Research papers

Preliminary evaluation of some aspects of the ecology (growth pattern, condition factor and reproductive biology) of African pike, Hepsetus odoe (Bloch 1794), in Lake Eleiyele, Ibadan, Nigeria

Oluniyi Solomon Ogunola, Olawale Ahmed Onada, A.E. Falaye

A preliminary investigation of length-weight relationship, condition factor and reproductive ecology of African pike fish, Hepsetus odoe , was conducted between June to August 2010 in Lake Eleiyele. A total of 90 samples of the fish species were caught by fishermen using gill nets. The results obtained showed that fish species had isometric growth pattern (contrary to negative allometry expected) with the growth exponent, b value of 2.64, that is not statistically different from 3 and with high statistical power of 0.866 when tested. The mean condition factor, K , was found to be 2.6, indicating that the fish species were in good condition in the study area. For reproductive biology, mean fecundity and gonadosomatic index were found to be 1349 eggs and 3.53% respectively. This study was necessary to fill the knowledge gap and provide information for management and conservation of the investigated species in the lake system. This study recommended that further research needs to be conducted because the sampling was carried out in the rainy season period and within a quarter of a year.

Instant messaging and nursing students' clinical learning experience

Christoph Pimmer, Florian Brühlmann, Titilayo Dorothy Odetola, Isaac Oluwafemi Dipeolu, Urs Gröhbiel, Ademola J. Ajuwon

Handbook of Mathematical Functions

David R. Lide

The Handbook of Mathematical Functions with Formulas, Graphs, and Mathematical Tables was the culmination of a quarter century of National Bureau of Standards (NBS) work on core mathematical tools. Evaluating commonly occurring mathematical functions has been a fundamental need as long as mathematics has been applied to the solution of practical problems. In 1938, NBS initiated its Mathematical Tables Project to satisfy the increasing demand for extensive and accurate tables of functions. The Handbook project occurred during the period when general-purpose electronic computing machinery was first coming into use in government research laboratories. A number of difficult mathematical problems that emerged in the course of developing the Handbook engaged researchers in the NBS Applied Mathematics Division for a number of years after its publication. Two of these are especially noteworthy, the first having to do with stability of computations and the second with precision.

The Biological Activities of Vitamin D and Its Receptor in Relation to Calcium and Bone Homeostasis, Cancer, Immune and Cardiovascular Systems, Skin Biology, and Oral Health

R. A. G. Khammissa, Jeanine Fourie, Mojakgomo Hendrick Motswaledi, Raoul Ballyram, J Lemmer, L. Feller

Vitamin D plays an important role in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism, with the capacity to modulate innate and adaptive immune function, cardiovascular function, and proliferation and differentiation of both normal and malignant keratinocytes. 1,25(OH) 2 D, the biologically active form of vitamin D, exerts most of its functions through the almost universally distributed nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR). Upon stimulation by 1,25(OH) 2 D, VDR forms a heterodimer with the retinoid X receptor (RXR). In turn, VDR/RXR binds to DNA sequences termed vitamin D response elements in target genes, regulating gene transcription. In order to exert its biological effects, VDR signalling interacts with other intracellular signalling pathways. In some cases 1,25(OH) 2 D exerts its biological effects without regulating either gene expression or protein synthesis. Although the regulatory role of vitamin D in many biological processes is well documented, there is not enough evidence to support the therapeutic use of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention or treatment of infectious, immunoinflammatory, or hyperproliferative disorders. In this review we highlight the effects of 1,25(OH) 2 D on bone and calcium homeostasis, on cancer, and refer to its effects on the cardiovascular and immune systems.

On the exact and numerical solutions to a nonlinear model arising in mathematical biology

Asıf Yokuş, Tukur Abdulkadir Sulaıman, Hacı Mehmet Başkonuş, Sibel Paşalı Atmaca

This study acquires the exact and numerical approximations of a reaction-convection-diffusion equation arising in mathematical bi- ology namely; Murry equation through its analytical solutions obtained by using a mathematical approach; the modified exp(-Ψ( η ))-expansion function method. We successfully obtained the kink-type and singular soliton solutions with the hyperbolic function structure to this equa- tion. We performed the numerical simulations (3D and 2D) of the obtained analytical solutions under suitable values of parameters. We obtained the approximate numerical and exact solutions to this equa- tion by utilizing the finite forward difference scheme by taking one of the obtained analytical solutions into consideration. We investigate the stability of the finite forward difference method with the equation through the Fourier-Von Neumann analysis. We present the L 2 and L ∞ error norms of the approximations. The numerical and exact approx- imations are compared and the comparison is supported by a graphic plot. All the computations and the graphics plots in this study are car- ried out with help of the Matlab and Wolfram Mathematica softwares. Finally, we submit a comprehensive conclusion to this study.

Role of Microbes in Plant Protection Using Intersection of Nanotechnology and Biology

Manoj Kaushal

Teaching and practicing nursing code of ethics and values in the Gambia

Haddy Tunkara Bah, Jainaba Sey-Sawo

Nursing has a professional autonomy which goes along with responsibility and accountability of nursing actions. Nursing practice should always be guided by a code of ethics and values. However, the concepts of nursing ethics and values are contained only in the introductory courses of the nursing curriculum in the Gambia. Many nurse educators and clinicians are not knowledgeable about the code of ethics of nursing in this country. Lectures on nursing ethics and values are mostly taught by invited guest lecturers in only one or two lecture sessions of the entire nurse training programme. Teaching nursing ethics and values at clinical level is poor due to the limited number of trained senior nurses to serve as mentors and supervisors for students and junior nurses. Most of the Gambian public health facilities do not have standard guidelines on various nursing procedures. Low status of nurses and conformist style of training nurses hinder the effective implementation of the code of nursing ethics and values among professional nurses in this country. There is, therefore, inadequate teaching and implementation of the code of nursing ethics and values which calls for urgent reforms in nursing education and practice to improve the standard and image of the Nursing Profession in the Gambia.

Effects of computer animation instructional package on students’ achievement in practical biology

Abdulrasaq Hamzat, Ganiyu Bello, Isaac Olakanmi Abimbola

This study examined the effects of computer animation instructional package on secondary school students’ achievement in practical biology in Ilorin, Nigeria. The study adopted a pre-test, post-test, control group, non-randomised and nonequivalent quasi-experimental design, with a 2x2x3 factorial design. Two intact classes from two secondary schools were purposively sampled. The instruments used were Biology Practical Achievement Test (BPAT) for data gathering and Computer Animation Instructional Package (CAIP) as the treatment instrument. The reliability coefficient of BPAT was determined using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation and was found to be 0.91. Two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated in the study. The hypotheses were tested with t-test statistics at a significance level of 0.05. The study concluded that CAIP significantly improved students' achievement in practical biology. The researchers recommend that biology teachers should employ computer animation instructional packages to teach the practical aspects of photosynthesis among other biology topics. Keywords: Achievement, computer animation, practical biology, secondary schoo

Stress and coping strategies among nursing students: an international study

Leodoro J. Labrague, Denise M. McEnroe–Petitte, Ioanna V. Papathanasiou, Olaide B. Edet, Konstantinos Tsaras, Michael Leocad…

BACKGROUND: Mounting literature on stress and coping in nursing students are available; however, most of the findings are confined to a single cultural group. AIMS: This study was conducted to determine the level of stress, its sources and coping strategies among nursing students from three countries: Greece, the Philippines and Nigeria. METHODS: Using a descriptive, comparative research design, 547 nursing students (161 Greek nursing students, 153 Filipino nursing students, 233 Nigerian nursing students) participated in the study from August 2015 to April 2016. Two standardized instruments were used, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Coping Behavior Inventory (CBI). RESULTS: Findings revealed that the degree of stress and the type of stressors and coping styles utilized by nursing students differ according to the country of origin. The year of study predicted overall stress (β = -0.149, p < 0.001) while advanced age predicted overall coping (β = 0.008, p = 0.037) in the nursing students. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening nursing students' positive coping skills may be helpful for them to effectively deal with various stressors during their educational experiences while maximizing learning. Implementing empirically tested approaches maybe useful to prevent the recurrence of stress and lessen its impact such as stress management counseling, counseling programs, establishing peer and family support systems, and formulating hospital policies that will support nursing students.

A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation

Richard M. Murray, Zexiang Li, Shankar Sastry

A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation presents a mathematical formulation of the kinematics, dynamics, and control of robot manipulators. It uses an elegant set of mathematical tools that emphasizes the geometry of robot motion and allows a large class of robotic manipulation problems to be analyzed within a unified framework. The foundation of the book is a derivation of robot kinematics using the product of the exponentials formula. The authors explore the kinematics of open-chain manipulators and multifingered robot hands, present an analysis of the dynamics and control of robot systems, discuss the specification and control of internal forces and internal motions, and address the implications of the nonholonomic nature of rolling contact are addressed, as well. The wealth of information, numerous examples, and exercises make A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation valuable as both a reference for robotics researchers and a text for students in advanced robotics courses.

Effect of standardized nursing language continuing education programme on nurses' documentation of care at University College Hospital, Ibadan

Iyanuoluwa Oreofe Adubi, Adenike Ayobola Olaogun, Prisca Olabisi Adejumo

Aim: The study assessed the documentation of nursing care before, during and after the Standardized Nursing Language Continuing Education Programme (SNLCEP). It evaluates the differences in documentation of nursing care in different nursing specialty areas and assessed the influence of work experience on the quality of documentation of nursing care with a view to provide information on documentation of nursing care. The instrument used was an adapted scoring guide for nursing diagnosis, nursing intervention and nursing outcome (Q-DIO). Design: Retrospective record reviews design was used. Methods: A total of 270 nursing process booklets formed the sample size. From each ward, 90 booklets were selected in this order: 30 booklets before the SNLCEP, 30 booklets during SNLCEP and 30 booklets after SNLCEP. Results: Overall, the study concluded that the SNLCEP had a significant effect on the quality of documentation of nursing care using Standardized Nursing Languages.

Extracellular vesicles in diagnostics and therapy of the ischaemic heart: Position Paper from the Working Group on Cellular Biology of the Heart of the European Society of Cardiology

Joost P. G. Sluijter, Sean M. Davidson, Chantal M. Boulanger, E I Buzas, Dominique Paschalis Victor de Kleijn, Felix B. Enge…

Extracellular vesicles (EVs)-particularly exosomes and microvesicles (MVs)-are attracting considerable interest in the cardiovascular field as the wide range of their functions is recognized. These capabilities include transporting regulatory molecules including different RNA species, lipids, and proteins through the extracellular space including blood and delivering these cargos to recipient cells to modify cellular activity. EVs powerfully stimulate angiogenesis, and can protect the heart against myocardial infarction. They also appear to mediate some of the paracrine effects of cells, and have therefore been proposed as a potential alternative to cell-based regenerative therapies. Moreover, EVs of different sources may be useful biomarkers of cardiovascular disease identities. However, the methods used for the detection and isolation of EVs have several limitations and vary widely between studies, leading to uncertainties regarding the exact population of EVs studied and how to interpret the data. The number of publications in the exosome and MV field has been increasing exponentially in recent years and, therefore, in this ESC Working Group Position Paper, the overall objective is to provide a set of recommendations for the analysis and translational application of EVs focussing on the diagnosis and therapy of the ischaemic heart. This should help to ensure that the data from emerging studies are robust and repeatable, and optimize the pathway towards the diagnostic and therapeutic use of EVs in clinical studies for patient benefit.

A cross-country comparative study on stress and quality of life in nursing students

Leodoro J. Labrague, Denise M. McEnroe–Petitte, Ioanna V. Papathanasiou, Olaide B. Edet, Konstantinos Tsaras, Christos Kleis…

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare perceptions of stress and quality of life (QoL) among nursing students from three countries (the Philippines, Greece, and Nigeria) and to examine the impact of stress on their QoL. DESIGN AND METHODS: A comparative, cross-sectional research design was used in this study. Data were collected from 547 nursing students from three countries using the perceived stress scale (PSS) and the quality of life evaluation skill (QOLES). FINDINGS: Students' perceptions of stress and QoL were different across the three countries. Furthermore, higher stress perceptions were identified from taking care of patients, the clinical environment, and faculty, peer, and staff encounters, which predicted a negative QoL. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The findings emphasized the need for empirically tested and culturally tailored interventions to effectively reduce stress and enhance the QoL in nursing students.

Research Methods in Education

Louis Cohen, Lawrence Manion, Keith Morrison

Influence of Health Education and Healthy Lifestyle on Students' Academic Achievement in Biology in Nigeria

Ezekiel Olusegun Babatunde

The positive effects of health education and healthy lifestyle on adolescent academic achievement cannot be over emphasized as learning experiences to help students accurately assess the level of risk-taking behaviour among their peers, emphasis on the value of good health that reinforces health-enhancing attitudes and beliefs are paramount. Little effort had been made by researchers to examine the influence of health education and healthy lifestyle on students' academic achievement. This study examined the influence of health education and healthy lifestyle on students' academic achievement in Biology. Seven hundred and twenty (720) students of both sexes participated in the study. Three instruments used in the study are Health Education Efficiency Questionnaire (α=0.89), Adolescent Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaire (α=0.94) and Biology Achievement Test (r=0.88). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics of Multiple Regression at p<0.05. The result showed that three independent variables were found to have significant relative prediction on students' achievement. Health Education, β = -0.097, t (715) = 2.102, p<0.05, Risk Behaviour, β = 0.011, t (715) = 0.241, p<0.05 and Value for good Health, β = -0.138, t (715), = 3.843, p<0.05. It is therefore recommended that health education should be made mandatory for all students in the secondary school to enable them form and develop a healthy lifestyle

Biology of glucose metabolization in cancer cells

Adewale Oluwaseun Fadaka, Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye, Oluwafemi Adeleke Ojo, Olusola Bolaji Adewale, Israel Olayide, Rosemary Em…

Cancer is a disease at the cellular level involving heritable disorders in cellular control mechanism. Cancer cells also need to adapt their metabolism to survive and multiply under the metabolically compromised conditions provided by the tumor microenvironment. Tumor cells alter their metabolism to maintain unregulated cellular proliferation and survival, but this transformation leaves them reliant on constant supply of nutrients and energy. They alter their metabolism to support their rapid proliferation and expansion across the body. After the discovery of based on the altered cancer cell metabolism in 1930, loads of studies have shed light on several aspects of cancer metabolism with a common goal to find new ways for effectively eliminating tumor cells by targeting their energy metabolism. Research has directed most of its resources to elucidate the causes, prevention and possible cure for cancer, yet the process has been elusive claiming human lives more than ever. This disease is a manifestation of etiological and pathological disturbances of mechanisms that control cell division, differentiation and metabolism. 50% of all human tumors carry genetic alterations that lead to the inactivation of some tumor suppressor proteins. Cancer cells are shown to experience characteristic changes in their metabolic programs, including increased uptake of glucose, enhanced rates of glutaminolysis and fatty acids synthesis, suggesting that metabolic shifts supports tumor cells growth and survival. In this review, we summarized the major concepts of glucose metabolization and explore the molecular basis of aerobic glycolysis of cancer cells.

The Use of Cronbach’s Alpha When Developing and Reporting Research Instruments in Science Education

Keith S. Taber

Cronbach’s alpha is a statistic commonly quoted by authors to demonstrate that tests and scales that have been constructed or adopted for research projects are fit for purpose. Cronbach’s alpha is regularly adopted in studies in science education: it was referred to in 69 different papers published in 4 leading science education journals in a single year (2015)—usually as a measure of reliability. This article explores how this statistic is used in reporting science education research and what it represents. Authors often cite alpha values with little commentary to explain why they feel this statistic is relevant and seldom interpret the result for readers beyond citing an arbitrary threshold for an acceptable value. Those authors who do offer readers qualitative descriptors interpreting alpha values adopt a diverse and seemingly arbitrary terminology. More seriously, illustrative examples from the science education literature demonstrate that alpha may be acceptable even when there are recognised problems with the scales concerned. Alpha is also sometimes inappropriately used to claim an instrument is unidimensional. It is argued that a high value of alpha offers limited evidence of the reliability of a research instrument, and that indeed a very high value may actually be undesirable when developing a test of scientific knowledge or understanding. Guidance is offered to authors reporting, and readers evaluating, studies that present Cronbach’s alpha statistic as evidence of instrument quality.

Study habit and its impact on secondary school students academic performance in biology in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

Uju F. Ebele, Paul Agbade Olofu

Study habits is how one studies. That is, the habits which students form during their school years. Without good study habits, a student cannot succeed. Thus, this study investigated the impact of study habits on secondary school students&rsquo; academic performance in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The study was guided by one null hypothesis. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design as its plan. The sample of the study constituted of 1050 senior secondary school students drawn from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. Chi-square was used for data analysis. The finding of the study revealed that there is significant relationship between study habits and students&rsquo; academic performance. It was recommended that teachers and school guidance counselors should collaboratively guide students on how to develop good study habits; thereby enhancing their academic success. Key words: Habits, study habits, biology, impact and academic performance.

Gender Inequality and Role-strained among Male Nursing Students in Selected Nursing Institution, Lagos, Nigeria

Florence F. Folami

Gender discrimination remains problem in the world as a whole and unfortunately, nursing profession is not immune to this problem. Gender discrimination is rejection or restriction made on the basis of socially constructed gender roles which prevents a person from relishing full human rights. Role strain has been defined as when an individual is likely to experience tension in coping with the rations of dissenting roles. Role strain can occur when the men in nursing are observed by lecturers and peers to occupy a female role distinct with their masculine gender which may lead to diminishment of their individual contribution. Simple random sampling method was used to select nursing institutions that was included in the study and convenience sampling method was used to select the respondents that partook in the study. The study population is male nursing students from 200 level-500 level of the selected nursing institutions. A questionnaire including measures of gender role identity and perceived gender relevance of careers was administered to 205 male student nurses from three nursing institutions. The results showed that 32% of the respondents had not experienced gender bias during nursing school, whereas 68% reported gender bias from the lecturers and the nursing staff. This study has implications for nursing profession that address the current predicament in the nursing field caused by discrimination and social isolation that man face. Therefore, Nursing and Midwifery council of Nigeria should develop a strategic plan to addresses the eradication of discrimination and racism in and by the nursing profession.

The biology and the importance of Photobacterium species

Ibrahim Musa Moi, Noordiyanah Nadhirah Roslan, Thean Chor Leow, Mohd Shukuri Mohamad Ali, Raja Noor Zaliha Raja Abd Rahman, …

Novel targets and future strategies for acute cardioprotection: Position Paper of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Cellular Biology of the Heart

Derek J. Hausenloy, David García‐Dorado, Hans Erik Bøtker, Sean M. Davidson, James M. Downey, Felix B. Engel, Robert B. Jenn…

Ischaemic heart disease and the heart failure that often results, remain the leading causes of death and disability in Europe and worldwide. As such, in order to prevent heart failure and improve clinical outcomes in patients presenting with an acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery, novel therapies are required to protect the heart against the detrimental effects of acute ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). During the last three decades, a wide variety of ischaemic conditioning strategies and pharmacological treatments have been tested in the clinic-however, their translation from experimental to clinical studies for improving patient outcomes has been both challenging and disappointing. Therefore, in this Position Paper of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Cellular Biology of the Heart, we critically analyse the current state of ischaemic conditioning in both the experimental and clinical settings, provide recommendations for improving its translation into the clinical setting, and highlight novel therapeutic targets and new treatment strategies for reducing acute myocardial IRI.

SwissADME: a free web tool to evaluate pharmacokinetics, drug-likeness and medicinal chemistry friendliness of small molecules

Antoine Daina, Olivier Michielin, Vincent Zoete

To be effective as a drug, a potent molecule must reach its target in the body in sufficient concentration, and stay there in a bioactive form long enough for the expected biologic events to occur. Drug development involves assessment of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) increasingly earlier in the discovery process, at a stage when considered compounds are numerous but access to the physical samples is limited. In that context, computer models constitute valid alternatives to experiments. Here, we present the new SwissADME web tool that gives free access to a pool of fast yet robust predictive models for physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics, drug-likeness and medicinal chemistry friendliness, among which in-house proficient methods such as the BOILED-Egg, iLOGP and Bioavailability Radar. Easy efficient input and interpretation are ensured thanks to a user-friendly interface through the login-free website http://www.swissadme.ch. Specialists, but also nonexpert in cheminformatics or computational chemistry can predict rapidly key parameters for a collection of molecules to support their drug discovery endeavours.

Chikungunya virus: an update on the biology and pathogenesis of this emerging pathogen

Felicity J. Burt, Weiqiang Chen, Jonathan J. Miner, Deborah J. Lenschow, Andres Merits, Esther Schnettler, Alain Kohl, Penny…

Evaluation of the nursing process utilization in a teaching hospital, Ogun State, Nigeria

FolusoO Ojewole, AmbariO Samole

Context: Nursing process is the systematic method of thinking used by nurses to develop an individualized plan of care for patients. Effective use of the nursing process depends on a nurse's familiarity with the standardized nursing language. Aim: This study evaluates the utilization of nursing process on the day of admission and within 24 h of patient admission in a teaching hospital.Setting and Design: Descriptive and Retrospective design was utilized.Materials and Methods: Systematic sampling technique was adopted to evaluate 959 patients' records from 2014 to 2016 in 2 medical and 2 surgical wards over 3 months period using a self designed checklist.Statistical Analysis Used: Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 21 and presented as frequencies and percentages. T test was used to test the significant difference between variables with P value set at ≤ 0.05.Results: Only 24.9% of the medical records contained the nursing process form. On the day of admission, <25% of the charts included a complete record of nursing assessment, nursing diagnoses, nursing intervention, and the evaluation. The highest phase of nursing process recorded is nursing diagnosis followed by patient assessment. At 24h postadmission, no significant increase was noted in the phases of nursing process recorded. There was a significant difference between the frequencies of documentation of nursing diagnosis and the nurses' area of practice (P = 0.001).Conclusions: Nursing process utilization remained poorly incorporated into the activities of nurses in this institution. Therefore, continuing professional education on nursing process and supervision should be mandated.