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Special Remarks, Kingsley Obiora

Economic and Financial Review

The theme of this year’s Seminar, Food Security in Nigeria: Options for Policy, is apt, timely and consistent with the current efforts of this administration and the Bank in finding sustainable solutions to the food security challenges confronting us as a nation. As we all know, food is a basic need of every man and key to socio-economic stability. The ability of a country to feed its people, and perhaps extend the surplus to other countries, is one of the key indicators of good standing in the comity of nations. The World Food Summit (1996), defined food security as a …

Addressing Food Insecurity In Nigeria: Lessons From Jurisdictional Experiences, Biodun Adedipe

Economic and Financial Review

The challenge of food security transcends national or regional boundaries, and indeed became a global concern in 2015 when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were set. Goal 2 targets zero hunger by 2030, and that is, to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. While the entire world is not in shortage of food, there are wide disparities in food sufficiency and food security across nations, regions and continents. The SDG No. 2 is a 5x1 matrix of five targets and three actions as summarised in Table 1. The targets are five critical elements of …

An Overview Of Federal Government Policies And Programmes For Food Security In Nigeria, Rasaq Oyeleke

Economic and Financial Review

Nigeria has a vast land area of 91.1 million hectares supported by 1.3 million hectares of water bodies, 3.14 million hectares of irrigated land and a coastal line of over 800 km that is viable for virtually all aspects of agro-allied sector (crops, agro-forestry, fisheries, poultry and livestock). Presently, only 32 million out of the 81 million hectares of arable land is under cultivation and typical farm size ranges between 0.5 hectares and 4 hectares in the southern and northern parts of the country, respectively.To this end, policies are enacted as a deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and …

Food Security Strategy In Nigeria: Is There Need For A Shift In Paradigm?, Abubakar D. Akpa

Economic and Financial Review

The paper highlights the problem of food security in Nigeria under a rapidly increasing population and declining crop productivity and sheds light on strategies that can guarantee self-sufficiency, wealth, and employment generation.

The paper concludes that policy thrust must be on production, processing and storage to minimise post-harvest losses and enhance farmers’ incomes, foreign exchange earnings and achieve food security objectives.

Rural Infrastructure And The Challenge Of Food Security In Nigeria, Idris A. Ayinde

Economic and Financial Review

Rural infrastructure, therefore, implies “the basic physical and organisational structures and facilities. In same vein, rural infrastructure are those forms of physical, social, human and institutional capital, which enhances rural dwellers better performance in the aspect of production, processing and distribution activities, as well as improving their overall quality of life.

Transforming The Agricultural Value Chain For Food Security In Nigeria: Any Role For Public-Private Partnership?, Stanislaus A. Ukeje

Economic and Financial Review

In the food sector, public-private-partnership (PPP) has the potential, not only to reduce the risk that farmers face, but also to improve the agricultural business environment. As the agricultural and rural sectors are the habitat of the poor, the best value chain strategy should be one that embodies poverty reduction, which can be achieved by increasing the incomes of smallholder farmers and rural dwellers.

Refocusing Agricultural Subsidy For Food Security In Nigeria, Sulaiman A. Yusuf

Economic and Financial Review

Food security has remained a key human right-related issue and ranks second only to poverty on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The objectives of this paper are to identify the gaps in agriculture subsidy regime; and to identify options for refocusing of the subsidy regime to improve food security.

Following the introduction, section 2 explores the nexus of agricultural subsidy and food security, while section 3 reviews the agricultural subsidy regime in Nigeria. Section 4 discusses the input-output dimensions of agricultural subsidy in Nigeria, and in section 5, the paper takes a dive into the agricultural subsidies from international perspective. …

Averting The Looming Food Crisis: A Clarion Call To Immediate And Near-Term Policy Action, Kabir Ibrahim Mnia, Fnim, Acc

Economic and Financial Review

This paper seeks to advise on how to tackle the skyrocketing prices of food being experienced today all over the nation and to get the Government to take urgent and proactive actions to avert the pain being experienced by the entire Nigerian people.

Averting The Looming Food Crisis: A Clarion Call To Immediate And Near-Term Policy Action, Alwan A. Hassan

Economic and Financial Review

Nigeria suffers from food insecurity and poverty. It is estimated that the number of hungry people in Nigeria is over 53 million, which is about 25.0 per cent of the country’s total population of about 212 million. Also, about 43.0 per cent of Nigerians live below the poverty line. These statistics are worrisome, given that Nigeria, in the 1950s and 1960s, was not only self-sufficient in food production, but was also a net exporter of food to other regions of the continent (Ajayeoba, 2010). A nation is food secure when food is available and accessible in sufficient quantity and quality …

Prevalence Of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans In Saudi Arabia Over 24 Years.: A Retrospective Single-Institution Study, Najla A. Al-Dawsari

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To conduct a descriptive clinicopathological and demographic analysis of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans among Saudi patients attending a tertiary care center in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This retrospective, single-center study reviewed the medical records and pathology reports of Saudi patients attending a tertiary center (Johns Hopkins Aramco Health Care) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia from 1995 to 2019 to identify all cases of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Demographic and phenotypic data were also analyzed. Results: Thirty-five Saudi patients were identified as having dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. Females constituted 68.6% of patients. The trunk was the most common site of involvement (54.3%), followed by …

Association Between Glycemic Control And Shift Working Among Healthcare Workers With Diabetes, Dammam, Saudi Arabia: Five Years’ Experience, Mona A. Albishri, Danah M. Alsubaie, Hassan A. Abugad

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To delineate the relation between shift work and glycemic control among the healthcare workers (HCWs) with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the hospitals of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs with DM working in 3 hospitals in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, from November 2018 to January 2019. The study participants answered a self-administered questionnaire related to sociodemographic data, work-related questions, diabetes-related questions, the latest hemoglobin A1C test outcome, and self-management activities. The Chi-square and t-test were used to determine the association between the risk factor of glycemic control and shift work. Results: The HCW’s ages ranged …

Post-Vaccination Survey For Monitoring The Side Effects Associated With Covid-19 Vaccines Among Healthcare Professionals Of Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia, Waquar Ahsan, Nabeel K. Syed, Aseel A. Alsraeya, Hassan A. Alhazmi, Asim Najmi, Mohammed Al Bratty, Shamama Javed, Hafiz A. Makeen, Abdulkarim M. Meraya, Ahmed A. Albarraq, Saad S. Alqahtani

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To identify the self-reported vaccine-related side effects among healthcare professionals (HCPs) in the Jazan province, Saudi Arabia, and determine the associated socio-demographic factors. With the recent second and third waves of coronavirus disease -19 (COVID-19) infections worldwide, the race is not only to encourage but also to achieve mass vaccination. Methods: A total of 397 HCPs from across Jazan province participated in an anonymous online cross-sectional survey conducted for a period of 45 days (March 30, 2021 to May 13, 2021) in Jazan province, Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a validated 22-items self-report survey. Results: For both COVID-19 …

Gaze, Volume 8, Number 7

Gaze, 1979-1990

Co-Editors: Allen Cook, John Stilwell. Staff Writers: Carole Taylor, Bob Dumais. Typesetting and Layout: Allen Cook, Bob Dumais, Cecil McLeod, John Stilwell. Circulation: Cecil McLeod, John Stilwell, Bob Dumais. Advertising Manager: Bob Dumais.

Special thanks to Rhodes College and the Paul Barret Jr. Library for providing initial scanning of this collection.

Gaze, Volume 7, Number 9

Gaze, 1979-1990

Co-Editors: Allen Cook, John Stilwell. Staff Writers: Carole Taylor, Bob Dumais, E.C., Kellie China, Joyce Russell, Landy, B.F.F. Feature Writers: Dr. Harvey Thompson, Rev. Steven Quesnel, Nancy Roth. Typesetting and Layout: Allen Cook, Bob Dumais, Cecil McLeod, John Stilwell. Circulation: Cecil McLeod, John Stilwell, Bob Dumais. Advertising Manager: Bob Dumais. Nashville Advertising: Kellie China, Joyce Russell.

Special thanks to Rhodes College and the Paul Barret Jr. Library for providing initial scanning of this collection.

Gaze, March 2008

Gaze, 1979-1990

"An independent newspaper for the Memphis GLBT Community." This issue is dated Mid-March 2008.

Special thanks to Rhodes College and the Paul Barret Jr. Library for providing initial scanning of this collection.

Gaze, February 2008

Gaze, 1979-1990

"An independent newspaper for the Memphis GLBT Community." This issue is dated Mid-February 2008.

Special thanks to Rhodes College and the Paul Barret Jr. Library for providing initial scanning of this collection.

Gaze, Volume 11, Number 11

Gaze, 1979-1990

"Gaze is a non-profit and produced by volunteers… Typeset and designed by Roger O., Roger Smith and Bret Taylor."

This issue is dated November 15, 1990.

Gaze, May 2008

Gaze, 1979-1990

"An independent newspaper for the Memphis GLBT Community." This issue is dated Mid-May 2008.

Special thanks to Rhodes College and the Paul Barret Jr. Library for providing initial scanning of this collection.

Gaze, Volume 10, Number 1

Gaze, 1979-1990

Co-Editors: Allen Cook, John Stilwell. Staff Writers: Carole Taylor, Bob Dumais, Vincent Astor, Becky Caperton, John House. Typesetting and Layout: Allen Cook, Bob Dumais, Cecil McLeod, John Stilwell. Circulation: Cecil McLeod, John Stilwell, Bob Dumais. Advertising Manager: Bob Dumais.

Special thanks to Rhodes College and the Paul Barret Jr. Library for providing initial scanning of this collection.

Using Pupil Transportation Data To Explore Educational Inequities And Outcomes: A Case Study From New York City, Sarah Cordes, Samantha Trajkovski, Christopher Rick, Meryle Weinstein, Amy Ellen Schwartz

Center for Policy Research

This article explores how researchers can use pupil transportation data to explore key questions about the role of transportation in educational access and equity, such as how students get to school and the effect of transportation on student outcomes. We first describe different sources of transportation data that are available to researchers, provide a brief review of relevant literature, and discuss potential sources of measurement error in pupil transportation data. Next, we use administrative data from New York City to illustrate how pupil transportation data can be used to understand transportation eligibility and assignment as well as to describe the …

Towering Intellects? Sizing Up The Relationship Between Height And Academic Success, Stephanie Coffey, Amy Ellen Schwartz

Center for Policy Research

Do tall students do better in school? While a robust literature documents higher earnings among taller people, we know little about the potential academic origins of the height earnings gradient. In this paper, we use unique student-level longitudinal data from New York City (NYC) to examine the link between height and academic outcomes, shedding light on underlying mechanisms. The centerpiece of our empirical work is a regression linking academic outcomes to height, measured as a z-score normalized to same grade/sex peers within schools. We estimate a meaningful height gradient for both boys and girls in ELA and math achievement in …

Psychometric Properties Of The Berger Hiv Stigma Scale: A Systematic Review, Stanley W. Wanjala, Ezra Too, Stanley Luchters, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Addressing HIV-related stigma requires the use of psychometrically sound measures. However, despite the Berger HIV stigma scale (HSS) being among the most widely used measures for assessing HIV-related stigma, no study has systematically summarised its psychometric properties. This review investigated the psychometric properties of the HSS. A systematic review of articles published between 2001 and August 2021 was undertaken (CRD42020220305) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Additionally, we searched the grey literature and screened the reference lists of the included studies. Of the total 1241 studies that were screened, 166 were included in the …

Writing Skills Development For Graduate Studies And Career Readiness In Science And Aging Fields: A Case Study Approach, Amanda Stafford Mcrell, Betty L. White, Sue E. Levkoff

Faculty and Staff Publications

Increasing the number of racially and ethnically underrepresented students who pursue scientific graduate studies in programs focusing on science and aging offers an opportunity to increase the number of aging specialists while simultaneously promoting diversity in the research labor market and supporting new ideas. This case study aims to better understand how students participating in an academic preparatory program experience a writing class contextualized within (1) students' writing background and (2) students' future ambitions related to science and aging. The individually-tailored writing class was taught as a critical component of a comprehensive educational program that targets underrepresented racial and ethnic …

Exploration Of Covid-19’S Impact On Communication And Decision-Making Of First-Year College Students’ Enrollment For Fall 2020 And Their Final Postsecondary Plans, Ritza Falcon-Santiago

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the extent that the COVID-19 pandemic had on first-year college enrollments for the fall 2020 semester and the alternate plans that were made by Northeastern United States students. The general research question was, “What motivating factors contributed to recent high-school students’ decisions to take a gap year during the COVID-19 global pandemic?” To build an answer, this study was conducted to identify and explore the perceptions of 10 young adults who were accepted and committed to a 4-year college or university after high-school graduation, but they did not accomplish enrollment for …

Characterization Of Anti-Ana O 3 Monoclonal Antibodies And Their Application In Comparing Brazilian Cashew Cultivars, Christopher P. Mattison, Barry Vant-Hull, Ana Cecilia Ribeiro De Castro, Heidi J. Chial, Yvette Bren-Mattison, Peter J. Bechtel, Edy Sousa De Brito

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Ana o 3 is an immuno-dominant cashew nut allergen. Four monoclonal antibodies to Ana o 3 (2H5, 6B9C1, 19C9A2, and 5B7F8) were characterized by ELISA and in silico modeling. The 2H5 antibody was the only antibody specific for cashew nut extract. In addition to cashew nut extract, the 6B9C1 and 19C9A2 antibodies recognized pistachio extract, and the 5B7F8 recognized pecan extract. All four antibodies recognized both recombinant Ana o 3.0101 and native Ana o 3. ELISA assays following treatment of purified Ana o 3 with a reducing agent indicated that the 6B9C1 and 19C9A2 antibodies likely recognize conformational epitopes, while …

Cdk5 Drives Formation Of Heterogeneous Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors, Angela M. Carter, Nilesh Kumar, Brendon Herring, Chunfeng Tan, Rachael Guenter, Rahul Telange, Wayne Howse, Fabrice Viol, Tyler R. Mccaw, Hayden H. Bickerton, Priyanka Gupta, Frank Gillardon, Eugene A. Woltering, Deepti Dhall, John Totenhagen, Ronadip R. Banerjee, Elizabeth M. Kurian, Sushanth Reddy, Herbert Chen, Joerg Schrader

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are a heterogeneous population of neoplasms that arise from hormone-secreting islet cells of the pancreas and have increased markedly in incidence over the past four decades. Non-functional PanNETs, which occur more frequently than hormone-secreting tumors, are often not diagnosed until later stages of tumor development and have poorer prognoses. Development of successful therapeutics for PanNETs has been slow, partially due to a lack of diverse animal models for pre-clinical testing. Here, we report development of an inducible, conditional mouse model of PanNETs by using a bi-transgenic system for regulated expression of the aberrant activator of Cdk5, …

Stimulating Intrapreneurial Intentions With Digital Business Training In The Vet Sector: The Potential Of Massive Open Online Courses, Christian Friedl

International Journal for Business Education

It has become imperative to stimulate and support employees to behave entrepreneurially within organizations (intrapreneurship). However, little is known about how digital, massive, and scalable business education and training formats such as massive open online course (MOOCs) can contribute to vocational and educational training (VET) in general, and to nurture intrapreneurial behavior and corresponding intentions in specific. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the potential effect of a MOOC on intrapreneurial intentions of learners.
Data were acquired from 412 employees taking a MOOC on intrapreneurship for constructs embedded in the theory of planned behavior, tailored to the …

Cultivating Financial Literacy Through Secondary School Economics Education: Access To Powerful Knowledge, Emanuel Mizzi

International Journal for Business Education

‘Powerful knowledge’ is disciplinary knowledge that when learned, empowers students to make decisions in a way that will influence their lives in a positive way (Young, 2008). In this paper, the researcher employs this construct to explore the financial literacy education arising from studying secondary school economics. It emerges from the author’s research aimed at exploring teaching and learning in secondary school Maltese economics classrooms. The underlying conceptual framework for this study is critical realism. The study design consisted of interviewing and observing 14 economics teachers, together with four focus groups interviews with students. Data were analyzed by employing thematic …

Structural Barriers Associated With The Intersection Of Traumatic Stress And Gun Violence: A Case Example Of New Orleans, Rahn Kennedy Bailey, Chikira H. Barker, Amit Grover

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Gun violence drastically increased in urban cities following the ease of shutdown restric-tions associated with the Coronavirus Pandemic. The association of gun violence and COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of taking a public health perspective, particularly as it relates to impacts on the Black community. In this article we discuss macro-level factors and community traumas in the city of New Orleans, an area that has had longstanding issues related to gun violence. Community structural issues, traumatic stress from disasters, and recommendations to address disparities in social determinants of health are discussed.

Assessing Vertebral Body Rotation For Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Placement In Scoliosis Surgery, Patrik Suwak, Abhishek Kumar, Kirby Bonvillain, Matthew Darlow, Peter D'Amore, Claudia Leonardi, Leland C. Mccluskey

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Study Design: Retrospective Review. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and magnitude of pedicle asymmetry as well as spinous process deviation in the healthy lumbar spine. Summary of Background Data: Minimally invasive spine surgery relies on fluoroscopic imaging as bony landmarks used for instrumentation are not exposed. The precision of techniques used to determine vertebral body rotation intraoperatively may be confounded by anatomic variation or pathology. Here, we investigate the physiologic variation in different anatomic structures of the lumbar spine used for percutaneous pedicle screw placement. Methods: 100 normal lumbar CT scans, without evidence of …