Understanding the Mechanism of Soil Erosion from Outdoor Model Study

A method for obtaining important data on eroded soils, using a one eight experimental slope model is presented. The scope of the investigation herein described encompassed three locations in the south- eastern parts of Nigeria, which are belts of severe erosion, namely Opi-Nsukka, Agulu and Udi, [Fig. 1.] Soil samples were collected from several representative sites for each of these locations and composited into volumes sufficient to be compacted volumes into the fixed-bed flume to a depth of 12cm. mean sediment sizes for the belt soils were, in that order, 0. 326mm, 0.43mm and 0.56mm respectively. The basis of the experiments was an outdoor flume test on the Opi sample throughout the rainy season of June to early October 1996. With an existing mathematical modeling, the results of Opi were extended to the Agulu and Udi situations. Finally by distorted scale laws, data for the natural slopes were synthesised to produce the hydrologic quantities; slope erosion and average infiltration rates for the soils

Two - Dimensional Mathematical Model of Water Flow in Open Channels and Shallow Reservoirs

In this paper a two-dimensional mathematical model of steady non-uniform water flow in open channels and shallow reservoirs is presented. The irrotational flow condition is used for simplification of the system of the governing shallow water equations and the final nonlinear differential equation is solved for the unknown energy head using the finite element method.A one - dimensional problem was solved with diffusion hydraulic model (DHM), energy diffusion hydraulic model (EDHM) and with one - dimensional model. The comparison of results indicates EDHM to be more accurate than D HM

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Insulin initiation in Type 2 diabetes mellitus outpatients – data from the multicentre evaluation of type 2 diabetes mellitus outpatients on insulin therapy in Nigeria (METOIN study)

People living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have relative insulin deficiency and, therefore, have options to insulin therapy. To be on insulin alone or in combination with other therapies in type 2 DM outpatients is a choice made personalized for each patient. Published literature on the insulin initiation patterns among T2DM outpatients in Nigeria is scanty. The objective of this study, therefore, is to bridge this gap in knowledge. This was a prospective cross sectional study conducted in five tertiary health facilities in Nigeria in which consenting type 2 DM outpatients on insulin therapy alone or in combination with other therapies and who meet the inclusion criteria for the study were recruited. Relevant data relating to insulin use initiation by the patients were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 software. A total of 268 outpatients living with type 2 DM on insulin therapy, made up of 116 (43.3%) male and 152 (56.7%) females participated in the study. Only 55 (20.5%) of the patients started insulin at onset of diagnosis of T2DM while 46 (17.2%) of the patients started insulin therapy after 5 years of living with T2DM. The duration of living with DM before insulin initiation and the patient's highest level of education were not statistically significant. Insulin initiation was delayed several months to years after diagnosis of T2DM by predominantly endocrinologists in tertiary health facilities but it was initiated in 19 (7.1%) of the T2DM outpatients by primary care physicians (GPs) in peripheral hospitals. It is recommended that diabetes education be intensified for T2DM patients to appreciate the key role of insulin therapy in diabetes care. Keywords: insulin initiation, type 2 diabetes mellitus outpatients, Nigeria