Outcome of gastroplasty and gastric bypass in a single centre in the UK

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Morbid obesity is defined as BMI>40 kg/m². It affects 124,000 men and 412,000 women in England and Wales (NICE, July 2002). According to NICE guidelines, Bariatric surgery is indicated if the treatments for obesity such as exercise, diet and drugs fail. Procedures include laparoscopic gastric banding (LGB), vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG), and Gastric Bypass (GB).</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>The aim of this audit was to determine if NICE guidelines on the use of Bariatric surgery in the Manor Hospital, Walsall was being adhered to. <b>Secondary aims were </b>also to establish if Bariatric surgery is achieving its goal in the long-term and if weight reduction is being maintained in this group of patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective cohort study was carried out on patients who underwent Bariatric surgery between 1990 and 2004. Retrieved records were scrutinised and the following parameters were collated: pre-operative morbidities, intra and post-operative complication rates and weight reduction on follow-up.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>129 patients were operated on in the 14 year period. For VBG, 40 out of 105 patients had weight gain by the 5th follow-up visit. This compared with 5 out of 18 patients after the same timescale for the GB group and 1 out of 6 in the LGB group. The most common post-operative complication was stenosis (28% of VBG group).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Bariatric surgery is relatively safe as an intervention for morbid obesity. Weight loss however is not maintained in the long term. VBG and LGB are short term interventions. Further research is required to look into the merits of gastric bypass surgery.</p

Determinants to Soil Water Conservation Techniques Adoption among Farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study examines soil water conservation techniques adoption as a means towards increased food production, income generation and poverty reduction among farming households in Akwa Ibom State. 90 farmers/respondents were randomly selected from the three Senatorial Districts of Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket that make up the study area. Frequency counts, means and percentages were the tools of analysis using tables to summarize the results. The logit regression model is used to ascertain the determinants to soil-water conservation adoption among farmers in the study location. Findings reveal that most of the farmers have adopted one form of soil water conservation or the other since the inception of their farming business especially in erosion and drought prune locations. A very negligible percentage (8.89%) of the farmers that have not used any conservation method attributed it to their cultural belief, no erosion problem and operating on few and less than 1 hectare of farmland on subsistence level to feed the family. The results also reveal that apart from marital status and farming system all other explanatory variables specified in the models were significant determinants to soil water conservation techniques adoption. More extension contacts, increased micro credit and effective marketing systems are recommended. Keywords: Determinants, Adoption, Farmers, soil water conservation techniques

Evaluation of potential drug–drug interactions among patients with chronic kidney disease in northeastern Nigeria

Background: Potential drug–drug interactions (pDDIs) may not manifest clinically in patients who are treated with multiple pharmaceutical agents, but when they do they can produce adverse outcomes. In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the frequent use of multiple agents to manage this condition and its complications puts these patients at increased risk for DDIs. We determined the prevalence of pDDIs in CKD patients in two Nigerian hospitals and investigated possible predictors of pDDIs.Methods: This cross-sectional study involved patients with CKD who attended the nephrology unit of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the medical outpatients clinic of the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, Nigeria. We collected prescriptions, clinical data and laboratory data from the medical files of patients seen between January 2013 and December 2017. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data.Results: The study included 201 patients. A total of 273 pDDIs were identified in 166 patients (83%). These pDDIs included 30 unique drug interactions, the most common being between ferrous sulphate and calcium carbonate (seen in 46% of patients with pDDIs), followed by lisinopril and furosemide (8%). The proportion of clinically significant interactions was only 2%. There was a positive association between pDDIs and the total number of drugs prescribed (P &lt; 0.001).Conclusions: A high prevalence of pDDIs was documented among Nigerian patients with CKD. The bulk of the interactions were related to the co-prescription of ferrous sulphate and calcium carbonate. The total number of drugs prescribed was a significant predictor of pDDIs. We recommend routine screening of prescriptions of CKD patients for potential pDDIs

Farm Level Soil Water Conservation Techniques and Poverty among Farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study examines soil water conservation techniques adoption as a means towards increased food production, income generation and poverty reduction among farming households in Akwa Ibom State. 90 farmers/respondents were randomly selected from the three Senatorial Districts of Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket that make up the study area. Frequency counts, means and percentages were the tools of analysis using tables to summarize the results. Other analytical tools included the Gross Margin, Profit, Regression models and the Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) weighted index model to ascertain the performance of the various soil water conservation techniques in terms of income generation, level of adoption and poverty reduction among farmers in the study area. Findings reveal that most of the farmers have adopted one form of soil water conservation or the other since the inception of their farming business especially in erosion and drought prune locations having N7, 549,670 and N7, 297,640 gross margin and profit respectively as returns. A very negligible percentage (8.89%) of the farmers that have not used any conservation method attributed it to their cultural belief, no erosion problem and operating on few and less than 1 hectare of farmland on subsistence level to feed the family. 57.78% of the farmers lived above poverty line while a negligible percentage (14.44%) are the extreme poor. The results also reveal that apart from marital status and farming system all other explanatory variables specified in the models were significant determinants to soil water conservation techniques adoption. More extension contacts, increased micro credit and effective marketing systems are recommended. Keywords: Adoption, Farmers, Poverty, Income, conservation techniques

Optimal benefits of utilizing renewable energy technologies in Nigeria and the Cibs quadrangle: a review

With rapid population growth and increase in industrial activities, more energy is consumed, resulting in environmental pollution and economic difficulties, ttherefore, the need for utilising renewable energy resources has emerged globally and it is possible that China, India, Brazil and South Africa (CIBS) would develop renewable energy technologies that are more appropriate for the needs of developing countries. Nigeria for example has adequate fuel supplies (world’s sixth largest exporter of crude oil) yet more than 70 percent of its inhabitants do not have access to electricity for their domestic needs. This paper presents some potential of solar power at six sites in each of the geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The sites are Owerri (5 o 29’N, 7 o 1’ E), Port-Harcourt (4o 47’ N, 7 o 0’E), Lagos (6 o 26’ N, 3 o 17’E), Abuja (9 o 3’ N, 7 o 15’E), Maiduguri (11 o 51’ N, 13 o 9’E) and Sokoto (13 o 3’N, 5 o 14’E) that are located in different climatic zones of Nigeria. The solar electricity potential at all the sites were over 3000 Wh/m2/day which is enough to meet typical domestic energy needs of typical households. It has been discussed how other African countries can apply the results to meet their electrical energy needs that will have a multiplier effect of improving the living standard of the people while preserving the environment, maintain sustainability and generate employment boosted by strong political will and collaborative links with the CIBS quadrangl

Citizen Journalism in Nigeria: Possibilities and Challenges

The study evaluated the possibilities and challenges of citizen journalism in Nigeria and discovered that Citizen Journalism is emerging as a powerful phenomenon across Nigeria as evidenced in popular citizen journalism websites. The Sahara Reporters, one of such websites, is noted for its timely reports on issues and events have shown in a study conducted by Dare (2011:44) where 86 of the 120 respondents surveyed cited the Sahara reporters as a source of breaking news. By its interactivity and ability to deliver news in split seconds, citizen journalism has posed a serious challenge to the mainstream media in Nigeria. However, in as much as citizen journalism in Nigeria has broadened people’s access to a variety of news, this study suggests that during emergencies, citizen journalists should not spread news or post pictures that may hamper life-saving assignments such as rescue operations. The need therefore to sensitize Nigerian citizen journalists on proper use of this emerging brand of journalism is both obvious and urgent

Determinants of Technical Efficiency in Irrigated Ornamental Plants Production System of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

There are obvious cases of low agricultural production and sluggish economic growth begging for immediate intervention in Nigeria. One of such is irrigated agriculture which is a catalyst of transformation, changing agriculture from subsistence level to commercial lines and giving substantial returns to farmers. The determinants of technical efficiency in irrigated floriculture were investigated. A total of 90 respondents/floriculturists were randomly selected from the six agricultural zones that make up the study area. Descriptive statistics and the stochastic production frontier function were the tools of analyses. More than 70.2% of the respondents are males in their very youthful age of between 21 and 50years. A total of 72.2% are graduates having between 5 and 10 years of farming experience. It is also revealed that farm size, capital, irrigation, fertilizer and planting materials were all positively and significantly related to technical efficiency. The variations among the respondents were largely influenced by age, level of education, farming experience and extension contacts. All the production resources were used below their economic optimum levels and floriculturists were producing below the maximum frontier, having their efficiency index between 0.10 and 0.98 with 0.86 as the mean. It is observed that there are potentials for improvement with high level of technical efficiency. Thus, increased farm size, more capital investment and more extension contacts are strongly advocated. Keywords: Farmers efficiency, irrigated production system, floriculture, economic growth, Nigeri

Mathematical Model and Analysis of Drug Addiction among Adolescent’s Populace in Nigeria

Drug addiction has become a menace especially among adolescents which has massively contributed to the social vices perpetrated by youths in Nigeria. We constructed a five-compartment model to explain the transmission dynamics of addiction leading to a non-linear deterministic equation. The next generation approach was employed to obtain the basic reproduction number (R_0). The drug free equilibrium point was obtained and showed to be locally asymptotically stable when the threshold quantity is less than one. A suitable Lyapunov function was constructed for the global stability which was found to be globally asymptotically stable. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to ascertain the behavior of the various parameters on the threshold quantity to deduce a suitable intervention strategy. Numerical simulations are carried out, the analysis is discussed, and the results are presented in graphical form. Keywords: Addiction, model, drug, stability, basic reproduction number, sensitivity analysis

Does an early home-based progressive resistance training program improve function following total hip replacement? Results of a randomized controlled study

CONSORT 2010 checklist. (DOC 219 kb

FLOW ASSURANCE OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS IN NATURAL GAS PIPELINE TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS IN NIGERIA AND ITS MODELING USING OLGA AND PVTSIM SIMULATORS

The challenges associated with natural gas Pipeline flow assurance is an increasingly important issue as the world supply for natural gas expands, and is expected to rise more strongly to match the global demand for a cleaner energy. Flow assurance challenges in pipelines include hydrate formation, paraffin wax deposition, asphaltene deposition, sand deposits, black powder, and on the wall of pipelines, all of which obstruct the flow of well fluids and associated produced hydrocarbons. This study addressed these flow assurance concerns from a technical view by quantifying the threats and establishing appropriate mitigation schemes, leading to designed solutions and operational procedures. Modeling and simulation approach was adopted to achieve the overall aim. The simulation software tools PVTsim and OLGA were used for both steady state and dynamic states. The phase envelope investigation indicates that the cricondentherm within the constraint of the delivery temperature. The slugging analysis, indicates that hydrodynamic slugging will not be predominant for the pipeline operations at the design flow rate of 30MMscfd along Alakiri – Obigbo, and at 70MMscfd along the Obigbo Tie-in - Intermediate scrap station; as the flow regimes are mainly stratified for both pipeline systems. From the hydrate analysis investigated, after a shutdown period (no-touch time); hydrate threat is envisaged during the shutdown period of the Intermediate scraper trap – ALSCON along pipeline system, since the temperature drops to the hydrate formation temperature