Prevalence of and Risk factors associated with hypertension: a community based- cross sectional study in Ndorwa West Health Sub District, Kabale district, southwestern Uganda.

Background: Globally, one billion people have hypertension (HT), it kills 9.4 million people annually. Prevalence is higher in developed countries and is rapidly rising in developing countries, and approximately 31.

Communal conflicts in Nigeria: Assessment of the impacts on internally displaced persons and settlements amidst COVID-19 pandemic.

Acknowledging that violent communal conflicts can lead to increased displacement and overcrowding in IDP camps, this study investigates the impact of such conflicts on internally displaced persons (IDPs) and their camps in Benue State, Nigeria, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a mixed-method approach, 386 IDPs and 20 stakeholders were purposively selected. Based on the research objectives, descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze the research objectives.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Adults - Experience and Challenges in Gastroenterology Practices in Calabar, South-South Nigeria.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that is reported to be rare in Africans. The objective of this study is to share the experience of our Gastroenterology practice in Calabar, Cross River State on IBD.

Methods: This is a ten-year review of the records of patients visiting the Gastroenterology clinic of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and two private gastroenterology clinics in Calabar Municipality.

Impact of squatting on selected cardiovascular parameters among college students.

Squatting is an active posture test used in assessing baroreflex sensitivity, and the array of patients a physiotherapist handles may benefit from this test to avoid the adverse effects of exercise. Therefore, this study is designed to evaluate the effect of squatting on heart rate and blood pressure among undergraduate students. 35 males (mean age = 22.

Process modeling and simulation of (GmW) and (MaW) wood drying.

This study simulate the process modeling of drying characteristics of (GmW) and (MaW) wood under the influence of various process variables such as drying time, drying temperature, and airflow velocity. GmW and MaW moisture desorption isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics were also studied. Five (5) thin-layer and desorption isotherm drying models were used to model the moisture ratio and water activity data from the process.

Effect of Educational Intervention Program on Self-Efficacy of Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in South-East, Nigeria.

Objectives: Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease, which requires a level of confidence among the sufferers in its management. This study investigated the effect of an educational intervention program on self-efficacy (SE) in diabetic individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus in South-East, Nigeria.

Methods: The study was a quasi-experimental controlled study, comprising 382 individuals with type 2 DM selected, and assigned to intervention (IG) and control groups (CG).

Neighborhood safety, fall indices, physical activity level and social participation restrictions from a population of community-dwelling older adults in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.

Background: Restriction in physical activity (PA) and social participation restriction (PR) can be heightened in the presence of fear of fall (FOF), fall experience, and perceived unsafe neighborhood, particularly among older adults. Despite the enormous benefits of social participation and physical activity, many older adults remain vulnerable to participation restriction and this probably accounts for a significant proportion of health challenges for older adults.

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between neighborhood safety (NS), fall indices, physical activity, and social participation restriction among older adults from selected communities in Nsukka, Enugu state, Nigeria.

Work-related stress, quality of life, and coping mechanism among lecturers in a Tertiary Educational Institution in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Introduction: Work-related stress (WRS) is a highly prevalent and pervasive problem that can result in loss of productivity and deterioration of a lecturer's health. Lecturing work requires coping with some of the stressful situations found in any workplace to have a favourable quality of work life. The study determined the influence of sex, years of teaching experience, and academic rank on work-related stress, coping mechanisms, and quality of work life among lecturers at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU).

Validation of an iCare Health Monitor smartphone application in the assessment of vital signs among stroke survivors in a poor-resource country.

Background: Frequent and accurate monitoring of blood pressure (BP) is a vital part of stroke management. There is therefore the need for availability of simple, portable and accurate devices for monitoring BP at any point in time.

Objective: To determine the validity and reliability of the iCare Health Monitor (iCHM) smartphone application in the measurement of BP, heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) amongst stroke survivors in Anambra State.

Using Reminder Letters to Improve Adherence to Routine Hemoglobin A1C Testing in Adults with Diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends hemoglobin A1C (A1C) goals of < 7% for most non-pregnant adults and < 8% for adult patients with extensive or life-limiting comorbidities. A1C testing is indicated every 3-months for patients not meeting goals to assess glycemic control, adjust medications, suggest lifestyle changes, and offer counseling. However, many patients do not adhere to routine testing.

The Burden and Quality of life of Caregivers of Stroke Survivors with Cognitive Impairment in Selected Healthcare Facilities in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Objective: To determine the burden and quality of life of caregivers of stroke survivors with cognitive impairment in selected healthcare facilities in Anambra State, Nigeria.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey using the World Health Organization QOL-BREF and Caregiver Strain Index (CSI) as instruments. Descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage counts, mean and standard deviation were used to summarize the socio-demographics.

Ionizing radiation protection and the linear No-threshold controversy: Extent of support or counter to the prevailing paradigm.

This study has developed a relationship that categorized radiation protection and allows for a proper, clear, and concise review of the different classifications in terms of principles of protection, dose criteria, categories, fundamental tools, exposure situations, applications and control measures. With the groundwork laid, advances of the linear no-threshold (LNT) model which has attracted attention in the field of radiobiology and epidemiology were examined in detail. Various plausible dose-response relationship scenarios were x-rayed under low-dose extrapolation.

Prevalence and risk factors of Hepatitis D virus antibody among asymptomatic carriers of Hepatitis B virus: a community survey.

Background: Hepatitis D virus (HDV) can cause a chronic infection in the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen and contribute to the burden of chronic liver disease especially in regions where chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of HDV among asymptomatic carriers of HBsAg in Cross River State, Nigeria.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among apparently healthy adults resident in Cross River State, Nigeria.

Evaluating the discriminatory power of the velocity field diagram and timed-up-and-go test in determining the fall status of community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional observational study.

Background: Systematic reviews demonstrated that gait variables are the most reliable predictors of future falls, yet are rarely included in fall screening tools. Thus, most tools have higher specificity than sensitivity, hence may be misleading/detrimental to care. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the validity, and reliability of the velocity field diagram (VFD -a gait analytical tool), and the Timed-up-and-go test (TUG)-commonly used in Nigeria as fall screening tools, compared to a gold standard (known fallers) among community-dwelling older adults.

Impact of exercise training on symptoms of depression, physical activity level and social participation in people living with HIV/AIDS: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Symptoms of depression are prevalent in people living with human immune deficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (PLWHA), and worsened by lack of physical activity/exercises, leading to restriction in social participation/functioning. This raises the question: what is the extent to which physical exercise training affected, symptoms of depression, physical activity level (PAL) and social participation in PLWHA compared to other forms of intervention, usual care, or no treatment controls?

Method: Eight databases were searched up to July 2020, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol. Only randomised controlled trials involving adults who were either on HAART/HAART-naïve and reported in the English language, were included.

Social Support, General Self-Efficacy, Fear of Falling, and Physical Activity Among Older Adults in a Middle-Income Country.

To investigate the levels and interrelationships between fear of falling (FOF), physical activity (PA), social support (SS), and general self-efficacy (GSE) among older adults in a Nigerian community. This was a cross-sectional survey involving 100 older adults (65.0% females; mean age = 74.

A Case of Cardiac Papillary Fibroelastoma - An Increasingly Described Cardiac Tumor with Fatal Consequences.

Papillary fibroelastomas (PFE) are rare primary cardiac tumors characterized by non-malignant, pedunculated, endocardial lesions with a significant risk of embolic potential and death. With improvements in the imaging quality and availability of transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE), the diagnosis of PFE has become more common in the last 2 decades. PFE is changing from a rare "zebra" diagnosis to one that community providers will encounter in their practice and must appropriately treat to prevent morbidity and mortality.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome Associated With COVID-19 Pneumonia-The First Documented Case in a U.S. Military Intensive Care Unit.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a significant cause for intensive care unit (ICU) admission worldwide. Most COVID-19 infections are associated with lower respiratory abnormalities but it has been increasingly associated with extra-pulmonary manifestations. Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rarely diagnosed but severe disease associated with COVID-19 infection.

Aneurysmal Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery in an Active Duty U.S. Military Male (Case Report).

We present a rare case of four-vessel aortic arch with an aneurysmal aberrant right retro-esophageal subclavian artery (ARSA) in a healthy, asymptomatic active duty U.S. military male.

Managerial competencies-A survey of healthcare managers in a tertiary hospital in Calabar, South-South Nigeria.

Background: Tertiary hospitals are specialized institutions that provide managed care for patients. It has been shown that the productivity of any organization/institution is as good as the performance of its managers.

Aim: This study assessed the management knowledge of Healthcare Managers in a tertiary hospital in Calabar, Nigeria.

Compromised angiogenesis and vascular Integrity in impaired diabetic wound healing.

Vascular deficits are a fundamental contributing factor of diabetes-associated diseases. Although previous studies have demonstrated that the pro-angiogenic phase of wound healing is blunted in diabetes, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that regulate skin revascularization and capillary stabilization in diabetic wounds is lacking. Using a mouse model of diabetic wound healing, we performed microCT analysis of the 3-dimensional architecture of the capillary bed.