EFFECTS OF DESIGN STUDIO CULTURE ON PERFORMANCE OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS

Architectural education will not be complete without due reference to its studio culture. This culture consists of patterns, habits and experiences expressed by students in their design studio. The design studio culture has been observed to affect students’ performance over the years. This paper examined the effect of design studio culture on the performance of architecture students. The survey method was adopted to obtain quantitative data from students in selected schools in south-west Nigeria through the use of structured questionnaires. The data gotten was subjected to factor and regression analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results gotten showed that the students perceived some other factors to be the core components of design studio culture, in addition to those already identified in the review of literature. The findings also indicated that only four of these components of design studio culture affects students’ performance and they are encouragement, Environment of the design studio, constraint and sacrifice. The paper thus recommends that awareness of design studio culture should be promoted through departmental policies as a way of improving students’ performance

EFFECTS OF DESIGN STUDIO CULTURE ON PERFORMANCE OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS

Architectural education will not be complete without due reference to its studio culture. This culture consists of patterns, habits and experiences expressed by students in their design studio. The design studio culture has been observed to affect students’ performance over the years. This paper examined the effect of design studio culture on the performance of architecture students. The survey method was adopted to obtain quantitative data from students in selected schools in south-west Nigeria through the use of structured questionnaires. The data gotten was subjected to factor and regression analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results gotten showed that the students perceived some other factors to be the core components of design studio culture, in addition to those already identified in the review of literature. The findings also indicated that only four of these components of design studio culture affects students’ performance and they are encouragement, Environment of the design studio, constraint and sacrifice. The paper thus recommends that awareness of design studio culture should be promoted through departmental policies as a way of improving students’ performance

EFFECTS OF DESIGN STUDIO CULTURE ON PERFORMANCE OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS

Architectural education will not be complete without due reference to its studio culture. The said culture consists of a set of reoccurrences such patterns, habits and experiences expressed by students in their design studio. The design studio culture has been observed to affect students’ performance over the years. This paper examined the components of design studio culture already existing from the review of literature. The survey method was adopted to obtain quantitative data from students in selected schools in south-west Nigeria through the use of structured questionnaires. The data gotten was subjected to factor and regression analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results gotten showed that the students perceived some other factors to be the core components of design studio culture, in addition to those already identified in the review of literature. The findings also indicated that only four of these components of design studio culture affects students’ performance and they are encouragement, Environment of the design studio, constraint and sacrifice. The paper thus recommends that awareness of design studio culture should be promoted through departmental policies as a way of improving students’ performance. Findings of this study are expected to provide universities empirical grounds that will aid policies and reforms directed at improving academic performance of architecture students

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF POOR SPECIFICATION ON BUILDING COLLAPSE IN NIGERIA

This paper examines the effects of specification on building collapse in Nigeria. The study became necessary due to the ugly cases of buildings collapsing in the country over the years. In doing so, the study begins with review of relevant literature on the concept of specification, as well as the factors associated with building collapse. The need for specification in building construction projects was enunciated upon. Other factors that culminate in building collapse, such as load types; man-power; technical skills, etc. are discussed herein. The study further examines identifies and documents cases of building collapse in Nigeria to identify the causes and factors responsible for the collapse. Interviews were conducted with practicing professionals in the construction industry. This was done to obtain professional insights and experiences used as part of the data in the research. Findings from this study highlights consequential role of poor specification in causing building collapse, loss of lives and properties. This paper concludes with identifying the relevance of specification in ensuring adherence to appropriate materials and construction methods for structural stability. Recommendations are given to guard against poor specifications that result in the collapse of buildings, properties and ultimately loss of lives

Effects of Design Studio Culture on Creativity of Architecture Students

Architectural education will not be complete without due reference to its studio culture. This Culture consists of habits, patterns and experiences expressed by students in their design studio. The design studio culture has been observed to have affect creativity of students over the years. This paper examines the effect of design studio culture already existing from the review of literature. The study survey method was adopted to obtain quantitative data from the students through the use of structured questionnaires which were administered in the selected schools in southwest Nigeria. The data gotten were subjected to factor and regression analysis using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Results gotten showed that the students perceived the other factors to be the core components of design studio culture in addition to those already identified in the review of literature. The findings also indicated that only five(5) of these components affects architecture students’ creativity. This paper recommends that the awareness of studio culture should be promoted through the departmental policies as a way of improving students creativity. Findings for this study are expected to provide the universities with empirical grounds that will aid policies and reforms directed at improving academic performance of architecture students

Scottish survey of diabetes services for minority ethnic groups

BACKGROUND: In the UK, all ethnic minority groups have higher rates of diabetes than the general population. Although there have been a number of projects to assess diabetic care amongst minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom, little is known about the extent to which the needs of ethnic minority groups are actually met by the National Health Service (NHS) Scotland. Therefore we conducted this study to understand of the current situation for diabetes care available to minority ethnic groups in Scotland. METHODS: We conducted this cross-sectional study in all health boards in Scotland. A questionnaire was designed based on expert comments. It was completed by Local Health Care Cooperatives (LHCC) managers, chairs, diabetes specialist nurses and public health practitioners. RESULTS: 57 of questionnaires were returned (response rate = 69.5%). Of these LHCCs, 71% responded that diabetes was part of their LHCC plan. However 69% answered that ethnic group was not recorded by community services and GPs, and 80% of LHCCs did not monitor trends of complications of diabetes by ethnic group. CONCLUSION: Improvement is needed in quality, completeness, and availability of minority ethnic group data for diabetes at a national level, particularly if NHS Primary Care Organisations are to be responsible for providing diabetes care as laid out in the Scottish Diabetes Framework

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF POOR SPECIFICATION ON BUILDING COLLAPSE IN NIGERIA

This paper examines the effects of specification on building collapse in Nigeria. The study became necessary due to the ugly cases of buildings collapsing in the country over the years. In doing so, the study begins with review of relevant literature on the concept of specification, as well as the factors associated with building collapse. The need for specification in building construction projects was enunciated upon. Other factors that culminate in building collapse, such as load types; man-power; technical skills, etc. are discussed herein. The study further examines identifies and documents cases of building collapse in Nigeria to identify the causes and factors responsible for the collapse. Interviews were conducted with practicing professionals in the construction industry. This was done to obtain professional insights and experiences used as part of the data in the research. Findings from this study highlights consequential role of poor specification in causing building collapse, loss of lives and properties. This paper concludes with identifying the relevance of specification in ensuring adherence to appropriate materials and construction methods for structural stability. Recommendations are given to guard against poor specifications that result in the collapse of buildings, properties and ultimately loss of lives

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Efficacy and safety of oral semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate renal impairment (PIONEER 5): a placebo-controlled, randomised, phase 3a trial

Background: Oral semaglutide is the first oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist for glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is commonly associated with renal impairment, restricting treatment options. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of oral semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes and moderate renal impairment. Methods: This randomised, double-blind, phase 3a trial was undertaken at 88 sites in eight countries. Patients aged 18 years and older, with type 2 diabetes, an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 30–59 mL/min per 1·73 m2, and who had been receiving a stable dose of metformin or sulfonylurea, or both, or basal insulin with or without metformin for the past 90 days were eligible. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) by use of an interactive web-response system, with stratification by glucose-lowering medication and renal function, to receive oral semaglutide (dose escalated to 14 mg once daily) or matching placebo for 26 weeks, in addition to background medication. Participants and site staff were masked to assignment. Two efficacy-related estimands were defined: treatment policy (regardless of treatment discontinuation or rescue medication) and trial product (on treatment without rescue medication) in all participants randomly assigned. Endpoints were change from baseline to week 26 in HbA1c (primary endpoint) and bodyweight (confirmatory secondary endpoint), assessed in all participants with sufficient data. Safety was assessed in all participants who received at least one dose of study drug. This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02827708, and the European Clinical Trials Registry, number EudraCT 2015-005326-19, and is now complete. Findings: Between Sept 20, 2016, and Sept 29, 2017, of 721 patients screened, 324 were eligible and randomly assigned to oral semaglutide (n=163) or placebo (n=161). Mean age at baseline was 70 years (SD 8), and 168 (52%) of participants were female. 133 (82%) participants in the oral semaglutide group and 141 (88%) in the placebo group completed 26 weeks on treatment. At 26 weeks, oral semaglutide was superior to placebo in decreasing HbA1c (estimated mean change of −1·0 percentage point (SE 0·1; −11 mmol/mol [SE 0·8]) vs −0·2 percentage points (SE 0·1; −2 mmol/mol [SE 0·8]); estimated treatment difference [ETD]: −0·8 percentage points, 95% CI −1·0 to −0·6;