RESOLUTION OF SEISMIC INTERPRETATION ANOMALIES THROUGH THE SPECTRAL RATIO TIME DEPENDENT METHOD.

Interpretation of seismic results from a complex geological formation can be very difficult both on-field and off-field. The spectra ratio (SR) time-dependent method was derived using established geological principles. The spectral amplitude was analyzed numerically to affirm the reliability of the method on field operations. It was observed that the SR time-dependent method could initiate a natural correction to the attenuated seismic amplitude at each given interval during a seismic operation. The multi-layer implementation of the adopted method showed great success with the most accurate result at n = 0.1 for the fourth term on a newly-propounded volumetric table. Most volumetric results from the Niger- Delta showed correspondence with the volumetric analysis of the fourth term. One of the on-field volumetric results was obtained in the third term. The derivation of the volumetric table is to further enhance more accurate exploration using the reflective seismic technique

Assessment of Patient Absorbed Radiation Dose during Hysterosalpingography: A Pilot Study in Southwest Nigeria

Background: Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is an indispensable tool for diagnosing infertility in females. The procedure exposes female reproductive organs to ionizing radiation as the genitals are irradiated during the process. Investigating patient absorbed dose during the procedures is essential for effective radiological protection of the patient. Objective: This study aims to investigate the radiation dose received by patient during HSG examination in the study environment in order to enhance optimization of procedures and the associated dose, thereby minimizing radiation risks. Material and Methods: The study was conducted in four tertiary healthcare institutions in Southwest Nigeria. Thermoluminescence dosimeter (TLD 100) was used to determine the Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) of 80 patients presented for HSG investigation. The corresponding effective dose, ovary, uterus and urinary bladder doses were evaluated using PCXMC software. Results: The means entrance surface dose (ESD) obtained from the four centers were 18.58±6.31 mGy, 15.18±2.27 mGy, 17.44±3.43 mGy and 34.24±11.98 mGy for SW1, SW2, SW3 and SW4 centers, respectively. The corresponding mean of effective doses were 1.54±0.63 mSv, 1.24±0.28 mSv, 1.41±0.30 mSv and 2.53±0.94 mSv for SW1, SW2, SW3 and SW4 centers, respectively. The resulting mean doses to the ovary, urinary bladder and uterus were also presented. Conclusion: The results obtained in general are comparable with international standards. It was, however, recommended that study centers with high doses should conduct dose audit in order to enhance patient safety

Cancer risks from chest radiography of young adults: A pilot study at a health facility in South West Nigeria

The recommendation of chest radiography for school admission and employment purposes should be discouraged due to the risks of radiation especially cancer induction. It is therefore imperative to keep diagnostic radiation doses as low as possible. This dataset presents the entrance surface dose, effective dose, bone marrow dose, breast dose, lung dose and the incidence cancer risks from chest radiography of 40 young adult females. The mean incidence cancer risk to participants is 1: 20,000 for solid cancers. The data revealed the significant factors influencing the entrance surface dose and incidence cancer ris

Assessment of Patient Absorbed Radiation Dose during Hysterosalpingography: A Pilot Study in Southwest Nigeria

Background: Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is an indispensable tool for diagnosing infertility in females. The procedure exposes female reproductive organs to ionizing radiation as the genitals are irradiated during the process. Investigating patient absorbed dose during the procedures is essential for effective radiological protection of the patient. Objective: This study aims to investigate the radiation dose received by patient during HSG examination in the study environment in order to enhance optimization of procedures and the associated dose, thereby minimizing radiation risks. Material and Methods: The prospective pilot study, was conducted in four tertiary healthcare institutions in Southwest Nigeria. Thermoluminescence dosimeter (TLD 100) was used to determine the Entrance Surface Dose (ESD) of 80 patients presented for HSG investigation. The corresponding effective dose, ovary, uterus and urinary bladder doses were evaluated using PCXMC software. Results: The mean entrance surface doses (ESD) obtained from the four centers were 18.58±6.31 mGy, 15.18±2.27 mGy, 17.44±3.43 mGy and 34.24±11.98 mGy for SW1, SW2, SW3 and SW4 centers, respectively. The corresponding mean of effective doses were 1.54±0.63 mSv, 1.24±0.28 mSv, 1.41±0.30 mSv and 2.53±0.94 mSv for SW1, SW2, SW3 and SW4 centers, respectively. The resulting mean doses to the ovary, urinary bladder and uterus were also presented. Conclusion: The results obtained in general are comparable with international standards. It was, however, recommended that study centers with high doses should conduct dose audit in order to enhance patient safety

Explaining the continuing high prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis unknown to the health system in evaluation units: a mixed methods explanatory study in four trachoma-endemic countries

BACKGROUND: We explored reasons for continuing higher-than-anticipated prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis (TT) unknown to the health system in population-based prevalence surveys in evaluation units where full geographical coverage of TT case finding was reported. METHODS: A mixed-methods study in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania was conducted. We compared data from clinical examination, campaign documentation and interviews with original trachoma impact survey (TIS) results. RESULTS: Of 169 TT cases identified by TIS teams, 130 (77%) were examined in this study. Of those, 90 (69%) were a match (both TIS and study teams agreed on TT classification) and 40 (31%) were a mismatch. Of the 40 mismatches, 22 (55%) were identified as unknown to the health system by the study team but as known to the health system by the TIS team; 12 (30%) were identified as not having TT by the study team but as having TT by the TIS team; and six (15%) were identified as unknown to the health system in the TIS team but as known to the health system by the study team based on documentation reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: Incorrectly reported geographical coverage of case-finding activities, and discrepancies in TT status between TIS results and more detailed assessments, are the key reasons identified for continuing high TT prevalence

Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Position Paper

This position paper on Indigenous Protocol (IP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a starting place for those who want to design and create AI from an ethical position that centers Indigenous concerns. Each Indigenous community will have its own particular approach to the questions we raise in what follows. What we have written here is not a substitute for establishing and maintaining relationships of reciprocal care and support with specific Indigenous communities. Rather, this document offers a range of ideas to take into consideration when entering into conversations which prioritize Indigenous perspectives in the development of artificial intelligence. It captures multiple layers of a discussion that happened over 20 months, across 20 time zones, during two workshops, and between Indigenous people (and a few non-Indigenous folks) from diverse communities in Aotearoa, Australia, North America, and the Pacific. Indigenous ways of knowing are rooted in distinct, sovereign territories across the planet. These extremely diverse landscapes and histories have influenced different communities and their discrete cultural protocols over time. A single ‘Indigenous perspective’ does not exist, as epistemologies are motivated and shaped by the grounding of specific communities in particular territories. Historically, scholarly traditions that homogenize diverse Indigenous cultural practices have resulted in ontological and epistemological violence, and a flattening of the rich texture and variability of Indigenous thought. Our aim is to articulate a multiplicity of Indigenous knowledge systems and technological practices that can and should be brought to bear on the ‘question of AI.’ To that end, rather than being a unified statement this position paper is a collection of heterogeneous texts that range from design guidelines to scholarly essays to artworks to descriptions of technology prototypes to poetry. We feel such a somewhat multivocal and unruly format more accurately reflects the fact that this conversation is very much in an incipient stage as well as keeps the reader aware of the range of viewpoints expressed in the workshops

Kaʻina Hana ʻŌiwi a me ka Waihona ʻIke Hakuhia Pepa Kūlana

He wahi hoʻomaka kēia pepa kuana no ke Kaʻina Hana ʻŌiwi (KHʻO) a me ka Waihona ʻike Hakuhia (WʻIH) no ka poʻe e ake nei e haku a hana he WʻIK mai ke kuanaʻike kūpono e hoʻokele ʻia nei e ka manaʻo ʻŌiwi. He kiʻina hana ko kēlā a me kēia kaiāulu ʻŌiwi i nā nīnau a mākou e ui aʻe ai. ʻAʻole kēia mea a mākou i kākau ai he pani i ke kūkulu a mālama ʻana i ka pilina kākoʻo kekahi i kekahi me kekahi mau kaiāulu ʻŌiwi. Eia naʻe, hāpai aʻe kēia palapala i kekahi mau manaʻo e noʻonoʻo ai ke komo i kēia mau kamaʻilio ʻana ʻo ka hoʻomaka koho ʻana i ke kuanaʻike ʻŌiwi i ka haku ʻana he waihona ʻike hakuhia. He hoʻāʻo kēia wahi pepa kūlana e hōʻiliʻili i nā ʻano kamaʻilio like ʻole no 20 mahina, no 20 kāʻei hola, no ʻelua hālāwai hoʻonaʻauao, a ma waena hoʻi o kekahi mau poʻe ʻŌiwi (a ʻŌiwi ʻole hoʻi) no nā kaiāulu like ʻole i Aotearoa, Nū Hōlani, ʻAmelika ʻĀkau a me ka Pākīpika. ʻO ke kia nō naʻe, ʻaʻole ʻo ka hoʻolōkahi ʻana he leo. Paʻa nō ka ʻike ʻŌiwi i kekahi mau ʻāina a aupuni kikoʻī a puni ka honua. Hoʻohuli aku kēia mau ʻāina a mōʻaukala like ʻole i nā kaiāulu ʻokoʻa a me ko lākou mau kaʻina hana ʻŌiwi i ke au o ka manawa. ʻAʻohe “kuanaʻike ʻŌiwi hoʻokahi”, a hoʻomau a haku ʻia nā kālaikuhiʻike e ka hoʻokumu ʻana o kekahi mau kaiāulu kikoʻī i loko o kahi mau ʻāina. Ma mua, he hopena ulūlu o ke kālaikuhiʻike a kālaikuhikanaka ko ka loina naʻauao i hoʻāʻo e naʻi a hoʻohilimia i ka loina ʻŌiwi, a hoʻohāiki ʻia ke ʻano o ka manaʻo a kuanaʻike ʻŌiwi. ʻO ko mākou pahuhopu ke kālele ʻana i nā ʻōnaehana ʻike ʻŌiwi like ʻole a me ke ʻano o ka ʻenehana e hāpai i ka nīnau ʻo ka WʻIH. Ma muli o ia palena, a ma kahi o ka hoʻokuʻikuʻi ʻana he manaʻo lōkahi, he hōʻiliʻili kēia pepa kūlana o kēlā ʻano kēia ʻano o ka moʻokalaleo: ʻo nā manaʻo hoʻokele hakulau ʻoe,, ʻo ka ʻatikala akeakamai ʻoe, ʻo ka wehewehena o ka mana ʻenehana mua ʻoe , a ʻo ka poema ʻoe. I ko mākou manaʻo, he ʻolokeʻa kūpono maoli nā leo a kuanaʻike ʻokoʻa i ka ʻoiaʻiʻo he pae kinohi maoli nō kēia kamaʻilio ʻana, a he hōʻike i ka mea heluhelu no nā kuanaʻike i kupu mai i loko o nā hālāwai hoʻonaʻauao

Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019 : A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves all people receiving the health services they need, of high quality, without experiencing financial hardship. Making progress towards UHC is a policy priority for both countries and global institutions, as highlighted by the agenda of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW13). Measuring effective coverage at the health-system level is important for understanding whether health services are aligned with countries' health profiles and are of sufficient quality to produce health gains for populations of all ages. Methods Based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we assessed UHC effective coverage for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. Drawing from a measurement framework developed through WHO's GPW13 consultation, we mapped 23 effective coverage indicators to a matrix representing health service types (eg, promotion, prevention, and treatment) and five population-age groups spanning from reproductive and newborn to older adults (≥65 years). Effective coverage indicators were based on intervention coverage or outcome-based measures such as mortality-to-incidence ratios to approximate access to quality care; outcome-based measures were transformed to values on a scale of 0–100 based on the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile of location-year values. We constructed the UHC effective coverage index by weighting each effective coverage indicator relative to its associated potential health gains, as measured by disability-adjusted life-years for each location-year and population-age group. For three tests of validity (content, known-groups, and convergent), UHC effective coverage index performance was generally better than that of other UHC service coverage indices from WHO (ie, the current metric for SDG indicator 3.8.1 on UHC service coverage), the World Bank, and GBD 2017. We quantified frontiers of UHC effective coverage performance on the basis of pooled health spending per capita, representing UHC effective coverage index levels achieved in 2019 relative to country-level government health spending, prepaid private expenditures, and development assistance for health. To assess current trajectories towards the GPW13 UHC billion target—1 billion more people benefiting from UHC by 2023—we estimated additional population equivalents with UHC effective coverage from 2018 to 2023. Findings Globally, performance on the UHC effective coverage index improved from 45·8 (95% uncertainty interval 44·2–47·5) in 1990 to 60·3 (58·7–61·9) in 2019, yet country-level UHC effective coverage in 2019 still spanned from 95 or higher in Japan and Iceland to lower than 25 in Somalia and the Central African Republic. Since 2010, sub-Saharan Africa showed accelerated gains on the UHC effective coverage index (at an average increase of 2·6% [1·9–3·3] per year up to 2019); by contrast, most other GBD super-regions had slowed rates of progress in 2010–2019 relative to 1990–2010. Many countries showed lagging performance on effective coverage indicators for non-communicable diseases relative to those for communicable diseases and maternal and child health, despite non-communicable diseases accounting for a greater proportion of potential health gains in 2019, suggesting that many health systems are not keeping pace with the rising non-communicable disease burden and associated population health needs. In 2019, the UHC effective coverage index was associated with pooled health spending per capita (r=0·79), although countries across the development spectrum had much lower UHC effective coverage than is potentially achievable relative to their health spending. Under maximum efficiency of translating health spending into UHC effective coverage performance, countries would need to reach $1398 pooled health spending per capita (US$ adjusted for purchasing power parity) in order to achieve 80 on the UHC effective coverage index. From 2018 to 2023, an estimated 388·9 million (358·6–421·3) more population equivalents would have UHC effective coverage, falling well short of the GPW13 target of 1 billion more people benefiting from UHC during this time. Current projections point to an estimated 3·1 billion (3·0–3·2) population equivalents still lacking UHC effective coverage in 2023, with nearly a third (968·1 million [903·5–1040·3]) residing in south Asia. Interpretation The present study demonstrates the utility of measuring effective coverage and its role in supporting improved health outcomes for all people—the ultimate goal of UHC and its achievement. Global ambitions to accelerate progress on UHC service coverage are increasingly unlikely unless concerted action on non-communicable diseases occurs and countries can better translate health spending into improved performance. Focusing on effective coverage and accounting for the world's evolving health needs lays the groundwork for better understanding how close—or how far—all populations are in benefiting from UHC

Measuring progress and projecting attainment on the basis of past trends of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are grounded in the global ambition of “leaving no one behind”. Understanding today’s gains and gaps for the health-related SDGs is essential for decision makers as they aim to improve the health of populations. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016), we measured 37 of the 50 health-related SDG indicators over the period 1990–2016 for 188 countries, and then on the basis of these past trends, we projected indicators to 2030