University of Nigeria, Nsukka

About: University of Nigeria, Nsukka is a education organization based out in Nsukka, Nigeria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 10211 authors who have published 13685 publications receiving 138922 citations.

The effect of protest zeros on estimates of willingness to pay in healthcare contingent valuation analysis

Abstract: ’Protest zeros’ occur when respondents reject some aspect of the contingent valuation (CV) market scenario by reporting a zero value even though they place a positive value on the amenity being valued. This is inevitable even in the best-designed CV study, and, when excluded on an ad hoc basis, may cause a selection bias problem. This could affect the reliability of the willingness to pay (WTP) estimates obtained for preference assessment. Treatment of ‘protest zeros’ in general, and particularly in the context of developing countries, has been rather unsatisfactory. Most case studies employ the Heckman 2-step approach, which is much less robust to co-linearity problems than the Full Information Maximum Likelihood (FIML) estimator. The main objective of this article is to illustrate a sequential procedure to simultaneously deal with co-linearity and selectivity bias resulting from excluding ‘protest zeros’ in CV analysis. The sequential procedure involves different levels of estimation and diagnostics with the 2-step and FIML estimators; the duration of the procedure depends on the diagnostic test results at each stage of the estimations. The data used for the analysis were elicited using the conventional dichotomous choice buttressed with an open-ended follow-up question. The survey was designed to elicit households’ WTP for a proposed community-based malaria control scheme in rural Cameroon. In the application context, we found that the different levels of estimation and diagnostics resulted in reliable WTP estimates from the FIML approach, which would obviously have been overlooked in the absence of such diagnostics.

Effects of B-learning and F2F learning environments on students' achievement in QBASIC programming

Abstract: In higher education, teaching methods, learning style, student workload, and previous programming experience, among others are factors that greatly influence students' achievement particularly in programming courses. However, research has shown that integration of technology into classroom instruction if appropriately implemented have strong and positive impact on students achievement. This study therefore aimed at determining the effects of b-learning model and f2f method on students' achievement in QBASIC programming language in Colleges of Education in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study adopted quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent groups of intact classes. The participants for the study was 148 first year National Certificate in Education (NCE) Computer Education students made up of 53 males and 95 females drawn from the two public Colleges of Education in the State. The instruments used for data collection was QBASIC Programming Achievement Test (QBPAT) with a reliability index of .75 established using K-R 20. The test scores generated from the pre-test and post-test using QBPAT was analyzed using mean and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to test the two null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results show that b-learning model is more effective than the traditional f2f in improving students' achievement in QBASIC programming language. Furthermore, the findings revealed higher mean achievement among students taught QB programming with b-learning model compared with those taught with f2f. The researchers have been able to show that b-learning model is more effective than the f2f method in improving students' achievement in QBASIC programming in Nigeria. Further evaluation is warranted Beginners' programmers took advantage of F2F and online learning environments.Quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent groups of intact classes was adopted.QBASIC Programming Achievement Test has a reliability index of 0.75 using K-R 20.Significant difference exists between experimental and control groups of students.B-learning improves students' achievement in QB programming than F2F approach.

Effect of aerobic exercise training on cardiovascular parameters and CD4 cell count of people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract: Objective: Despite the significant positive effect of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy on physical and psychosocial well-being of people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) (PLWHA); decreased physical activity and its associated cardiovascular risk still pose some consequences for health and general well-being. This study investigated the effect of an 8 week aerobic exercise training on cardiovascular parameters and CD4 cell (T-cells) count of PLWHA. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled trial recruited 30 age matched PLWHA who were randomly assigned into exercise group (EG) ( n = 15) and control group (CG) ( n = 15) respectively. The PLWHA were patients receiving treatment in President's Emergency Plan for AIDS relief at the HIV clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The EG in addition to conventional therapy received moderate intensity continuous exercise training (60-79% of the maximum heart rate [max]) of between 45 and 60 min, 3 times/week for 8 weeks, while the CG received conventional therapy involving antiretroviral therapy and counseling only. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), maximum oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) and CD4 cell count were assessed at baseline (week 1) and week 8 respectively. Analysis of co-variance and Pearson correlation tests were used in data analysis. Results: Findings of the study revealed a significant effect (ANCOVA test) of moderate intensity continuous exercise training program on, SBP, DBP, VO 2 max and CD4 cell count at P Conclusion: Moderate intensity aerobic exercise is an effective complementary therapy in lowering blood pressure and increasing CD4 cell count in PLWHA.

A masing event in NGC 6334I: contemporaneous flaring of hydroxyl, methanol, and water masers

Abstract: As a product of the maser monitoring program with the 26m telescope of the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO), we present an unprecedented, contemporaneous flaring event of 10 maser transitions in hydroxyl, methanol, and water that began in 2015 January in the massive star-forming region NGC6334I in the velocity range -10 to -2 km/s. The 6.7 GHz methanol and 22.2 GHz water masers began flaring within 22 days of each other, while the 12.2 GHz methanol and 1665 MHz hydroxyl masers flared 80 and 113 days later respectively. The 1665 MHz, 6.7 GHz, and 22.2 GHz masers have all remained in their flared state for nearly 3 years. The brightest flaring components increased by factors of 66, 21, 26, and 20 in the 12.2 and 6.7 GHz methanol, 1665 MHz hydroxyl and 22.2 GHz water maser transitions respectively; some weaker components increased by up to a factor of 145. We also report new maser emission in the 1720, 6031, and 6035 MHz OH lines and the 23.1 GHz methanol line, along with the detection of only the fifth 4660 MHz OH maser. We note the correlation of this event with the extraordinary (sub)millimeter continuum outburst from the massive protostellar system NGC6334I-MM1 and discuss the implications of the observed time lags between different maser velocity components on the nature of the outburst. Finally, we identify two earlier epoch maser flaring events likely associated with this object, which suggest a recurring accretive phenomenon that generates powerful radiative outbursts.

Multi-criteria approach to water quality and health risk assessments in a rural agricultural province, southeast Nigeria

Abstract: This paper assessed the quality and suitability of groundwater from hand-dug wells in Ikem agricultural province, Nigeria for human consumption and irrigation purposes. pH measurements revealed that the groundwater is slightly acidic. The trend of the cations concentrations is Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ > Na+ whereas that for anions is Cl− > PO42− > NO3− > HCO3– > SO42−. It was observed that the concentrations of all the ions were below their respective standard maximum allowable limits for drinking water. Similarly, all the analyzed heavy metals were also found within their respective acceptable limits. Heavy metal pollution index, heavy metal evaluation index, and contamination index confirmed that all the samples are excellent and safe drinking waters. However, water quality index placed the groundwater quality in good category, and therefore relatively suitable for drinking and domestic uses. Health hazard index revealed that, for adults, 64% of the samples pose low chronic risk while 36% predispose their consumers to medium chronic risk. However, for children, 94% of the samples pose medium chronic risk while only 4% predispose them to high chronic risk due to trace elements ingestion. Carcinogenic risk assessment due to Pb enrichment showed that all the samples pose negligible cancer risks to the consumers. All the irrigation water quality indices, except permeability index and potential salinity, classified the samples as suitable water for irrigation purposes.