Development of Bi-modal exercise bicycle for physical fitness and rehabilitation

Exercise bicycles are used for kinesiological activities; to increase general fitness, and for training for cycling events. They are also used for weight loss. The aim of this study is to produce a special exercise bike which allows for both upper and lower limbs pedalling either independently or otherwise. The manufacturing processes employed in the design involved the use of AutoCAD design suite and other production engineering processes which included material selection and acquisition, cutting, welding and drilling. The device was tested for both comfort and effectiveness for cardiac rehabilitation using the rate of heartbeat as the test parameter. A strong positive correlation was found (p<0.001; r=0.962) between the two heart rate tests. An ergonomic evaluation of the bi-modal exercise bike showed 98% suitability of the seat-pedal height with the knee height of the study population and 100% suitability of the seathandle post height with the buttock-knee length of the population. In conclusion, the goal of developing a bi-modal exercise bike that permits simultaneous upper and lower limbs pedalling was realised.Keywords: exercise bicycle; cycling; ergometer; fitness; rehabilitation

Medical mortality in an emergency department in Nigeria: the transition is obvious!

Introduction: The emergency department (ED), a major entry point into the hospital, provides an insight to the type of cases seen, the quality of care and mortality spectrum in a health institution. We aim to identify the spectrum of medical causes of mortality in our ED, the demographic pattern and duration of stay before death. Method: This is a retrospective study that looked at medical mortality in the ED from January 2004 to December 2009. We obtained data on the demographics and causes of death from the medical records and case notes of the deceased. Results: A total of 16587 patients were admitted during the period under review, of these 1262 (7.61%) died in the ED. The male to female ratio was 1.58:1.0 [772 males (61.2%), and 489 females (38.8%)]. Mortality was highest among the 20-45years age range, followed by 46-65 years, >65years and < 20 years in decreasing frequency [589(46.7%), 421(33.4%), 186 (14.8%) and 66(5.2%) respectively]. The three most common causes of death were stroke 315(25%), HIV related illnesses 126(10.0%), and heart failure 123(9.7%). Most deaths occurred less than 24hours of admission, 550(43.6%), followed by one day (36.0%) and two days (10.8%) post admissions respectively. Conclusion: The commonest cause of death in the ED was stroke. The burden of death was highest in the younger age group, with most occurring less than 24 hours of admission

Land Reform For Sustainable Development And Poverty Reduction In Nigeria

Abstract: Land is an asset of enormous importance for billions of rural dweller in the developing world. The nature of property rights and their degree of security vary greatly, depending on competition for land, the degree of market penetration and the broader institutional and political context. Access to it and the ability to exchange it with others and use it effectively are of great importance for poverty reduction, economic growth, and private sector investment as well as for empowering the poor and ensuring good governance. This is where redistributive land reform programmes come in which aim to change the distribution of land within the society, reducing land concentration and promoting more equitable access to and efficient use of land. This paper surveys land reform strategies and the benefits that follows it. Land reform can reduce rural poverty not only by channeling a larger slice of the agricultural income pie to low-income households, but also by increasing the size of the pie by raising land productivity. The Land Use Act of 1978 has created two major classes of individuals-powerful landowners who hold large tracks of land acquired using state apparatus and the near landless who are the real farmers. The Land Use Act has widened the gap between the rich and poor when it comes to access to productive resources -land more especially. It is a threat to poverty reduction as it is now and needs a reform, to reflect the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians. With a supportive policy environment, land reform also can foster a transition to sustainable agriculture, due to the environmental comparative advantages of small farms who adopt better land management practices to keep the land fertile all the time

Grafitos de banheiro: um estudo de diferenças de gênero Restroom graffiti: a study of gender differences

Foram analisadas diferenças de gênero em grafitos de banheiro (N = 1349), focalizando-se aspectos da sexualidade humana. Grafitos foram coletados em banheiros de "cursinhos" pré-vestibulares e de uma universidade, localizados em São Paulo, SP, Brasil. Não foram encontradas diferenças de gênero significativas em termos de freqüência de grafitos sexuais. Contudo, a análise do conteúdo sexual das inscrições revelou diferenças significativas. Foi utilizado o Modelo de Regressão Logística para verificar quais categorias de grafitos sexuais diferenciavam homens de mulheres. Nos "cursinhos", as categorias diferenciadoras foram "analidade" (B: 1,7560, gl = 1, p <= 0,01) e "xingamento" (B: 0,8843, gl = 1, p <= 0,01), temas preferidos pelos homens. Na universidade, as categorias diferenciadoras foram "xingamento" (B: 0,4445, gl = 1, p <= 0,05) e "elogio sexual" (B: -0,7654, gl = 1, p <= 0,05): os homens produziram maior número de xingamentos, enquanto que as mulheres realizaram mais elogios. "Xingamento", portanto, foi uma categoria diferenciadora de gêneros nos dois ambientes: os homens se mostraram mais agressivos que as mulheres ao produzirem grafitos sexuais. Este resultado indica que pode haver alguma relação entre agressividade e sexualidade.<br>Gender differences in restroom graffiti (N = 1349) were analyzed, focusing on aspects of the human sexuality. Graffiti were collected in restrooms from secondary schools ("cursinhos") and from a university, located in São Paulo, SP, Brazil. No significant gender differences were found in terms of frequency of sexual graffiti. However, the analysis of the sexual content of the inscriptions revealed significant differences. We used the Logistic Regression Model to verify the categories of sexual graffiti that differentiated men from women. At the secondary schools, the distinguishing categories were "anality" (B: 1,7560, df = 1, p < .01) and "insult" (B: .8843, df = 1, p < .01), themes preferred by men. At the university, the distinguishing categories were "insult" (B: .4445, df = 1, p < .05) and "sexual compliment" (B: -.7654, df = 1, p < .05): men produced a larger number of insults while women made more compliments. "Insult", therefore, was a category that differentiated genders in both locations: men were more aggressive than women when producing sexual graffiti. This result indicates that there may be some kind of connection between aggressiveness and sexuality