Uterovaginal prolapse: the sociodemographic profile and reproductive health service uptake in a low resource setting, Calabar, Nigeria

Background: Uterovaginal prolapse is a common gynaecological condition in low resource countries because of high prevalence of grand multiparity, low skilled attendant at delivery and low contraceptive usage. Objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, sociodemographic profiles, utilization of reproductive health services and delay in seeking medical care of patient with uterovaginal prolapse in Calabar, Nigeria.Methods: This was a retrospective study of women who presented with uterovaginal prolapse at University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria between 1st May 2009 and 1st June 2019. Patients case records were retrieved and analyzed. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 22.Results: The prevalence of genital prolapse was 0.3%. The mean age and parity were 60.19±8.71 years and 6.31±2.80, respectively. The mean duration of symptoms before presentation was 3.19±2.16 years. Genital prolapse was commonest among age group 60-79 years (52.8%), parity 5-9 (66.7%), post-menopausal (97.2%), primary education (55.6%) and farmers (47.2%). Grade 3 uterovaginal prolapse was the commonest grade (58.3%). Most patients (86.1%) had symptoms of genital prolapse for less than 5 years before seeking medical treatment. The majority of patients had no antenatal care during their pregnancies (80.6%), no skilled attendant at deliveries (86.1%) and no contraceptive use during their reproductive years (77.8%). Participants with lower parity (1-4) (p=0.03), higher educational level (p˂0.001) and teachers/civil servants (p=0.043) presented earlier (less than 1 year) to the hospital.Conclusions: There is poor utilization of reproductive health services among women who develop uterovaginal prolapse in study environment. Women with higher social status sought for help earlier. Increasing awareness of this condition and providing antenatal care, skilled birth attendants and contraceptive services will reduce the burden of this condition.

Effective Supply Chain Management: A Strategic Tool for Profitability Enhancement in the Competitive Marketing Environment (An Empirical Evidence in the Nigerian Food and Beverage Industry 2005 - 2014)

To compete successfully in today’s fierce and challenging business environment, companies need to focus on supply chain management components that have impact in enhancing profitability. The study examined Effective Supply Chain Management: A Strategic tool for Profitability Enhancement in the Competitive Marketing Environment ( An Empirical Evidence in the Nigerian Food and Beverage Industry 2005-2013). The problem x-rayed here stems from the huge cost burden and poor performance of industries in Nigeria which was made manifest by its low Profit After Tax and poor contribution of 6% to the Gross Domestic product (GDP) and also holding the fact that many firms have gone extinct from the marketing environment and only four companies (Honeywell flour mills Plc, Flour mills of Nigeria Plc, Northern Nigeria Flour Mill Plc and Lafarage Dangote Flour Mill Plc) control 50% of the entire flour mills market share among the 22 surviving firms. The major objective of this study is examining the relationship between Supply Chain Management cost components and Profitability of Food and  Beverage industry in Nigeria and their impact on firm’s survival as measured by the Profit After Tax (PAT) and other source document. Specifically, the objectives were to; examine the nature of relationship existing between supply chain management and profitability of the flour mills, ascertain if the volume of Goods in Transit affects the profitability of the flour mills and ascertain the supply chain management strategy/model adopted by the selected flour mills. Data collected from Annual reports of various issues were analyzed using inferential statistics such as Pearson correlation model and simple regression analysis. The results of the findings showed firms after investing heavily in their supply chain component does not  reflect significantly in their profitability. The study concludes that there is a significant relationship between Effective SCM and Profitability growth, that to ensure sustainable supply chain management operation which will ensure increased profitability in the industrial sector, Supply Chain operational inefficiencies ultimately will have adverse effects upon profits. Turning the situation round, difference in the efficiency of the inventory control for a given level of flexibility affects the level of investment required in inventory. The less efficient is the inventory control, the greater is the investment required. Excessive investment in inventories increase cost and reduce profits, thus, the effects of inventory control of flexibility and on level of investment required in inventories represent two sides of the same coin. This will also help in reducing the high cost burden which lies on the ability to reduce production cost Various recommendations were made which includes that production firms should adopt the SCM integration model that was specified in the study, to become competitive strategic weapon in such a way that it enhances their sales and profitability and also should adopt the Supply chain strategy/models that was developed in this study as it will best align with their operations and target customers, supply chain operations must abandon fragmented approaches

The Effect of Strategic Supply Chain Management on the Profitability of Flour Mills in the Sub-Saharan Africa (2005 - 2013)

To compete successfully in today’s fierce and challenging business environment, companies need to focus on supply chain management components that have impact in enhancing profitability. The study examined the effect of strategic supply chain management on the profitability of Flour Mills in the Sub-Saharan Africa (2005-2013). The problem x-rayed here stems from the huge cost burden on production firms in the sub-Saharan African region and their subsequent poor performance. The industry is marred by low profit margin as a result of high cost burden, as such the ability of the company to reduce production cost while increasing product output would largely determine profitability.  The major objective of this study is examining the effect of strategic Supply Chain Management on Profitability of Flour Mills in the Sub-Saharan African Region as measured by the Profit After Tax (PAT) and other source document. Specifically, the objectives were to; Determine the trend and level of profitability of the flour mills, Ascertain the Strategic supply chain management model adopted by the selected flour mills, Examine the effect of supply chain management cost components on the profit of the flour mills. Data collected from Annual reports of various issues were analyzed using inferential statistics such as Time trend model, Multiple and simple regression analysis. The results of the findings showed some firms in the region still see strategic supply chain management as a novel theory and as such does not reap its full benefits. Their huge investment in their supply chain component does not  reflect significantly in their profitability. The study concludes that all round development in the industrial sector (Flour mills) is possible with the integration of sound supply chain variables and exploitation of knowledgeable human resources and as well as adopting a sound supply chain management strategy/model. In Nigeria just like every other nation in the globe, when firms reaches the peak of their maturity stage in their life cycle, it starts experiencing stunted growth in terms of their profitability trend. Various recommendations were made which includes that Production firms should integrate their supply chain management operations efficiently in such a way that it enhances their sales and profitability and also should strive to create a Strategic Supply Chain system that will create value and manage risk for their numerous customers from origination and processing, to logistics and distribution, with the changing economic and political environment, emerging technology versus global competition and changing nature of supply chain management, to become competitive strategic weapon, supply chain operations must abandon fragmented approaches, the companies should shorten internal lead times and make them more predictable and repeatable and also reduce the volume of work-in-progress inventories from months of supply to days and that firms should strive to implement Just-in-time delivery strategies for their most costly component materials and also drastic reduction in the setup times, as this will substantially reduce indirect cost and improve the use of resources

Development of SMAP Mission Cal/Val Activities

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission is a NASA directed mission to map global land surface soil moisture and freeze-thaw state. Instrument and mission details are shown. The key SMAP soil moisture product is provided at 10 km resolution with 0.04cubic cm/cubic cm accuracy. The freeze/thaw product is provided at 3 km resolution and 80% frozen-thawed classification accuracy. The full list of SMAP data products is shown

Fostering Application Opportunites for the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission

The NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Mission will provide global observations of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state from space. We outline how priority applications contributed to the SMAP mission measurement requirements and how the SMAP mission plans to foster applications and applied science

The Age and Sex Incidence of Keloids / Hypertrophic Scars in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State from 2001-2006

Hypertrophic scars and keloids have been seen to occur frequently among burnt and accident patients. Keloids and hypertrophic scars result from excessive collagen deposition. They are dermal fibro proliferative disorders unique humans and occur as a complication of healing of wounds following trauma, inflammation, surgery, burns and sometimes occur spontaneously. Clinically, these scars can be disfiguring functionally and aesthetically or both. A retrospective study of patients with keloids and hypertrophic scars was carried out in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) using medical records of 41 patients that were diagnosed and / or treated. Sex, age, provisional diagnosis, manifestations and treatment procedures were extracted from their folders. The result of the study was statistically analyzed which revealed that keloids and hypertrophic scars increase with years and occur a little more in females than in males (M:F ratio = 48.8%:51.2%). The age range that was mostly affected was 15 to 45 years. Keywords: keloid, hypertrophic scar, sex, age, trib

Serum adiponectin and metabolic profile in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome in relation to body mass index

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a common endocrine disorder which affects approximately 5-10% of women in reproductive age. It is both a reproductive endocrinopathy and a metabolic disorder.Methods: 160 women aged 18 to 40 years attending obstetrics and gynaecology clinic at Federal medical centre, Owerri, Imo State Nigeria were recruited and divided into 2 groups (women diagnosed with PCOS using Rotterdam criteria and control) of 80 participants each. Anthropometric data were collected, and participants categorized into 3 based on BMI. Fasting blood samples was collected for biochemical analyses. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS version 23.0, and level of significance set at p<0.05.Results: The mean serum levels of adiponectin and high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) were significantly lower while fasting plasma glucose, serum insulin, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL-C) and triglyceride were significantly higher in women with PCOS when compared with the control (p<0.05) as well as in obese when compared with normal weight women with PCOS (p<0.05). BMI negatively correlated with serum adiponectin and HDL-C, but positively correlated with FPG, insulin, HOMA-IR, TC, TG, LDL-C and VLDL-C in women with PCOS (p<0.05).Conclusions: This study highlights the prevalent biochemical and metabolic derangements in PCOS patients and was more evident in the obese and overweight patients. Early detection with subsequent application of preemptive measures including lifestyle modifications are therefore essential in the management of PCOS patients

Experiences in Management of Pott's Paraplegia and Paraparesis in Medical Wards of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria

Background: Pott's disease refers to spinal tuberculosis, which commonly leads to a gradual onset of neurological deficit that are difficult to diagnose at the early stage. Method: The study was a combination of retrospective and prospective study. Information was obtained using a predesigned protocol. Diagnosis was based on clinical features and plain spinal x-ray. Anti-tuberculous therapy was instituted in all patients for a minimum of 18 months. Monitoring of neurological status was done weekly. Results: There were 92 patients made up of 71 males (77.2%) and 21 females (22.8%) with a male: female ratios of 3.4:1. 53.3% were paraplegic while 46.7% were paraparetic. The age group 31-40 years was the most affected. 43.5% of the patients were farmers who formed the majority. Back pain, weight loss, paraplegia and paraparesis in that order were the common clinical features. 25% of the patients recovered full use of their lower limbs at the end of the study. Thoracic spine and lumbar spine were equally involved (41.5% respectively) while thoraco-lumbar spine was involved in 15.1% of patients. Cervical spine was only involved in 1.9% of the patients. Conclusion: Effective management of spinal tuberculosis should be a teamwork involving the physician, orthopedic surgeon, neurosurgeon as well as the radiologist. The rural populace needs to be educated to prevent late complications and ensure better prognosis.Contexte: La maladie Pott fait r\ue9f\ue9rence \ue0 tuberculose spinal qui m\ue8ne g\ue9n\ue9ralement g\ue0 un d\ue9but progressif de d\ue9ficit nuerologique qui sont difficile \ue0 diagnostiquer dans son \ue9tape de commencement. M\ue9thode: L'\ue9tude \ue9tait une combinaison retropective et prospective. Les informations sont obtenues en utilisant un protocole pr\ue9con\ue7u. Le diagnostic est bass\ue9 sur les traits cliniques et une radiographie spinal simple. La th\ue9rapie anti-tuberculose a \ue9t\ue9 instituer chez tous les malades durant 18mois au minimum. Le monitoring de l'\ue9tat nuerologique \ue9t\ue9 fait chaque semaine. Resultats: Il y avait 92 malades compris de 71 hommes (72.2%) et 21 femmes (22.8%) avec la proportion hommes : femmes de 3.4 :1. 53.3% sont parapl\ue9giqques alors que 46.7% sont parapar\ue9tiques. La tranche d' \ue2ge de 31-40 ans sont les plus affect\ue9s. 43.3% des malades sont des fermier qui font la majorit\ue9. Les maux aux reins, la maigreur, la parapl\ue9gie et la parapar\ue9sie, dans cette ordre sont les traits medicales commun. 25% des malades ont recouvr\ue9 l'usage complet de leurs membres bas \ue0 la fin de l'\ue9tude. L'epine thora\ue7ique et l'epine de dos inf\ue9rieurs sont \ue9galement inclus (respectivement 41.5%) tandis que l'epine thoraco de dos inf\ue9rieurs sont inclus en 15.1% malades. L'epine cervicale \ue9tait seulement inclus en 1.9% de malades. Conclusion: La gestion efficace de la tuberculose spinal doit \ueatre une collaboration entre le m\ue9decine, le chirurgien orthop\ue9diste, le neurohirurgien, aussi que le radiologue. Les paysans doivent \ueatre instruit pour emp\ueacher les complication tardive et assurer un bon pronostic

Capabilities of Universities in Achieving the Agricultural Transformation Agenda in Nigeria: Evidence from Climate Change Study in Southeast, Nigeria

The study examined the capabilities of universities in combating the problems of climate change towards increased food production. A total sample size of 79 respondents selected from universities in Southeast, Nigeria was used. Data were collected with the use of questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics including percentage and factor analysis. All (100%) the respondents had no capability in acquiring machines and equipment needed for teaching and conducting researches on climate change. Majority (85%) of the respondents had no capability in terms of human resource development with regards to climate change. Funding/manpower (0.657), organizational (0.575) and weak policy (0.565) related factors influenced the development of the capabilities of the respondents. For a successful agricultural transformation that will not be marred by the negative impact of climate change, the study recommends that the Federal Government of Nigeria should provide adequate funding to the universities in order to enhance the development of their capabilities in acquiring machines and other things needed for the teaching and research in climate change related issues. Also, bodies concerned should provide regular in-service training for respondents in other to promote human resource needed for tackling climate change issues