Handgrip strength and body mass index among adolescents in Northern Nigeria

Introduction: Normative data on handgrip strength (HGS) and body mass index (BMI) are scarce among adolescents in the Nigerian context. The aims of this study were to evaluate patterns of HGS in relation to gender and age in Nigerian adolescents and its correlation with BMI.Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 1966 participants (1275 males) and (691 females) aged 12–20 years in Northern Nigeria. Body mass and height were measured. HGS was assessed using a dynamometer.Results: The right HGS (RHGS) was significantly higher than the left HGS (LHGS) (t = 21.337, p < 0.05). There were significant age differences in the RHGS and the LHGS (p < 0.05); however, no significant difference occurs at 12–14 years. Males participants aged 16–20 years had significantly higher RHGS values than females of the same age (p < 0.0038). Conversely, males aged 15–20 years had significantly higher LHGS values than females of the same age (p < 0.0038). There was a significant interaction between gender and age for the RHGS (F = 72.2, p < 0.05) and the LHGS (F = 92.1, p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the BMI and RHGS (r = 0.480, p < 0.01) and the LHGS (r = 0.465, p < 0.01).Conclusion: There are gender and age difference in the HGS of Nigerian adolescents, with the dominance of the RHGS in both genders. HGS correlated with BMI. This normative data on HGS may serve as baseline data for future comparative studies assessing HGS among the adolescent population in Nigeria

Perceived Informatics Competencies among Midwives: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana.

Background: In most recent times, data innovation is a vital component of the medical care sector and allows healthcare authorities to possess primary technological expertise to control and use technology to provide care, as well as computer skills. Midwives are expected to provide quality and efficient care to their clients in this rapid advancement in ICT across the globe hence the need to build the knowledge and skills in the application of ICT. The survey sort to determine the informatics competencies among midwives in some randomly selected health care facilities in the Sunyani Municipality of Ghana. Methods: A quantitative-based cross-sectional study design was used for this inquiry.  Using the quota sampling method, 300 respondents were recruited from six (6) randomly selected health facilities using the electronic data management system in their operations. Results: It was also found out that the majority of the respondents have basic knowledge of computers and their application across the professional ranks totals mean and standard deviation of 4.2, 0.36. There was no significant relationship between informatics competencies across professional ranks and working experience in years of the midwives. Conclusion: It can be concluded that most of the midwives interviewed were in their youthful ages and started practicing with diplomas. We found out that the majority of the midwives have basic knowledge in computers and could apply this knowledge in the performance of basic tasks and also have a fair knowledge and skills in informatics as well. There was no relationship between knowledge and educational level and professional rank. Recommendation: It was, therefore, suggested that the curriculum for midwifery informatics be reviewed to include other advanced programs and periodic organization of training programs or workshops for practicing midwives

Radiological Effects of Iron-Ore Mining and Processing at Itakpe, Kogi State.

Gamma spectroscopy was employed in the analysis of soil samples collected from the mine site, industrial plant site, and mill tailing dumps site of National Iron-Ore mining Project (NIOMP), Itakpe, Kogi State. The mean measured activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra, and 232Th  were 207.6±39.4(ND-515.0), 17.6±2.4(ND-31.5), and 31.7±8.6(ND-118.0)Bqkg-1, respectively, which are all less than the world mean of 370.0, 25.0, and 25 Bqkg-1 for 40K, 226Ra, and 232Th, respectively. The calculated outdoor mean effective doses for the sites were respectively74.8±20.0µSv, 47.0±7.0µSv and 17.0±1.0µSv for industrial plant, mining waste and mill tailing deposit sites. These values are comparable to the control mean value of 74.3±46.2µSv (obtained from unmodified environment soil samples) which in turn is comparable to the world mean of 60µSv, thus suggesting that the mining company does not constitute radiological problem to its workers and the public. The calculated activity index, I, for the company mill tailings is 0.122, the value which is equivalent to an excess gamma dose of 0.122mSv/year over that received outdoors if used as a building material

Developing a Multi-modal Listing Service for Real Estate Agency Practice in Nigeria

Fraudsters posing as real estate agents threaten the reputation of real estate agencies in Nigeria. These fraudsters have continually defrauded unsuspecting members of the public. The major cause of this lapse is due largely to the fact that there is no known platform provided in the country that allows members of the public to verify a given real estate agent. This paper aims to provide support to real estate agency practice in Nigeria by developing a multi-modal listing service for verifying registered real estate agents and to also provide information on real estates available for sale, lease or rent. The requirements for the system were gathered through observation, literature survey and user survey. These requirements were then modelled using the Unified Modelling Language (UML). The system is developed both as a web and mobile application using an open source content management system (WordPress). This paper essentially presents the: requirements gathering process, design and implementation of the multimodal listing service as well as how it compares with other similar services developed elsewhere. The multi-modal listing service developed in this study is a welcome development due to the availability and widespread adoption of the Internet and Internet-enabled mobile devices in Nigeria. The tool can be of use to the National Association of Estate Agents in Nigeria - a body saddled with the responsibility of rebranding the real estate agency profession in Nigeria

Prophylactic effects of Ixora coccinea leaf on the haematological, biochemical, and atherogenic profile in male Wistar rats administered anticancer drug Cisplatin

Background & Aim: This study was aimed at investigating the prophylactic effects of hydroethanolic extract of Ixora coccinea leaf (HEICL) on Cisplatin (cis diamminedichloroplatinum-II, CDDP)-induced alteration in atherogenic, haematological, and biochemical profiles in male Wistar rats Experimental: Thirty male rats were assigned into 6 groups (n=5) in which groups A, B, C, and D received normal saline (0.2 mL), CDDP (10 mg/kg), HEICL at 200 mg/kg, and HEICL at 400mg/kg. Groups E and F received CDDP 10 mg/kg with HEICL at 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg, respectively. Results: The phytochemical analysis of the AEAC revealed the presence of some phytochemical constituents such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, reducing sugar, phenol, resin, and volatile oil. However, glycosides, steroids, and anthraquinone were absent. The Acute toxicity result indicated that HEICL has an LD50 above 5000mg/kg. CDDP caused a significant (P<0.05) decrease in the haematological parameters relative to the control but administration of CDDP with HEICL improved the parameters. CDDP caused a significant (P<0.05) increase in the levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), but a significantly (P<0.05) lower level of HDL. Treatment with CDDP and HEICL significantly (P<0.05) abrogated these CDDP-induced alterations. Similar ameliorative effects of HEICL were found in CDDP-induced alterations in atherogenic indices, such as Castelli's Risk Index I (CRI-1), Castelli's Risk Index II (CRI-II), Atherogenic Coefficient (AC), and Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP) indices relative to the control. Recommended applications/industries: The above study suggests that HEICLmay be useful in treating heart conditions because it protects against CDDP-induced alterations in the haematological, lipid, and atherogenic parameters

Developments of collaboration in planning: what can construction project management learn from other fields?

©2020 IGLC. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://iglc.net/Papers/Details/1753This study seeks to examine how collaboration in planning has developed in the fields of urban planning (UP), software design and lean construction and to present what construction project management can learn from these developments. A critical literature review was adopted to achieve the aim of the study. The study found that the prevailing rational or technical approach to planning is not germane to the construction industry alone. Rather, it exists in various disciplines as seen in the rational comprehensive model (RCM) used in urban planning and the waterfall process model used in software design. The research reveals that the current theory on which construction project management is based cannot provide resources, which people can utilise to develop genuine collaboration in planning among construction stakeholders. To overcome this, the study recommends that construction project management should include the concept of management-asorganising and the ‘Flow’ and ‘Value’ views which can provide resources that can be utilised by people for the smooth running of the production (construction) system as demonstrated in Scrum and the Last Planner System. This study brings new insight and opens a new opportunity on how collaboration could be achieved in construction project management using existing evidence from other fields. Additionally, the study contributes to the discussion on construction management theory that has received less attention

An Exploration of Bitcoin Mining Practices:Miners’ Trust Challenges and Motivations

Bitcoin blockchain technology is a distributed ledger of nodes authorizing transactions between anonymous parties. Its key actors are miners using computational power to solve mathematical problems for validating transactions. By sharing blockchain's characteristics, mining is a decentralized, transparent and unregulated practice, less explored in HCI, so we know little about miners' motivations and experiences, and how these may impact on different dimensions of trust. This paper reports on interviews with 20 bitcoin miners about their practices and trust challenges. Findings contribute to HCI theories by extending the exploration of blockchain's characteristics relevant to trust with the competitiveness dimension underpinning the social organization of mining. We discuss the risks of collaborative mining due to centralization and dishonest administrators, and conclude with design implications highlighting the need for tools monitoring the distribution of rewards in collaborative mining, tools tracking data centers' authorization and reputation, and tools supporting the development of decentralized pools

Effect of early tranexamic acid administration on mortality, hysterectomy, and other morbidities in women with post-partum haemorrhage (WOMAN): an international, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Post-partum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Early administration of tranexamic acid reduces deaths due to bleeding in trauma patients. We aimed to assess the effects of early administration of tranexamic acid on death, hysterectomy, and other relevant outcomes in women with post-partum haemorrhage. Methods In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited women aged 16 years and older with a clinical diagnosis of post-partum haemorrhage after a vaginal birth or caesarean section from 193 hospitals in 21 countries. We randomly assigned women to receive either 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid or matching placebo in addition to usual care. If bleeding continued after 30 min, or stopped and restarted within 24 h of the first dose, a second dose of 1 g of tranexamic acid or placebo could be given. Patients were assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight numbered packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Participants, care givers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. We originally planned to enrol 15 000 women with a composite primary endpoint of death from all-causes or hysterectomy within 42 days of giving birth. However, during the trial it became apparent that the decision to conduct a hysterectomy was often made at the same time as randomisation. Although tranexamic acid could influence the risk of death in these cases, it could not affect the risk of hysterectomy. We therefore increased the sample size from 15 000 to 20 000 women in order to estimate the effect of tranexamic acid on the risk of death from post-partum haemorrhage. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with ISRCTN76912190 (Dec 8, 2008); ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00872469; and PACTR201007000192283. Findings Between March, 2010, and April, 2016, 20 060 women were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive tranexamic acid (n=10 051) or placebo (n=10 009), of whom 10 036 and 9985, respectively, were included in the analysis. Death due to bleeding was significantly reduced in women given tranexamic acid (155 [1·5%] of 10 036 patients vs 191 [1·9%] of 9985 in the placebo group, risk ratio [RR] 0·81, 95% CI 0·65–1·00; p=0·045), especially in women given treatment within 3 h of giving birth (89 [1·2%] in the tranexamic acid group vs 127 [1·7%] in the placebo group, RR 0·69, 95% CI 0·52–0·91; p=0·008). All other causes of death did not differ significantly by group. Hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (358 [3·6%] patients in the tranexamic acid group vs 351 [3·5%] in the placebo group, RR 1·02, 95% CI 0·88–1·07; p=0·84). The composite primary endpoint of death from all causes or hysterectomy was not reduced with tranexamic acid (534 [5·3%] deaths or hysterectomies in the tranexamic acid group vs 546 [5·5%] in the placebo group, RR 0·97, 95% CI 0·87-1·09; p=0·65). Adverse events (including thromboembolic events) did not differ significantly in the tranexamic acid versus placebo group. Interpretation Tranexamic acid reduces death due to bleeding in women with post-partum haemorrhage with no adverse effects. When used as a treatment for postpartum haemorrhage, tranexamic acid should be given as soon as possible after bleeding onset. Funding London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Pfizer, UK Department of Health, Wellcome Trust, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Emergence and spread of two SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest in Nigeria.

Identifying the dissemination patterns and impacts of a virus of economic or health importance during a pandemic is crucial, as it informs the public on policies for containment in order to reduce the spread of the virus. In this study, we integrated genomic and travel data to investigate the emergence and spread of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.318 and B.1.525 (Eta) variants of interest in Nigeria and the wider Africa region. By integrating travel data and phylogeographic reconstructions, we find that these two variants that arose during the second wave in Nigeria emerged from within Africa, with the B.1.525 from Nigeria, and then spread to other parts of the world. Data from this study show how regional connectivity of Nigeria drove the spread of these variants of interest to surrounding countries and those connected by air-traffic. Our findings demonstrate the power of genomic analysis when combined with mobility and epidemiological data to identify the drivers of transmission, as bidirectional transmission within and between African nations are grossly underestimated as seen in our import risk index estimates

A year of genomic surveillance reveals how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic unfolded in Africa.

The progression of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in Africa has so far been heterogeneous, and the full impact is not yet well understood. In this study, we describe the genomic epidemiology using a dataset of 8746 genomes from 33 African countries and two overseas territories. We show that the epidemics in most countries were initiated by importations predominantly from Europe, which diminished after the early introduction of international travel restrictions. As the pandemic progressed, ongoing transmission in many countries and increasing mobility led to the emergence and spread within the continent of many variants of concern and interest, such as B.1.351, B.1.525, A.23.1, and C.1.1. Although distorted by low sampling numbers and blind spots, the findings highlight that Africa must not be left behind in the global pandemic response, otherwise it could become a source for new variants