Morphometric and hydraulic geometry assessment of a gully in se nigeria

Gully erosion represents one of the most devastating form of land degradation in the Sedimentary Formations underlying south eastern Nigeria leading to both onsite and off- site adverse effects on the environment. In this paper, a surveyed section of a second-order gully located in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, SE Nigeria is analyzed. Along the gully, 20 cross-sections were established and measured with a Rover GNSS and the Base GNSS. The sections were located at variable distances, placing them in areas where active erosion was evident. In total, 19 field measurements were carried out, and the geometric characteristics of 19 cross-sections were obtained. Morphometric analyses were carried out in 421m surveyed Udo Inwang segment of the 860m long main gully. The results indicated that Udo Inwang gully was a mature gully, measured gully depth varied from 1.1m to 29m, while the shoulder or top width ranged from 26m to 98m. It is worth noting that the bed width is typically narrow ranging from 4m to 33m wide. The cross-sectional profiles were indicative of U-shape to V- shape, all with very narrow bed width and steeply sloping gully sides, which are feature of gullies developed on very loose and incoherent soils that slumps/collapses on exposure. The total volume of soil lost from the watersheds was 480,376.26m3, which translated to 18,593.64 tons/ha and the average rate of soil loss has appeared to be 476.76 ton/ ha /year. The annual average growth rate of the gully length was 22m/year. Hence, the average growth rate of gullies in the study watershed with 22 m/ year-1 laid under catastrophic or destructive type of gully erosion

Morphometric analysis of lower Enyong creek basin in South Eastern Nigeria; its implications for applied studies

The drainage basin analysis is important in any hydrological investigation such as study of hydrologic processes, management of wetlands, flood, erosion and landslides susceptibility studies, assessment of groundwater potential and groundwater management. Also, existing theories and models such as the laws of drainage composition can be verified. In the light of the foregoing, the present paper describes the drainage characteristics of the lower Enyong Creek, which is underlain by varying geologic formations. viz; Asu River Formations e.g the Abakiliki Anticlinorium to the recent alluvium in the south It involved detailed map-based quantitative analyses of two 4th order sub-catchments in the study area. The drainage pattern is mainly dendritic type. It is observed that the drainage density value is low which indicates the basin is highly permeable subsoil and thick vegetative cover. The elongation ratio value reveals that the basin is strongly elongated and stream abstraction process constrained by heterogeneous geologic materials. This study would help the local people to utilize the resources for sustainable development of the basin area

Strengthening Bioinformatics and Genomics Analysis Skills in Africa for Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals Report of the 2nd Conference of the Nigerian Bioinformatics and Genomics Network

The second conference of the Nigerian Bioinformatics and Genomics Network (NBGN21) was held from October 11 to October 13, 2021. The event was organized by the Nigerian Bioinformatics and Genomics Network. A 1-day genomic analysis workshop on genome-wide association study and polygenic risk score analysis was organized as part of the conference. It was organized primarily as a research capacity building initiative to empower Nigerian researchers to take a leading role in this cutting-edge field of genomic data science. The theme of the conference was “Leveraging Bioinformatics and Genomics for the attainments of the Sustainable Development Goals.” The conference used a hybrid approach—virtual and in-person. It served as a platform to bring together 235 registered participants mainly from Nigeria and virtually, from all over the world. NBGN21 had four keynote speakers and four leading Nigerian scientists received awards for their contributions to genomics and bioinformatics development in Nigeria. A total of 100 travel fellowships were awarded to delegates within Nigeria. A major topic of discussion was the application of bioinformatics and genomics in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG3—Good Health and Well-Being, SDG4—Quality Education, and SDG 15—Life on Land [Biodiversity]). In closing, most of the NBGN21 conference participants were interviewed and interestingly they agreed that bioinformatics and genomic analysis of African genomes are vital in identifying population-specific genetic variants that confer susceptibility to different diseases that are endemic in Africa. The knowledge of this can empower African healthcare systems and governments for timely intervention, thereby enhancing good health and well-bein

Adaptation of the Wound Healing Questionnaire universal-reporter outcome measure for use in global surgery trials (TALON-1 study): mixed-methods study and Rasch analysis

BackgroundThe Bluebelle Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) is a universal-reporter outcome measure developed in the UK for remote detection of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to explore cross-cultural equivalence, acceptability, and content validity of the WHQ for use across low- and middle-income countries, and to make recommendations for its adaptation.MethodsThis was a mixed-methods study within a trial (SWAT) embedded in an international randomized trial, conducted according to best practice guidelines, and co-produced with community and patient partners (TALON-1). Structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data regarding cross-cultural, cross-contextual equivalence of the individual items and scale, and conduct a translatability assessment. Translation was completed into five languages in accordance with Mapi recommendations. Next, data from a prospective cohort (SWAT) were interpreted using Rasch analysis to explore scaling and measurement properties of the WHQ. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated using a modified, exploratory, instrumental design model.ResultsIn the qualitative phase, 10 structured interviews and six focus groups took place with a total of 47 investigators across six countries. Themes related to comprehension, response mapping, retrieval, and judgement were identified with rich cross-cultural insights. In the quantitative phase, an exploratory Rasch model was fitted to data from 537 patients (369 excluding extremes). Owing to the number of extreme (floor) values, the overall level of power was low. The single WHQ scale satisfied tests of unidimensionality, indicating validity of the ordinal total WHQ score. There was significant overall model misfit of five items (5, 9, 14, 15, 16) and local dependency in 11 item pairs. The person separation index was estimated as 0.48 suggesting weak discrimination between classes, whereas Cronbach's α was high at 0.86. Triangulation of qualitative data with the Rasch analysis supported recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ items 1 (redness), 3 (clear fluid), 7 (deep wound opening), 10 (pain), 11 (fever), 15 (antibiotics), 16 (debridement), 18 (drainage), and 19 (reoperation). Changes to three item response categories (1, not at all; 2, a little; 3, a lot) were adopted for symptom items 1 to 10, and two categories (0, no; 1, yes) for item 11 (fever).ConclusionThis study made recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ for use in global surgical research and practice, using co-produced mixed-methods data from three continents. Translations are now available for implementation into remote wound assessment pathways