This study investigated the antimicrobial potential and structural characteristics of Fe-Ag-V nanoparticles synthesized from Psidium guajava leaves extract. The nanoparticles demonstrate significant antimicrobial efficacy against bacterial strains, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Bacillus cereus, with low Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) values. Synthesized eco-consciously, they offer promise in combating infections while supporting sustainability goals. Structural analysis via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) confirms their face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure and rod-like morphology with internal pores, suggesting diverse applications. DLS revealed an average particle diameter of approximately 94.59 nm, enhancing reactivity in catalysis and drug delivery. This study emphasizes the antimicrobial efficacy and structural attributes of Psidium guajava Extract-Derived Fe-Ag-V nanoparticles, suggesting their potential across scientific disciplines, from medicine to materials science, for combating infectious diseases sustainably.

The aim of this study was to investigate the modifications of the mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) by incorporating elastomers, while considering the impact on its stiffness. Specifically, the research focused on determining the optimal loading of elastomer to achieve desirable properties and exploring the influence of these processes on the morphology and mechanical behavior of the prepared blends. Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) consisting of polypropylene and natural rubber (PP/NR) were prepared using a melt-mixing process, and the mechanical properties of the blends were evaluated. The stress-strain properties of the blends revealed a successful modification of PP, transforming it from a stiff and strong thermoplastic into a stiff and tough thermoplastic elastomer when 10% NR was included in the PP matrix. As the loading of NR increased, a reduction in tensile strength (TS) and modulus (E) of the blends was observed, while elongation at break (EB) increased. The flexural strength of unmodified PP was 45.9 MPa, which decreased with increasing NR loading. Similarly, the impact strength of unmodified PP was 25.8 KJ/m², whereas the values for 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% NR inclusion were 30.8, 24.3, 20.6, and 15.2 KJ/m², respectively. The melt flow index (MFI) of unmodified PP was 14.1 g/10 min, while the values for 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% NR inclusion were 19.4, 15.7, 11.6, and 10.2 g/10 min, respectively. The best combination of mechanical properties was observed at 10% NR inclusion in the PP matrix. The micrograph of the blends, as observed from SEM micrographs, supported the modification of PP, resulting in the production of TPE with observable adhesion sites, indicating good compatibility between the components. In a nutshell, a significant 47% increase in impact strength was achieved through the modification process.

In a bid to discovering novel antibiotics to combat growing trend of multi-drug resistance strains of Salmonella typhi, 48 new pyridine derivatives with significant inhibitory activities against the aforementioned bacterium were subjected to molecular docking against DNA gyrase protease of the bacterium, drug likeness evaluation and pharmacokinetics profiling. All the 48 leads displayed better binding affinity values when compared with Amoxicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Ceftriaxone, Ampicillin, and chloramphenicol, the standard antibiotics used herein for quality assurance. Furthermore, the majority of the compounds were, however, screened out due to their poor pharmacokinetics profiles and drug-likeness. Only five compounds emerged as the most promising leads and they include C4 with binding affinity of -8.0 kcal/mol, C8 (-8.6 kcal/mol), C9 (-8.1 kcal/mol), C26 (-8.3 kcal/mol), and C27 (-8.0 kcal/mol). These compounds not only displayed better binding affinity when compared with the reference antibiotics but also exhibit different modes of interactions with the target protease of the bacterium making them more potent and drug like. Toxicity evaluation of the leads also revealed that the compounds are neither tumorigenic nor mutagenic. In view of the excellent binding affinity, high pharmacokinetics profile and positive drug-likeness of the novel ligands, we recommend these promising compounds for in vitro and in vivo studies in order to discover novel antibiotics that could curb the dangerous trend of multiple drug resistance by Salmonella typhi.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the impact of e-quality services on consumer satisfaction and loyalty in Nigeria. A cross-sectional research design was adopted using a well-structured questionnaire to elicit information for 408 postgraduate students currently studying in Nigerian universities. The research instrument was validated, while data collected were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for hypotheses testing. The result revealed a statistically significant positive relationship among consumer satisfaction, loyalty, e-service quality and their dimensions while the findings established trust and satisfaction as prominent mediators for online purchases. This research contributes to the study of online shopping and e-loyalty by developing a model on the construct within the e-commerce context and suggesting possible factors that may influence quality service decisions.

Mini-Hydrostatic Pressure Apparatus (MHSPA), of spatial size 230×210×210 mm³, was developed for individual or limited number of users to promote Covid-19 social distance protocol. A solid hemisphere with an inclined circular segment made from gypsum material (CaSO₂.0.5H₂ O) and coated with filler putty and oil paint, is used in place of the regular quadrants. With the solid attached to a horizontal beam mounted over a pivot, hydrostatic forces due to liquids were measured at different heights of water. The results showed that the assembly could be used to demonstrate variation of hydrostatic pressure on circular surfaces at different heights of liquid with an average difference of 4.38% against average theoretical values. Compared to other results from the use of conventional quadrants in literature, the associated error is minimal, and indicates the possibility of adopting the apparatus in school laboratories for static pressure demonstration.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship amongst innovation, strategic agility and firms’ resilience in Nigerian tertiary institutions. A descriptive research design was em-ployed with a sample size of 492 top management respondents from selected tertiary institu-tions, using SPSS and structural equation modeling (SEM) for analysis and hypotheses test-ing. The authors found that innovation and strategic agility predict a firms’ resilience in ter-tiary institutions in Nigeria. This paper complements the limited literatures on education at post-secondary level by providing a model and empirical indications on innovation being a mechanism underlying resilience capability among tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

This paper empirically assesses the relationship between Deposit Insurance Funds (DIF) and the quality of risk assets of listed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria. The entire fifteen listed DMBs in the country as of 31st December, 2017 were focused on and the secondary data were subsequently sourced from the yearly financials of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) for a 29-year period covering from 1989 to 2017. The Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and the Vector Error Correction (VEC) estimation techniques were the basis of estimating the relationship between the variables of interest in this study. Evidence from our analyses indicates that the volume of total deposits and total loans and advances of DMBs have long run negative and statistically significant relationship with DIF. Conversely, the quality of risk assets of DMBs exhibits a positive and insignificant relationship with the target reserve ratio of DMBs. The study thus recommends that regulatory agencies in the banking sector (CBN and NDIC), amongst others, collaborate with listed DMBs to diversify and manage their risk assets by strategically intensifying the implementation of existing measures aimed at minimising incidences of loan default and the alarming levels of non-performing loans in the portfolio of Nigerian DMBs.

In today's dynamic business landscape, the audit profession encounters numerous obstacles, particularly in adapting to the necessity of computer-assisted audits due to the immense volume of data requiring scrutiny. Despite the emergence of different digital auditing tools, there is a gap in research regarding the level of adoption, and its effects on the quality of audit services especially in the context of developing countries. This study seeks to investigate the impact of digitalization of audit tasks on the quality of audit services of accounting firms in Nigeria. The study, which has its foundation on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) integrated with the Technology, Organization, and Environment (TOE) framework, adopted the survey research design. The population of study was made up practitioners of accounting firms in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria. A self-designed questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection for the study. Findings of the study indicate that automation of audit tasks enhances the quality of audit services suggesting that adopting IT infrastructures leads to more reliable audit procedures, improved efficiency and accuracy, as well as mitigating audit risks. Results also revealed that Big Four auditors are significantly ahead in the adoption of digital technologies compared to the non-Big Four auditors, confirming the dominance of larger accounting firms in application of emerging technologies in performing audit tasks.

Research on stock exchange markets is essential to stock market investors as it offers sensitivities to risk management. This research investigates the patterns of the volatility of stock market prices in ten African stock markets. We estimated the dynamic GARCH model of Engle using the method of maximum likelihood estimation. Daily time series from January 1, 2021 to December 30, 2022, were obtained from African Stock (Securities) Exchange database. The findings established the existence of a normally distributed Senegalese stock market as against time-varying volatility of stock prices in Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger Republic, Benin Republic, Ivory Coast, and Gambian. Hence, the likelihood that an asset or stock is being overpriced (overvalued) or underpriced (undervalued) in the Senegal stock market is low. It is therefore easier for stock traders and investors in Senegal to pick entry and exit points. Unfortunately, this cannot be said of the investors in stock markets of other countries. In effect, the closing price of a stock is most often heavily deviated with significant outliers. This further infers that variations of stock prices in these markets are very wide, heavy, and unpredicted. Hence, it is a case of the volatility of volatilities.

This study analyzes the effects of intangible resources on competitive advantage in the banking sector of Nigeria. The marketing related, technological and structural dimensions of intangibles are employed while differentiation and cost leadership strategy are used as components of competitive advantage. The population of the study consists of bank employees of ten deposit money banks in Benin City, Nigeria. A sample size of 300 is adopted for this study. The instrument is a modified 35 item structured questionnaire previously validated by other studies. The study uses confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation technique to evaluate the validity of the measurement and structural model. The hypothesized relations are tested using regression analysis. The results confirm that marketing related, technological and structural categories of intangible resources promoted competitive advantage. It is recommended that bank management should promote the development of their intangible resources.