the corridor include traffic gridlock which sometimes results into road traffic crashes which are triggered by the concentration of PFS in the study area, the proximity of PFS to a road intersection, overflow of the queue into the roadway, and to a minimal extent parking of tankers along the roadway and lack of setback. This study suggests strategies that can be adopted for locating PFS to ensure the free flow of traffic along the road corridor where they are located.