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Over time, scientists have found that floods affect long-term economic growth. It is on this note that this study examined the effect of flooding on the Nigerian Economic Growth: A case study of Lokoja Kogi State. Other research demonstrates significant income growth differences. However, flood consequences in north central Nigeria have been little documented. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to assess and plan for certain natural and man-made disasters. Comparative correlations were created using descriptive statistics, frequency tables, and percentages. The study concluded that High rainfall levels in Lokoja, Kogi State, affect farms, crop output, livestock, and food availability. We therefore, concluded that, there is high impacts of exposure to floods on the growth of gross state domestic product (GSDP) and human development index (HDI) in Nigeria cannot be over emphasized as such we recommended that the government should help the flood victims. Many victims need refuge and food. After the floods recede, they need money, water, and seeds. Keywords: Effect, Flooding, Nigerian and Economic Growth. Title: EFFECT OF FLOODING ON THE NIGERIAN ECONOMIC GROWTH: A CASE STUDY OF LOKOJA KOGI STATE Author: Kilani Oluwatobi Fatai, Gbenga Oba Fadare, Aminu Murtala Ibrahim, Roselyn I Izuagbe International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online) Vol. 11, Issue 2, April 2023 - June 2023 Page No: 234-242 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 17-May-2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7944447 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/effect-of-flooding-on-the-nigerian-economic-growth-a-case-study-of-lokoja-kogi-state, International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online), Research Publish Journals, Website: www.researchpublish.com

Nigeria's anti-corruption campaign was initiated by the government of Nigeria and is still predominantly being led by the government. Notwithstanding the renewed anti-corruption efforts since 2015 as well as the existence of a National Anti-corruption Strategy (NACS) since 2017, implementation of the campaign especially by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has not been seen as successful. This study was exploratory and primary data were collected through Key Informants Interviews (KIIs) interviews conducted on 15 persons that were selected from the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja using purposive samples. Also, secondary data were obtained through online sources that were analysed and presented using descriptive method. The research findings revealed several issues in the implementation of Nigeria's anti-corruption campaigns, including selective prosecution and political interference in the anti-corruption fight; seemingly lack of transparency and inadequate political will to fight corruption on the part of government; lack of trust in the judiciary as offenders are still able to evade justice because of the weakness and corruption in the criminal justice system; poor management of the recovered loots such that there is presently no visible positive impact of the corruption war on the masses in respect of their welfare and even their daily experiences, among others. Based on these issues and challenges, the study concluded that if the suggested recommendations are implemented, Nigeria's anti-corruption campaigns could be more robust and successful, especially, when it involves commitment of more stakeholders and the common people who would voluntarily but actively participate and support it. Keywords: Challenges, People-Driven, Anti-Corruption, Analysis ICPC. Title: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES OF PEOPLE-DRIVEN ANTI-CORRUPTION CAMPAIGN: AN ANALYSIS OF INDEPENDENT CORRUPT PRACTICES AND OTHER RELATED OFFENCES COMMISSION IN NIGERIA Author: Yusuf Laiatu, Aminu Murtala Ibrahim, Kilani Oluwatobi Fatai, Gbenga Oba Fadare International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online) Vol. 11, Issue 2, April 2023 - June 2023 Page No: 47-53 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 14-April-2023 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7827452 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/issues-and-challenges-of-people-driven-anti-corruption-campaign-an-analysis-of-independent-corrupt-practices-and-other-related-offences-commission-in-nigeria, International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online), Research Publish Journals, Website: www.researchpublish.com

To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) into Hausa and assess its psychometric properties. The NPQ was translated and cross-culturally adapted into Hausa using recommended guidelines. A consecutive sample of 92 Hausa-speaking patients with non-specific neck pain recruited from three tertiary hospitals in north-western Nigeria, completed the questionnaire to assess factorial validity (using confirmatory factor analysis), convergent validity (by correlating the Hausa-NPQ with the Numerical Pain Rating Scale [NPRS]), and internal consistency (using Cronbach’s α). A subsample of 50 patients completed the questionnaire again 3 days after the first administration to assess relative reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and absolute reliability using standard error of measurement (SEM), smallest detectable change (SDC), and 95% limits of agreement (LOA). The factor analysis confirmed a single-factor structure with excellent internal consistency (α = 0.94). The questionnaire showed a strong positive correlation with the NPRS (rho = 0.68). The ICC was 0.86, with SEM and SDC of 6.32 and 17.5, respectively. The LOA was − 29.3 to + 37.1 with no evidence of proportional bias. The Hausa-NPQ is a valid and reliable measure of disability due to neck pain. This study describes the translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric assessment of the Hausa-NPQ in Hausa-speaking patients with non-specific neck pain.The questionnaire demonstrated adequate psychometric properties in terms of factorial and convergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability.The questionnaire will be useful in clinical and research settings to assess disability due to neck pain for screening purposes, evaluation of treatment effectiveness, as well as cross-cultural comparisons involving Hausa-speaking individuals with neck pain. This study describes the translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric assessment of the Hausa-NPQ in Hausa-speaking patients with non-specific neck pain. The questionnaire demonstrated adequate psychometric properties in terms of factorial and convergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. The questionnaire will be useful in clinical and research settings to assess disability due to neck pain for screening purposes, evaluation of treatment effectiveness, as well as cross-cultural comparisons involving Hausa-speaking individuals with neck pain.

Background: Awareness of activities that may result in low back pain (LBP) among adolescents is fundamental in preventing adulthood LBP. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate adolescents' knowledge, attitude, and perception of LBP and activities that may prevent LBP in Kano, North-western, Nigeria.Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey involving 400 school-going adolescents recruited using a multistage random sampling technique. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test with 0.05 set as level of significance. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 16.0±1.50 years. LBP annual prevalence was 34.2%, with more girls (31.1%) reporting having LBP compared to boys (28.4%). More than half (59.3%) of the respondents had poor knowledge of LBP and activities that may prevent it. However, they had a good attitude (63%) and perception (74%) of LBP and activities that may prevent it. There was no significant association of levels of knowledge, attitude, and perception of LBP and activities that may prevent LBP with gender, age, and class of study (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Adolescents in Kano, North-western Nigeria had poor knowledge of LBP and activities that may prevent it. Therefore, there is a need to embark on an LBP prevention program among adolescents in Kano, North-western Nigeria. Keywords: Low back pain; prevention; adolescents; knowledge; attitude; perception.

Despite substantial efforts in the past decades towards the development of microsatellites or SSR (simple sequence repeat) markers in jute, there is still an urgent necessity for additional SSR markers for performing genetic and breeding investigations. The availability of reference genomic sequences for both diploid cultivated jute species enabled us to identify a total of 154,715 and 160,173 SSRs from the C. capsularis and C. olitorius genomes, respectively. 6,337 and 7,012 total SSRs with a density of 187.6 and 185.01 SSR/Mb were also mined in coding sequences (CDS). 12bp was the most common repeat length in both genomic and CDS. Di- and tetra-nucleotide motifs were prevailed in the genomic sequences, while trinucleotides in the CDS. SSR frequency declined with increasing repeat units in both species. ATT and AT motifs were the most common in the genome. AG and CTT were prevalent in the CDS of both species while GC and CGC motifs were infrequent. Further, we used the flanking sequences of identified SSRs (from both species) to design a total of 1,117 SSR primer pairs. Genetic diversity analysis based on 110 sampled SSRs in 24 genotypes displayed high polymorphism. The first physical map with 535 PCR-based polymorphic SSRs were constructed by taking C. capsularis as the reference genome. These resources will advance genetics and breeding research in jute.

Summary Cultivated jute, which comprises the two species Corchorus capsularis and C. olitorius, is the second most important natural fibre source after cotton. Here we describe chromosome‐level assemblies of the genomes of both cultivated species. The C. capsularis and C. olitorius assemblies are each comprised of seven pseudo‐chromosomes, with the C. capsularis assembly consisting of 336 Mb with 25,874 genes and the C. olitorius assembly containing 361 Mb with 28 479 genes. Although the two Corchorus genomes exhibit collinearity, the genome of C. olitorius contains 25 Mb of additional sequences than that of C. capsularis with 13 putative inversions, which might give a hint to the difference of phenotypic variants between the two cultivated jute species. Analysis of gene expression in isolated fibre tissues reveals candidate genes involved in fibre development. Our analysis of the population structures of 242 cultivars from C. capsularis and 57 cultivars from C. olitorius by whole‐genome resequencing resulted in post‐domestication bottlenecks occurred ~2000 years ago in these species. We identified hundreds of putative significant marker‐trait associations (MTAs) controlling fibre fineness, cellulose content and lignin content of fibre by integrating data from genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) with data from analyses of selective sweeps due to natural and artificial selection in these two jute species. Among them, we further validated that CcCOBRA1 and CcC4H1 regulate fibre quality in transgenic plants via improving the biosynthesis of the secondary cell wall. Our results yielded important new resources for functional genomics research and genetic improvement in jute and allied fibre crops.

Jute is an essential fibrous crop worldwide. However, salt- and drought-induced stresses affect its production. The complex inheritance for such traits makes Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) detection cumbersome when using the approach to understand and improve the plant’s tolerance to these stresses. There is a need to identify the underlying mechanistic events under these stress conditions at the seedling stage. Therefore, this study uses genetic and transcriptomic approaches to identify the markers, QTL and candidate genes related to salt and drought tolerance in jute. We also analyzed some phenotypes, including dry root weight (DRW), dry shoot weight (DSW), root fresh weight (RFW), root length (RL), relative water content (RWC), shoot fresh weight (SFW) and Shoot length (SL). One hundred (100) recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of the white Jute and the parents were evaluated under control, salt and drought conditions. Analysis of variance indicates significant differences (p

Studies have shown that fish oil and soybean oil are of excellent public and medical importance to humans. The health benefits of the oils have been widely documented. The purpose of the present study was to manufacture and evaluate the nutritional properties of fish and soybean oil obtained in Nigeria. The oils were extracted from fish and soybean seeds using existing procedures. Thirty liters of the oils were extracted, respectively, and the nutritional contents and other properties were determined.The study provided insight into the nutritional composition of fish oil and soybean oil. The findings and recommendations are discussed. &nbsp

Soil salinization is a serious agricultural issue that is severely affecting crop production across the world. Salt induced stresses are mainly included osmotic and ionic stresses, which could lead to other stresses e.g., oxidative stress in plants. The evolved plant mechanisms in salt tolerance are categorized into osmotic tolerance and ionic homeostasis mediated by ion exclusion and ions sequestration into vacuole. Osmotic tolerance involves long-distance signaling which still has many unknowns in crops, while ionic homeostasis is achieved by Na+/K+/H+ transporters and H+-pumps. Besides, the mechanisms of salt tolerance are regulated by various signaling pathways and transcription factors. A better understanding on the mechanisms of salt tolerance and its involved candidate genes is a prerequisite for increasing/maintaining yield potential of crops in saline soils. This review focuses on various mechanisms, signaling pathways and transcriptional regulations of salt tolerance in crops. We also review the various examples of underlying candidate genes that have been engineered to develop the salt tolerant crops, and may also have worth in next crop breeding.

Association mapping (AM) is an approach that accounts for thousands of polymorphisms to evaluate the effects of quantitative trait loci (QTL). It is an important instrument for identification of alleles and new genes as well as dissection of complex characters. AM is more advantageous than linkage analysis due to the comparatively high-resolution provided, which is based on the structure of linkage disequilibrium (LD). Marker density, population, sample sizes and population structure are among the critical factors that should be considered when AM is used. It is necessary to note that, the choice of germplasm, genotypic and phenotypic data quality, the use of appropriate statistical analysis for marker-phenotype association detections and verifications are key to association analysis. Great potentials to enhance crop genetic improvement are offered by AM. However, to understand its application, extensive research is needed, such as improvements in computational and statistical methods and its integration with gene annotation data or functional analysis. Statistical apparatuses that are user-friendly and genetic resources are also needed and must be enhanced. Rare allele/variant analysis is an important area to be considered to enhance AM studies. Joint linkage association mapping has now been proposed to improve linkage-based QTL mapping and AM limitations. In the future, new candidate genes and QTL can be easily identified if genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are combined with functional genomics. As such, this review describes association mapping, its utilization in plant breeding, limitations as well as advantages over linkage mapping.

Background: Pain is an important clinical factor that limits movement and functions. Informal caregivers of stroke survivors are primarily involved in providing care and assistance and may face musculoskeletal problems. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) and associated factors among informal caregivers of stroke survivors in northwestern Nigeria. Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study performed among 218 informal caregivers of stroke survivors. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, nature of caregiving, and duration of caregiving were collected using researcher-designed data forms. A 12-month prevalence of MSP in different body regions was obtained using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data at an alpha level of 0.05. Results: The majority of the caregivers were females (60.6%) within the age range of 18 - 27 years old (50.9%) and engaged in full-time caregiving (63.8%). The overall prevalence of MSP among the caregivers was 16.5%. The most common MSP was low back pain (28%) and was found to be associated with age, gender, body mass index, marital status, educational level, occupational status, duration of caregiving, and nature of caregiving (all P

Background: This pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility of a large-scale randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of different weekly applications of kinesthesia, balance and agility (KBA) exercises for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: Eighteen knee OA patients were randomly assigned to three groups of six patients: Twice-weekly KBA, thrice-weekly KBA, and control (conventional physical therapy) for six weeks. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment rate, retention/dropout rate, report of adverse events, pain (Visual Analog Scale for pain), and physical function (Ibadan Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis Outcome Measure). Descriptive statistics and a 3 × 2 (treatment group × time) mixed-model ANOVA were applied to analyze the data. Results: The recruitment rate was 66.6%. Retention rates for the three groups ranged from 90 – 100%. No serious adverse events were reported throughout the study. Pain and physical function significantly improved (P < 0.05) in all the groups post-intervention, except for the conventional physical therapy group, which showed no significant improvement in the physical function (P > 0.05). However, inter-group difference was not significant in all the clinical outcomes evaluated (all P > 0.05). Conclusions: This study suggests the feasibility of a large-scale randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of different weekly applications of KBA exercises among knee OA individuals, with minor amendments.

Background: Impairments in the lumbar multifidus muscle such as reduced muscle thickness and fat infiltrations are evident in individuals with low back pain. Lumbar stabilization exercises (LSE) with real-time ultrasound imaging (RUSI) biofeedback has been reported to improve preferential activation of as well as retention in the ability to activate of the lumbar multifidus muscle, thus enhancing recovery. However, the effects of using this treatment approach in individuals with nonspecific chronic low back pain (NCLBP) seemed not to have widely reported. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to investigate the effects of LSE with RUSI biofeedback on lumbar multifidus muscle cross-sectional area in individuals with NCLBP patients. Method: This study is a prospective, single-center, assessor-blind three-arm, randomized controlled to be conducted at National Orthopedic Hospital, Kano State, Nigeria. Ninety-one individuals with NCLBP will be randomly assigned into one of the three treatment groups of equal sample size (n = 30); LSE group, LSE with RUSI biofeedback group, or control (minimal intervention). The participants in the LSE and LSE with RUSI biofeedback group will also receive the same intervention as the control group. All participants will receive treatment twice weekly for 8 weeks. The primary outcome will be lumbar multifidus muscles cross-sectional area while the secondary outcomes will be pain, functional disability and quality of life. All outcomes will be assessed at baseline, and at 8 weeks and 3 months post-intervention.Discussion: The outcome of the study may support the evidence for the effectiveness of LSE with RUSI biofeedback in the rehabilitation of individuals with NCLBP. It may also provide a rationale for the physiotherapists to make use of diagnostic ultrasound as a feedback mechanism in enhancing the performance and retention of LSE program as well as monitoring the patient’s recovery.Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, (PACTR201801002980602), Registered on 16 January 2018.

Background: The jute plant is of great significance and economic relevance to humanity, but its production has been hindered due to abiotic influences, especially salt stress. Hitherto, the molecular bases for this vital feature await future exploration. The abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway comprises many regulated genes and plays a role in plant response to stress, however, a balance between the multiple pathways is always needed for any plant developmental process. In this study, we used a transcriptomic approach to unveil the molecular bases behind this trait. Salt tolerant (J194) and sensitive (J7) germplasms were subjected to sodium chloride (NaCl) stress at a different time point, from which leaf and roots samples were taken for transcriptome analyses. Result: The plant hormone signal transduction pathway was the most abundant observed in the study; the Pyrrolysine (PYL) gene (Cc.03G0016680) was up-regulated, which supports the basic model of abscisic acid (ABA). The quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT –PCR) and the correlation analysis validated the Ribonucleic acid sequence (RNA-seq) results. The candidate genes’ relative expression level was higher in J194, especially in protein phosphate 2C (PP2C). Corchorus capsularis PP2C gene family revealed 38 members, phylogenetic analysis categorized PP2C into 15 based upon conserved domains. Eleven conserved motifs were identified, and most of the genes had the same number of conserved motifs. The exon-intron ranges of (3-21) and (2-20), respectively. Moreover, among the plant hormone signal transduction pathway PP2C genes, Cc.03G0016550 and Cc.07G0028160 were up-regulated in J194 root tissues at 6-hour exposure NaCl, as such recommended to be salt-tolerant candidature genes. It was noted that most of the Corchorus capsularis PP2C genes were involved from segmental duplication, and analysis of the key stress marker salt-tolerant PP2C genes validated the salt tolerance individuals. Conclusion: These results provided valuable insight into salt tolerance transcriptome and indicated that PP2C had provided a stepping-stone to the molecular mechanism in Corchorus capsularis. Furthermore, differentially expressed genes, motifs, gene structure, and the chromosomal location of salt tolerance candidate genes might have experienced functional divergence. As such, their further study will enhance salt tolerance in Corchorus capsularis.

Context Studies have indicated that the muscle energy technique (MET) and the positional release technique (PRT) are effective in the management of piriformis syndrome (PS); however, evidence is scarce regarding the combination of these techniques in the form of an integrated neuromuscular inhibition technique (INIT) in the management of individuals with PS. Although a previous trial investigated the effect of INIT for PS, that study did not integrate Ruddy’s reciprocal antagonist facilitation (RRAF) method into the INIT protocol, nor did the authors diagnose PS according to established criteria. Objectives To examine the effects of INIT with integrated RRAF compared with PRT in the management of patients diagnosed with PS. Methods This study was designed as a single blind randomized clinical trial in which participants diagnosed with PS were randomly allocated into INIT and PRT groups. Each group attended two treatment sessions per week for 8 weeks. Patients in the INIT group received a protocol in which the patient’s tender point or trigger point was palpated in the belly of the piriformis approximately halfway between the inferior lateral angle of the sacrum and the greater trochanter, at which point the therapist applied an intermittent or sustained pressure and maintained the pressure for 20–60 seconds (depending on the participant’s response to pain reduction). For INIT patients, that protocol was also followed by RRAF, a method in which a patient introduces a series of tiny/miniature contractions or efforts (20 times per 10 seconds) against a therapist’s resistance. Patients in the PRT group were treated by palpating the same trigger point described in the INIT group, followed by application of light pressure at the location of the trigger point, which was maintained the pressure for 2 minutes or until the pain subsided (determined by asking the participant to report a pain score using a visual analog scale at 30 second intervals). For both groups, three repetitions of the INIT or PRT treatment were performed over 10 minutes at each clinical visit. Additionally, each group also received stretching exercises immediately after the INIT or PRT treatment session. Each participant was assessed at baseline, immediately posttreatment, and at 4 months posttreatment for pain, sciatica, functional mobility, quality of life, hip abduction, and internal rotation. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) of within-between group interactions was used to analyze the treatment effect. Results Forty eight participants (age range, 25–47 years; mean age ± standard deviation, 32.81 ± 3.27 years) were randomized into the INIT and PRT groups, with 24 participants in each group. No significant between-group differences (p>0.05) were observed in the baseline demographic and clinical variables of the participants. A repeated-measures ANOVA indicated that there was a significant time effect for all outcomes, with a significant interaction between time and intervention (p Conclusions INIT was more effective than PRT in the management of individuals with PS. It should be noted the significant improvement achieved in both the groups may have also been contributed to by the stretching exercises that were used as adjunct therapies by both groups.

STUDY DESIGN Cross-cultural adaptation and cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) into Hausa language, and evaluate its psychometric properties in mixed rural and urban populations with low back pain (LBP). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The RMDQ is one of the most commonly used and recommended condition-specific measures of disability related to LBP. However, no formal adapted and validated Hausa version exists at the time our study was initiated. METHODS The Hausa version of the RMDQ (Hausa-RMDQ) was developed according to established guidelines. Psychometric properties were evaluated in 125 patients with LBP recruited from rural and urban Nigerian clinics. Internal consistency (Cronbach's α), test-retest reliability using Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC), and limits of agreement using Bland-Altman plots were calculated to evaluate reliability. Using Spearman's correlation for a priori hypotheses, the Hausa-RMDQ was correlated with Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) to evaluate concurrent validity, Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) to evaluate convergent validity, and age, educational level, and occupational status to evaluate divergent validity. Reliability and validity analyses were also conducted separately for rural and urban subgroups. RESULTS The Hausa-RMDQ had no major translation problems. The questionnaire had adequate internal consistency (α = 0.70), test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.79), minimal SEM (1.30) and MDC (3.60), and good agreement between test-retest values. The Hausa-RMDQ had a strong correlation with ODI (rho = 0.59), a moderate correlation with NPRS (rho = 0.46), and a null correlation with age, educational level, and occupational status (P > 0.05), thus confirming all the (5:5) a priori hypotheses constructed. These reliability and validity results were also replicated in the rural and urban subgroups. CONCLUSION The Hausa-RMDQ was successfully developed and proved to be a reliable and valid measure of functional disability in Hausa culture. This questionnaire is recommended for future clinical and scientific research purposes.Level of Evidence: 3.

Background Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common painful and disabling condition that affects older individuals. Proprioceptive training programs in the form of kinesthesia, balance and agility (KBA) exercises have been reported to be beneficial for individuals with knee OA. However, the most optimal training dosage of KBA exercises is still unclear. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of different frequencies of KBA training (i.e., twice-weekly or thrice-weekly) in adults with knee OA. Methods A single (assessor) blind, three-arm parallel, multi-center randomized controlled trial will be conducted. One hundred twenty adults with knee OA will be recruited from four tertiary hospitals in Northwestern Nigeria and randomly assigned into one of three intervention groups; twice-weekly KBA (n = 40), thrice-weekly KBA (n = 40), and conventional physiotherapy (n = 40) in the ratio of 1:1:1. Participants in the conventional physiotherapy group will receive two sessions of brief patient education, and sixteen sessions of ultrasound therapy, and stretching and strengthening exercises for 8 weeks. Participants in the two different KBA groups will receive KBA training according to the designed sessions for 8 weeks in addition to the conventional physiotherapy program. All groups will be assessed pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention and at 3 months, 4 months, and 6 months post-randomization. The primary outcome will be physical function (Ibadan Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis Outcome Measure) whereas the secondary outcomes will be pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale for pain), knee stability (Knee Outcome Survey-Activities of Daily Living Scale), proprioception (electronic goniometer), and quality of life (Osteoarthritis Knee and Hip Quality of Life Questionnaire). Discussion The findings of this study may provide evidence on the effectiveness of KBA exercise training and the ideal number of sessions needed to achieve the highest effectiveness in adults with knee OA. Trial registration Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR201810713260138). Registered on 28 November 2017.

Introduction Negative attitudes and beliefs about low back pain (LBP) can lead to reduced function and activity and consequently disability. One self-report measure that can be used to assess these negative attitudes and beliefs and to determine their predictive nature is the Back Beliefs Questionnaire (BBQ). This study aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt the BBQ into Hausa and assess its psychometric properties in mixed urban and rural Nigerian populations with chronic LBP. Methods The BBQ was translated and cross-culturally adapted into Hausa (Hausa-BBQ) according to established guidelines. To assess psychometric properties, a consecutive sample of 200 patients with chronic LBP recruited from urban and rural clinics of Nigeria completed the questionnaire along with measures of fear-avoidance beliefs, pain catastrophizing, functional disability, physical and mental health, and pain. One hundred of the 200 patients completed the questionnaire twice at an interval of 7–14 days to assess test-retest reliability. Internal construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis, and external construct validity was assessed by examining convergent, divergent, and known-groups validity. Reliability was assessed by calculating internal consistency (Cronbach’s α), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change at 95% confidence interval (MDC95), and limits of agreement using Bland-Altman plots. Reliability (ICC, SEM and MDC95) was also assessed separately for rural and urban subgroups. Results The factor analysis revealed a four-factor solution explaining 58.9% of the total variance with the first factor explaining 27.1%. The nine scoring items loaded on the first factor hence supporting a unidimensional scale. The convergent and divergent validity were supported as 85% (6:7) of the predefined hypotheses were confirmed. Known-groups comparison showed that the questionnaire discriminated well for those who differed in education (p < 0.05), but not in age (p > 0.05). The internal consistency and ICC (α = 0.79; ICC = 0.91) were adequate, with minimal SEM and MDC95 (1.9 and 5.2, respectively). The limits of agreements were –5.11 to 5.71. The ICC, SEM and MDC95 for the urban and rural subgroups were comparable to those obtained for the overall population. Conclusions The Hausa-BBQ was successfully adapted and psychometrically sound in terms of internal and external construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability in mixed urban and rural Hausa-speaking populations with chronic LBP. The questionnaire can be used to detect and categorize specific attitudes and beliefs about back pain in Hausa culture to prevent or reduce potential disability due to LBP.

Background:Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common painful and disabling condition that affects older individuals. Proprioceptive (PR) and kinesthesia, balance and agility (KBA) exercises are two neuromuscular training reported to be beneficial for individuals with knee OA. However, their combined effects have not been systematically evaluated. Moreover, the most optimal dosage of knee OA exercise-based programremains unclear. The aim of this study is to determine the combined effects of PR and KBA exercise program with different frequency of treatment sessions(i.e. twice weekly or thrice weekly) in adults with knee OA.Methods:A single (assessor) blind, three-arm parallel, multi-centerrandomized controlled trial will be conducted. Eighty-four adults with knee OA will be recruited from four tertiary hospitals in Northwestern Nigeria and randomly assigned into one of three intervention groups; group 1 (control or conventional physiotherapy; n = 28), group 2 (two sessions per week of combined PR and KBA exercise; n = 28), and group 3 (three sessions per week of combined PR and KBA exercise, n = 28). Participants in the conventional therapy group will receive two sessions of brief patient education, and 16 sessions of ultrasound therapy, and stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercise for 8 weeks. Participants in the two experimental groups will be treated for 8 weeks and will also receive the same conventional therapy. All groups will be assessed pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention and at 3-month, 4-month and 6-month post-randomization. The primary outcomes will be physical function and quality of life while the secondary outcomes will be pain intensity, knee stability and proprioception.Discussion:Findings of this study may provide evidence of effectiveness of combined PR and KBA exercise program for knee OA, which may serve as a basis for recommending the use of such multimodal exercise approachfor individuals with knee OA. The study may also provide evidence for the ideal number of sessions of knee OA exercise-based programsto achieve the highest effectiveness.Trial registration:Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, (PACTR201810713260138), Registered on 28 November 2017.

This pilot randomized clinical trial assessed the feasibility of implementing motor control exercise (MCE) and patient education (PE) program for the management of chronic low back pain (CLBP) in a low resource rural Nigerian community. Thirty patients with CLBP were recruited and randomly assigned to MCE, PE, or MCE plus PE groups. The MCE program was provided twice a week while the PE program was provided once a week all for 6 weeks. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment rate, treatment compliance, retention/dropout rate, report of adverse events, perceived helpfulness, overall satisfaction, and clinical outcome of pain (numeric pain rating scale) and functional disability (Oswestry Disability Index). Many patients were willing to participate in the study and the recruitment rate was 77%. Treatment compliance in all the three groups were >65% for supervised treatment sessions and

More often than not, welded joints experience failure such as fracture which jeopardize their reliability and ergonomics when put in perspective. Attempting a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of welded joint through heat treatment could ensure joints stability and reduce the costs associated with constant repairs and replacements. In this study, the effects of heat treatments (austempering and normalization) on the mechanical properties of weldments were examined. The locally recycled steel sample was sourced from the Delta Steel Company Aladja, Delta State and the spectro-analysis was carried out on it. The test samples were machined as per properties for tests, fractured locally and were welded using shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) with stainless steel electrode. They were then heat treated in electric furnaces. The mechanical properties (tensile strength, yield strength, hardness and impact toughness) were determined and the microstructure examined using scanning electron microscope. They were also examined physically using hand lens. The result indicated that the austempered samples improved significantly in terms of its tensile strength, yield strength, hardness and ductility. It was also found that the untreated sample produced the greatest impact toughness. The result of the physical examination also suggested that heat treatment using oil based quenchant have the potential to inhibit rust at weld joints.