Design and Construction of Voice Controlled Home Automation using Arduino

System automation has been widely researched in the twenty-first century due to its essential role in daily life. The fundamental advantage of an automated system is its ability to reduce human stress and minimize errors. Over the past few years, there has been a swift shift from traditional switches to switches equipped with remote controls. Currently, the presence of conventional wall switches distributed around the house poses challenges in terms of use, especially for individuals who are elderly or have physical disabilities. Due to technological advancements, mobile smartphones are now affordable for all individuals. Android devices are becoming equipped with applications that aid in multiple ways. Another new technology is the Google speech recognition APIs, which enable voice-based system command and control. This study demonstrates the implementation of voice-controlled home automation using the Arduino Uno microcontroller. Users of this system will be able to exercise full authority over every domestic device through spoken commands. The control circuit consists of an Arduino Uno microcontroller that receives and interprets voice commands from an Android smartphone equipped with the corresponding application. While the Bluetooth module shares signal data after establishing a wireless link between the microcontroller and the smartphone, the relay regulates device switching

SOCIO - ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF HOUSEHOLDS FUEL CONSUMPTION IN NIGERIA

Attainment of universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is one of the goals for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Existing data and statistic suggest that high proportion of households in less developed countries heavily rely on solid fuels for domestic requirements. Also, recent data revealed that in Nigeria over 70 percent of households depend on fuel wood for cooking which indicate the task ahead of policy makers in the country for ensuring access to efficient sources of energy before the expiration of sustainable development goals. In this study we empirically examined socio-economic factors that influence households’ likelihood of energy consumption in Nigeria. In order to achieve our specific objectives, we adopt 2013 demographic health survey dataset for Nigeria and multinomial logistic regression was conducted in analyzing the factors affecting households’ decision for energy demand. Evidence from the study revealed that demographic characteristics, economic status, public awareness and social variables are strong determinants of households’ energy choice in the country and conformed to the propositions of “Energy Ladder Hypothesis”. We concluded by presenting concluding remarks and policy implications for decision making toward ensuring access to affordable, sustainable and efficient energy in Nigeria

PHENOTYPIC DETECTION OF PLASMID FROM CIPROFLOXACIN RESISTANT SALMONELLA TYPHI ISOLATED FROM STOOL OF NSUK STUDENTS

Salmonella typhi (S. typhi) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Studies onphenotypic detection of plasmid from ciprofloxacin resistant S. typhi isolated from stool of new students NasarawaState University, Keffi, was carried out. A total of 180 stool samples were collected from the new students. 30 stoolsamples were collected from each of the six respective Faculties. 29(16.1%) Salmonella isolates were recovered andidentified by standard Microbiological methods. 21(72.4%) of the isolates were Salmonella typhi and 8(27.6%)were Salmonella enteritidis. The prevalence of Salmonella typhi isolation with respect to Faculties was highest inthe Faculties of Art (ART) and Law (LAW) with 6(28.6%) isolates each. On the basis of gender, 15 samples eachwere collected from both male and female students respectively and the highest prevalence of isolation was 4(8.0%)amongst males in the Faculty of LAW and females in the Faculty of ART, while the least prevalence of isolationwas zero (0) amongst males in the Faculty of NAT. On the bases of age, the prevalence of isolation was highestamongst the age group 21-30, 19(10.5%), while age group 51-60 showed zero (0) prevalence of isolation.Antimicrobial Susceptibility was carried out using CLSI method; and 21(72.4%) Salmonella typhi isolates weresusceptible to Ciprofloxacin, while 8(27.6%) were resistant and the antimicrobial resistance phenotypic pattern ofthe isolates was also determined. The ciprofloxacin resistance isolates were subjected to “Curing Method” todetermine if the resistance was plasmid-mediated or not.

Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283. Findings Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group. Interpretation Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset. Funding London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Dynamic Effects of Energy Consumption and Economic Growth on CO2 Emission: Testing EKC Hypothesis in Africa

This paper focuses on using time series data on real GDP, energy consumption, and CO2 emission to examine the effect of economic growth and energy consumption on CO2 emission for a panel of 23 African countries within the period 1980–2019. The study used Pedroni (1999) approach of panel cointegration analysis to test for existence of long-run cointegration relationship between the variables.  Fixed effect model was used to test for the Environmental Kutznets Hypothesis, and income squared was included as an additional explanatory variable. The estimated empirical results for the panel of 23 African countries from fixed effect model indicates the evidence of EKC hypothesis. At the level of individual countries, there is large divergence. 13 countries show evidence of EKC, implying that CO2 emission  has fallen over the long run. As income increases, the levels of environmental damage decreases in those countries. 10 countries show opposite relationship among the variables. Based on the estimated results, it is recommended that countries should pursue economic growth policies that are not highly carbon intensive. Policy makers in these countries should adopt strategies that uses environmentally friendly technologies to decrease CO2 emission. Countries should also implement strong regulatory and market-based policies in highly energy-intensive sectors to reduce their current level of emissions and attain sustainable, environment-friendly economic growth

SOCIO - ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF HOUSEHOLDS FUEL CONSUMPTION IN NIGERIA

Attainment of universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is one of the goals for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Existing data and statistic suggest that high proportion of households in less developed countries heavily rely on solid fuels for domestic requirements. Also, recent data revealed that in Nigeria over 70 percent of households depend on fuel wood for cooking which indicate the task ahead of policy makers in the country for ensuring access to efficient sources of energy before the expiration of sustainable development goals. In this study we empirically examined socio-economic factors that influence households’ likelihood of energy consumption in Nigeria. In order to achieve our specific objectives, we adopt 2013 demographic health survey dataset for Nigeria and multinomial logistic regression was conducted in analyzing the factors affecting households’ decision for energy demand. Evidence from the study revealed that demographic characteristics, economic status, public awareness and social variables are strong determinants of households’ energy choice in the country and conformed to the propositions of “Energy Ladder Hypothesis”. We concluded by presenting concluding remarks and policy implications for decision making toward ensuring access to affordable, sustainable and efficient energy in Nigeria.</jats:p

COMMUNITY FACTORS AND RECIDIVISM IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF KUJE CORRECTIONAL CENTER ABUJA

The study examined Community factors and recidivism in Nigeria: A study of kuje correctional center Abuja. The study hard achieved specific objectives which looked at the impact of community based factor such factors could be explain as poverty, unemployment, ghetto area, poor educational background and lack of proper policies and programmes established by the government or any agency have triggered recidivism, the study to assessed the functionality and rehabilitative facilities in the effective programmes in Kuje correctional center. The study highlighted the causes of recidivism among inmates in Kuje Correctional Centre. to examine the inmates’ perception of the basic infrastructural facilities in Kuje Correctional Centre. The study additionally, introduced social survey research design was adopted and questionnaire instrument of data collection was used, 200 questionnaire were administered to inmates in Kuje correctional center, the questions were obtained and answers were provided through the assistance of research assistance which are the workers from the center, for easy interpretations. The study findings revealed that all the respondents were discovered to be male who are virtually single and within age bracket of 18-35 years. The study also discovered that all the available rehabilitative facilities and programmes are functional including educational programme, carpentry, welding, tailoring, games, guardian and counselling, among others. The study further discovered that poverty and lack of proper reintegration programme are the most causal factors in recidivism, the study had made up recommendations that could improve in the standard of living for those inmates so as it would serve as control mechanism for future occurrences</jats:p