Behavioral Modification: A Preventive Approach towards Reducing the Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Behavioral risk factors such as poor dietary choices and substance abuse play a significant role in the development of cardiovascular disease. This brief review focuses on behavioral modification as an approach to prevent cardiovascular disease risk factors and reduce the overall prevalence of cardiovascular disease. Keywords: cSardiovascular disease, cardiovascular disease risk factors, behavioral modification. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/112-02 Publication date: December 31st 202

Patient Information Privacy and Security Policy: A Brief Analysis

This review provides a summary of the patient information privacy and security policy. Covered entities are entrusted with the responsibility to safeguard the integrity of patient information, with a particular emphasis on protecting Protected Health Information (PHI). HIPAA's rules play a crucial role in ensuring the protection of PHI through strict enforcement. The review also highlights certain limitations to the HIPAA rules. Furthermore, an assessment of the patient information privacy and security policy is conducted using the "Five E Model" of policy analysis. Keywords: Policy, PHI, HIPPA, HITECH, privacy rule, security rule DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/112-03 Publication date: December 31st 202

Economic Meltdown: Effect on Engineering Education in Nigeria

This study is an analysis of the impact of the current global economic meltdown on engineering education in Nigeria. Economic meltdown means economic recession.  Engineering education is one of the surest ways for thorough capacitation and developing countries, to reduce poverty and create opportunities for our young people.  One of the immediate effects of economic meltdown on organization is the inability of organization to maintain the current productive capacity owing to inadequate capital.  As a result of this, many companies are either downsizing of personnel and operations or closing down.  The Global economic meltdown has also impacted negatively on government’s ability to meet their obligations.  We have seen governments cutting expenditure and this sometimes includes expenditure on education.  This in turn has adverse effect on engineering education.  Since subvention, from the government is been reduced.  On the long run, there will be inadequate funding, escalation of cost of importing engineering equipment, reduced funding from foreign donors, absence of loan facilities due to distress in the banking sector and inadequate training of personnel.  These may lead to inadequate technical manpower, negative socio-economic effects and general loss of values.  In order to avoid this unpleasant situation, institutions need alternative systems of funding’.  This could come through autonomy, Introduction of innovative strategy and approaches, updating the curriculum with critical needs and available funding and good planning. Key Words: Economic meltdown, engineering education, productive capacity, control measures, funding, equipment, foreign donors, technical manpower

Impacts of Households’ Prior Experience on Current Housing Satisfaction: A Study of Selected Estates in Lagos, Nigeria

Researchers in housing satisfaction mostly limit selection of research variables to current on-site parameters of the housing environment. Thus, variables perceived as not having explicit relationships with overall housing satisfaction are often relegated. However, users’ current satisfaction ratings are usually influenced by such relegated background variables, including user’s prior-experience in erstwhile housing environments. This paper explores the prospects of users’ housing background experience in influencing the build-up to determining current levels of satisfaction. The survey utilised structured selfadministered questionnaires on a sample of 572 households in selected estates in the study area. The retrieved 283 were edited and analysed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19. Housing relative satisfaction indices were calculated for the respective estates first from mathematical formula and then compared with mean scores. A hypothesis was tested with Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation to establish a significant relationship between Satisfaction with Prior Housing Environment (SATPRIORHSE) and current Overall Housing Relative Satisfaction (OVERALLHRSAT). A further test with one-way ANOVA confirmed the outcome of the earlier test. The study revealed positive correlation of though, low coefficient of +0.281, between SATPRIORHSE and OVEARALLHRSAT. This was significant at the 0.01 (2-tailed) level. This analysis showed a significant relationship between the respondents’ prior housing and the recorded level of housing satisfaction in the current estates. The respondents who experienced various levels of low-satisfaction with their former housing recorded higher rates of satisfaction with current housing in the estates, than those who had better prior experiences. The research underscores the relevance of ‘prior experience’ variable in assessment of current housing satisfaction levels. When rigorous financial analysis is involved, an underplay of such variable could lead to wrong conclusions, with misapplication of research outcomes accompanied by serious financial implications. The user’s prior-experience determines the housing norms on which satisfaction is premised

Impacts of Households’ Prior Experience on Current Housing Satisfaction: A Study of Selected Estates in Lagos, Nigeria

Researchers in housing satisfaction mostly limit selection of research variables to current on-site parameters of the housing environment. Thus, variables perceived as not having explicit relationships with overall housing satisfaction are often relegated. However, users’ current satisfaction ratings are usually influenced by such relegated background variables, including user’s prior-experience in erstwhile housing environments. This paper explores the prospects of users’ housing background experience in influencing the build-up to determining current levels of satisfaction. The survey utilised structured selfadministered questionnaires on a sample of 572 households in selected estates in the study area. The retrieved 283 were edited and analysed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19. Housing relative satisfaction indices were calculated for the respective estates first from mathematical formula and then compared with mean scores. A hypothesis was tested with Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation to establish a significant relationship between Satisfaction with Prior Housing Environment (SATPRIORHSE) and current Overall Housing Relative Satisfaction (OVERALLHRSAT). A further test with one-way ANOVA confirmed the outcome of the earlier test. The study revealed positive correlation of though, low coefficient of +0.281, between SATPRIORHSE and OVEARALLHRSAT. This was significant at the 0.01 (2-tailed) level. This analysis showed a significant relationship between the respondents’ prior housing and the recorded level of housing satisfaction in the current estates. The respondents who experienced various levels of low-satisfaction with their former housing recorded higher rates of satisfaction with current housing in the estates, than those who had better prior experiences. The research underscores the relevance of ‘prior experience’ variable in assessment of current housing satisfaction levels. When rigorous financial analysis is involved, an underplay of such variable could lead to wrong conclusions, with misapplication of research outcomes accompanied by serious financial implications. The user’s prior-experience determines the housing norms on which satisfaction is premised

Identifying Current User-Characteristics Influencing Housing Preferences in a Proposed Low-Income Estate Redevelopment in Lagos, Nigeria

Having fallen into disrepair, the Lagos State Development and Property and Property Corporation (LSDPC), Nigeria was to redevelop the studied low-income housing estate, which it built in early 1980s. This study highlights current users’ characteristics which exhibit relationship with their housing preferences in the eventual redevelopment, for enhanced satisfaction. To achieve this aim, the study identified current users’ characteristics and examined the degree of their correlation in satisfaction with some established domains of the housing environment, with a view to assessing those, which determine current dissatisfaction ratings and by implication shape housing preferences in the envisaged redevelopment programme. The research is correlational. The survey utilised structured Likert-scale questionnaires to collect data from systematically sampled 142 of the 714 households. Housing environment research variables were established in three domains; ‘infrastructures, ‘building features’, and ‘management’. Pearson Correlation Analysis was utilised, due to the nature of data, to test the relationship between selected user characteristics and level of satisfaction/dissatisfaction with selected elements of the domains. The resultant correlation coefficients were further corroborated with crosstabulations of selected user characteristics against the domain factors. The study revealed residents’ assessment of current state of infrastructure, building features and management services as poor, in parts. The factors which exhibited relationship with users’ preferences were found to include ‘tenure status’ and ‘length of stay’ in the estate. The others were ‘family size/structure’ and ‘age’ of household heads. With building features constituting prime and rigid attributes of the housing environment, an appreciation of these factors would guide public policy on user needs and perceptions for enhanced satisfaction and pre-emption of user activism attributable to user-group dynamics, hereafter. Broadly, the study recommended amelioration of identified areas of user dissatisfaction with Infrastructures in ensuing redevelopment. For building features, the study recommended improvement, in addition to proactive home-ownership allotee profiling system to embrace identified user characteristics in future projects

Development of Shunt Active Power Filter for Harmonic Reduction using Synchronous Reference Frame with Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation

The work aims at development of Shunt Active Power Filter (SAPF) for harmonic reduction. The current harmonics are being caused by nonlinear characteristic of power electronics based equipments which increase power losses and in turn reduce power quality. Synchronous Reference Frame (SRF) was used as a control strategy and for reference harmonic current generation and Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation (SVPWM) was adopted as switching signal generation. With RL load under balanced input voltage condition, the developed SAPF-SVPWM achieved a reduction of THD of 0.91% as compared to 25.60 before compensation. In addition, the developed SAPF- SVPWM model was compared with SAPF without compensation using RL load under unbalanced voltage and the result shows that the developed SVPWM achieved reduction in THD of 1.74 % as compared to 26.68% after and before compensation. The developed SVPWM model was also compared with SPWM balanced and unbalanced voltage condition. The results show that SVPWM performed better than SPWM. All the results obtained are within IEEE 519 harmonics standard (i.e. THD less than 5%) with nonlinear load under balanced and unbalanced voltage. Keywords: Shunt active filter, input voltage, harmonics, space vector pulse width modulation, nonlinear load

Symmetrical peripheral gangrene in a child following severe malaria with concomitant sepsis

Symmetrical peripheral gangrene (SPG) is a welldocumented but rare clinical syndrome characterized by symmetrical distal ischemic damage  leading to gangrene of two or more sites in the absence of large vessel obstruction or vasculitis. The aetiological factors responsible for SPG are vast and it could follow many common diseases such as malaria. This is a report of a 9month old child who developed symmetric peripheral gangrene following severe malaria (severe anaemia) and sepsis. Gangrene involved the 2nd to the 5thdigits and 3rd and 4thdigits of the left and right hands and all the toes. Autoamputation of the affected digits followed several weeks after discharge and was limited to the distal  interphalangeal joints. There is the need for a high index of suspicion, early detection and prompt management of patients with disorders associated with SPG in order to limit the risk of permanent disability in otherwise treatable diseases. Key words: peripheral, gangrene, malaria, chil

THE STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS OF GLULAM AND BOLT- LAMINATED BEAM

This research presents the strength characteristics of Glulam and Bolted Beam timber specimens. The most common connection method in timber construction is the nail. It is imperative to explore other methods such as glue and bolt in order to avert the disadvantages of nails such as labour intensive and increase in cost. Experimental investigation was carried out on three selected Nigeria timbers; Ceiba Pentandra, Terminalia ivorensis and Tectona grandis. The specimen was prepared in sizes as either glued, bolted or solid connection. Moisture content, density, compression parallel and perpendicular to grain and flexural tests were carried out in the laboratory. The glulam beam specimen; Ceiba Pentandra, Terminalia ivorensis and Tectona grandis showed some positive potentials for application than the bolt-laminated beam connection. It was concluded that bolted connection can be improved by increasing bolt sizes and connection points

Assessment of Quality Assurance Programs for Conventional X-Ray Equipment in Kano Metropolis

Background: Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) measures are essential in maintaining X-ray equipment in order to provide accurate diagnostic information to the referring physician, as well as guarantees that machines will emit appropriate levels of radiation at all times.Aim: The study aims to assess the quality assurance programmes of diagnostic X-ray equipment in government hospitals and private diagnostic centers in Kano metropolis, Nigeria. Material and methods: Twenty-two semi-structured questionnaires were administered to consenting radiographers working in Kano metropolis. The questions asked include; availability of the quality assurance committee, types of quality control tests conducted on the equipment, personnel responsible for the tests and, personnel to which the results of the tests were submitted. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics: frequency, mean and percentages from SPSS version 16.0. Results: Nineteen questionnaires (86%) were returned with only 3 (15.4 %) of the respondents indicating availability of QA committee in their departments. Seven (38.5 %) indicated there were QC measures in their departments and 11 (60 %) have some quality control tests being conducted. However, only 15 (76.9 %) indicated that maintenance service was conducted on their equipment, while 11 (60 %) indicated that they kept records of past services. No centre had a Radiation Safety Officer or QA Officer.Conclusion: Findings demonstrate poor quality assurance program in most X-ray facilities in Kano metropolis. It is recommended that X-ray centres should have quality assurance committee and routine quality control tests should be performed on the equipment