Volume 5, Issue 7, July 2017 Edition - GSJ Journal Publication



INFORMATION SYSTEMS INTEGRATION, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL AMBIDEXTERITY OF BANKS IN KENYA []


Many studies points to an insignificant direct correlation between information systems and firm performance. However, it is an established fact that, if deployed appropriately information systems have been proved to positively influence organizational performance. There is unanimous concesus that informations systems influence the overal organizational performance. Findings allude to an indirect influence through proxies that directly affects organizational performance. There is a undisputed agreement across all organizational literature that firm's long-term successful survival is determine by its ability to efficiently exploits its current resources and capabilities while simuteneously exploring new opportunities for future success. Organizations that are able to balance these two seemingly conflicting activities are said to be ambidextrous. The perversiveness of IS across all organizational operations and processes is expected to influence organizational ambidexterity. Subsequently ambidexterity directly correlates with organizational performance. Ambidexterity is one of the proxies of the association between IS and firm performance. The current study endavoured to establish the relationship of IS integration, IT capability and organizational ambidexterity, the interactive influence of IT capability (ITC) on this relationship between IS and ambidexterity was also examined. The overriding objective aimed at verifying whether there exists a significant direct relationship between IS integration and organizational ambidexterity (OA). The current study employed a mix method of descriptive, exploratory and cross-sectional designs to investigate the relationships of the constructs in the study. The current research employed the more robust structural equation modeling specifically PLS-SEM to analyze the relationships between the conceptualized constructs relationships. From the analysis, the direct linkage between IS integration and organizational ambidexterity was found to be statistically significant. IT capability was also found to significantly contribute to OA. However, IT capability was found to inhibit the correlation between IS integration and organizational ambidexterity. The significant linkage between IS and OA is a proof that IS impacts firm performance indirectly. Therefore, ROI of automation should be focused on IS enabled proxies that have a direct link with firm performance like organizational ambidexterity. The study also reveals that IS integration and IT capability are some of the sought antecedents of organizataional ambidexterity.


FRAMEWORK FOR DESIGN OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EXPERT SYSTEM FOR VHF OMNI−DIRECTIONAL RANGE (VOR)-DME AND LOCALIZER FAULT DETECTOR AND TROUBLESHOOTING []


When VOR/DME and LOC/DME breaks down, it is often difficult to trace the cause (s) of such malfunctions with respect to identified symptoms. Frequently, some of these faults are so minor such that it is needless undergoing the rigors and time consuming effort of finding maintenance experts. Presently, there is no readily available Expert System to assists non-expert to easily identify and rectify minor problems of the VOR/DME and LOC/DME especially when the maintenance experts are not handy. The aim of this research project therefore, is to design a knowledge-based Expert System to assist non-experts for tracing and rectification of several known faults commonly developed by VOR/DME and LOC/DME. The research work adopted the Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) approach in the design of the system. The knowledge acquisition process was carried out through interview with VOR/DME and LOC/DME engineers and other stakeholders. Unified Modeling Language (UML) which is a graphical language was used to specify the behavior of the system. Java programming language was used to develop and implement the knowledge-base system using the production rule. MySQL was used as the database engine to organize the expert knowledge. The Mobile Based Intelligence Expert System developed was tested using several test data. Several test method such as component/unit testing and integrated testing were employed to test the efficiency and capability of the system.


THE EFFECT OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ATTRIBUTES ON FIRM PER-FORMANCE []


This study examined the effects of corporate governance attributes on firm performance of listed firms in Sri Lankan Colombo Stock Exchange. To achieve the objectives of this study 13 listed plantation companies in the Colombo stock exchange were selected and analyzed as the sample by considering annual reports for the period 2012/2013-2015/2016. Measures of corporate governance attributes employed in this study are Board Composition, Board Size and CEO Duality. On the other hand, this study employed ROA, ROE and Tobin’s Q as the measurement of the Firm performance. And Firm Size and Leverage were employed as control variables. The data were analyzed and hypotheses were tested using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The findings revealed that, there are relatively mixed results regarding corporate governance and various performance measures among listed firms in Sri Lanka.


STRATEGIC ISSUES IN E-HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: THE KENYAN HEALTHCARE SECTOR []


Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a major strategic tool in delivery of health services and has had a revolutionary impact on how we live and perceive the world. ICT has given birth to the contemporary “Es” such as e-learning, e-commerce, e-governance, e-banking, e-shopping and e-health, the primary focus of this paper. The adoption of information technology (IT) and domain-specific e-health is, amongst other things, seen as potential leverage in responding to problems concerning the healthcare sector. Technological advancements have accelerated the deployment of e-health systems with the potential to enhance productivity, lower costs, reduce medication errors, and ease the manpower strain on the healthcare industry. Faced by a confluence of onerous challenges including escalating healthcare costs, ageing populations and the advance of technology as well as the need to provide effective and efficient healthcare services, developing countries today are turning to e-health as the silver bullet or panacea. However, despite the initial euphoria and notwithstanding the significant investments made, to date, many of these e-health solutions have yet to prove their success. Therefore this paper is out to evaluate the strategic issues that hinder implementation of e-health in Kenyan healthcare sector. Given the inherent complexities of healthcare operations, several theories were used to explain this phenomenon mainly TAM, TOE, and Actor network. The study used secondary data sources to evaluate the strategic issues that affect e-health implementation in developing countries with a focus of Kenyan healthcare sector. The study found out the following as some of the strategic issues that affect implementation of e-health in Kenya: e-Health standards; ICT and health policies and strategies; e-legislation; e-Health infrastructure; ICT competence .


GLUTATHIONE PEROXIDASE ACTIVITIES IN LEUKEMIA , LIVER AND COLON CANCER PATIENTS []


Plasma level of glutathione peroxidase(GPx) in fifty(50) patients attending University teaching hospital and Federal Medical Centre in Ekiti State suffering from leukemia, liver and colon cancers were measured using high sensitive enzyme linked Immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The result shows a significant decrease (P˂ 0.05) in the plasma GPx level of all the cancer types; leukemia (10.0± 9.65a), liver cancer(33.2± 5.92b) and colon cancer(37.0 ±9.65a) when compared with the control subjects(135.0± 10.8c).Though, antioxidant enzyme depletion had been implicated with increased oxidative damage. Thus, low levels of GPx in the cancer patients as observed from this study could also be due to high level of oxidative stress in cancer cells.


EFFECT OF SHORT-TERM AEROBIC EXERCISE ON LIVER FUNCTION OF APPARENTLY HEALTH STUDENTS OF COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES, NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, NNEWI CAMPUS, ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA []


This study investigated the effect short-term aerobic exercise on liver function of students of the College of Health Sciences, Okofia, Nnewi, Nigeria. A total of 41students aged 18-28years comprising of 22 males and 19 females who volunteered to participate in the study for one week were recruited. Their blood pressure readings and body mass index (BMI) were obtained, 5mls each of baseline (day zero) and post exercise(day 8) samples were collected into lithium heparin containers for estimation of biochemical parameters (ALP, AST, ALT, Bilirubin, Albumin and Total protein) respectively using standard methods. The results showed that the mean plasma activities of ALP, AST and plasma levels of Total bilirubin and Albumin in subjects were significantly higher after exercise when compared to their activities before exercise (P=0.046; 0.017; 0.047; 0.012) respectively. There was no significant difference in the mean plasma level of total protein and ALT activity in subject before and after exercise. SBP was strongly association with exercise in this study (p=0.087). it is important to impose exercise restrictions for at least one week before clinical trials or tests especially liver function tests. Exercise should be considered as a cause of asymptomatic elevations of liver function tests in daily clinical practice to reduce the risk of erroneous attribution of changes in liver function to pathological conditions or drug effects.


EFFECT OF ETHANOIC LEAF EXTRACT OF PHYLLANTUS AMARUS ON FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, BILIRUBIN, ALBUMIN AND TOTAL PROTEIN ON DIABETIC INDUCED ALBINO WISTAR RATS IN COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES, NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, NNEWI CAMPUS, ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA []


This study was designed to investigate the effect of Phyllantus amarus (PA) leaf extract on plasma glucose and serum total protein (TP), Albumin (ALB) and Bilirubin in alloxan induced diabetic albino wistar rats. A total of 30 albino wistar rats each weighing 100g were assembled and divided into 3 groups (A-C) consisting of 10 rats. Group A received PA treatment, B was without PA treatment while group C served as the control group. 0.05mg/kg of aqueous extract of PA leaf was administered orally to the rats in group A but not in group B while group C received only water for 7 days. .Blood samples were collected into fluoride oxalate and plain containers for estimation of glucose and other biochemical parameters respectively. Plasma glucose and serum TP, ALB and Bilirubin were analyzed using standard methods. There was a significant decrease in the mean plasma glucose (96.10±5.20Vs193.70±54.03; p=0.000) and serum Direct bilirubin (2.52±0.11 Vs 2.62±0.06; p=0.038) whereas serum level of total bilirubin was significantly raised after PA administration (9.95±0.35 Vs 9.84±0.94; p=0.003). However, serum TP and Albumin levels did not differ significantly between pre and post– PA administration. This study revealed hypoglycaemic and hepatoprotective effect of PA use. Again, the result shows a significant decrease in the mean weight of the subjects after PA administration (98.80±1.03 s 119.40±1.17; p= 0.000). Therefore, PA use could be of importance in prevention and management of diabetes mellitus and liver disorders.


PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF NCAM PLANTAIN SLICING MACHINE []


Slicing of plantain fingers into chips for domestic and commercial purposes is a processing technique, which needs to be adequately done to reduce wastage and post-harvest losses of mature plantain. This led to the fabrication of NCAM plantain slicing machine which is portable, affordable and reduce human fatigue associated with non-mechanized way of slicing plantain. This paper presents the performance evaluation of an affordable and highly efficient plantain slicing machine, the efficiency of the slicer in slicing unripe plantain was 63.03% while that of ripe was found to be 47.42%. The machine takes 6-7 seconds to slice a finger of plantain into chips of 3-4mm in thickness and an average slicing capacity of 848.9kg/hr and 1,319 kg/hr for unripe and ripe plantain respectively. The added advantage of hygiene is also present and economic benefit for local plantain processors in the use of the machine.