Effect of Computerized Maintenance Management System on a Cement Production Plant

This study evaluated effect of Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) on a cement production plant. The materials used included a Computer and Networking system and maintenance software. Preliminary study of plant assets was carried out to identify critical plant assets and key performance indicators such as Plant Reliability Factor (RF), Number of Stoppage for Incidents (NSI) and Production Losses (PL) in 2013. The CMMS software implementation in 2015 used the data obtained. The result obtained from this implementation showed that the RF (%) for Limestone Crusher (LC), Cement Mill (CM) and Kiln were 46, 76, 86; 51, 79, 88; 59, 88, 92 in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively. The corresponding NSI for the three plants were 824, 472, 82; 788, 462, 56; 431, 420, 46 in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively. The Production Losses for the whole plant were $22.54m,$21.587m and $19.365m in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively

COVID-19 Pandemic: Perception, Practices and Preparedness in Nigeria

Since Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 30th of January, 2020. Nigeria, with 343 cases and 10 deaths as at April 14, 2020 is classified as one of the countries at high risk of importation of the disease from China. The ability to limit and control local transmission after importation depends on the application and execution of strict measures of detection, prevention and control. The initial response of some percentage of the population was of doubt due to the ignorance of the far-reaching effect of the virus. More than 1,700 leaders of religious groups and communities in all 36 States and FCT were therefore sensitized to increase awareness level and consequences of COVID-19 among the populace. Major response activities were initiated before the first case was reported and were upgraded within weeks after the number of cases began to rise. Based on previous experience of perception, and awareness of other viral disease outbreaks, COVID-19 infection prevention and control interventions recommended by WHO are yet to be fully entrenched in the Nigerian public health system in order to reduce the general risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 from infected individuals. There is therefore the need to execute strict measures of detection, prevention and control and drive compliance with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and WHO guidelines in Nigeria

Prevalence of obesity and ethno-geographic variation in body sizes of Nigerians with type 2 diabetes mellitus - a multi-centre study

BACKGROUND: Excess weight gain is common in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) but little is known about its ethno-geographic variation among the Nigerian populace. We aimed to report the prevalence and regional variation of overweight/obesity among subjects with type 2 DM in all the six geo-political regions of Nigeria.METHOD: Basic demographic and anthropometric data were consecutively collected from patients with type 2 DM attending out-patient clinics of seven designated teaching hospitals in the six geographic regions of the country using a pre-agreed method of measurement of anthropometry including waist circumference. The study was hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional in design. Body Mass Index (BMI) was categorised using the WHO criteria. Based on recommendations of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) cut-off values for waist circumference, values >94 cm and > 80 cm were taken as abnormal for men and women respectively.RESULTS: A total of 709 subjects with DM comprising 378 (53.3%) females and 331 (46.7%) males (female: male ratio 1:1.14) with an overall mean age (SD) of 51.9 (13.9) years were evaluated. The prevalence of excess body weight among Nigerian subjects with type 2 DM was: peripheral (417 or 58.8%) and abdominal obesity (449 or 63.3%). Also, there was a significant wide variation in excess weight gain (both peripheral and central) across ethno-geographic regions (p=0.001) and between both sexes (p=0.001). In both peripheral and abdominal obesities, whether intra or inter centres, the female subjects with type 2 DM demonstrated relatively higher proportions of anthropometric measures. Generally, subjects from south-south and south-east Nigeria had higher BMI and abdominal obesity compared to those from south-west who had the lowest. The female subjects with type 2 DM were heavier peripherally and centrally compared to their male counterparts.CONCLUSION: The prevalence of peripheral and central obesity among Nigerians living with type 2 DM (especially the female subjects) is unacceptably high. Additionally, there is a wide variation in the proportion and absolute values of both peripheral and central obesity across different parts of Nigeria.KEY WORDS: Obesity, Prevalence, Ethno-Geographic Variation, Nigerians, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitu

Factors associated with late presentation for Lassa fever treatment among symptomatic cases in Ondo State, Nigeria

Introduction: this study assesses the sociodemographic factors associated with late presentation among suspected Lassa fever (LF) cases in Ondo State, Nigeria. Late presentation was determined as presentation to treatment center after sixth day of onset of symptom. Methods: a cross-sectional study conducted among suspected LF cases who presented at Federal Medical Center, Owo Ondo State, Nigeria. Patient level data from December 2019 to May 2020 was extracted from medical records including socio-demographic variables, test outcomes and treatment outcomes. Descriptive statistics was conducted to measure the distribution of the disease and Chi-Square analyses to determine statistical association while multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify significant determinants. Results: of the 992 suspected cases extracted, 332 (33.47%) tested positive for LF with mean age 34.60 (SD-20.0). Owo local government area (LGA) (52.0%) recorded the highest number of positive cases compared to other LGAs. A total of 421 (42.5%) suspected LF cases presented at the treatment center later than the sixth day of onset of symptoms. Location, locality, and outcome of test presentation were significantly associated with late presentation, while cases that presented at the treatment center after the sixth day of onset of symptoms had higher odds of mortality (P<0.001). Conclusion: residence in rural areas and months of suspicion of LF were associated with late presentation to treatment center in Ondo State. Provision of treatment in rural communities and all year awareness about LF will prevent late presentation, community-based disease transmission and improve quality of care and chances of survival of cases. Introduction Nigeria is one of the West African countries well known for Lassa fever (LF), a zoonotic acute febrile viral illness [1]. It can be transmitted by “multimammate rat”, an indigenous animal in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. This rat specie carries Arenavirus known as the Lassa virus (LASV) which causes hemorrhagic fever in infected persons. Individuals who are infected with this virus present symptoms such as “fever, muscle aches, sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, chest and abdominal pain alongside bleeding from the orifices” [2]. However, the virus is mostly asymptomatic in 80% of infected cases [2,3]. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis will require test assays that can detect all existing strains of the virus [4]. Lassa virus is contracted from ingestion of foods/water contaminated with urea and excreta of infected multimammate rat, inhalation of virus particles, or from eating infected rat [2]. Transmission from one person to another person through contacts with blood and sweat of someone who already has the virus has been reported, and transmission is usually common in households or healthcare facilities [5]. Because symptoms of this disease are not specific, there are higher tendencies of transportation of the virus across non-endemic regions, thereby putting unaffected regions at risk of an outbreak and widespread transmission [6]. While symptoms of LF resemble that of malaria and typhoid fever, laboratory diagnosis is performed through “Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Serologic Assays (ELISA)” [2]. Currently, LF has no approved or known vaccine, but Ribavirin is widely used for treatment (Muse et al. 2020). Since its discovery over 51 years ago, LF is increasing in transmission with limitations in grounded understanding of the disease and the need for further research to fully address unanswered public health concerns. One area of potential work is in developing LF vaccines, which would be key in curtailing the disease [7]. However, this remains a research gap till date as no studies have presented any preventative remedy to this endemic disease. To this end, infected persons are advised to present early to treatment facilities, so they can receive prompt treatment for better chances of survival [8]. Unfortunately, health seeking behavior remains questionable, especially in Nigerian rural communities where numerou

Blood pressure control and left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive Nigerians

Background : Hypertension is a disease characterized by end-organ complications, leading to high morbidity and mortality in many cases. People with untreated or uncontrolled hypertension often run the risk of developing complications directly associated with the disease. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has been shown to be a significant risk factor for adverse outcomes both in patients with hypertension and in the general population. We investigated the prevalence and pattern of LVH in a treated hypertensive population at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, using non-hypertensive subjects as control. Design and Setting : A prospective observational study performed at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods : Patients had 6 visits, when at least one blood pressure measurement was recorded for each hypertensive subject and average calculated for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) separately. The values obtained were used for stratification of the subjects into controlled and uncontrolled hypertension. Subjects also had echocardiograms to determine their left ventricular mass. Results : LVH was found in 14 (18.2%) of the normotensive group, 40 (20.8%) of the uncontrolled hypertensive group and 14 (24.1%) of the controlled hypertensive group when left ventricular mass (LVM) was indexed to body surface area (BSA). When LVM was indexed to height, left ventricular hypertrophy was found in none of the subjects of the normotensive group, while it was found present in 43 (22.4%) and 14 (24.1%) subjects of the uncontrolled and controlled hypertensive groups, respectively. Significant difference in the prevalence of LVH was detected only when LVM was indexed to height alone. Conclusion : Clinic blood pressure is an ineffective way of assessing BP control. Thus in apparently controlled hypertensive subjects, based on office blood pressure, cardiac structural changes do remain despite antihypertensive therapy. This population is still at risk of cardiovascular events.arri\ue8re-plan: l\u2019hypertension est une maladie caract\ue9ris\ue9e par l\u2019orgue de fi n complications menant \ue0 \ue9lev\ue9 de morbidit\ue9 et mortalit\ue9 dans de nombreux cas. Personnes avec l\u2019hypertension non trait\ue9e ou non contr\uf4l\ue9e souvent risquent de d\ue9velopper complications directement associ\ue9es \ue0 la maladie. Laiss\ue9 ventriculaire hypertrophie (LVH) a \ue9t\ue9 d\ue9montr\ue9 un facteur de risque signifi catif pour les effets n\ue9gatifs r\ue9sultats tant chez les patients atteints de l\u2019hypertension et de la population g\ue9n\ue9rale. Nous avons a enqu\ueat\ue9 sur la pr\ue9valence et le mod\ue8le de LVH dans un trait\ue9 hypertendues population au University College Hospital, \ue0 l\u2019aide Ibadan, Nigeria non-hypertendues des sujets comme contr\uf4le. conception et la confi guration: A \ue9ventuel \ue9tude d\u2019observation effectu\ue9e \ue0 la University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. m\ue9thodes: Patients avaient six visites o\uf9 au moins un sang mesure de pression a \ue9t\ue9 enregistr\ue9e pour chaque sujet hypertendues et moyenne calcul\ue9s s\ue9par\ue9ment pour SBP et DBP. Les valeurs obtenues ont \ue9t\ue9 utilis\ue9es pour stratifi cation des sujets dans l\u2019hypertension contr\uf4l\ue9e et incontr\uf4l\ue9e. Sujets ont \ue9galement echocardiograms pour d\ue9terminer leur masse ventriculaire gauche. r\ue9sultats: LVH a \ue9t\ue9 trouv\ue9 en 14(18.2%) de la groupe normotensive, 40(20.8%) de groupe de hypertendues non contr\uf4l\ue9es et 14(24.1%) de hypertendues contr\uf4l\ue9e groupe lorsque quitt\ue9 masse ventriculaire (LVM) a \ue9t\ue9 index\ue9e \ue0 corps surface (BSA). Lorsque LVM a \ue9t\ue9 index\ue9 \ue0 hauteur, laiss\ue9 ventriculaire hypertrophie a \ue9t\ue9 trouv\ue9 dans aucun du groupe normotensive, bien qu\u2019il a \ue9t\ue9 constat\ue9 pr\ue9sents dans les 43(22.4%) et 14(24.1%) de hypertendues non ma\ueetris\ue9e et contr\uf4l\ue9e groupes respectivement. \uc9tait de diff\ue9rence signifi cative dans la pr\ue9valence de la LVH d\ue9tect\ue9s uniquement lorsque LVM a \ue9t\ue9 index\ue9 \ue0 hauteur alone. conclusion: clinique art\ue9rielle est un moyen ineffi cace de mesurer le contr\uf4le de BP. Ainsi en sujet hypertendues apparemment contr\uf4l\ue9e bas\ue9e sur la pression art\ue9rielle de bureau, des changements structurels cardiaques restent malgr\ue9 th\ue9rapie antihypertensive. Cette population est toujours \ue0 risque de maladies cardiovasculaires \ue9v\ue9nements

Factors associated with delayed presentation to healthcare facilities for Lassa fever cases, Nigeria 2019: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Large outbreaks of Lassa fever (LF) occur annually in Nigeria. The case fatality rate among hospitalised cases is ~ 20%. The antiviral drug ribavirin along with supportive care and rehydration are the recommended treatments but must be administered early (within 6 days of symptom onset) for optimal results. We aimed to identify factors associated with late presentation of LF cases to a healthcare facility to inform interventions. METHODS: We undertook a retrospective cohort study of all laboratory confirmed LF cases reported in Nigeria from December 2018 to April 2019. We performed descriptive epidemiology and a univariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis to investigate the effect of clinical (symptom severity), epidemiological (age, sex, education, occupation, residential State) and exposure (travel, attendance at funeral, exposure to rodents or confirmed case) factors on time to presentation. RESULTS: Of 389 cases, median presentation time was 6 days (IQR 4-10 days), with 53% attending within 6 days. There were no differences in presentation times by sex but differences were noted by age-group; 60+ year-olds had the longest delays while 13-17 year-olds had the shortest. By sex and age, there were differences seen among the younger ages, with 0-4-year-old females presenting earlier than males (4 days and 73% vs. 10 days and 30%). For 5-12 and 13-17 year-olds, males presented sooner than females (males: 5 days, 65% and 3 days, 85% vs. females: 6 days, 50% and 5 days, 61%, respectively). Presentation times differed across occupations 4.5-9 days and 20-60%, transporters (people who drive informal public transport vehicles) had the longest delays. Other data were limited (41-95% missing). However, the Cox regression showed no factors were statistically associated with longer presentation time. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst we observed important differences in presentation delays across factors, our sample size was insufficient to show any statistically significant differences that might exist. However, almost half of cases presented after 6 days of onset, highlighting the need for more accurate and complete surveillance data to determine if there is a systemic or specific cause for delays, so to inform, monitor and evaluate public health strategies and improve outcomes

Supplemental Material - Perception of undergraduate students of Nigeria’s premier university on the use of emergency remote teaching during Covid-19

Supplemental Material for Perception of undergraduate students of Nigeria’s premier university on the use of emergency remote teaching during Covid-19 by Janet O Adekannbi and Oyindamola Ipadeola in E-Learning and Digital Media</p

Supplemental Material - Perception of undergraduate students of Nigeria’s premier university on the use of emergency remote teaching during Covid-19

Supplemental Material for Perception of undergraduate students of Nigeria’s premier university on the use of emergency remote teaching during Covid-19 by Janet O Adekannbi and Oyindamola Ipadeola in E-Learning and Digital Media</p