Impact of Charcoal Production on the Sustainable Development of Asa Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria

This study examines the impact of charcoal production on the sustainable development of Asa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. Specifically, it examines the method of production of charcoal, identifies the basis for involvement in charcoal production; analyzes the socio-economic impact of charcoal on rural well-being and the perception of the inhabitants of the study area on the impact of charcoal production on the environment. One hundred and fifty copies of questionnaire were administered to obtain the opinions of the respondents on the impact of charcoal production on their welfare. Focus Group Discussions and interviews were conducted on the inhabitants and producers to explore their views on method of production and the effects on their health and environment respectively. Descriptive statistical techniques were employed to analyze the gathered data. The study revealed significant negative impact of charcoal production on the ecology of the study area. Legislation on afforestation and reforestation should be enforced on people both at the study area and the country at large. Development of energy-saving meters and solar cookers should be encouraged. Furthermore, the society should be enlightened through media, visual display and jingles on the impacts of environmental degradation on human health and biodiversity.Key words: Degradation, Climate Change, Ecosystem, Health and Environmen

The Practice of Physical Exercise among the Staff of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Background: Physical exercise is important for good health. Moderate physical exercise for at least 30 minutes, five times a week is the minimum recommendation for adults. The objective of the study was to assess the level of physical exercise among the staff of an International research Institute in Ibadan, Nigeria.Methodology: This was a descriptive cross sectional study of 206 employees sampled proportional to the size of the IITA staff categories. After obtaining informed consent data on socio-demographic parameters, anthropometric measurements, knowledge of obesity, the practice of leisure and work-related exercise were obtained using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) version 9.2.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 37.0±10.8 years. Practice of leisure exercise was adequate, inadequate and nil in 16%, 54% and 30% respectively. The leisure exercises practiced most commonly were brisk walking, jogging and swimming in 42.2%, 20%, and 8.4% respectively. The survey revealed that 72%, 9% and 19% of the respondents were significantly active, moderately active and sedentary at work respectively. The majority, 61.5%, of the management staff were involved with sedentary jobs. The respondents with low formal education were more active at work compared to those with higher education, p = 0.005. Overall, 88.2% were physically active although about 45% of respondents were either overweight or obese and less than half had good knowledge of obesity.Conclusion: Public education is needed to improve physical activity and curb the menace of health problems associated with sedentary lifestyle.Keywords: Practice, Exercise, Leisure, Workrelated, Overweight, Obesity

Application of ordinal logistic regression analysis in determining risk factors of child malnutrition in Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The study attempts to develop an ordinal logistic regression (OLR) model to identify the determinants of child malnutrition instead of developing traditional binary logistic regression (BLR) model using the data of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2004.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Based on weight-for-age anthropometric index (Z-score) child nutrition status is categorized into three groups-severely undernourished (< -3.0), moderately undernourished (-3.0 to -2.01) and nourished (≥-2.0). Since nutrition status is ordinal, an OLR model-proportional odds model (POM) can be developed instead of two separate BLR models to find predictors of both malnutrition and severe malnutrition if the proportional odds assumption satisfies. The assumption is satisfied with low p-value (0.144) due to violation of the assumption for one co-variate. So partial proportional odds model (PPOM) and two BLR models have also been developed to check the applicability of the OLR model. Graphical test has also been adopted for checking the proportional odds assumption.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All the models determine that age of child, birth interval, mothers' education, maternal nutrition, household wealth status, child feeding index, and incidence of fever, ARI & diarrhoea were the significant predictors of child malnutrition; however, results of PPOM were more precise than those of other models.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings clearly justify that OLR models (POM and PPOM) are appropriate to find predictors of malnutrition instead of BLR models.</p

Maternal and neonatal outcomes after caesarean delivery in the African Surgical Outcomes Study: a 7-day prospective observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal and neonatal mortality is high in Africa, but few large, prospective studies have been done to investigate the risk factors associated with these poor maternal and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: A 7-day, international, prospective, observational cohort study was done in patients having caesarean delivery in 183 hospitals across 22 countries in Africa. The inclusion criteria were all consecutive patients (aged ≥18 years) admitted to participating centres having elective and non-elective caesarean delivery during the 7-day study cohort period. To ensure a representative sample, each hospital had to provide data for 90% of the eligible patients during the recruitment week. The primary outcome was in-hospital maternal mortality and complications, which were assessed by local investigators. The study was registered on the South African National Health Research Database, number KZ_2015RP7_22, and on ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT03044899. FINDINGS: Between February, 2016, and May, 2016, 3792 patients were recruited from hospitals across Africa. 3685 were included in the postoperative complications analysis (107 missing data) and 3684 were included in the maternal mortality analysis (108 missing data). These hospitals had a combined number of specialist surgeons, obstetricians, and anaesthetists totalling 0·7 per 100 000 population (IQR 0·2-2·0). Maternal mortality was 20 (0·5%) of 3684 patients (95% CI 0·3-0·8). Complications occurred in 633 (17·4%) of 3636 mothers (16·2-18·6), which were predominantly severe intraoperative and postoperative bleeding (136 [3·8%] of 3612 mothers). Maternal mortality was independently associated with a preoperative presentation of placenta praevia, placental abruption, ruptured uterus, antepartum haemorrhage (odds ratio 4·47 [95% CI 1·46-13·65]), and perioperative severe obstetric haemorrhage (5·87 [1·99-17·34]) or anaesthesia complications (11·47 (1·20-109·20]). Neonatal mortality was 153 (4·4%) of 3506 infants (95% CI 3·7-5·0). INTERPRETATION: Maternal mortality after caesarean delivery in Africa is 50 times higher than that of high-income countries and is driven by peripartum haemorrhage and anaesthesia complications. Neonatal mortality is double the global average. Early identification and appropriate management of mothers at risk of peripartum haemorrhage might improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in Africa. FUNDING: Medical Research Council of South Africa.Medical Research Council of South Africa

Notes for genera – Ascomycota

Knowledge of the relationships and thus the classification of fungi, has developed rapidly with increasingly widespread use of molecular techniques, over the past 10--15 years, and continues to accelerate. Several genera have been found to be polyphyletic, and their generic concepts have subsequently been emended. New names have thus been introduced for species which are phylogenetically distinct from the type species of particular genera. The ending of the separate naming of morphs of the same species in 2011, has also caused changes in fungal generic names. In order to facilitate access to all important changes, it was desirable to compile these in a single document. The present article provides a list of generic names of Ascomycota (approximately 6500 accepted names published to the end of 2016), including those which are lichen-forming. Notes and summaries of the changes since the last edition of `Ainsworth Bisby's Dictionary of the Fungi' in 2008 are provided. The notes include the number of accepted species, classification, type species (with location of the type material), culture availability, life-styles, distribution, and selected publications that have appeared since 2008. This work is intended to provide the foundation for updating the ascomycete component of the ``Without prejudice list of generic names of Fungi'' published in 2013, which will be developed into a list of protected generic names. This will be subjected to the XIXth International Botanical Congress in Shenzhen in July 2017 agreeing to a modification in the rules relating to protected lists, and scrutiny by procedures determined by the Nomenclature Committee for Fungi (NCF). The previously invalidly published generic names Barriopsis, Collophora (as Collophorina), Cryomyces, Dematiopleospora, Heterospora (as Heterosporicola), Lithophila, Palmomyces (as Palmaria) and Saxomyces are validated, as are two previously invalid family names, Bartaliniaceae and Wiesneriomycetaceae. Four species of Lalaria, which were invalidly published are transferred to Taphrina and validated as new combinations. Catenomycopsis Tibell Constant. is reduced under Chaenothecopsis Vain., while Dichomera Cooke is reduced under Botryosphaeria Ces. De Not. (Art. 59)