Determinants of Place of Delivery among Women in a Semi-Urban Settlement in Zaria, Northern Nigeria

Background : Majority of the maternal deaths that occur especially in developing countries are avoidable or preventable. Studies have shown that the health, reproductive behaviour and socio economic status of women are among the important determinants of maternal mortality. This study was aimed at assessing the role of some health, socio-economic and demographic factors in determining the place of delivery among women in a semi-urban settlement in Zaria, north-western Nigeria. Methods : The study design was a cross sectional descriptive study conducted in Sabuwar Unguwa, Magume district Zaria Local Government Area Kaduna State Nigeria in June, 2003.A total of 496 women who had delivered at least once were interviewed using a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire. Results: The study revealed both high rates of home deliveries and deliveries not supervised by skilled attendants of 70% and 78% respectively. Mother's educational level, husband's occupation and age at first pregnancy were the main determinants of place of delivery. Statistically significant associations between non- formal education and home delivery, (\u3c72 = 6.7 df = 1 P<0.05) age at first pregnancy and home delivery (\u3c72 =18.7 df = 1 P<0.05) were observed. There was no statistical significance between employment status of fathers and home delivery (\u3c72 = 0.59 df = 1 P>0.05). Conclusion: Low maternal education, unemployment among fathers, first pregnancies at less than 18 years of age increase the likelihood of home delivery in Sabuwar Unguwa, Magume district of Zaria. Girl child education, income generating activities and training of TBAs could reduce the high rate of home deliveries and its consequences in the study area.Introduction: La plupart des femmes meurent \ue0 la suite d'accouchement particuli\ue8rement dans les pays en voie de d\ue9veloppement. Pourtant des mesures pr\ue9ventives peuvent \ueatre prises. Des \ue9tudes ont montre que le saut\ue9 des femmes en grossesse, la sant\ue9 des femmes en travail, l'espacement des naisseuses et la situation socio- \ue9conomique figurent parmi les causes importantes de la mortalit\ue9 maternelle. L'objectif de cette \ue9tude est de' examiner le r\uf4le que Jouent des facteur sanitaire, socio-\ue9conomique et d\ue9mographique dans le choix du lieu d'accouchement dans un faubourg de Zaria au nord - ouest du Nigeria. M\ue9thode: Cette \ue9tude a \ue9t\ue9 men\ue9e \ue1 Sabuwar Unguwa, un quartier p\ue9riph\ue9rique de Magume situ\ue9 \ue0 Zaria dans l'\ue9tat de Kaduna en Juin 2003. Une fraction repr\ue9sentative d'une population de 496 femmes d'ages et classes sociales diff\ue9rentes et qui ont accouche ou moins une fois a \ue9t\ue9 choisie en vue d'une interview. Des questions auteueunes pour lasses interviews out \ue9t\ue9 pos\ue9es. R\ue9sultats: L'\ue9tude a rivel\ue9 respectivement un taux \ue9lev\ue9 de 70% et 80% des accouchements \ue1 domicile et des accouchements sans surveillance m\ue9dicale assur\ue9e par des gyn\ue9cologues ou si\ue8ge femmes sp\ue9cialis\ue9es Le rivaux d'\ue9ducation de la m\ue8re la profession du mari et l'age d\ue9s la premi\ue8re grossesse sont consid\ue8re comme des facteurs importants qui d\ue9terminent le lieu d'accouchement. Des rapports statistique importants entre l'\ue9ducation informelle et l'accouchement a domicile (\u3c72 = 6. 7 df = 1 P < 0.05), l'age d\ue9s la premi\ue8re grossesse et l'accouchement \ue1 domicile (\u3c72 = 18. 7 df = 1 P< 0.05) ont \ue9t\ue9 observ\ue9s. Aucun rapports statistique important n'a \ue9t\ue9 observ\ue9 entre la profession des man's et l'accouchement a domicile (\u3c72 = 0.59 df = 1 P > 0.05) Conclusion: La baisse de l'\ue9ducation des femmes, le ch\uf4mage des maris et la grossesse pr\ue9coce grossissent probablement la nombre des accouchements \ue1 domicile a Margum\ue9 \ue1 Zaria. L'\ue9ducation des filles. Les activit\ue9s qui permettent de grogner d'argent, (training of TBAs) le cr\ue9ation de bonnes maternit\ue9s dans cette p\ue9riph\ue9rie r\ue9duirai eut le taux d'accouchements \ue1 domicile et ses cons\ue9quences

Performance evaluation of selected infiltration equations for irrigated (FADAMA) soils in Southern Kaduna Plain, Nigeria

ABSTRACT The need for continuous and in-depth study on the applicability and accuracy of infiltration equations cannot be exhausted since equation parameters and performance vary for different soils. The study reported herein, has evaluated four infiltration equations (Kostiakov's; Philip's; Horton; Talsma and Parlange). The field water infiltration data used in these equations were based on double ring infiltrometer tests conducted for 4 hours at two fadama irrigation area (Kuda and Kukumdaji). Measurements were made at two sites in each of the two Fadama irrigation area based on land management practice (Cultivated/fallow) giving a total of four experimental sites. The results of the measured infiltration rates reveals that site 2 (Kuda/fallow) gave the highest average final infiltration rate of 69mm/hr followed by site 1(Kuda/cultivated) of value 52mm/hr and then site 3(Kukumdaji/cultivated) of value 35mm/hr while site 4 (Kukumdaji/fallow) recorded the least of 18mm/hr. Results of the Comparism between measured and predicted infiltration rates reveal that Kostiakov's and Philip's equation gives the best fit when compared with the rest of the equations tested. Results from the study conclude that Kostiakov's and Philip's equation can be used to predict infiltration rates for the soil studied but that Kostiakov's equation approximated the measured infiltration rates with higher accuracy and best fit than did Philip's and Horton's equation. Talsma and Parlange's equation fail to approximate measured data particularly in the early stage of measurement

Limits on the effective quark radius from inclusive epep scattering at HERA

The high-precision HERA data allows searches up to TeV scales for Beyond the Standard Model contributions to electron-quark scattering. Combined measurements of the inclusive deep inelastic cross sections in neutral and charged current $ep$ scattering corresponding to a luminosity of around 1 fb$^{-1}$ have been used in this analysis. A new approach to the beyond the Standard Model analysis of the inclusive $ep$ data is presented; simultaneous fits of parton distribution functions together with contributions of "new physics" processes were performed. Results are presented considering a finite radius of quarks within the quark form-factor model. The resulting 95% C.L. upper limit on the effective quark radius is $0.43\cdot 10^{-16}$ cm.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Phys. Lett.

Combined QCD and electroweak analysis of HERA data

A simultaneous fit of parton distribution functions (PDFs) and electroweak parameters to HERA data on deep inelastic scattering is presented. The input data are the neutral current and charged current inclusive cross sections which were previously used in the QCD analysis leading to the HERAPDF2.0 PDFs. In addition, the polarisation of the electron beam was taken into account for the ZEUS data recorded between 2004 and 2007. Results on the vector and axial-vector couplings of the Z boson to u- and d-type quarks, on the value of the electroweak mixing angle and the mass of the W boson are presented. The values obtained for the electroweak parameters are in agreement with Standard Model predictions.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. D. Small corrections from proofing process and small change to Fig. 12 and Table

Measurement of the cross-section ratio sigma_{psi(2S)}/sigma_{J/psi(1S)} in deep inelastic exclusive ep scattering at HERA

The exclusive deep inelastic electroproduction of $\psi(2S)$ and $J/\psi(1S)$ at an $ep$ centre-of-mass energy of 317 GeV has been studied with the ZEUS detector at HERA in the kinematic range $2 < Q^2 < 80$ GeV$^2$, $30 < W < 210$ GeV and $|t| < 1$ GeV$^2$, where $Q^2$ is the photon virtuality, $W$ is the photon-proton centre-of-mass energy and $t$ is the squared four-momentum transfer at the proton vertex. The data for $2 < Q^2 < 5$ GeV$^2$ were taken in the HERA I running period and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 114 pb$^{-1}$. The data for $5 < Q^2 < 80$ GeV$^2$ are from both HERA I and HERA II periods and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 468 pb$^{-1}$. The decay modes analysed were $\mu^+\mu^-$ and $J/\psi(1S) \,\pi^+\pi^-$ for the $\psi(2S)$ and $\mu^+\mu^-$ for the $J/\psi(1S)$. The cross-section ratio $\sigma_{\psi(2S)}/\sigma_{J/\psi(1S)}$ has been measured as a function of $Q^2, W$ and $t$. The results are compared to predictions of QCD-inspired models of exclusive vector-meson production.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figure

Search for a narrow baryonic state decaying to pKS0{pK^0_S} and pˉKS0{\bar{p}K^0_S} in deep inelastic scattering at HERA

A search for a narrow baryonic state in the $pK^0_S$ and $\bar{p}K^0_S$ system has been performed in $ep$ collisions at HERA with the ZEUS detector using an integrated luminosity of 358 pb$^{-1}$ taken in 2003-2007. The search was performed with deep inelastic scattering events at an $ep$ centre-of-mass energy of 318 GeV for exchanged photon virtuality, $Q^2$, between 20 and 100 $\rm{} GeV^{2}$. Contrary to evidence presented for such a state around 1.52 GeV in a previous ZEUS analysis using a sample of 121 pb$^{-1}$ taken in 1996-2000, no resonance peak was found in the $p(\bar{p})K^0_S$ invariant-mass distribution in the range 1.45-1.7 GeV. Upper limits on the production cross section are set.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Phys. Lett. B. Minor changes from journal reviewing process, including a small correction to figure

Measurement of neutral current e+/-p cross sections at high Bjorken x with the ZEUS detector

The neutral current e+/-p cross section has been measured up to values of Bjorken x of approximately 1 with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 187 inv. pb of e-p and 142 inv. pb of e+p collisions at sqrt(s) = 318GeV. Differential cross sections in x and Q2, the exchanged boson virtuality, are presented for Q2 geq 725GeV2. An improved reconstruction method and greatly increased amount of data allows a finer binning in the high-x region of the neutral current cross section and leads to a measurement with much improved precision compared to a similar earlier analysis. The measurements are compared to Standard Model expectations based on a variety of recent parton distribution functions.Comment: 39 pages, 9 figure

The mechanical performance of sugar palm fibres (Ijuk) reinforced phenolic composites

Sugar palm fibres are one of the natural fibres which have many features and need further study to understand their properties. The aim of this work is to investigate the flexural, compressive and impact properties of sugar palm fibres reinforced phenolic composites. Sugar palm fibres were used as a filler (particle size 150 μm) and with loading of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 vol.%. The fibres were treated by sea water and then fabricated into composites by hot press technique. Flexural, compressive, and impact tests were carried out as per ASTM D790, ASTM D695-08a, and ASTM D256 standards, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the morphology and the interfacial bonding of the fibres-matrix in composites. The results show that the mechanical properties of the composites improve with the incorporation of fibres. The composite of 30 vol.% particle loading exhibit optimum values which are 32.23 MPa, 61.66 MPa, and 4.12 kJ/m2 for flexural, compressive, and impact strength, respectively. This was because good compatibility of fibre-matrix bonding. Consequently, sugar palm fibre is one of the prospective fibres and could be used as a potential resource to reinforcement polymer composite