Obstetric outcomes of vaginal birth after caesarean section in Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria

Background: Objective of the study was to review the obstetric outcomes of vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC) in Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BhUTH). Methods: A retrospective review of women planned for VBAC at BhUTH from January, 2020 to December 2021. Variables measured included gestational age at time of delivery, inter-delivery interval, and vaginal delivery before or after primary caesarean section (CS), outcome of labor, indications for repeat CS, neonatal and maternal outcomes. Results: During the study period there were 1535 deliveries and 94 were planned VBAC. Of the 94, 55.3% had a repeat emergency CS while 44.7% had a successful VBAC. Successful VBAC rate was 52.4% in multipara compared to 47.6% in primipara. Repeat CS rate was 34.6% in multips and 65.4% in primaparas. The commonest indication for the repeat CS was failure to progress due to cephalopelvic disproportion, 26.9%, mal-positioning, 25.0%, fetal distress and poor uterine contractions accounted for 13.5% each. Prior vaginal delivery especially a prior VBAC was associated with a higher rate of successful VBAC, 40.5% compared to VBAC rate of 21.4% in those who had a vaginal delivery before the caesarean section. The successful VBAC rate was highest among those weighing 2.5<3.5 kg, 66.7% compared to fetal weight of <2.5 kg and ≥3.5 kg birth weight. Conclusions: The VBAC rate observed is higher than what is obtainable in other centers in our country but is far less than what is obtainable in the developed societies. The maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality are however comparable with the developed societies despite our limited facilities

Preliminary Investigation of the Corrosion Behavior of Proprietary Micro-alloyed Steels in Aerated and Deaerated Brine Solutions

The corrosion performance of fairly new generation of micro-alloyed steels was compared in different concentrations of aerated and deaerated brines. Electrochemical polarization, weight loss and surface analyses techniques were employed. The results showed a threshold of corrosion rate at 3.5 wt.% NaCl in both aerated and deaerated solutions. The average corrosion current density for steel B, for example, increased from 1.3 µA cm¯² in 1 wt.% NaCl to 1.5 µA cm¯² in 3.5 wt.% NaCl, but decreased to 1.4 µA cm¯² in 10 wt.% deaerated NaCl solutions. The aerated solutions exhibited an average of over 80% increase in corrosion current density in the respective concentrations when compared with the deaerated solution. These results can be attributed to the effects of dissolved oxygen (DO) which has a maximum solubility in 3.5 wt.% NaCl. DO as a depolarizer and electron acceptor in cathodic reactions accelerates anodic metal dissolution. The difference in carbon content and microstructures occasioned by thermo-mechanical treatment contributed to the witnessed variation in corrosion performance of the steels. Specifically, the results of the various corrosion techniques corroborated each other and showed that the corrosion rate of the micro-alloyed steels can be ranked as CR[Steel A] < CRₓ₆₅ < CR[Steel B] < CR[Steel C]

Solar Energy: Incentives to Promote PV in EU27

The growth in the use of renewable energies in the EU has been remarkable. Among these energies is PV. The average annual growth rate for the EU-27 countries in installed PV capacity in the period 2005-2012 was 41.2%. While the installed capacity of PV has reached almost 82 % of National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) targets for the EU-27 countries for 2020, it is still far from being used at its full potential. Over recent years, several measures have been adopted in the EU to enhance and promote PV. This paper undertakes a complete review of the state of PV power in Europe and the measures taken to date to promote it in EU-27. 25 countries have adopted measures to promote PV. The most widespread measure to promote PV use is Feed- in Tariffs. Tariffs are normally adjusted, in a decreasing manner, annually. Nevertheless, currently, seven countries have decided to accelerate this decrease rate in view of cost reduction of the installations and of higher efficiencies. The second instrument used to promote PV in the EU-27 countries is the concession of subsidies. Nevertheless, subsidies have the disadvantage of being closely linked to budgetary resources and therefore to budgetary constraints. In most EU countries, subsidies for renewable energy for PV are being lowered. Twelve EU-27 countries adopted tax measures. Low-interest loans and green certificate systems were only sparingly used

Text and Tune in Nigerian Solo Folk Song Arrangements: A Performer's Perspective on the Creativity, Limitations and New Directions

Nigeria stocks some amount of art music compositions for different media. Of these creative works vocal compositions dominates. Within the large number of vocal works however, very few works are for solo voices of different ranges. In addition, of the solo vocal works by Nigerian composers, creative arrangements of existing folk songs drawn from oral compositions of different Nigerian sub-cultures form a large part. In these folk song arrangements, text is indispensable, such that it weighs heavily on the creative aspects of the music that goes with it. The &ldquo;constraining&rdquo; role of the meaning of text seems to be accepted to be a limitation to creative exploration of the text and tune in most solo voice arrangements from Nigerian composers. The dependence of the composers on syllabic text setting of folk songs for their solo arrangements seems to suggest a degree of reluctance to explore the expressive aspects of the words or the music in their creative out puts or lack of awareness of the potentials of the texts and tunes of such folk songs for creative development. What exists are folk song arrangements that feature syllabic text or neumatic text settings almost exclusively. Very little has been done to explore the creative potentials of the songs as art music compositions similar to what obtains in the Western art music. This has resulted to creative limitations on the part of the composers and the performers alike. This paper takes a critical look at the folk song arrangements by Nigerian composers and their creative explorations/developments of the texts and tunes. Drawing from selected works of some Nigerian composers, the paper discusses the creative utilization of folk songs by Nigerian composers in their current state, the creative limitations for the performer as well as some creative directions for the development of high-level/advanced Nigerian solo songs at par with the performance abilities of professional soloists. Analytical samples would be provided where necessary to illuminate the point being made. A combination of analytical and library research methods was used in this paper