Recent Articles

Minimal change disease (MCD) accounts for 10-15% of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in adults. Patients typically present with nephrotic range proteinuria, hypertension, microscopic hematuria and can even progress to acute renal failure. MCD can be primary (idiopathic) or secondary from etiologies such as cancer, medications, autoimmune conditions and infections. The link between infectious etiologies for MCD is important to recognize, since MCD tends to show a good response to treatment of the underlying cause. Influenza A has been reported as a secondary cause of MCD and rarely, influenza A, not B, can also present with liver failure. We present an atypical case of a 60-year-old female with no past medical history who presented with liver failure along with acute kidney injury and nephrotic range proteinuria. She was diagnosed with liver failure and secondary MCD from influenza B, the first reported case, and made a full recovery with treatment of Influenza B.

This paper evaluates the governance factors that contribute to the mismanagement of public project funds in Nigeria. Governance factors are variables that influence the effective usage of project fund to achieve project delivery while Public projects relate to works done by the government to satisfy public interests. The target population for this study were the public sectors in Ondo State which comprises the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with the total number of seventy-four (74) establishments in the state. Primary and secondary data were collected. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyse the effects of corruption, rule of law, bureaucracy and accountability as proxies for governance factors on public project delivery. Findings reveals that Public projects’ execution is fettered with different types of corrupt practices such as bribery, favour to favour, nepotism, percentage sharing and contract inflation in the study area, weaknesses and lapses were observed in bureaucracy, accountability and due process. Therefore, the study suggest among others, that there should be a political will to redress corruption dilemma, tightens accountability, due process and bureaucratic control in project environment.

Funding is the life-blood of any project, whether private or public organizations. It may be the release of funds, the ability to spend funds or the access to funds set aside to achieve a successful project delivery. The aim of this study is to assess the financing mechanism (Budget, Grant, Loan, Public Private Partnership (PPP) and NGO’s) and some control variables on public projects finance in Ondo State, Nigeria with a view to provide a framework that will promote effective service delivery, performance and socio-economic development. Data on financing mechanism of public project funds were collected from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) that were directly involved in the implementation of such projects were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Moment Correlation. Findings revealed that budget and grant were the main mechanisms; delays in the completion of public projects were caused by untimely release of funds, mismatch of financing mechanism to the nature of projects and excessive budgeting for capital expenditure above the available resources. Therefore, the study recommends that financing mechanisms should be considered alongside with the nature of public projects to determine the appropriate source. Also, timely and correct disbursement of funds appropriated for projects should be done to avoid inadequacy of funds, project delay and abandonment.

Background/aim: The purpose of study is to determine the turning performance and other factors related to turning in mild and moderate phase Parkinson’s disease patients (PD). Methods: Ninety two patients were followed up for observation. After passing neurological examinations, the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Hoehn / Yahr Scale (H&Y), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Tinetti test, Berg Balance test, 6 m walking test, step count, 360° turning duration, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) were applied. All cases were evaluated according to the “on” period. Results: Forty one females and 51 males participated in the study. The duration of time it took to turn right was 8.22 ± 6.26 seconds, and the time it took to turn from left was 8.51 ± 6.63 sec. There appeared to be no statistical difference in the turn times of patients either in terms of the socio-economic factors of gender, education level, or employment status. But, statistically significant relationships were found when it came to in both directions, age, duration of illness, UPDRS, FIM, Tinetti, the Berg Test, the walking test, and the number of steps taken. Conclusion: Our results suggest that 360 degree turning performance in mild and moderate stage PD is strongly associated with patient’s age, disease duration and disease severity.

Purpose: Our study is planned for determining the relation of some qualitative and quantitative parameters of freezing phenomenon and walking in patients with Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease (IPD). Methods: 87 patients (37 -%42.5 female, 50-%57.5 male) in ErciyesUniversity Faculty of Medicine Neurology Department involved in this study. Patients were evaluated by demographic data, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hoehn- Yahr Scale, the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), freezing, 6 meter walking time, step count, rotation and related to step parameters. Results: Hoehn- Yahr Scale for the involved patients between 1-3, 14 out of their was 1(%16.1) and 17 out of their was 3 (%19.5). Freezing phenomenon was determined in 34 (%39.1) of the patients. There were no statistically difference between freezing and non-freezing patients about age, gender, education, profession, marital status and MMSE (p>0.05). Statistically difference were obsorved between freezing and non-freezing groups about UPDRS, rotation time 360 degrees from right, rotation time 360 degrees from left, balance defect at 360 degrees right rotation, 6m walking time, step count, hesitating gait, arrhythmic stepping, opening arms outside while walking (p