Improving project delivery process using lean construction approach

The poor image of the Nigerian construction industry arising from suboptimal performance in project delivery due to colossal wastes is well documented in existing literature. However, effort to proffer solutions to the problems of waste on site has been marginal. After an in-depth literature review it was established that, lean construction approach has been adopted to address waste and non-value adding activities and improved productivity in project delivery. Therefore, this study is aimed at proposing a lean implementation framework (LIF) that will guide the site implementation of lean construction tools to address the waste occurrence menace. Accordingly, action research using mixed-mode approach was adopted, data related to waste occurrences and benefits of lean construction was collected. This was conducted in two phases. The first phase sought to explore the frequency and level of waste and non-value adding activities occurrences in project delivery in Nigerian construction sites. To achieve this aim, data was collected using survey questionnaire administered to 400 experts in construction industry, and tested for internal reliability using Cronbach Alpha. Consequently, the data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and validated using one sample t-test. The results showed the existence of wastes that leads to cost and time overrun. The second phase assessed six lean construction tools via six case study sites. Data was collected through observation, interview, questionnaire and site diary, and analysed thematically using content analysis. The results were validated using methodological triangulation. The results showed that the application of lean construction techniques in Nigerian construction sites could address the problems of waste and non-value adding activities and improve productivity. The study identifies several challenges and barriers that could impede the implementation of lean construction, including lack of knowledge on lean approach, cultural issues, misconception by participants, and lack of involvement of designers in the implementation process. In view of these findings, the study recognises training, enlightenment on benefits of lean, involvement of designers in the implementation process, simplifying the process, trust between the project participants and collaborative planning as strategies for addressing the problems. To facilitate implementation of the suggested solutions to waste occurrences, a lean implementation framework (LIF) was developed to guide the site implementation of lean construction for improving the project delivery process. The LIF was validated using expert opinions by face to face interview, and the result revealed that the framework could be a guide for implementation of lean in construction site

Online Stochastic Principal Component Analysis

This paper studied Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in an online. The problem is posed as a subspace optimization problem and solved using gradient based algorithms. One such algorithm is the Variance-Reduced PCA (VR-PCA). The VR-PCA was designed as an improvement to the classical online PCA algorithm known as the Oja’s method where it only handled one sample at a time. The paper developed Block VR-PCA as an improved version of VR-PCA. Unlike prominent VR-PCA, the Block VR-PCA was designed to handle more than one dimension in subspace optimization at a time and it showed good performance. The Block VR-PCA and Block Oja method were compared experimentally in MATLAB using synthetic and real data sets, their convergence results showed Block VR-PCA method appeared to achieve a minimum steady state error than Block Oja method. Keywords:   Online Stochastic; Principal Component Analysis; Block Variance-Reduced; Block Oj

Use of time management techniques by librarians in Umaru Musa Yar’adua University Library Katsina for effective information service delivery

This paper is on the use of time management techniques by librarians in academic libraries, specifically in Umaru Musa Yar’adua University library Katsina State. The main objectives of the paper are to determine the time management techniques used by librarians in delivering information services in the library and to identify how the techniques do affects their performance in the library. The results of the finding shows that most of the librarians in the library used making to do list as a technique for information services delivery in the library with 12 out of 40 respondents which is 30% of the whole responses. On the effect of time management techniques on the performance of librarians, the results show that it increases their productivity with 11 out of 40 responses. The paper concludes with recommendations that librarians should adopt time management techniques to ensure effective information services delivery to users and also librarians should be educated on the need for the application of time management techniques in information resources and services provision through seminars and workshops

Foreign Exchange Rate and Economic Growth Nexus: New Evidence from Nigeria (1981 to 2017)

The paper estimates the impact of foreign exchange rate on economic growth of Nigeria. The study makes used of Autoregressive Distributed Lag model (ARDL) on time series Data, for the period 1981-2017. The data set on real effective exchange rate, inflation rate, money supply, lending interest rate, real GDP and foreign direct investment, oil revenue and trade openness (% of GDP) were tested for stationary using ADF and PP tests and established stationarity at I (1) for five variables and I (0) for two variables. The correlation test result shows that the highest correlation is between money supply and oil revenue while the lowest correlation is between inflation rate and foreign direct investment. The ARDL Co-integration test revealed the existence of long-run relationship among the variables. ARDL test results reveal that real effective exchange rate is negatively and significant in explaining economic growth in Nigeria in the long-run. In the short-run, the lag value of real effective exchange rate is insignificant in explaining the changes in the current rate of economic growth. in the same period, the lag value of money supply is negative and significant in explaining GDP. But in the long run it is positive and significant in explaining economic growth in Nigeria. The rate of inflation both in the short run and long run is negatively and significant in explaining GDP. The Error Correction Term value of 20.7% shows the speed of adjustment toward long-run equilibrium The findings of the study imply that interest rate in Nigeria is inflationary. Meaning that increase in the rate of interest rate will lead to an increase inflation rate. Therefore, the research study concludes that the impact of foreign exchange rate on the economic growth of Nigeria is negative and significant and that the monetary authorities should adopt flexible exchange rate in Nigeria. Keywords: ARDL, foreign exchange rate, Economic growth, monetary authorities. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-18-18 Publication date:September 30th 2019

Preliminary field survey on Mycobacterium bovis infection in cattle herds using caudal fold intradermal tuberculin test in two Northeastern States of Nigeria

Aim: A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in two states of Northeastern Nigeria, namely Bauchi and Gombe States, between February 2010 and November 2014 using caudal fold tuberculin (CFT) skin test. Materials and Methods: A total of 5489 cattle were screened using single CFT in Bauchi and Gombe States. Of the 5489 cattle, 2116 cattle were from 189 herds in five testing areas in Bauchi State and 3373 cattle in 217 herds from five testing areas from Gombe State. Results: On the basis of the CFT, herd prevalence obtained was 56.08% in Bauchi and 55.29% in Gombe State, while the individual animal prevalence was 10.96% in Bauchi and 13.73% obtained in Gombe State. The prevalence based on the testing areas in Bauchi State, Alamari had the highest prevalence with 19.4 % and Disina the lowest with 9.0 %, while in Gombe State, Wakaltu had the highest prevalence with 20.9 % and Poshereng the lowest with 8.0 %. Cows were more likely to have tuberculosis lesions than bulls (p=0.0035) in Bauchi State, but there was no significant difference in Gombe State (p=0.166). However, a statistically significant association (p<0.05) was observed among the cattle age groups with cattle ≥4 years having higher odds for tuberculin reactivity compared to those below the age of 4 years in Bauchi State only. Conclusion: There is the need to strengthen routine meat inspection and public health awareness programs on the zoonotic nature of bTB among the abattoir workers and the herdsmen

Effects of a high-dose 24-h infusion of tranexamic acid on death and thromboembolic events in patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding (HALT-IT): an international randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Tranexamic acid reduces surgical bleeding and reduces death due to bleeding in patients with trauma. Meta-analyses of small trials show that tranexamic acid might decrease deaths from gastrointestinal bleeding. We aimed to assess the effects of tranexamic acid in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods: We did an international, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 164 hospitals in 15 countries. Patients were enrolled if the responsible clinician was uncertain whether to use tranexamic acid, were aged above the minimum age considered an adult in their country (either aged 16 years and older or aged 18 years and older), and had significant (defined as at risk of bleeding to death) upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients were randomly assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Patients received either a loading dose of 1 g tranexamic acid, which was added to 100 mL infusion bag of 0·9% sodium chloride and infused by slow intravenous injection over 10 min, followed by a maintenance dose of 3 g tranexamic acid added to 1 L of any isotonic intravenous solution and infused at 125 mg/h for 24 h, or placebo (sodium chloride 0·9%). Patients, caregivers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. The primary outcome was death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation; analysis excluded patients who received neither dose of the allocated treatment and those for whom outcome data on death were unavailable. This trial was registered with Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN11225767, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01658124. Findings: Between July 4, 2013, and June 21, 2019, we randomly allocated 12 009 patients to receive tranexamic acid (5994, 49·9%) or matching placebo (6015, 50·1%), of whom 11 952 (99·5%) received the first dose of the allocated treatment. Death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation occurred in 222 (4%) of 5956 patients in the tranexamic acid group and in 226 (4%) of 5981 patients in the placebo group (risk ratio [RR] 0·99, 95% CI 0·82–1·18). Arterial thromboembolic events (myocardial infarction or stroke) were similar in the tranexamic acid group and placebo group (42 [0·7%] of 5952 vs 46 [0·8%] of 5977; 0·92; 0·60 to 1·39). Venous thromboembolic events (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) were higher in tranexamic acid group than in the placebo group (48 [0·8%] of 5952 vs 26 [0·4%] of 5977; RR 1·85; 95% CI 1·15 to 2·98). Interpretation: We found that tranexamic acid did not reduce death from gastrointestinal bleeding. On the basis of our results, tranexamic acid should not be used for the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding outside the context of a randomised trial

Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease among patients with dyspepsia undergoing endoscopy in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Background: Dyspepsia is a symptom complex rather than a specific disease entity. It can be caused by various diseases that could be organic or functional dyspepsia. Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GORD) now accounts for the majority of upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Clinical judgment alone is unsatisfactory and unreliable in confirming the etiology due to the overlap which exists between the clinical presentations of the disease conditions causing dyspepsia. This study aimed to determine the burden of GORD among patients with dyspepsia. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out between May and August 2009. A total of 170 dyspeptic patients were recruited consecutively as they were referred to the Gastroenterology Unit of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. After obtaining a signed written informed consent from each patient a prepared questionnaire on relevant demographic, and clinical history relating to GORD was administered. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was then performed on each subject after an overnight fast of at least 8 h. GORD was defined as symptoms of heartburn and/or regurgitation lasting longer than 6 months with or without erosive esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus, esophageal peptic stricture, ulcer or adenocarcinoma on endoscopy. Results: The prevalence of GORD was found to be 24.1% among the dyspeptic patients in this study Endoscopy positive accounted for 16 (9.4%) while endoscopy negative accounted for 25 (14.7%) of GORD. Reflux symptoms were observed in 63 (37.1%) of the patients studied. Heartburn had a high specificity (92.3%) and negative predictive value (77.3%) with low sensitivity (14.6%) and positive predictive value (37.5%), while for regurgitation specificity was 91.6%, negative predictive value of 63.6%, sensitivity of 11.1% and positive predictive value of 43.8% for endoscopy positive GORD. Conclusion: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common disease for which patients are referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy