Smart Health Internet of Thing for Continuous Glucose Monitoring: a Survey

Health monitoring system allows patients to monitor the health-related problem to avoid further complications which could result in loss of life. Smart health is one of the categories of a health monitoring system that uses Smartphone’s and sensors to effectively monitor patient health status. However, the smart health internet of thing methods for glucose monitoring still does not provide accurate glucose reading. Hence, diabetes patient can easily loss life. To help understand this challenge, a comprehensive survey focused on smart health internet of thing methods for continuous glucose monitoring was conducted. The paper discusses the benefit and challenge of each method applicable to glucose monitoring. It was observed that several smart health methods required sensor to function. Smart vehicles and remote monitoring have less attention. However, when accommodates can provide future opportunities

An Integrated View of Knowledge Management Enablers, Components, and Benefits: Comprehensive Literature Review

The key to success in the 21st century, knowledge-based economy, will be the effective and efficient management of knowledge. Knowledge Management (KM) has a direct impact on organizational success. KM in a knowledge-based economy entails growth, value, and improving living standards through knowledge creation, storage, and dissemination. This study aims to integrate KM enablers, components, and benefits into a single view through a comprehensive literature search. The integrative view of these three factors would facilitate the understanding of KM initiatives within organizations. This paper performs a comprehensive literature review to explain the KM enablers, components, and benefits. From the literature review, KM enablers have been explained in different ways. However, this paper categorized them into eight (8) classes: organizational culture, organizational structure, management support, champion support, design of KM strategy, performance and evaluation, training, and technologies. Additionally, this study identified six (6) major components of KM: people, processes, technology, information/content, governance, and strategy. In this study, the KM benefits were seen to support business organizations to achieve both process outcomes and organizational outcomes

Developing human capital in Africa: carving a role for human resource professionals and practitioners

Africa is a continent with remarkable economic potential yet the least developed largely due to its inadequate human capital to transform this potential into social and economic development. The focus on provision of classroom education as the cornerstone of human capital development in Africa has not produced the desirable outcomes expected. We see an important role in this process within the workplace, and thus argue that the role of Human Resource (HR) professionals in Human Capital development in Africa deserves serious attention. The paper outlines why and how HR professionals can contribute to the development of Africa's human capital. It also highlights the challenges HR professionals will face and the competencies they will need to address the challenges. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research

Radiological and Toxicity Impact of Uranium (U-238) in Ground Water to Different Age Groups at Wurno, Sokoto State, Nigeria

One of the primary goals of the World Health Organization (WHO) is for every society to have an adequate supply of safe drinking water. This work aimed to assess the radiological and toxicity impact of ground water of Wurno Local Government Area. Uranium activity concentration from 45 water samples collected from different locations in the study area were determined using HpGe   detector, the result from the analysis was used to evaluate the annual effective dose due to ingestion of groundwater from the study area by the inhabitants.  Radiological and chemical toxicity risks were also calculated. High level activity was reported in Diggim while low activity level was reported in Nassarawa-Daje. The annual effective doses for adult, children and infants were estimated to be from 0.008 mSvy-1 to 0.32 mSvy-1. The highest risk cancer mortality value was found at Diggim with a value of 4.34 × 10-4 while the lowest value was observed at Nassarawa Daje with a value of 1.17 × 10-5. Chemical toxicity value ranged from 0.59 – 21. 79 µg.kg-1.day-1 with an average dose value of 5.12 µg.kg-1.day-1. The lifetime average daily dose (LADD) values were reported to be higher at Diggim and lower at Nassarawa-Daje with the values 21.79 µg.kg-1.day-1 and 0.59 µg.kg-1.day-1 respectively compared with 0.6 µg.kg-1.day-1 WHO limit standard. Significantly, the high activity level, and chemical toxicity risk reported from this study is an indication that the area may have developed some fractures of granitic strata in the subsurface geology that contributed to the wide distribution of radiation dose

Choice of antihypertensive medications among physicians and its impact on blood pressure control among Nigerians living with hypertension

Background: Hypertension, if untreated or uncontrolled, leads to damage of vital organs such as the brain, heart and the kidneys among others. These complications have been shown to be severer in black Africans. Benefit of treatment has been repeatedly demonstrated by many studies. Therefore, many guidelines have been produced by relevant bodies in different countries in order to assist physicians in making the right choices for blood pressure (BP) control. Most of these bodies produce the guidelines based on the peculiarities of hypertension in their respective population. Several reports have shown how different hypertension is, in black Africans, still there is no published unified guideline for its treatment in this population.Methods: This was a survey of known hypertensives who were on follow up visit. Their prescriptions were assessed for drug name, class and number. Their blood pressures at that visit were also recorded. Prevalence of single therapy and combination therapy were determined. Compliance with the AHA recommended 2 – drug combination was determined. The percentage of BP control as well as the prescribed drugs in each group were also obtained.Results: Those on single agents were 13% out of which 52% were controlled. 87% were on various combination of 2 or more drugs of whom 41.9% of those on 2 drugs and 21.1% of those on more than 2 drugs had controlled BP. BP control in those on 2 drugs was better than in those with > 2 drugs, (p=0.0027).ACEI were the commonest used drug either as single agent (55.9%) or as 2 – drug combination as seen in 54.8% of the subjects on 2 – drug combination. 13 different 2 – drug combinations were identified with the best control in ARB + Diuretic, ACEI + Diuretic and CCB + Diuretic. The least control was observed in the ACEI + CCB group. Compliance with AHA recommendation was good but still 7.7% were under unacceptable group while another 7.7% were unclassified.Conclusion: ACE-Is are becoming the drugs of choice both as monotherapy and as combination therapy. Despite good compliance to AHA recommendation on drug combination, overall control is still a problem which calls for a revisit of these recommendations in Africans.Keywords: Ahtihypertensives; Physicians; Impact; Blood Pressure; Nigerian

Interest Rate and Inflation Nexus: ARDL Bound Test Approach

The paperestimates the impact of interest rate on inflation in Nigeria. The study makes used of Autoregressive Distributed Lag model (ARDL) on time series Data, for the period 1970-2016. The data set on inflation, money supply, interest rate, GDP per capita and exchange rate were tested for stationary using ADF, PP and KPS tests and established stationarity at I (1) for all the variables. ARDL testresults reveal that interest rate is inflationary in both the short-run and long-run as it positively and significantly influencing inflation in the two periods which is in conformity with the arguments of the fiscal policy supporters but contradict the arguments of the monetary policy supporters. The findings of the study imply that interest rate in Nigeria is inflationary. Meaning that increase in the rate of interest rate will lead to an increase inflation rate. Therefore, the research study conclude that interest rates should be adjusted with caution, and also implies that fiscal policy measure will be very effective in converting inflation in the country. Keywords:ARDL Bound Test, Interest Rate, Inflation, Exchange Rate, Fiscal Policy, Monetary Policy. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-20-07 Publication date:October 31st 201

Promoting entrepreneurship and affordable financing for uptake of improved toilets in Nigeria

Meeting the SDG targets on Sanitation in Nigeria requires households to construct over 2.4 million improved toilets every year up to 2030, which is a 15-fold increase in the current rate of latrine uptake. Hence business as usual is not an option for the country in the run up to 2030. Markets forces must be mobilized. The two-pronged strategy deployed in Nigeria addresses the issue of markets as well as affordable finances. Toilet Business Owners (TBOs) are trained and mobilized as successful for-profit enterprises by the existing public-sector enterprise development agencies while cheaper financing is being mobilized from both Public and private/commercial sources through local MFIs and community saving groups. This approach has led to the construction of 4650 improved toilets in 06 Local Government Areas of Nigeria and holds promise for the future

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Effects of a high-dose 24-h infusion of tranexamic acid on death and thromboembolic events in patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding (HALT-IT): an international randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Tranexamic acid reduces surgical bleeding and reduces death due to bleeding in patients with trauma. Meta-analyses of small trials show that tranexamic acid might decrease deaths from gastrointestinal bleeding. We aimed to assess the effects of tranexamic acid in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods: We did an international, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 164 hospitals in 15 countries. Patients were enrolled if the responsible clinician was uncertain whether to use tranexamic acid, were aged above the minimum age considered an adult in their country (either aged 16 years and older or aged 18 years and older), and had significant (defined as at risk of bleeding to death) upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients were randomly assigned by selection of a numbered treatment pack from a box containing eight packs that were identical apart from the pack number. Patients received either a loading dose of 1 g tranexamic acid, which was added to 100 mL infusion bag of 0·9% sodium chloride and infused by slow intravenous injection over 10 min, followed by a maintenance dose of 3 g tranexamic acid added to 1 L of any isotonic intravenous solution and infused at 125 mg/h for 24 h, or placebo (sodium chloride 0·9%). Patients, caregivers, and those assessing outcomes were masked to allocation. The primary outcome was death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation; analysis excluded patients who received neither dose of the allocated treatment and those for whom outcome data on death were unavailable. This trial was registered with Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN11225767, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01658124. Findings: Between July 4, 2013, and June 21, 2019, we randomly allocated 12 009 patients to receive tranexamic acid (5994, 49·9%) or matching placebo (6015, 50·1%), of whom 11 952 (99·5%) received the first dose of the allocated treatment. Death due to bleeding within 5 days of randomisation occurred in 222 (4%) of 5956 patients in the tranexamic acid group and in 226 (4%) of 5981 patients in the placebo group (risk ratio [RR] 0·99, 95% CI 0·82–1·18). Arterial thromboembolic events (myocardial infarction or stroke) were similar in the tranexamic acid group and placebo group (42 [0·7%] of 5952 vs 46 [0·8%] of 5977; 0·92; 0·60 to 1·39). Venous thromboembolic events (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) were higher in tranexamic acid group than in the placebo group (48 [0·8%] of 5952 vs 26 [0·4%] of 5977; RR 1·85; 95% CI 1·15 to 2·98). Interpretation: We found that tranexamic acid did not reduce death from gastrointestinal bleeding. On the basis of our results, tranexamic acid should not be used for the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding outside the context of a randomised trial