ABSTRACT
A defining feature of any university is its dedication to scholarly activities, leading to the generation of knowledge and ideas Research productivity is a measure of achievement of a scholar. The number of research publications in peer-reviewed journals is an important criterion for assessing productivity and prestige in the academia. Aims and Objectives: This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed the level of research productivity (RP) among junior faculty at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and investigated factors affecting their research output prior to the implementation of a 5-year training grant funded by the National Institutes of Health. Methods: Seventy junior faculty members attended a pre-program training, and the self-reported number of peer-reviewed publications (PRPs) was used as an indicator. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing RP among the attendees were assessed and ranked. Results: The majority (42/70, 60%) of the respondents had <10 PRPs. The median (interquartile range) number of PRPs was 7 (318). A desire for the development of their personal skills, contribution to society, and personal research interests topped the list of intrinsic factors influencing RP. Work flexibility, research autonomy, and scholarly pursuits were the bottom three. A desire for promotion, respect from peers, and increased social standing were the top three extrinsic factors, while monetary incentives, employment opportunities, and the need to attend conferences were the lowest three. The top barriers to RP were lack of resources and lack of mentoring. Perceived older age, lack of time, and motivation were the lowest three barriers. Older age and professional cadre were associated with increased RP (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Among the participants, research output appears to be motivated primarily by a desire for personal development,promotion, and respect from peers. Lack of access to resources was the main barrier to increased RP. These factors may need to be considered when developing programs designed to promote RP
Subject(s)
Communication Barriers , Intrinsic Factor , Lakes , Nigeria , Publications , Research PersonnelABSTRACT
Aims: To isolate, identify and evaluate the genetic diversity and antimicrobial susceptibility of F. nucleatum recovered from Nigerian patients with chronic periodontitis. Study Design: Cross-sectional design. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, between January 2007 and July 2008. Methodology: We analyzed F. nucleatum species recovered from Nigerian patients with chronic periodontitis. Bacterial identification was done using colonial morphology; Grams stain reaction, conventional biochemical tests, API 20-A and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 6 antibiotics was determined by agar dilution method on Brucella blood agar while the bacterial genetic diversity was studied using the Arbitrarily Primed-PCR (AP-PCR) method with the arbitrary primer OPA-05. The interrelationship and genetic similarity matrix among the isolates was determined and by Numerical taxonomy and multivariate analysis system (NTSYS-pc) statistical package. Results: We obtained 48 isolates of F. nucleatum from 50 Nigerian patients (28 males and 22 females) with chronic periodontitis. They were susceptible to metronidazole, clindamycin, cefoxitin, tetracycline, amoxicillin and clavulanate. One was resistant to amoxicillin (MIC >32 μg/ml) and produced β-lactamase. The isolates were further placed into five groups (A, B, C, D and E) based on their AP-PCR profile. Conclusion: The AP-PCR analysis showed heterogeneity among strains. By using APPCR, we observed a single β-lactamase producing clone resistant to amoxicillin which eventually formed a distinct group showing that such genetic difference may have contributed to the formation of a separate clone.