The Nigerian oil and gas sector has suffered a lot of setbacks since the commencement of the production of oil in large quantities. This situation becomes more worrisome for the fact that the oil and gas sector produces petroleum resources which represent the economic mainstay of the country and until recently, was a major employer of labour. This paper examined some factors responsible for the state of decay and dwindling fortunes in the sector and noted that these issues have been pervasive for a long time. The oil and gas sector has been beset by the challenge of non-implementation of or the implementation of ineffective reforms and regulations, the high level of oil theft and pipeline vandalism, systemic corruption and unethical practices by both the local and international players, lack of effective legal and institutional frameworks which should enhance regulatory functions, ineffective leadership, etc. The information used for this paper were gathered from secondary sources. A critical appraisal of the activities of the sector showed that a lot needs to be done by the present Government, especially with the passing of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). The paper adopted the concept of Pockets of Effectiveness to posit that even in the midst of such decay, Government agencies and public organizations can achieve effectiveness but must eschew the mentality of rent-seeking, patronage and clientelism which characterize the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.

The COVID-19 pandemic has renewed the discussion on the importance of health on long term well-being of any economy. It has also been a challenging time, having hurt economies in a world already seeing declining economic growth. While vaccination globally has been picking up speed, this paper is an attempt to establish a relationship between income levels of different Indian states and its empirical effect on healthcare outcomes and policy implementation through the study of indicators such as Infant Mortality rate in the pre-pandemic world and COVID-19 vaccination. Using secondary data, we have developed regression models to understand the effect of COVID-19 on the income-health relationship. Through our research we have been able to identify that income level, and in effect income disparities, do have a significant positive relationship with healthcare, and that the pandemic has deepened this relationship. Further, we have looked into other factors that may help us explain the reasons behind this relationship, including healthcare infrastructure, public health expenditure and other social factors in the context of Indian states.

Hot volcanic massage is a treatment from the Far East that has been used for more than 1000 years, and today is an integral part of anti-stress programs in spas around the world. The aim of our research was to study the extent to which this alternative method of massage has proven health benefits through the analysis of already published papers. Material and method: We performed a retrospective analysis of published papers on the effect of heat and massage on pain, stress, depression, and muscle tension. Results: Hot massage has positive effects on musculoskeletal pain, fibromyalgia pain and degenerative rheumatism. Side effects can occur if the heat is too high and causes burns, drop in blood pressure and dehydration. Discussion: Research on the effect of treating volcanic rocks on health problems is scarce. This alternative method can be applied due to the known physiological effect of massage and warmth on a scientific basis along with indications and contraindications. Conclusion: The treatment with volcanic stones has the effects of heat treatment and massage with still insufficiently measurable parameters for the combined effect and concrete evidence.