The Challenge of Leadership and Governance in Nigeria

The paper examined the dichotomy of leadership and some selected regimes in Nigerian political system. It identifies the origin, challenges of leadership and the prospects of the search for a nationalist governing class towards building a viable country. The paper relied on secondary data and method of content analysis. Generally, it argued that poor leadership has stymied the nation’s enormous, economics and political potentials. In other words, it contended that as a result of leadership failure in Nigerian political system which has caused acute poverty, political instability, insurgence, collapse of governmental institutions. The identified issues have erupt a call for resources control by those in the South-South, secession and state of Biafra by those in South-East, Oduduwa state by those in the South-West and; fiscal federalism premised on population and institutionalisation of Sharia law in Nigeria by those in the North in Nigeria. All these demands have been weaved and collapsed into one demand popularly known as ‘restructuring’. Recently, the call for restructuring has intensified from Nigerians perhaps due to the economic hardship and the failure of the current ruling political parties especially the All Progress Congress (APC) in fulfilling their electoral promises and manifestos. However, it recommended and advance that genuine leadership will need an honest, courageous and credible followership, which is less vulnerable to the manipulation politics of the ruling elite. It should possess knowledge, sound judgment and committed to specific cause and ideas. The pursuit of people based economic programmes has the potential to foster democratic governance within the context of quality followership. This class should secure democratized access to economic resources and political objects to foster trust, confidence and commitment. The leadership discourse should include the private domain as a viable means of leadership recruitment and consolidation within the system. Keywords: Leadership, Leadership failure, Challenges of Leadership, Governanc

An architectural-based approach to detecting spim in electronic means of communication

Spams are what users and developers should be aware of in all Internet-based communication tools (such as e-mail, websites, Social Networking Sites (SNS), instant messengers and so on). This is because spammers have not ceased from using these platforms to deceive and lure users into releasing vibrant and sensitive information (especially, financial details). This paper developed an architectural based technique for SPIM (Instant Message Spam or IM SPAM) detection using the classification method. The classification was done using the C4.5 classifier with a dataset of messages gotten from an instant messaging environment. The dataset served as the input to the classification algorithm method which was able to distinguish spam from non-spam messages. This classification method was depicted in a tree form to show its usefulness. The results show that its precision, recall and accuracy rate satisfied standard recommendation with a commendable error rate. The proposed technique will find implication in the reduction of the number of Internet users.Keywords: Social Networking sites, spammers, Instant message spam, C4.5 Classifiers, e-mails

Factors Affecting the Competencies and Project Delivery of Small-Sized Indigenous Construction Firms in Lagos State

Every industry is prone to problems Performance is a general challenge affecting construction and most especially small-sized indigenous construction companies. The study focused on determining the likely factors affecting the competencies and project delivery of small-sized construction firms in Lagos. 60 questionnaires were designed and administered to professionals (15-Architects, 15-Builders, 15-Engineers, and 15-Quantity Surveyors) working in the construction companies in Lagos State and 48 questionnaires were retrieved. These questionnaires were analysed with SPSS and several findings were derived from this analysis. The various factors affecting the performance and project delivery at varying degrees are: high cost of plants, equipment, materials and labour, lack of skilled craftsmen, unavailability of funds, poor managerial skills, lack of government patronage, and poor communication among stakeholders. The study found out that the most prominent factors are poor managerial skills, lack of project planning and unavailability of funds. The main factors affecting the performance of small sized indigenous construction firms are based on three key elements namely time, quality and cost. These three elements when properly harnessed will increase the performance of small sized indigenous firms. The study recommended that the use of ICT would help improve performance by making work flow more easily. Access to bank loans and more machinery on site and sufficient government patronage would improve performance. It concluded that better management and project planning would go a long way in improving competencies and project delivery of small sized construction firms

Safety and immunogenicity of the two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen in children in Sierra Leone: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial

Background—Children account for a substantial proportion of cases and deaths from Ebola virus disease. We aimed to assess the safety and immunogenicity of a two-dose heterologous vaccine regimen, comprising the adenovirus type 26 vector-based vaccine encoding the Ebola virus glycoprotein (Ad26.ZEBOV) and the modified vaccinia Ankara vectorbased vaccine, encoding glycoproteins from the Ebola virus, Sudan virus, and Marburg virus, and the nucleoprotein from the Tai Forest virus (MVA-BN-Filo), in a paediatric population in Sierra Leone. Methods—This randomised, double-blind, controlled trial was done at three clinics in Kambia district, Sierra Leone. Healthy children and adolescents aged 1–17 years were enrolled in three age cohorts (12–17 years, 4–11 years, and 1–3 years) and randomly assigned (3:1), via computer-generated block randomisation (block size of eight), to receive an intramuscular injection of either Ad26.ZEBOV (5 × 1010 viral particles; first dose) followed by MVA-BN-Filo (1 × 108 infectious units; second dose) on day 57 (Ebola vaccine group), or a single dose of meningococcal quadrivalent (serogroups A, C, W135, and Y) conjugate vaccine (MenACWY; first dose) followed by placebo (second dose) on day 57 (control group). Study team personnel (except for those with primary responsibility for study vaccine preparation), participants, and their parents or guardians were masked to study vaccine allocation. The primary outcome was safety, measured as the occurrence of solicited local and systemic adverse symptoms during 7 days after each vaccination, unsolicited systemic adverse events during 28 days after each vaccination, abnormal laboratory results during the study period, and serious adverse events or immediate reportable events throughout the study period. The secondary outcome was immunogenicity (humoral immune response), measured as the concentration of Ebola virus glycoprotein-specific binding antibodies at 21 days after the second dose. The primary outcome was assessed in all participants who had received at least one dose of study vaccine and had available reactogenicity data, and immunogenicity was assessed in all participants who had received both vaccinations within the protocol-defined time window, had at least one evaluable post-vaccination sample, and had no major protocol deviations that could have influenced the immune response. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02509494. Findings—From April 4, 2017, to July 5, 2018, 576 eligible children or adolescents (192 in each of the three age cohorts) were enrolled and randomly assigned. The most common solicited local adverse event during the 7 days after the first and second dose was injection-site pain in all age groups, with frequencies ranging from 0% (none of 48) of children aged 1–3 years after placebo injection to 21% (30 of 144) of children aged 4–11 years after Ad26.ZEBOV vaccination. The most frequently observed solicited systemic adverse event during the 7 days was headache in the 12–17 years and 4–11 years age cohorts after the first and second dose, and pyrexia in the 1–3 years age cohort after the first and second dose. The most frequent unsolicited adverse event after the first and second dose vaccinations was malaria in all age cohorts, irrespective of the vaccine types. Following vaccination with MenACWY, severe thrombocytopaenia was observed in one participant aged 3 years. No other clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were observed in other study participants, and no serious adverse events related to the Ebola vaccine regimen were reported. There were no treatment-related deaths. Ebola virus glycoprotein-specific binding antibody responses at 21 days after the second dose of the Ebola virus vaccine regimen were observed in 131 (98%) of 134 children aged 12–17 years (9929 ELISA units [EU]/mL [95% CI 8172–12 064]), in 119 (99%) of 120 aged 4–11 years (10 212 EU/mL [8419–12 388]), and in 118 (98%) of 121 aged 1–3 years (22 568 EU/mL [18 426–27 642]). Interpretation—The Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen was well tolerated with no safety concerns in children aged 1–17 years, and induced robust humoral immune responses, suggesting suitability of this regimen for Ebola virus disease prophylaxis in children

Safety and long-term immunogenicity of the two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen in adults in Sierra Leone: a combined open-label, non-randomised stage 1, and a randomised, double-blind, controlled stage 2 trial

Background The Ebola epidemics in west Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo highlight an urgent need for safe and effective vaccines to prevent Ebola virus disease. We aimed to assess the safety and long-term immunogenicity of a two-dose heterologous vaccine regimen, comprising the adenovirus type 26 vector-based vaccine encoding the Ebola virus glycoprotein (Ad26.ZEBOV) and the modified vaccinia Ankara vector-based vaccine, encoding glycoproteins from Ebola virus, Sudan virus, and Marburg virus, and the nucleoprotein from the Tai Forest virus (MVA-BN-Filo), in Sierra Leone, a country previously affected by Ebola. Methods The trial comprised two stages: an open-label, non-randomised stage 1, and a randomised, double-blind, controlled stage 2. The study was done at three clinics in Kambia district, Sierra Leone. In stage 1, healthy adults (aged ≥18 years) residing in or near Kambia district, received an intramuscular injection of Ad26.ZEBOV (5×1010 viral particles) on day 1 (first dose) followed by an intramuscular injection of MVA-BN-Filo (1×108 infectious units) on day 57 (second dose). An Ad26.ZEBOV booster vaccination was offered at 2 years after the first dose to stage 1 participants. The eligibility criteria for adult participants in stage 2 were consistent with stage 1 eligibility criteria. Stage 2 participants were randomly assigned (3:1), by computer-generated block randomisation (block size of eight) via an interactive web-response system, to receive either the Ebola vaccine regimen (Ad26.ZEBOV followed by MVA-BN-Filo) or an intramuscular injection of a single dose of meningococcal quadrivalent (serogroups A, C, W135, and Y) conjugate vaccine (MenACWY; first dose) followed by placebo on day 57 (second dose; control group). Study team personnel, except those with primary responsibility for study vaccine preparation, and participants were masked to study vaccine allocation. The primary outcome was the safety of the Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo vaccine regimen, which was assessed in all participants who had received at least one dose of study vaccine. Safety was assessed as solicited local and systemic adverse events occurring in the first 7 days after each vaccination, unsolicited adverse events occurring in the first 28 days after each vaccination, and serious adverse events or immediate reportable events occurring up to each participant’s last study visit. Secondary outcomes were to assess Ebola virus glycoprotein-specific binding antibody responses at 21 days after the second vaccine in a per-protocol set of participants (ie, those who had received both vaccinations within the protocol-defined time window, had at least one evaluable post-vaccination sample, and had no major protocol deviations that could have influenced the immune response) and to assess the safety and tolerability of the Ad26.ZEBOV booster vaccination in stage 1 participants who had received the booster dose. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02509494. Findings Between Sept 30, 2015, and Oct 19, 2016, 443 participants (43 in stage 1 and 400 in stage 2) were enrolled; 341 participants assigned to receive the Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo regimen and 102 participants assigned to receive the MenACWY and placebo regimen received at least one dose of study vaccine. Both regimens were well tolerated with no safety concerns. In stage 1, solicited local adverse events (mostly mild or moderate injection-site pain) were reported in 12 (28%) of 43 participants after Ad26.ZEBOV vaccination and in six (14%) participants after MVA-BN-Filo vaccination. In stage 2, solicited local adverse events were reported in 51 (17%) of 298 participants after Ad26.ZEBOV vaccination, in 58 (24%) of 246 after MVA-BN-Filo vaccination, in 17 (17%) of 102 after MenACWY vaccination, and in eight (9%) of 86 after placebo injection. In stage 1, solicited systemic adverse events were reported in 18 (42%) of 43 participants after Ad26.ZEBOV vaccination and in 17 (40%) after MVA-BN-Filo vaccination. In stage 2, solicited systemic adverse events were reported in 161 (54%) of 298 participants after Ad26.ZEBOV vaccination, in 107 (43%) of 246 after MVA-BN-Filo vaccination, in 51 (50%) of 102 after MenACWY vaccination, and in 39 (45%) of 86 after placebo injection. Solicited systemic adverse events in both stage 1 and 2 participants included mostly mild or moderate headache, myalgia, fatigue, and arthralgia. The most frequent unsolicited adverse event after the first dose was headache in stage 1 and malaria in stage 2. Malaria was the most frequent unsolicited adverse event after the second dose in both stage 1 and 2. No serious adverse event was considered related to the study vaccine, and no immediate reportable events were observed. In stage 1, the safety profile after the booster vaccination was not notably different to that observed after the first dose. Vaccine-induced humoral immune responses were observed in 41 (98%) of 42 stage 1 participants (geometric mean binding antibody concentration 4784 ELISA units [EU]/mL [95% CI 3736–6125]) and in 176 (98%) of 179 stage 2 participants (3810 EU/mL [3312–4383]) at 21 days after the second vaccination. Interpretation The Ad26.ZEBOV and MVA-BN-Filo vaccine regimen was well tolerated and immunogenic, with persistent humoral immune responses. These data support the use of this vaccine regimen for Ebola virus disease prophylaxis in adults

Late Presentation Of Anencephaly – Psychological Aspects And Implications

The diagnosis of anencephaly can be made as clearly as 11 weeks gestation on ultrasound examination. Termination of pregnancy is advised once the diagnosis is made since anencephaly is not compatible with life. This paper is a case report on the ultrasound diagnosis of anencephaly in a full term pregnancy and the psychological implications. Routine ultrasound is advised at least once during each trimester to avoid late presentation of such gross anomalies, and avoid the psychological trauma that follows termination of pregnancy. When diagnosis of anencephaly is made a team consisting of obstetrician, neonatologist, paediatrician, social worker, geneticist and psychiatrist making up the support system should attend to parents of such babies, to follow them up and help them through the period of mourning which accompanies such problems. These parents may need to be provided with long-term support and counseling, regardless of when the baby is born. Keywords: Anencephaly, Third trimester, Psychological aspects Annals of Biomedical Science Vol. 2 (1) 2003: pp. 59-6

Correlations of Radiographic Findings in Patients with Low Back Pain

Background: Low back pain can cause severe debilitating pain that may lead to loss of productivity. The pain is usually non-specific and imaging request protocols varies. However, physicians may order lumbo-sacral x-ray in the initial radiologic assessment of the patient. This study aims to determine the frequency of occurrence of radiographic findings in patients reporting low back pain including the presence of osteophytes, spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc diseases and determine the relationship with patients′ features including age, sex, marital status, level of education, body mass index and other radiographic findings. Method: Patients who presented at our department for radiographic assessment of the lumbo-sacral spine were voluntarily recruited. Their radiographs were reviewed and questionnaire administered. Height and weight were measured. The radiographic findings were documented and data analysis using Chi square with significant level set at p < 0.05. Result: Lumbo-sacral x-rays of 337 patients were reviewed with more females than males, ratio 1:1.4. Osteophytes were demonstrable in 73.6%; spondylolisthesis, 13.4%; and disc degeneration, 28.2%. Disc degeneration correlated with age, educational status, osteophytosis, osteopenia and spondylolisthesis. Osteophytosis correlated with age, BMI and educational level. While spondylolisthesis correlated with educational level and sex. Conclusion: Osteophytosis was the commonest finding in patients presenting with LBP. Disc degeneration shows a strong association with osteophytosis and spondylolisthesis and it is reported to herald these changes. Radiography still shows some correlations between the findings in LBP and patients′ characteristics

DEVELOPMENT AND MATERIAL OPTIMIZATION OF 0.67HP PETROL GENERATOR CYLINDER BLOCK USING TAGUCHI DESIGN AND FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS

The development of 0.67Hp gasoline generator cylinder block and the material optimization of the component using Taguchi Design and Finite Element Method were carried out successfully. The cylinder block is known to create an avenue for the piston to carry out its reciprocating effect on the crankshaft for onward transmission for the machine output. The designed cylinder block had an engine power of 5.11kw which drove piston through a bore and stroke length of 46.10mm and 51.20mm respectively. The determined clearance volume of 9.46cm3 was contained in a cylinder wall thickness and block length of 3.04mm and 58.88mm respectively. The designed values were found to be in consonance with recommended values obtained in standard engineering text. The developed mathematical model was determined to be adequate with a statistical Coefficient of determination (R2) of 98.62% and the Adjusted coefficient of determination (Adj R2) was found to be 97.79%. The comparison of optimal values developed from the Taguchi design and genetic algorithm optimizations showed that obtained values from both methods were noticed to be very close as only a difference of about 0.0005 existed among the input parameters. The genetic algorithm result was seen as a kind of validation for the Taguchi design optimization. The Finite element analysis result showed that the temperature output result recorded the highest temperature of 100oC  around the cylinderical  bore axis while the lowest temperature of 51.97oC was found on the cooling fins of the component. Keywords: Optimization, Taguchi Design, Genetic Algorithm and Finite Element Analysis. DOI: 10.7176/JIEA/12-1-04 Publication date:March 31st 202