35 research outputs found

    Effects of a 12-Week Structured Fitness Exercise on the Red Blood Cells of College Students in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

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    This study investigated and determined the effects of a 12-week structured fitness training programme on the Red Blood cells of College Students. The structured exercise/ training programme consisted of graded physical activities lasting for about fifty (50) minutes and administered three times a week,  The pre-test, post-test control group - design was used for the study. Sixty (60) College Students were used comprising thirty (30) subjects each for both the experimental and the control groups. Statistical procedure employed included the descriptive statistics of mean, range and standard deviation, inferential statistics of Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine significance of adaptation. A post-hoc analysis of Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA) was also applied to find out the magnitude of the adaptation.  Graphical illustration was also used to pictorially display the pattern of changes in the variable.  The result of the findings showed a rejection of the hypothesis which stated that there will be no significant effect of a 12-week fitness training programme on the Red blood cells of College Students in Ekiti State. Based on the findings of this study, it was therefore concluded that a structured exercise training programme of 12 weeks duration is capable of reducing the red blood cells of college students in Ikere Ekiti. It was recommended that such fitness training programme be encouraged among the youths. Keywords: Resistance exercise, hematological variables, college students

    Effects of a 12-Week Structured Fitness Exercise on the Red Blood Cells of College Students in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

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    This study investigated and determined the effects of a 12-week structured fitness training programme on the Red Blood cells of College Students. The structured exercise/ training programme consisted of graded physical activities lasting for about fifty (50) minutes and administered three times a week,  The pre-test, post-test control group - design was used for the study. Sixty (60) College Students were used comprising thirty (30) subjects each for both the experimental and the control groups. Statistical procedure employed included the descriptive statistics of mean, range and standard deviation, inferential statistics of Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to determine significance of adaptation. A post-hoc analysis of Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA) was also applied to find out the magnitude of the adaptation.  Graphical illustration was also used to pictorially display the pattern of changes in the variable.  The result of the findings showed a rejection of the hypothesis which stated that there will be no significant effect of a 12-week fitness training programme on the Red blood cells of College Students in Ekiti State. Based on the findings of this study, it was therefore concluded that a structured exercise training programme of 12 weeks duration is capable of reducing the red blood cells of college students in Ikere Ekiti. It was recommended that such fitness training programme be encouraged among the youths. Keywords: Resistance exercise, hematological variables, college students

    Nowcasting for Africa: advances, potential and value

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    The high frequency of intense convective storms means there is a great demand to improve predictions of high-impact weather across Africa. The low skill of numerical weather prediction over Africa, even for short lead times highlights the need to deliver nowcasting based on satellite data. The Global Challenges Research Fund African SWIFT (Science for Weather Information and Forecasting Techniques) project is working to improve the nowcasting of African convective systems and so the ability to provide timely warnings

    A year of genomic surveillance reveals how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic unfolded in Africa.

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    The progression of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in Africa has so far been heterogeneous, and the full impact is not yet well understood. In this study, we describe the genomic epidemiology using a dataset of 8746 genomes from 33 African countries and two overseas territories. We show that the epidemics in most countries were initiated by importations predominantly from Europe, which diminished after the early introduction of international travel restrictions. As the pandemic progressed, ongoing transmission in many countries and increasing mobility led to the emergence and spread within the continent of many variants of concern and interest, such as B.1.351, B.1.525, A.23.1, and C.1.1. Although distorted by low sampling numbers and blind spots, the findings highlight that Africa must not be left behind in the global pandemic response, otherwise it could become a source for new variants

    The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance.

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    Investment in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing in Africa over the past year has led to a major increase in the number of sequences that have been generated and used to track the pandemic on the continent, a number that now exceeds 100,000 genomes. Our results show an increase in the number of African countries that are able to sequence domestically and highlight that local sequencing enables faster turnaround times and more-regular routine surveillance. Despite limitations of low testing proportions, findings from this genomic surveillance study underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic and illuminate the distinct dispersal dynamics of variants of concern-particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron-on the continent. Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve while the continent faces many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

    Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

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    Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

    The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

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    INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

    Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

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    Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

    CAUSES AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES OF POSSIBLE OBESITY AND OVERWEIGHT AMONG WORKERS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

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    This study examined the causes and preventive measures of possible obesity and overweight among workers in tertiary institutions in Oyo state Nigeria. The population for this study was workers in the tertiary institutions in Oyo state. A total of 120 respondents comprising of 54 female and 66 male workers were selected using accidental sampling technique. A self-structured questionnaire validated by experts on the field with a reliable correlation coefficient at 0.84 was used for the study. The data collected were analysed using simple percentages and inferential statistics. The result showed that majority of the respondents were aware of the causes and the diseases associated with obesity and overweight. It was also revealed that majority of the respondents were aware of the preventive measures and did not engage in any measure to prevent obesity and overweight. It was further revealed that there was no significant difference in the involvement of preventive measures of obesity and overweight between male and female respondents in the tertiary institutions. Based on findings, it was recommended that there should be enlightenment programme for workers and recreation centres built in the tertiary institutions and in the public places by the government.   Article visualizations

    Impact Assessment of the Quality of Life of the People of Oyo and Benin Towns: a Provisional Improvement

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    The purpose of the study was to comparatively investigate the quality of life among the people of Oyo town and Benin City based on their general health, physical health, psychological health, social relationship and environment. The growth and development of the social and economic life of the people and their communities largely depends on good quality of life experienced by them. Having good quality of life makes people happy, satisfied, fulfilled and productive. Happy, satisfied and fulfilled people are usually favourably disposed to life and they make good use of life opportunities to better their lives. On the contrary, poor quality of life can lead to serious negative consequences. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study comprised of 482 respondents. Two research questions guided the study, the questionnaire containing 26 items was the instrument used for data collection. Descriptive analysis was used in answering the research. The major findings of the study revealed that, the quality of life of the people of Oyo and Benin towns is slightly good. By implication therefore, the quality of life of the people of Oyo and Benin towns is poor. In conclusion, this poor quality of life can ultimately make the people of Oyo and Benin City become dejected with no fulfillment of life; leading to decrease in the standard of living. In view of this, it became imperative to come up with certain efforts that can be geared towards improving the quality of life of the people of Oyo and Benin towns. It is recommended that, the people should make effort to create the capacity to effectively take good care of themselves and their families and regularly to a maximum degree, participate in selected recreational/leisure activities that are tended towards improving their physical, mental, social, emotional and psychological health and wellbeing
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