Enhancing Private Healthcare Effectiveness in Lagos State, Nigeria: An Overview of the Effect of Quality Improvement Initiatives and Implications for Sustainable Healthcare Delivery

Background: Nigeria, a nation grappling with rapid population growth, economic intricacies, and complex healthcare challenges, particularly in Lagos State, the economic hub and most populous state, faces the challenge of ensuring quality healthcare access. The overview of the effect of quality improvement initiatives in this paper focuses on private healthcare providers in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study assesses the impact of donor-funded quality improvement projects on these private healthcare facilities. It explores the level of participation, perceived support, and tangible effects of the initiatives on healthcare delivery within private healthcare facilities. It also examines how these initiatives influence patient inflow and facility ratings, and bring about additional benefits and improvements, provides insights into the challenges faced by private healthcare providers in implementing quality improvement projects and elicits recommendations for improving the effectiveness of such initiatives. Methods: Qualitative research design was employed for in-depth exploration, utilizing semi-structured interviews. Private healthcare providers in Lagos involved in the SP4FP Quality Improvement Project were purposively sampled for diversity. Face-to-face interviews elicited insights into participation, perceived support, and project effects. Questions covered participation levels, support perception, changes observed, challenges faced, and recommendations. Thematic analysis identified recurring themes from interview transcripts. Adherence to ethical guidelines ensured participant confidentiality and informed consent. Results: Respondents affirmed active involvement in the SP4FP Quality Improvement Project, echoing literature emphasizing private-sector collaboration with the public sector. While acknowledging positive influences on facility ratings, respondents highlighted challenges within the broader Nigerian healthcare landscape affecting patient numbers. Respondents cited tangible improvements, particularly in staff management and patient care processes, validating the positive influence of quality improvement projects. Financial constraints emerged as a significant challenge, aligning with existing literature emphasizing the pragmatic difficulties faced by private healthcare providers. Conclusions: This study illuminates the complex landscape of private healthcare provision in Lagos State, emphasizing the positive impact of donor-funded quality improvement projects. The findings provide nuanced insights, guiding policymakers, healthcare managers, and practitioners toward collaborative, sustainable improvements. As Nigeria progresses, these lessons will be crucial in shaping healthcare policies prioritizing population well-being.

Indian Solar Panel Initiatives in Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Environmental degradation and the emission of greenhouse gases particularly carbon dioxide have expanded problems to human wellness and to the atmosphere. The second-most populated country in the globe, India, is among the primary users of conventional resources, which leads to global warming. The growth rate is anticipated to raise more before 2050, which will cause the brisk industrial expansion and rising energy demand to both increases. In order to reduce carbon emissions and meet energy requirements, many countries use alternate usage of renewable energy particularly solar energy. In this review we aim to study solar panel schemes initiated by India, mainly focusing on National Solar Mission. This study also reviews the present solar installed capacity, solar panel scheme 2022, and initiatives and outcomes of solar panels in residences and offices. This study reviewed that by using solar panel resources, the (MNRE) Ministry of New and Renewable Energy hopes to help the Indian Government reach its purpose of 100 GW solar installed capacity by end of 2022. Despite having an amazing 40 GW of solar power installed capacity till December 2021, India is still far from reaching its own goal of 100 GW by March 2023 as per NSM. In essence, this means that India will need to change a few of its ongoing plans further.

Environments favorable to healthy lifestyles:A systematic review of initiatives in Canada

Background: In recent years, a number of initiatives aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles in health-friendly environments have been implemented.The purpose of this review is to synthesize initiatives conducted in Canada and documented in publications for the period 1995–2015 in order to gain a better understanding of their objectives and impacts.Methods: A systematic review of Canadian initiatives published over the past 20 years was conducted from multiple databases(i.e., Scopus,SPORTDiscus, Pub Med, Academic search complete, Reseausante.com, Cairn, and Erudit). In total, 264 publications were identified and retained for the final analysis based on 5 criteria:(1) publication between 1995 and 2015,(2) online availability,(3) research conducted in Canada,(4) main topic related to environments favorable to healthy lifestyles(EFHL), and(5) publication in French or English.Results: A sharp increase in the number of studies on EFHL was observed between 2010 and 2015(57%). Two major lifestyle components—physical activity and nutrition—and 2 environmental aspects—neighborhood and built environment—were the elements most frequently examined regarding adults(48%), young people(34%), and seniors(9%), using quantitative(60%) and qualitative(18%) methods. Furthermore, the analysis reveals a greater focus on the municipal(53%) than the national or provincial levels(31%).Conclusion: This work is a first map of Canadian studies related to EFHL. It clarifies the definition of EFHL and classifies its components. As well,it documents the issues raised, the research methods employed, and the role of stakeholders, while outlining a new research agenda that includes dimensions of EFHL formerly neglected by researchers, namely, political and sociocultural spheres of action.? 2018 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Shanghai University of Sport. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Open Source Initiatives for Big Data Governance and Security:A Survey

With the rapid development of lnternet technology, the volume of data has increased exponentially. As the large amounts of data are no longer easy to be managed and secured by the owners, big data security and privacy has become a hot issue. One of the most popular research fields for solving the data security and data privacy is within the scope of big data governance and security, In this paper, we introduce the basic concepts of data governance and security. Then, all the state-of-the-art open source frameworks for data governance and security, including Apache Falcon, Apache Atlas, Apache Ranger, Apache Sentry and Kerberos, are detailed and discussed with descriptions of their implementation principles and possible applications.

Mobilization Initiatives for Enhancing Secondary School Students’ Enrolment into Vocational and Technical Education Program of Universities for Self Reliance in South East, Nigeria

This study focused on identification of mobilization initiatives for enhancing student’s enrolment into Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) programs in Nigerian Universities. Three research questions guided the study while three hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study was carried out in South East, Nigeria. Population for the study was 1340. Sample for the study was 753 obtained through proportionate (30%) stratified random sampling technique. A 38 item questionnaire was developed and used to collect data. Data obtained were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions while t-test statistic was used to test hypotheses at probability of 0.05 level. It was found out by the study that 38 mobilization initiatives could be used to enhance students’ enrolment into Vocational and Technical Education Programs in Nigerian Universities. It was therefore recommended that the identified mobilization initiatives be implemented by relevant stakeholders to enhance secondary school students’ enrollment into VTE programs in Nigerian Universities.

Banks, Digital Banking Initiatives and the Financial Safety Net: Theory and Analytical Framework

This report presents an analytical framework for exploring the implications of Fintech innovations for incumbent banks and for provision of the financial safety net.The focus is on“digital banking initiatives”,that is,on Fintech initiatives that provide retail financial services akin to those traditionally provided by banks.Banks perform a wide range of functions for individual and institutional customers that help facilitate large-scale economic activity.In fact,in most economies the system of financial intermediation centres on banks and relies on their core products and services for financing of the economy and the maintenance of liquidity.On account of the central role banks play in the financial system,along with concerns about potential systemic instability linked to the riskiness of their activities,these institutions have long been regarded as“special”,as reflected in their prudential regulation and coverage under the various provisions of the financial safety net.Recent developments raise questions about the special status of banks.Two sets of questions are addressed herein:To what extent do new digital banking initiatives change the role that incumbent banks play in the financial system and the way that they perform their functions?To what extent are some of the new digital banking initiatives securing the benefits of the financial safety net without paying the commensurate price?To help address these questions the report first revisits the literature on core functions of the financial system to provide a framework for analysing recent developments.Particular attention is paid in this context to banks and their products and services.The“special”role of banks is discussed,which links to the provisions of the traditional safety net.These overview sections are followed by evidence on Fintech innovations that overlap the core banking products.Based on an examination of the characteristics of these new initiatives,the study then touches on the issue of whether banks are still special and whether some of these initiatives are or should be covered by financial safety net provisions.

How to Improve Students' Initiatives in Cooperative Teaching

With the development of the society, cooperative teaching is no longer a new topic, but a new teaching ideology with great zeitgeist. Nowadays, each part of the society pays more and more attention to cooperative spirit, cooperative consciousness and cooperative skills. As a kind of competence which is more important than knowledge, cooperation is becoming a rather important accomplishment of people, which is quite popular among them. For a long time, the traditional teaching mode in our country is neither helpful to the development of the main role of students', nor to the students' cooperative consciousness or competence. Therefore, during the new round of curriculum reform, changing the students' learning methods has been a focus of people. Under this background, we bring"cooperative learning in groups"into our class, and try to explore it from multiple angles.In this thesis, I will give advice to the cooperative teaching mode through analyzing the theoretical basis, teaching mode and teaching characteristics of the cooperative teaching in order that students' initiatives can be improved in cooperative teaching.

The value of China-Africa health development initiatives in strengthening 'One Health' strategy

Implementing national to community-based 'One Health' strategy for human,animal and environmental challenges and migrating-led consequences offer great opportunities,and its value of sustained development and wellbeing is an imperative.'One Health' strategy in policy commitment,partnership and financial investment are much needed in advocacy,contextual health human-animal and environmental development.Therefore,appropriate and evidence-based handling and management strategies in moving forward universal health coverage and sustainable development goals (SDGs) are essential components to the China-Africa health development initiatives.It is necessary to understand how to strengthen robust and sustainable 'One Health' approach implementation in national and regional public health and disaster risk reduction programs.Understanding the foundation of'One Health' strategy in China-Africa public health cooperation is crucial in fostering health systems preparedness and smart response against emerging and re-emerging threats and epidemics.Building the value of China-Africa 'One Health' strategy partnerships,frameworks and capacity development and implementation through leveraging on current and innovative China-Africa health initiatives,but also,mobilizing efforts on climatic changes and disasters mitigation and lifestyle adaptations strategies against emerging and current infectious diseases threats are essential to establish epidemic surveillance-response system under the concept of global collaborative coordination and lasting financing mechanisms.Further strengthen local infrastructure and workforce capacity,participatory accountability and transparency on 'One Health' approach will benefit to set up infectious diseases of poverty projects,and effective monitoring and evaluation systems in achieving African Union 2063 Agenda and SDGs targets both in Africa and China.

Local Initiatives of Land Rehabilitation in the Sudano-Sahelian Region: Case of <i>Hardé</i>Soils in the Far North Region of Cameroon

Local initiatives of hardé soils rehabilitation in Maroua region have been analyzed. Fieldwork consisted of conducting observations and surveys beside farmers in two study sites, Mizileng and Zokok. Investigations on perception of land degradation signs by farmers show that appearance of encrusted surfaces and loss of vegetation cover are signs more expressed in both study sites. Causes expressed include acceleration of water and wind erosion processes, excessive falling of trees, inappropriate farming techniques and climatic hazards. The main consequences are declining of crop yields, lack of farming land and loss natural pastures. Rehabilitation actions undertaken by local communities surveyed include earth dikes, tillage including cart or hoe ploughing, application of organic matter, integrating farming techniques such as fallowing, association and rotation of crop, and lastly, parking of animals on plots to be rehabilitated. Populations assert in their majority perceive in six months to three years signs of real change on planning plots. Constraints to those rehabilitation actions include material requirements that are mostly not available or accessible to farmers in the study area and access to land. Globally, there is no integration of local knowledge in the implementation of projects and consequences are localized and ephemeral efficiency, but also not conclusive results. Implementation of an innovation in rural areas must take into account the factors of ownership and inscribe in a well-defined trajectory. This trajectory must be dynamic and reflexive where local knowledge will cope with expert knowledge to ensure impact and sustainability of innovation.

Implications from Park Public-Private Partnership(PPP)Initiatives in China and Japan

In this study,the statistical information of 166 park Public-Private Partnership(PPP)projects in China,such as investment,area,project stage,and locality area,was collected to analyze types of clusters and defined five types.For each type of cluster,it was possible to analyze the merits of park PPP projects in China.The case study also revealed the construction process of the entities that build,manage and operate the projects.With the findings from the analysis,it can present a perspective on Japan and China and compare park Private Finance Initiative(PFI)and PPP projects between Japan and China.

Preliminary discussion on the ignition mechanism of exploding foil initiators igniting boron potassium nitrate

Exploding foil initiator(EFI)is a kind of advanced device for initiating explosives,but its function is unstable when it comes to directly igniting pyrotechnics.To solve the problem,this research aims to reveal the ignition mechanism of EFIs directly igniting pyrotechnics.An oscilloscope,a photon Doppler velocimetry,and a plasma spectrum measurement system were employed to obtain information of electric characteristics,impact pressure,and plasma temperature.The results of the electric characteristics and the impact pressure were inconsistent with ignition results.The only thing that the ignition success tests had in common was that their plasma all had a relatively long period of high-temperature duration(HTD).It eventually concludes that the ignition mechanism in this research is the microconvection heat transfer rather than the shock initiation,which differs from that of exploding foil initiators detonating explosives.Furthermore,the methods for evaluating the ignition success of semiconductor bridge initiators are not entirely applicable to the tests mentioned in this paper.The HTD is the critical parameter for judging the ignition success,and it is influenced by two factors:the late time discharge and the energy of the electric explosion.The longer time of the late time discharge and the more energy of the electric explosion,the easier it is to expand the HTD,which improves the probability of the ignition success.

Quality initiatives in the cardiac catheterization and interventionallaboratories

Challenges Change in the healthcare landscape:life on the fast laneThe working environment in American cardiaccatheterization laboratories(CCL)has changedsignificantly over the last two decades(http://www.scai.org/QIT/Default.aspx).It has moved from performingmostly cardiac diagnostic catheterization to more complex

Effects of the initiation position on the damage and fracture characteristics of linear-charge blasting in rock

To study the effects of the initiation position on the damage and fracture characteristics of linear-charge blasting, blasting model experiments were conducted in this study using computed tomography scanning and three-dimensional reconstruction methods. The fractal damage theory was used to quantify the crack distribution and damage degree of sandstone specimens after blasting. The results showed that regardless of an inverse or top initiation, due to compression deformation and sliding frictional resistance, the plugging medium of the borehole is effective. The energy of the explosive gas near the top of the borehole is consumed. This affects the effective crushing of rocks near the top of the borehole, where the extent of damage to Sections Ⅰ and Ⅱ is less than that of Sections Ⅲ and Ⅳ. In addition, the analysis revealed that under conditions of top initiation, the reflected tensile damage of the rock at the free face of the top of the borehole and the compression deformation of the plug and friction consume more blasting energy, resulting in lower blasting energy efficiency for top initiation. As a result, the overall damage degree of the specimens in the top-initiation group was significantly smaller than that in the inverse-initiation group. Under conditions of inverse initiation, the blasting energy efficiency is greater, causing the specimen to experience greater damage. Therefore, in the engineering practice of rock tunnel cut blasting, to utilize blasting energy effectively and enhance the effects of rock fragmentation, using the inverse-initiation method is recommended. In addition, in three-dimensional(3D) rock blasting, the bottom of the borehole has obvious end effects under the conditions of inverse initiation, and the crack distribution at the bottom of the borehole is trumpet-shaped. The occurrence of an end effect in the 3D linear-charge blasting model experiment is related to the initiation position and the blocking condition.

Numerical simulation for the initial state of avalanche in polydisperse particle systems

Numerical simulation is employed to investigate the initial state of avalanche in polydisperse particle systems.Nucleation and propagation processes are illustrated for pentadisperse and triadisperse particle systems,respectively.In these processes,particles involved in the avalanche grow slowly in the early stage and explosively in the later stage,which is clearly different from the continuous and steady growth trend in the monodisperse system.By examining the avalanche propagation,the number growth of particles involved in the avalanche and the slope of the number growth,the initial state can be divided into three stages:T1(nucleation stage),T2(propagation stage),T3(overall avalanche stage).We focus on the characteristics of the avalanche in the T2 stage,and find that propagation distances increase almost linearly in both axial and radial directions in polydisperse systems.We also consider the distribution characteristics of the average coordination number and average velocity for the moving particles.The results support that the polydisperse particle systems are more stable in the T2 stage.

Clustering of voltage-gated ion channels as an evolutionary trigger of myelin formation

Neurons carry apical dendrites that perceive information and a basal axon that transmits the computed information towards its to rgets.The axon originates at the axon hillock which is followed by the axon initial segment.Here,action potentials are initiated that are based on millisecond long openings of specific voltagegated sodium and potassium channels that are conserved in all parahoxozoa(Placozoa,Cnidaria,Bilateria)(Li et al.,2015).

Mg-doped,carbon-coated,and prelithiated SiO_(x) as anode materials with improved initial Coulombic efficiency for lithium-ion batteries

Silicon suboxide(SiO_(x),x≈1)is promising in serving as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries with high capacity,but it has a low initial Coulombic efficiency(ICE)due to the irreversible formation of lithium silicates during the first cycle.In this work,we modify SiO_(x) by solid-phase Mg doping reaction using low-cost Mg powder as a reducing agent.We show that Mg reduces SiO_(2) in SiO_(x) to Si and forms MgSiO_(3) or Mg_(2)SiO_(4).The MgSiO_(3) or Mg_(2)SiO_(4) are mainly distributed on the surface of SiO_(x),which suppresses the irreversible lithium-ion loss and enhances the ICE of SiO_(x).However,the formation of MgSiO_(3) or Mg_(2)SiO_(4) also sacrifices the capacity of SiO_(x).Therefore,by controlling the reaction process between Mg and SiO_(x),we can tune the phase composition,proportion,and morphology of the Mg-doped SiO_(x) and manipulate the performance.We obtain samples with a capacity of 1226 mAh g^(–1) and an ICE of 84.12%,which show significant improvement over carbon-coated SiO_(x) without Mg doping.By the synergistical modification of both Mg doping and prelithiation,the capacity of SiO_(x) is further increased to 1477 mAh g^(–1) with a minimal compromise in the ICE(83.77%).

Irregular initial solidification by mold thermal monitoring in the continuous casting of steels:A review

Occasional irregular initial solidification phenomena,including stickers,deep oscillation marks,depressions,and surface cracks of strand shells in continuous casting molds,are important limitations for developing the high-efficiency continuous casting of steels.The application of mold thermal monitoring(MTM) systems,which use thermocouples to detect and respond to temperature variations in molds,has become an effective method to address irregular initial solidification phenomena.Such systems are widely applied in numerous steel companies for sticker breakout prediction.However,monitoring the surface defects of strands remains immature.Hence,indepth research is necessary to utilize the potential advantages and comprehensive monitoring of MTM systems.This paper summarizes what is included in the irregular initial solidification phenomena and systematically reviews the current state of research on these phenomena by the MTM systems.Furthermore,the influences of mold slag behavior on monitoring these phenomena are analyzed.Finally,the remaining problems of the formation mechanisms and investigations of irregular initial solidification phenomena are discussed,and future research directions are proposed.

An Initial Perturbation Method for the Multiscale Singular Vector in Global Ensemble Prediction

Ensemble prediction is widely used to represent the uncertainty of single deterministic Numerical Weather Prediction(NWP) caused by errors in initial conditions(ICs). The traditional Singular Vector(SV) initial perturbation method tends only to capture synoptic scale initial uncertainty rather than mesoscale uncertainty in global ensemble prediction. To address this issue, a multiscale SV initial perturbation method based on the China Meteorological Administration Global Ensemble Prediction System(CMA-GEPS) is proposed to quantify multiscale initial uncertainty. The multiscale SV initial perturbation approach entails calculating multiscale SVs at different resolutions with multiple linearized physical processes to capture fast-growing perturbations from mesoscale to synoptic scale in target areas and combining these SVs by using a Gaussian sampling method with amplitude coefficients to generate initial perturbations. Following that, the energy norm,energy spectrum, and structure of multiscale SVs and their impact on GEPS are analyzed based on a batch experiment in different seasons. The results show that the multiscale SV initial perturbations can possess more energy and capture more mesoscale uncertainties than the traditional single-SV method. Meanwhile, multiscale SV initial perturbations can reflect the strongest dynamical instability in target areas. Their performances in global ensemble prediction when compared to single-scale SVs are shown to(i) improve the relationship between the ensemble spread and the root-mean-square error and(ii) provide a better probability forecast skill for atmospheric circulation during the late forecast period and for short-to medium-range precipitation. This study provides scientific evidence and application foundations for the design and development of a multiscale SV initial perturbation method for the GEPS.

The Crested Ibises expanding to plain areas exhibit a higher tolerance of human proximity

Animals must strike a balance between anti-predation behavior and other essential behaviors,such as foraging.Within the same species,strategies may vary on individuals’risk-taking preferences,and in this process the environment is a determinant,in addition to predator regime.The Crested Ibis(Nipponia nippon)exhibits such tendency.This is an endangered species,once inhabiting exclusively in China’s Qinling Mountain.This used to be the sole remaining wild population.However,over recent decades,this population has expanded.A portion has relocated to breed in the lower plain area,which is characterized by elevated level of human activities and landscape complexity.We used flight initiation distance(FID)as an indicator of the ibises’risk-taking preference,particularly their response to human proximity.Additionally,we examined the environmental factors influencing their foraging site selection,including altitude,terrain openness,human activity intensity and human construction.Our findings revealed a significantly shorter FID among individuals relocating to plain habitats,indicating a higher tolerance of human proximity.The results showed that FID decreased with distance to the nearest human settlement.Another finding is that FID was independent of instant human activity intensity and environmental factors(altitude and terrain openness).These different may arise from various combinations of human activity,predation risk,and food abundance within the two habitats.These results provide insights into the in situ conservation of the threatened species within the context of global urbanization.

A Comparative Study on the Post-Buckling Behavior of Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes(RTPs)Under External Pressure Considering Progressive Failure

The collapse pressure is a key parameter when RTPs are applied in harsh deep-water environments.To investigate the collapse of RTPs,numerical simulations and hydrostatic pressure tests are conducted.For the numerical simulations,the eigenvalue analysis and Riks analysis are combined,in which the Hashin failure criterion and fracture energy stiffness degradation model are used to simulate the progressive failure of composites,and the“infinite”boundary conditions are applied to eliminate the boundary effects.As for the hydrostatic pressure tests,RTP specimens were placed in a hydrostatic chamber after filled with water.It has been observed that the cross-section of the middle part collapses when it reaches the maximum pressure.The collapse pressure obtained from the numerical simulations agrees well with that in the experiment.Meanwhile,the applicability of NASA SP-8007 formula on the collapse pressure prediction was also discussed.It has a relatively greater difference because of the ignorance of the progressive failure of composites.For the parametric study,it is found that RTPs have much higher first-ply-failure pressure when the winding angles are between 50°and 70°.Besides,the effect of debonding and initial ovality,and the contribution of the liner and coating are also discussed.