The direct cost of care among surgical inpatients at a tertiary hospital in south west Nigeria

Introduction: This study was conducted to assess the direct cost of care and its determinants among surgical inpatients at university College Hospital, Ibadan. Methods: A retrospective review of records of 404 inpatients that had surgery from January to December, 2010 was conducted. Information was  extracted on socio-demographic variables, investigations, drugs, length of stay (LOS)and cost of  carewith a semi-structured proforma. Mean cost of care were compared using t-test and Analysis of  variance (ANOVA). Linear regression analysis was used to identify determinants of cost of care. Level of significance of 5% was used. In year 2010 $1 was equivalent to 150 naira ($1=₦ 150).Results: The median age of patients was 30 years with inter-quartile range of 13-42 years. Males were  257(63. 6%). The mean overall cost of care was ₦66,983 ± ₦31,985. Cost of surgery is about 50% of total cost of care. Patient first seen at the Accident and Emergency had a significantly higher mean cost of care of ß = ₦17,207(95% CI: ₦4,003 to ₦30,410). Neuro Surgery (ß=₦36,210), and Orthopaedic Surgery versus General Surgery(ß=₦10,258),and Blood transfusion (ß=₦18,493) all contributed to cost of care significantly. Increase of one day in LOS significantly increased cost of care by ₦2,372. 57. Conclusion: The evidence evaluated here shows that costs and LOS are interrelated. Attempt at reducing LOS will reduce the costs of care of surgical inpatient

Health and Ecological Risks Associated with Heavy Metal Contamination in Surface Soils from Lagos Lagoon Wetlands, Lagos, Nigeria

Wetlands quality and spatial distribution are being threatened by anthropogenic drivers in addition to the emerging threats of climate change. In this study, selected heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in soils from Lagos lagoon wetlands were investigated to assess spatial distribution, ecological and health risks. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using GraphPad 7.0 and SPSS 22.0. Spatial distribution mapping of heavy metals was performed using ArcGIS10.0 (ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA) with Kriging interpolation. Results showed that heavy metals in the soil varied significantly (p<0.05). The contamination factors (CF) were generally low with the values for Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn very low (<1). The CF values for some of the sampling points showed that the soils are generally moderately contaminated by Pb, Cd and Cu. The modified degree of contamination of Pb (2.35) indicates a moderate degree of contamination while that of Cd (12.60) indicates a high degree of contamination of these wetland soils. The potential ecological risk index (RI) of Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu and Zn were 70.40, 2264.40, 0.68, 1.55, 13.65, and 2.29, respectively. The RI for Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu and Zn were less than 100, hence, low, while the RI value of Cd was a very high risk (RI ≥ 400). Soils from this wetland’s areas show serious significant potential ecological risk due to Cd. Additionally, children were more susceptible to the potential health risk irrespective of the carcinogenic or non – carcinogenic risk. There were no significant carcinogenic and non – carcinogenic risks for adults and children. This wetland assessment provided important information for policymaking to reduce the potential effects of soil contamination on humans and the eco-environment

Combating Cybercrime Perpetrated Via Social Media Channels Using Individual Resilience Techniques

Cybercrime is a social vice associated with modern society due to the rapid development of technology. Various studies over the years have shown that there is no society without an element of cybercrime. Cybercrime also has negative economic implications for nations and businesses globally. Over the years, several approaches have been employed to reduce the rate of cybercrime by employing various combating techniques. Hence, this study explores individual resilience techniques used in combating cybercrime perpetrated via social media channels in Abuja. Three goals and research agendas were developed to guide the research toward achieving the stated goal: a review of relevant literature, a qualitative and quantitative survey design involving about seven million, one hundred and ten thousand internet subscribers that use social media in Abuja, and a sample size of four hundred respondents from the study area were selected using the Taro Yamane purposive sampling technique. The respondents’ data were collected using a twelve-item structured questionnaire. Completed instruments of the sample size were analysed using mean values and standard deviations designed using Google Forms. The results showed that identity theft, cyberstalking, malware attacks, and cyber-casing are major cybercrimes perpetrated online by cyber attackers, and these attacks have led to harassment, child exploitation, digital piracy, and intentional damage to individuals’ online reputations. However, anti-malware, outlier detection, password managers, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are various individual resilience techniques social media users can employ to combat cybercrime on social media. Creating more awareness of cybercrime and the various individual resilience techniques required in protecting social media accounts on web-enabled devices and setting up a special task force void of bias to help cybercrime victims regain their assets were recommended

EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM

This study focused on the experimental evaluation of an air-conditioning system of its coefficient of performance. The performance of any vapor compression system is evaluated by the operational coefficient of performance (COP). The aim was to evaluate the effect of parameters that affect the COP of a refrigeration system. Measurements of important operational parameters such as the evaporator and condenser temperatures were studied and measured from the system. Other relevant parameters such as the humidity of both the supply air and that of the space to be conditioned were also studied and measured. Experimental data were generated for 30 days to determine the performance of the air-conditioning system. Performance evaluation of the system was determined in terms of refrigerating capacity and COP. In this present study, the load was estimated, refrigerating effect, work input, and COP was estimated. The estimated results from the experimentation showed that the operational COP of the air-conditioning system range from 3.41 0.02 to 4.98 0.02. Efficiency requirement in Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) for the air- conditioning system was estimated as 9.2. The coefficient of determination, R2 value also showed that the variables being compared have a strong correlation

National health insurance scheme: how protected are households in Oyo State, Nigeria from catastrophic health expenditure?

Background: The major objective of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Nigeria is to protect families from the financial hardship of large medical bills. Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE) is rampart in Nigeria despite the take-off of the NHIS. This study aimed to determine if households enrolled in the NHIS were protected from having CHE. Methods: The study took place among 714 households in urban communities of Oyo State. CHE was measured using a threshold of 40% of monthly non-food expenditure. Descriptive statistics were done, Principal Component Analysis was used to divide households into wealth quintiles. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were done. Results: The mean age of household respondent was 33.5 years. The median household income was 43,500 naira (290 US dollars) and the range was 7,000–680,000 naira (46.7–4,533 US dollars) in 2012. The overall median household healthcare cost was 890 naira (5.9 US dollars) and the range was 10-17,700 naira (0.1–118 US dollars) in 2012. In all, 67 (9.4%) households were enrolled in NHIS scheme. Healthcare services was utilized by 637 (82.9%) and CHE occurred in 42 (6.6%) households. CHE occurred in 14 (10.9%) of the households in the lowest quintile compared to 3 (2.5%) in the highest wealth quintile ( P = 0.004). The odds of CHE among households in lowest wealth quintile is about 5 times. They had Crude OR (CI): 4.7 (1.3–16.8), P = 0.022. Non enrolled households were two times likely to have CHE, though not significant Conclusion: Households in the lowest wealth quintiles were at higher risk of CHE. Universal coverage of health insurance in Nigeria should be fast-tracked to give the expected financial risk protection and decreased incidence of CHE

Exhaust Hydrocarbon Emission Concentration Level in Abeokuta Metropolis, Ogun State, Nigeria: A Case Study of Commercial Motorcycles (Okada)

Transportation, especially the use of 2-stroke motorcycles has been a key contributor to air pollutants, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide alike, mostly in the developing countries. High rate of unemployment amongst the teeming youth population in Nigeria have led to the use of differen

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION, DYNAMICS AND MAPPING OF THE SOIL ORGANIC CARBON AND TOTAL NITROGEN DENSITY ESTIMATES IN LAGOS LAGOON WETLANDS

Accurate estimation of wetland carbon densities is a prerequisite for wetland conservation and implementation of carbon sink enhancement plans. This study was designed to investigate spatial distribution in Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) and Total Nitrogen (TN), and Soil Organic Carbon density (SOCD) and Total Nitrogen  density (TND) stocks in Lagos lagoon wetlands and the influence of other soil physicochemical. The SOC content generally exhibited high seasonal variations for all the sampling points in the wetlands. During wet season it ranges from 12.71±0.15 - 164.995±1.65 g/kg with a coefficient of variation of 40.99%, and dry season ranged from 132.02±3.520 - 383.570±8.43 g/kg with a coefficient of variation of 34.45%. The soil carbon content in the wet season was much lower than the dry season. The total nitrogen content in the wet season ranged from 4.53 – 16.58 g/kg with a COV of 27.96%, while the dry season ranged between 10.16 and 40.31 g/kg with a coefficient of variation of 29.39%.The SOC density of Lagos lagoon wetlands for tops soils ranged from 10.53 to 37.89 kgm−2 with an arithmetic mean of 26.70±1.41 kgm−2 and TND ranged from 0.61 to 2.37 kgm−2 with an arithmetic mean of 1.96±0.09 kgm−2. Pearson correlation reveal a positive correlation between SOC and TN (r=0.643), bulk density and SOC (r=0.344), TN and bulk density (r=0.478) and soil moisture and pH (r=0.085). In the present study, a negative correlation was observed in SOC and pH, and TN and pH. The results suggest that nitrogen content, moisture content and bulk density, which are significantly influenced by vegetation, seasons and topography, are some of the factors affecting their accumulation and seasonal variation. Thus, density of nitrogen and carbon in wetlands are important for soil quality. They also influence the carbon and nitrogen sequestration potential as well as reducing atmospheric CO₂ and mitigating the threat of global warming.Background: Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen are important components of wetland soils; they can greatly influence the wetland ecosystem fertility, quality and productivity. Accurate estimation of wetland carbon densities and pools is aprerequisite for wetland resource conservation and implementation of carbon sink enhancement plans. This study was designed to investigate the dynamics and spatial distribution in Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN), and SOC and TN density stocks in Lagos lagoon wetlands and the influence of other soil physicochemical parameters on them.Results: The SOC content generally exhibited high seasonal variations for all the sampling points in the wetlands. For wet season it ranges from 12.71±0.15 - 164.995±1.65 g/kg with a coefficient of variation of 40.99%, and dry season ranged from 132.02±3.520 - 383.570±8.43 g/kg with a coefficient of variation of 34.45%. The soil carbon content in the wet season was much lower than the dry season. The total nitrogen content in the wet season ranged from 4.53 – 16.58 g/kg with a coefficient of variation of 27.96%, while the dry season ranged between 10.16 and 40.31 g/kg with a coefficient of variation of 29.39%.The SOC density of Lagos lagoon wetlands for tops soils ranged from 10.53 to 37.89 kgm−2 with an arithmetic mean of 26.70±1.41 kgm−2 and TND ranged from 0.61 to 2.37 kgm−2 with an arithmetic mean of 1.96±0.09 kgm−2. Pearson correlation reveal a positive correlation between SOC and TN concentrations (r=0.643), bulk density was positively correlated also with SOC (r=0.344), TN and bulk density (r=0.478) and soil moisture content and pH (r=0.085) were also positively correlated. In the present study, a negative correlation was observed in SOC and pH, and TN and pH. The results suggest that nitrogen content, moisture content and bulk density, which are significantly influenced by vegetation cover and types, seasons and topography, are some of the factors affecting soil organic carbon and nitrogen accumulation and seasonal variation.Conclusion: This study provided an insight in the understanding of the seasonal and spatial distribution of SOC and TN density in the Lagos lagoon wetland. In conclusion, the estimation of the density and storage of nitrogen and organic carbon in the wetlands are important for knowing and maintaining the quality of the soils, and they also influence the carbon and nitrogen sequestration potential of the wetlands as well as reducing atmospheric CO₂ and mitigating the threat of global warming

Preparation and characterisation of biochars from elephant grass and their utilisation for aqueous nitrate removal: Effect of pyrolysis temperature

Staff PublicationBiochar is a solid material obtainable from biomass pyrolysis and useful for pollution alleviation and soil amendment. In this study, Biochars A and B were produced from elephant grass at pyrolytic temperatures of 400 ◦C and 600 ◦C, respectively, for removal of nitrate ion from aqueous solution. The physicochemical characteristics of the biochars were evaluated. The biochars were also characterised using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Operational variables such as pH, contact time, and concentration of nitrate ion were varied and optimum variables were obtained. Kinetic and equilibrium data were subjected to kinetic (pseudo-first order, pseudosecond order, Avrami fractional order, Elovich and intraparticle diffusion) and equilibrium (Langmuir, Freundlich, Liu, and Redlich-Peterson) models, respectively, to elucidate the interaction between the nitrate ion and biochars. The yields of Biochars A and B were 41.40 % and 32.25 %, respectively. The two biochars possessed good cation exchange capacity, water-holding capacity, carbon stability, and porosity. Avrami fractional kinetic order was the best model that explained the kinetic data. Maximum adsorption capacities obtained from Liu model (the best equilibrium model) are 140.7 and 237.5 mg g− 1 for Biochars A and B, respectively. Adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. There was a decrease in the disorderliness in the nitratebiochar system. Biochar B performed better than Biochar A for removal of nitrate ion from water. In summary, the biochars produced from elephant grass excellently removed nitrate ion from solution and could be utilised for water decontamination

Evaluation of patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea in a low-middle income country: Lagos experience

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common chronic disorder that decreases the quality of life of patients. It is an underdiagnosed medical condition in Nigeria. This study aimed to describe the clinical presentations and validate the sleep apnea screening questionnaires with a home sleep study for the diagnosis of patients with suspected OSA seen in Lagos. This was a descriptive cross sectional study carried out on adult patients with suspicion of OSA referred to the Respiratory Clinic of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. A proforma was used to obtain information and also data from home polysomnography was obtained for each patient. We selected 22 patients. The commonest presentations include snoring (20 or 90.9%), daytime somnolence (16 or 72.7%) and choking while sleeping (12 or 54.5%). The commonest comorbidities were hypertension (16 or 72.7%) and obesity (6 or 27.3%). The STOP-Bang  score identified more patients with a high clinical probability for OSA than the Epworth score (20 and 12 patients respectively). Polysomnography showed evidence of sleep apnea in most suspected patients with severity ranging from mild, to moderate to severe disease (3 or 13.6%, 3 or 13.6%, and 10 or 45.5% respectively). The use of combined Epworth and STOP-Bang questionnaires combination is great tool in identifying patients with suspected cases of OSA based on clinical presentations that will eventually benefit in a resource-limited environment like Lagos. There should be increased awareness of the use of this readily available and cheap questionnaire among physicians in Lagos for ease of OSAS diagnosis for many patients

Wireless Sensor Networks: Applications and Challenges

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) allow innovative applications and involve non-conventional models for the design of procedures owing to some limitations. Due to the necessity for low device complication and low consumption of energy, an appropriate equilibrium among communication and signal processing abilities should be instituted. This stimulates an enormous effort in research actions, standardisation procedure, as well as manufacturing investments on this aspect since the preceding years. Therefore, this chapter aims at presenting a summary of WSNs machineries, foremost applications and values, structures in WSNs project, and the developments drawn from some evidence and meta-data-based survey and assessments. Precisely, some applications, such as those based on ecological monitoring, and design approaches that emphasise a real implementation are discussed briefly. The trends and conceivable developments are outlined. Emphasis is given to “the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 technology” that enables several applications of WSNs. Hence, it is anticipated that this chapter would serve as an introductory aspect on the applications and challenges of WSNs for persons interested in WSNs