Solutions of Schr\"odinger Equation with Generalized Inverted Hyperbolic Potential

We present the bound state solutions of the Schr\"odinger equation with generalized inverted hyperbolic potential using the Nikiforov-Uvarov method. We obtain the energy spectrum and the wave function with this potential for arbitrary - state. We show that the results of this potential reduced to the standard known potentials - Rosen-Morse, Poschl - Teller and Scarf potential as special cases. We also discussed the energy equation and the wave function for these special cases.Comment: 20pages, 5figure

ETHICAL ISSUE AND NURSING STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS IN NURSING EDUCATION

Background: This paper aimed at presenting in-depth information on strategies of implementing ethical decision making in nursing practice and education in the contemporary society. The complex issues in nursing education and practice have ethical implications for the attainment of professional standard. The ability of nurses to engage in ethical practice in everyday work and to deal with ethical situations, problems and concerns could be the result of decisions made at a variety of levels. Sometimes, nurses find themselves trapped in an ethical dilemma and caught between conflicting duties and responsibilities. Ethical-dilemmas require ethical-reasoning and decision -making, which is a skill that could be learned. However, many nurses are ill prepared both in knowledge and in skill to live up to expectations in such circumstances. Conclusion: To achieve professional standard, nurses should ensure acquisition of adequate and relevant knowledge in ethics and ethical decision-making models and promote dialogue on ethical issues in health and educational institutions. Furthermore, advocacy is needed for the elimination of quackery in nursing practice to promote safe, competent and ethical care and practicing nurses should increasingly acquire new knowledge and skills in their areas of practice. Additionally, clients care should continually receive impetus from relevant research findings

Adsorption Performance of Activated Carbon from Leather Buffing Waste

An adsorption study was carried out with powdered activated carbon (PAC) prepared from leather buffing waste by steam activation after carbonization at temperatures between 500 – 800oC. Adsorption performance of each activated carbon test was carried out using methylene blue, a medium sized dye molecule commonly used to determine adsorption efficiency of adsorbents. The results obtained reveal an increase in adsorption of methylene blue with decrease in temperature of carbonization indicating that lower temperature of carbonization yields carbon with greater adsorption capacity. Also, this suggests that carbonization at temperatures below 5000C may be preferred. The carbon had adsorption capacity of 90.4mg/L of a solution containing 100mg/l of the dye. The effect of time and carbon dosage on adsorption indicates that activated carbon from leather buffing waste is competitive with the reference carbon indicating it can be used to adsorb dyes, decolorize organic compounds and treat waste water. Data corresponding to the adsorption of methylene blue onto the best activated carbon produced (BD5) using the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherm model established a fit with an R2value of 0.915 and 0.989 respectively. RESUMEN Un estudio de adsorción se efectuó con carbono activado en polvo (PAC) preparado con desperdicios del lijado del cuero, y activados por vapor luego de carbonización a temperaturas entre 500-800?C. Pruebas de rendimiento de adsorción de cada muestra de carbono activado se efectuaron usando azul de metileno, una molécula de tamaño intermedio entre colorantes, comúnmente utilizada para determinar la eficiencia de absorción en agentes adsorbentes. Los resultados obtenidos demostraron un aumento en la adsorción del azul de metileno resultó con la disminución de la temperatura de carbonización lo que indica que una temperatura de carbonización menor produce carbono con aumentada capacidad de adsorción. Esto entonces sugiere que temperaturas inferiores a 500?C podrían ser preferidas. La capacidad de de adsorción del carbono resultó en 90,4mg/L de una solución conteniendo 100mg/L del colorante. El efecto del tiempo y la dosificación sobre la adsorción indica que el carbono activado obtenido de los desperdicios del lijado de cuero es competitivo con el carbono de referencia, indicando que puede usarse en la adsorción de anilinas, decolorizar compuestos orgánicos y tratar desechos acuosos. Datos correspondientes a la adsorción del azul de metileno sobre el mejor carbono activado producido (BD5) utilizando modelos de adsorción isotérmica de Freundlich y Langmuir establecieron encajes estadísticos con valores de R2 de 0,915 y 0,989 respectivamente

Teamwork among healthcare professionals in a tertiary health facility in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Teamwork is critical to quality service delivery due to increasing co-morbidity and complexities of specialization of care. This study examined teamwork among health care workers in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Barriers including conflicts and discrimination at workplace had more influence on teamwork than their level of knowledge of teamwork

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND COMPACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF MODIFIED STARCH OF DISCOREA ALATA USING DICLOFENAC SODIUM TABLET

Objective: This work focused on evaluating the micromeritic and compressional properties of pregelatinized African water yam (Discorea alata) starch and its modified forms with comparison to pregelatinized corn starch and microcrystalline cellulose.Methods: Two modifications of the water yam starch were prepared; acetone dehydrated pregelatinized form (DSA) and an admixture of DSA and pregelatinized corn starch (CDSA). A third form of starch is the acetone dehydrated pregelatinized corn starch (CSA). These were used to form batches compacted as tablets using diclofenac sodium as the active moiety. Physicochemical and flow characteristics of the starch powders were elucidated, and the drug starch compatibility studies done using the Fourier transform Infra-red (FTIR) technique. Compaction studies were investigated on tablets formed at different compression pressures and Heckel plots were prepared.Results: The slope of the straight line (K) of 0.8959 was greatest for F1 while yield pressure (Py) value of 10.965 was highest for F3. These values from the Heckel plot suggest that while the tablets of control batch of microcrystalline cellulose (F4) and a batch of pregelatinized corn starch (F2) formed harder compacts, less likely deformed plastically, the Discorea alata batch (F1) and the admixed batch (F3) were likely to deform plastically. Also, the binding efficiency of the compact was significantly high (47.81%Kgscm-1) for F4 at 56.5Kpas compaction pressure, higher than that obtainable for any of the other formulations at the compaction pressures under consideration. All starches formed had similar moisture content (of 10%) despite the different sources but the interaction between the water molecule and pregelatinized water yam starch improved as revealed by viscosity(7.18mPas), hydration capacity(3.27%) and swelling index (250%) of CDSA.Conclusion: It could be concluded that pregelatinized water yam starch could be used as a substitute for corn starch or microcrystalline cellulose as a pharmaceutical excipient (binder/filler) in tablets formulation

Review

Previous surgical procedures devised for intractable pain are the excision of painful area of the skin, peripheral neurotomy, intraspinal or intracranial posterior rhizotomies, anterolateral spinal cordotomy, spinothalamic tractotomy at medulla and mesencephalon for the pain of organic origin, and the prefrontal lobotomy for psychogenic pain. Unfortunately, these procedures are followed either by disturbance of physiologic sensory function or by changes of affect and personality. Partial gasserian gangliolysis successfully alleviated the trigeminal neuralgia without significant sensory disturbance of the face. Recent advances in stereotaxic technique has enabled us to attack the thalamus and other deep subcortical centers. This new method, together with recent neuroanatomico-physiological progress in regard to pain tract through intralaminar nuclear complex, resulted in discovery of thalamotomy destroying the nucleus centrum medianum with or without adjacent intralaminar nuclei, which eliminates the organic pain without any detectable sensory deficit. Anterior cingulectomy or cingulumotomy has developed to alleviate the psychogenic pain without psychological changes. These are the ideal pain-relieving procedures. A new method of percutaneous cervical cordotomy can be safely used for the debilitated patients with terminal malignant diseases

Perceived Relative Factors Influencing Nurses’ Practice of Health Promotion for Women in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Socio-cultural factors negate the health of women. Therefore, health promotion as a focus of nursing practice aimed at capitalizing on the inherent capacities of women to establish health priorities, goals and strategies to improve their health. A descriptive survey with the purpose of ascertaining the influence of culture, social and health policies on nurses’ practice of health promotion was undertaken. Three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A sample of one hundred and thirty six nurses participated in the study. A validated questionnaire with a test-retest reliability coefficient (r) of 0.79 was used for data collection. Correlation analysis was carried out to test hypotheses. The results revealed that 132 (97.1%) participants were female with a mean (SD) age of 40 ± 7.29. Many participants 58 (42.6%) perceived that social policies have high influence on their practice of health promotion. The results also showed significant negative correlation between culture and practice of health promotion (r = -0.532; p = 0.01) while the practice of health promotion was significantly and positively correlated with social policies (r = 0.515; p = 0.01). It was recommended that negative cultural practices be addressed through social policies and health education of women on negative cultural practices in order to enhance the practice of health promotion for them

Socio-Cultural Variables and Type of Birth Outcome of Women in Primary Health Care Facilities in Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria

This study determined the influence of socio-cultural variables on type of birth outcome of women in Primary Health Care facilities in Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria. The ex-post-facto design was adopted for the study. Seven research questions were formulated and seven null hypothesis were tested at .05 level of significance. The population of the study comprised 1200 pregnant and nursing mothers in four primary health care facilities in Ikot Ekpene. A simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 280 women for the study. A 72-item researcher-designed questionnaire entitled, “Socio-Cultural Variables and Birth Outcome Questionnaire (SCVBOQ)” was the instrument for data collection. Validation was ascertained while reliability was done using Cronbach Alpha Internal Consistency Statistics. Reliability Coefficient of .75 was obtained. Research questions were answered using the Mean Statistics while t-test statistical analysis was used to test the null hypotheses. Results revealed that women’s knowledge of health care services, attitude towards health care services, perception of the treatment methods, beliefs, residential locations and economic status had significant influence on type of birth outcome in Ikot Ekpene. It was recommended that frequent health campaigns should be carried out by health educators on the benefits of using Health Care facilities for delivery to prevent child birth complications and promote positive birth outcome in Ikot Ekpene. Keywords: Socio-cultural Variables, Birth Outcome, Women in Primary Health Care Facilities

Determinants of Job Satisfaction among Nurse / Midwife Educators in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Background: Job satisfaction represents an important element of Nurse Educators' survival which has implications for performance, retention, dedication to the institution, the nursing profession itself and preparing nursing students who are capable of providing high quality patient care. The purpose of the study was to assess overall level of job satisfaction and satisfaction with nine facets of job satisfaction among Nurse/Midwife Educators in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.   Methods: A descriptive cross sectional survey was used for the study. A total population study of Nurse /Midwife Educators in Calabar was undertaken. A self-administered structured questionnaire adapted from the standardized “Employee Opinion Survey” with a reliability of 0.60 to 0.90 coefficient was used for data collection. Data were computer analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 for Windows. Logistic regression was used to verify association between overall job satisfaction and facets/subscales of job satisfaction scale.   Results: A total of 50 respondents participated in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 46.9±6.9 while the mean years of working experience was 24.9±6.1.  The respondents were made up of (40) 90.0% female and (10) 10.0% male. The mean overall job satisfaction score was 2.63±0.62. The results also revealed that majority of the respondents 41(82.0%) were moderately satisfied with their work while 9(18.0%) were slightly satisfied. Most of the respondents 47(94.0%) were satisfied with the job itself subscale with a mean score of 3.27±0.59, while the least satisfying facet was communication subscale with a mean of 2.50 ± 0.90. Safety and working relationships were significantly related to overall job satisfaction.   Conclusion: The study has shown that the few but experienced Nurse/Midwife Educators in Calabar were not fully satisfied with most facets of their work which could have adverse effect on their work output and overall performance. Therefore in order to address the adverse effect of dissatisfaction, it is recommended that all sub-scales of job satisfaction be addressed by employers of Nurse Educators and the Professional Nursing Association with emphasis on safety and working relationships.   Keywords: Job satisfaction, Working relationships, Nurse /Midwife Educator, Nigeri

FORMULATION AND IN-VITRO EVALUATION OF THEOPHYLLINE HYDROCHLORIDE EFFERVESCENT FLOATING TABLETS: EFFECT OF POLYMER CONCENTRATION ON TABLET BUOYANCY

Objective: This study was undertaken to formulate a floating drug delivery system of theophylline hydrochloride using different concentrations of a chosen polymer and then investigate how polymer concentration affects buoyancy and drug release properties of the tablets. Methods: Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) at different concentration levels of 15% (F1), 20% (F2) and 30% (F3) was used to form the three formulation batches of floating tablets. Wet granulation method was used for the granule preparation while Sodium bicarbonate and citric acid were used as the gas generating agent. The physical properties of the granules and the floating tablets were evaluated. Also determined were the physicomechanical properties, buoyancy and swelling characteristics of the tablets. The in vitro drug release study was carried out according to the USP I (basket method) for 8h in 900 ml 0.1N HCl at 50 rpm. Samples withdrawn at the regular predetermined time were analyzed spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of 271 nm and data obtained statistically analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The differences between means were considered significant at P<0.05. Results: The result showed that polymer (HPMC) concentration significantly (p>0.05) increased swelling index and improved floating lag time, it had no significant effect on the total floating time. Percentage drug release at the end of 8 h was 100%, 98.2% and 96.13% for formulation F1, F2 and F3, respectively. All three formulations followed the Higuchi drug release kinetics model and the mechanism of drug release was the non Fickian diffusion with exponents of 0.46, 0.51 and 0.56 for the respective batch. Conclusion: Batch F3 gave a better-controlled drug release and floating properties in comparison to batch F1 and F2 thus Polymer concentration influenced the onset of floating and controlled the release of Theophylline