Compliance of High-rise Buildings Vertical Accessibility Components with Universal Design Strategies: A Case Study of Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria

In recent times, with the increase in population, land areas that can accommodate the traditional school design model are becoming difficult to come by in urban areas or expensive. Therefore, for urban schools to accommodate the increasing population, school designs have shifted from outward horizontal arrangements to upward vertical designs. Consequently, this study examined the compliance of vertical accessibility components in high-rise buildings in Covenant University, Ota in Nigeria, with universal design strategies, with a view to identifying areas for further improvements, towards contributing to ways of promoting social inclusion in educational environments. The research is a qualitative case study of a tertiary institution that investigated two high-rise buildings on the university campus. An observation guide developed for the study and a digital camera were used to collect primary field data. The data were content analysed and presented using descriptive approach with the aid of texts and pictures. The findings revealed that ramps, steps/staircases and lifts are the vertical accessibility components provided in the high-rise buildings, all of which were found to exhibit various levels of inconsistencies with universal design strategies. One of the key recommendations of the study is to retrofit the buildings with necessary accessible features where they are lacking or inappropriately provided, where possible. The study will be useful to researchers, students, educators, policy makers and building design professionals in addressing issues relating to universal design of the built environment, particularly as it relates to the provision of equitable vertical movement features in high-rise public buildings

Vascular and upper gastrointestinal effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: meta-analyses of individual participant data from randomised trials

Summary Background The vascular and gastrointestinal eff ects of non-steroidal anti-infl ammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including selective COX-2 inhibitors (coxibs) and traditional non-steroidal anti-infl ammatory drugs (tNSAIDs), are not well characterised, particularly in patients at increased risk of vascular disease. We aimed to provide such information through meta-analyses of randomised trials. Methods We undertook meta-analyses of 280 trials of NSAIDs versus placebo (124 513 participants, 68 342 personyears) and 474 trials of one NSAID versus another NSAID (229 296 participants, 165 456 person-years). The main outcomes were major vascular events (non-fatal myocardial in farction, non-fatal stroke, or vascular death); major coronary events (non-fatal myocardial infarction or coronary death); stroke; mortality; heart failure; and upper gastrointestinal complications (perforation, ob struction, or bleed). Findings Major vascular events were increased by about a third by a coxib (rate ratio [RR] 1·37, 95% CI 1·14-1·66; p=0·0009) or diclofenac (1·41, 1·12-1·78; p=0·0036), chiefl y due to an increase in major coronary events (coxibs 1·76, 1·31-2·37; p=0·0001; diclofenac 1·70, 1·19-2·41; p=0·0032). Ibuprofen also signifi cantly increased major coronary events (2·22, 1·10-4·48; p=0·0253), but not major vascular events (1·44, 0·89-2·33). Compared with placebo, of 1000 patients allocated to a coxib or diclofenac for a year, three more had major vascular events, one of which was fatal. Naproxen did not signifi cantly increase major vascular events (0·93, 0·69-1·27). Vascular death was increased signifi cantly by coxibs (1·58, 99% CI 1·00-2·49; p=0·0103) and diclofenac (1·65, 0·95-2·85, p=0·0187), nonsignifi cantly by ibuprofen (1·90, 0·56-6·41; p=0·17), but not by naproxen (1·08, 0·48-2·47, p=0·80). The proportional eff ects on major vascular events were independent of baseline characteristics, including vascular risk. Heart failure risk was roughly doubled by all NSAIDs. All NSAID regimens increased upper gastrointestinal complications (coxibs 1·81, 1·17-2·81, p=0·0070; diclofenac 1·89, 1·16-3·09, p=0·0106; ibuprofen 3·97, 2·22-7·10, p<0·0001; and naproxen 4·22, 2·71-6·56, p<0·0001). Interpretation The vascular risks of high-dose diclofenac, and possibly ibuprofen, are comparable to coxibs, whereas high-dose naproxen is associated with less vascular risk than other NSAIDs. Although NSAIDs increase vascular and gastrointestinal risks, the size of these risks can be predicted, which could help guide clinical decision making. Funding UK Medical Research Council and British Heart Foundation. Introduction Non-steroidal anti-infl ammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most widely used drugs in the world. They are chiefl y used to treat pain, but their long-term use is limited by serious gastrointestinal side-eff ects. NSAIDs inhibit the two recognised forms of prostaglandin G/H synthase (also referred to as cyclo-oxygenase [COX]), namely COX-1 and COX-2. 1 Since the analgesic and antiinfl ammatory eff ects of NSAIDs are mediated by inhibition of COX-2, and their gastrointestinal side eff ects mostly by inhibition of COX-1, NSAIDs which selectively inhibit COX-2 might reduce the risk of gastrointestinal toxicity compared with other NSAIDs. Several such COX-2 selective drugs (collectively known as coxibs) were developed in the 1990s, and early trials comparing coxibs versus traditional NSAIDs (tNSAIDS) seemed to confi rm that coxibs at doses with similar analgesic effi cacy had less gastrointestinal toxicity. 2,3 Unfortunately, however, subsequent placebo-controlled trials also showed unequivocally that coxibs were associated with an increased risk of atherothrombotic vascular events. 4,5 Soon after these placebo-controlled trials were reported, a meta-analysis of randomised trials comparing a coxib versus placebo or a coxib versus tNSAID indicated that some tNSAIDs might also have adverse eff ects on atherothrombotic events, but that these hazards might depend on the degree and duration of suppression of platelet COX-1

Metal-resistance encoding gene-fingerprints in some bacteria isolated from wastewaters of selected printeries in Ibadan, South-western Nigeria

Several studies have reported the occurrence of metal-resistant bacteria and their genes in different wastewater, but there is a dearth of information on wastewater generated from printing operations as a probable source. This study aimed at fingerprinting metal-resistance encoding genes in bacteria recovered from wastewaters of selected printeries in Ibadan, Nigeria. Wastewaters from 10 selected printeries in Ibadan were collected monthly for 12 months. The metal composition of wastewater was determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Metal-resistant bacteria were isolated on metal-supplemented nutrient medium, and characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Metal-resistance genes were detected using specific primers and the presence of plasmids was determined using alkaline-lysis method. Forty metal-resistant bacteria belonging to six genera; Bacillus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Citrobacter, Providencia and Proteus were identified. cusCBA, encoding resistance to copper and silver was detected in nine bacteria, while pbrA (encoding lead resistance) was detected in seven Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. chrA, encoding resistance to chromate ions, was detected in Proteus mirabilis PW3a and two isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while chrB was detected in Providencia vermicola PWAP3 and Proteus mirabilis PW4c. Bacillus stratosphericus PW1b possessed the copper-resistance genes, pcoA and pcoR. Thirty-six bacteria (90%) of the total bacteria possessed plasmids larger than 10 Kb in size. In conclusion, wastewater generated from printing operations could be a potential source of metal-resistant bacteria and their genes