Archives-November 2018

In the present study morphologic and morphometric analysis in the three pairs of otoliths: sagittae, asterisci and lapilli of the swordfish Xiphias gladius is carried out for the first time. X. gladius data were obtained from 2000 to 2002 in nine fishing cruises in two commercial vessels that arrived in Manzanillo, México. As with other billfishes, sagittae are characterized by having four bodies: a rostrum and antirostrum separated by the excisura major and a postrostrum and pararostrum separated by an excisura minor; being this a peculiar character observed in these species and in the dolphinfish. The growth of the three pairs of otoliths is eccentric to the core; a larger quantity of material is deposited in the dorsal areas and borders, in relation to the ventral areas. No statistically significant morphometric differences were observed between the right and left otolith and between sexes of X. gladius. Seasonal growth rings could not be observed in the sagittae, but were present in some asterisci. Results are discussed with those reported by other authors. It is recommended that studies of daily growth increases in one-year organisms or less be carried out. We suggest that a capture quota of this fishery is given to the commercial fishermen.

Missing data are pervasive, and pose problems for many statistical procedures. We all should be using methods that treat missing data properly, rather than deleting data or using single imputation. Importantly, it is not dif?cult to implement these missing data. A relatively few absent observations on some variables can dramatically shrink the sample size. As a result, the precision of confidence intervals is harmed, statistical power weakens and the parameter estimates may be biased. In this paper we used EM method that aims to estimate Missing Values, and summarizes how to apply out EM method to estimation missing data using SPSS.

A crèche is defined as a nursery where babies and young children from nascent age of 1-3 years are cared for during the working day. Federal University of Science and Technology Uyo Nigeria recently are in dire need for a crèche facility to for a day care needs of the growing number of new born babies of its working staff from the administrative and academic sectors of the University. A literature research was conducted on the facility requirement for such facility vs-a-vis the needs for such provision for a capacity of fifty (50) children. In the BRIEF; there are needs for isolation space for the sick ones to hinder spread of contagious infant disease, staff/attendants space, sleeping, sanitary spaces, napkin washing, administrative, parents waiting for collection and registration, lactating space during breaks, etc. Where statistically articulated and analyzed to design a befitting crèche architecture that is environment friendly. It will also assist in mitigating and erasing, the danger of employing privates nannies who poses security dangers to our homes while away to official duties.

The study focused on the need to evolve design criteria for designing and optimal utilization of recreational open spaces in relation to the appropriate percentage of indoor to outdoor facilities. The amount of time available for leisure, available facilities, accessibility to recreational areas, architectural planning, marketing and publicity, contribute significantly to people’s participation and utilization quality in open space recreation. It is therefore necessary to collect and analyze primary social data to form the basis of architectural planning and design of recreational facilities for people in Owerri. The paper explored the constituents of existing recreational open spaces in the study area and using a well structured questionnaire, social data of preference the indoor and outdoor facilities data were derived to constitute the guideline to issue recommendations for the improvement and revitalization of the free and recreational spaces that will enhance quality of utilization.

In building production management, the goal is to achieve project delivery within the contract cost, time and to ensure that specified scope and quality is met without compromising the health and safety of the operatives. Effective project delivery refers to realizing the building project within the scheduled time at the scheduled cost which equally meets the client’s need. This is achievable adopting some cost reduction parameters. According to Arora and Bindra (2008), building materials account for 50 to 80 percent of the total value of construction; hence the ability to reduce wastage and improve productivity will have major cost and time benefits. For a project to be successfully delivered, Lock (2002), states that such project would seek to foresee or predict as many of the dangers and problems as possible and to plan, organize and control activities so that the project is completed as successfully as possible despite all the risks. This process starts before any resources are committed, and will continue until all work is finished. The aim is for the final result to satisfy the project sponsor or purchaser within the promised timescale and without using more money and other resources than those originally set aside or budgeted. It was observed that diligent building materials management; adoption of inventory models as cost reduction parameters in public building delivery significantly reduce time, waste and cost. In addition development of appropriate framework for Economic Order Quantity model which enables the ordering of the critical building materials as and when needed without overstocking and tying up capital assist to minimize total construction cost so that project will be realized on schedule in accordance to specified quality hence, eliminating the incidence of failed construction projects.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common erythrocyte enzymopathy in the world. Its frequency and its involvement in the occurrence of anemia in a group of HIV-positive children was studied. A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study was conducted from 1st to 30th October 2015 at the Pediatric Department of the Cocody Teaching Hospital including all HIV-positive children undergoing antiretroviral treatment. Hemoglobin (g / dl), G6PD activity, antiretroviral regimen, and grade of anemic toxicity were collected. The severity of anemia was assessed according to the grade classification of hemoglobin in AIDS. Of 171 HIV-positive patients 1, 17.5% had G6PD deficiency (30/171). The mean duration of antiretroviral (ARV) was 52.75 months and their regimen contained Zidovudine in 75.43% of cases. More than ¾ (82%) of our patients had anemia. Grades I and II of anemic toxicity were predominant in 37% in both cases. There was a statistical relationship between G6PD deficiency and grade of anemic toxicity (p = 0.0000). This toxicity was more pronounced when exposed to ZIDOVUDINE (p = 0.0000). This study confirms that the prevalence of G6PD deficiency remains high (17.5%) and thus allows us to advocate for the introduction of the G6PD assay in the initial assessment of HIV. 

The activity concentrations of gross alpha, gross beta, 228Ra and 226Ra in fifteen brands of sachet water produced in Accra Metropolis of Ghana were measured. The analysis was carried out in the Alpha Spectrometry Laboratory at Radiation Protection Center of Ghana Atomic Energy Commission by using gross alpha/beta counter system to quantify the radionuclides of interest in the water samples. The investigation revealed a recorded measured activity concentration for alpha ranged from 1.28±0.04 to 8.3±0.02 mBq/L with an average concentration of 3.36±2.05 mBq/L. Beta activity concentration also ranged from 21.34±0.03 to 64.38±0.04 mBq/L with average activity of 33.69±12.23 mBq/L. The concentration values of gross - alpha and gross -beta for all the sachet water samples were below the Ghana Standard Authority and World Health Organization recommended guideline levels set for drinking water quality which is 0.1Bq/L and 1.0Bq/L, and 0.5Bq/L and 1.0Bq/L respectively. The results obtained indicated that, the inhabitants in the Accra municipality are not exposed to any significant radiological health hazard associated in drinking sachet water produced in Accra. This research would provide some useful monitoring data for establishing a regulatory limit (base –line radiometric radioactivity) on radiation in public drinking water as well as sachet water produced in Ghana, which could be used as baseline data for future studies in the study area and provide some useful data (base –line radiometric values) to be used by the regulatory authority to evaluate possible changes in the future.

The Kenyan government developed the policy of the re-entry of the teenage mothers to school in 2001. The policy allows teenage mothers to re-enter schools after delivery. Despite the policy being in place, very few teenage mothers have been returning to school. This study sought to assess the implementation strategies of the re-entry policy of teenage mothers to school in Bungoma County. The main objective of the study was to assess the implementation strategies of the re-entry policy of teenage mother to schools in Bungoma County. The critical theory by Habernes was adopted as the theoretical framework. The convergent parallel mixed method research design was used. The research population comprised of teenage mothers, student girls, head teachers, principals, Guiding and Counselling teachers, Sub County Quality Assurance and Standards Officers. The main data collection instruments were Questionnaires and Interview schedules. Questionnaires were administered to the Teenage mothers, school girls, Guidance and counselling teachers, while the interview schedule were administered to Sub County Quality Assurance and Standards Officers and head teachers. Pilot study was carried out in Trans Nzoia County. Reliability index of 0.79 was obtained. Quantitative data was coded and presented using tables and analyzed through frequency distribution and percentages. Qualitative data was organized and broken into themes synthesized to search for patterns and meaning. This study was significant for it identified various strategies that are used in implementation of the re-entry policy. The study revealed that there are a number of strategies that are used in articulating the policy, support that are given to the teenage mothers and the enforcement of the policy. There is need to harmonise the implementation strategies so that the various stakeholders are reading form the same script.

Short answer questions (SAQs) are one of the popular accepted means of evaluation in medical education. Importance of understanding approach towards Anatomy is beyond doubt. The level of cognitive domain in SAQ should be addressed recall (60%), understanding (20%) and application (10%) is mentioned in the new curriculum 2012. To observe the SAQs of ‘3-years’ 1st professional undergraduate Anatomy written examinations regarding the addressed level of cognitive domain. Study was conducted at the department of Anatomy, Enam medical College, Savar, Dhaka. Twelve (12) Anatomy written SAQ paper from May 2015 to November 2017 of Dhaka University were collected and grouped according to the addressed level of cognitive domain. (76.48%), (74.03 %) of the SAQs of paper-I and paper-II addressed recall, (23.52%), (25.91%) understanding level respectively. There was no application type of question in both papers. No significance difference was observed in between two papers, but significance difference (p<0.001) was found with the curriculum. Keeping the importance of SAQ in mind as assessment tool, should focus for achieving the proposed level of cognitive domain according to the curriculum.

In clinical practice, retroperitoneal schwannoma is uncommonly seen. This is a rare benign retroperitoneal tumor. Often unexpected preoperatively, diagnosis is based on post-operative histopathologic examination of surgical specimen. At an incidence estimated at 4%, benign and malignant schwannomas represent about 0.6% and 1.8% respectively of schwannomas in the retroperitoneum region. Both sexes are equally affected and the patient’s age is often between 30 and 60 years. Clinical signs are nonspecific. Patients present unexplained lumbar or abdominal pain due to compression of neighboring organs. Total tumor excision has a therapeutic effect and a good prognosis. The case of a 45-year-old female patient in whom was discovered incidentally at ultrasound a left prerenal tissue mass measuring about 6 cm is reported. Further imaging notably, computed tomography revealed this mass in juxtaposition though non-adherent to the left kidney, aorta and the renal pedicle. She underwent a total excision of the tumor by open surgery. Histopathology of the surgical specimen revealed retroperitoneal schwannoma. The patient was discharged five days after surgery with a good prognosis with a follow-up of 15 months.