An analysis of the Causes of Building Defects in Residential Properties in Diobu area of port Harcourt, River State, Nigeria.

Currently, derelict buildings with little or no amenities have remained a challenge to the physical fabric of properties in Diobu in Port Harcourt. These derelictions are observed to be affecting the economic and physical functionality of these buildings. Therefore, the paper aims to investigate the causes of the dereliction in the buildings in Diobu area in Port Harcourt Rivers State of Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted where 153 questionnaires was administered to the resident of the study area and another 56 questionnaires to property managers in Port Harcourt. Out of the 209 (Nr) questionnaires administered, a total of 197 was retrieved representing a response rate of 94%. Data gathered were analyzed using Relative Important Index, mean and percentages and presented in tabular and pictorial formats. The paper’s finding revealed and confirmed that wall cracks, wall/floor dampness, roof leakages, faulty plumbing fittings, poor ventilation and peeling/faded wall paints are some of the defects in the properties in Diobu. A further investigation revealed that poor building designs, old age, poor maintenance culture, adverse climatic condition, misuse, overcrowding and insect attack are among the causes of these defects on the buildings. This research work is original and has not been previously published anywhere; its reflection is that effective maintenance culture, good occupancy ratio, use of skilled personnel and quality building materials should be encouraged by residents, property managers and landlords in order to check the menace of building defects in the study area. Keywords: Residential Buildings, Defects, causes, Analysis, Diobu.

An emerging coral disease outbreak decimated Caribbean coral populations and reshaped reef functionality

Diseases are major drivers of the deterioration of coral reefs, linked to major declines in coral abundance, reef functionality, and reef-related ecosystems services1-3. An outbreak of a new disease is currently rampaging through the populations of the remaining reef-building corals across the Caribbean region. The outbreak was first reported in Florida in 2014 and reached the northern Mesoamerican reef by summer 2018, where it spread across the ~ 450-km reef system only in a few months4. Rapid infection was generalized across all sites and mortality rates ranged from 94% to < 10% among the 21 afflicted coral species. This single event further modified the coral communities across the region by increasing the relative dominance of weedy corals and reducing reef functionality, both in terms of functional diversity and calcium carbonate production. This emergent disease is likely to become the most lethal disturbance ever recorded in the Caribbean, and it will likely result in the onset of a new functional regime where key reef-building and complex branching acroporids (a genus apparently unaffected) will once again become conspicuous structural features in reef systems with yet even lower levels of physical functionality.

Physical Functionality of Cancer Patients Receiving Disease-Directed Therapy (DDT) with Palliative Care Compare with Patients on DDT Only in Kwara State, Nigeria

Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement caused by muscle contractions and resulting in energy expenditure. Palliative care is a special care for patients with active, progressive, advanced disease such as cancer where the prognosis is short and the focus of care is the quality of life. The study assessed the difference in the physical functionality of cancer patients receiving palliative care along with disease-directed therapy and cancer patients receiving only disease-directed therapy in Ilorin, Kwara State Nigeria. The study was a comparative cross-sectional research design conducted among 108 cancer patients at two tertiary institutions in Ilorin, Kwara State Nigeria. Patients who received palliative care alongside cancer-directed therapy were recruited from University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and compared with cancer patients receiving only cancer-directed therapy from General Hospital Ilorin. About two-third 62.8% of the respondents taking palliative had good physical health, while over half 54.3% of the disease-directed therapy respondents had poor physical functioning. In addition, 34.1% of patients on both therapies reported no trouble in bending, kneeling and stooping, 23.7% could climb one flight of stairs with little help and 45.8% of the respondents reported no difficulty in bathing and dressing themselves. The relationship was statistically significant at p< 0.05. The study demonstrated that addition of palliative care services significantly improves patient outcomes in the domains of physical function. It therefore recommended that palliative care intervention should be part of care for cancer patients from onset of diagnosisas this may prevent subsequent symptoms and inappropriate treatment.

Improvements in physical functionality in elderly patients with spinal deformity after corrective fusion surgery: a gait analysis

OBJECTIVE Extensive corrective fusion surgery was performed on elderly patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) to improve abnormal posture. Varying improvements in postoperative walking function were expected owing to differences in muscular strength and bone quality between patients in their 40s and those over 75 years of age. The purpose of this study was to compare preoperative and postoperative gait posture and physical functionality in elderly patients with ASD who underwent extensive corrective fusion to the thoracic spine. METHODS A prospectively maintained surgical database was reviewed for patients with ASD who underwent corrective fusion surgery (thoracic spine to pelvis) between 2011 and 2016. The cohort was divided into three age groups: nonelderly (40–64 years), young-old (65–74 years), and old-old (> 75 years). Patients underwent a 4-m walk test preoperatively and 2 years postoperatively to measure gait-trunk tilt angle and walking speed (meters per minute). RESULTS Among 291 patients with ASD who underwent corrective fusion surgery, 56 patients (14 men and 42 women; mean age 68.8 years) were included. Mean preoperative gait-trunk tilt angle (12.9° vs 5.2°, p < 0.01) and walking speed (41.2 m/min vs 45.7 m/min, p < 0.01) significantly improved postoperatively. Intergroup analysis revealed that the mean preoperative gait-trunk tilt angles in the nonelderly (n = 13), young-old (n = 28), and old-old (n = 15) groups were 11.9°, 10.0°, and 19.3°, respectively; postoperatively, these improved to 4.5°, 4.5°, and 7.2°, respectively. Mean preoperative walking speeds of 47.9, 40.0, and 37.7 m/min improved to 52.4, 44.8, and 41.5 m/min postoperatively in the nonelderly, young-old, and old-old groups, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in degree of improvement in gait-trunk tilt angle and walking speed among groups. CONCLUSIONS Extensive corrective fusion surgery improved the postoperative walking posture of patients with ASD. Statistical analysis of gait measurements demonstrated intergroup equivalence, indicating comparable improvement in physical functionality in elderly and middle-aged patients after corrective fusion surgery.

Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults Who Regularly Exercise

The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of social distancing on physical activity (PA) and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in active Spanish older adults according to their physical functionality. The study included 58 older adults aged 76.24 ± 6.00 years who were enrolled in a supervised physical exercise program before the COVID-19 outbreak. Anthropometric, physical function, physical activity and HRQoL were measured at baseline (October 2019). After the two-month lockdown due to the COVID-19, questionnaires were collected again during de-escalation (May 2020). Participants were divided into high- (n = 29) and low-functionality (n = 29) groups. Total PA, walking and cleaning significantly decreased (p < 0.001) whilst exercising or dancing increased (p < 0.001). General health, social and emotional role functioning dimensions and overall mental component scores worsened (p < 0.01–p < 0.05). Low-functionality participants had significantly lower physical functioning scores at baseline (p < 0.01) and lower bodily pain scores at de-escalation (p < 0.01). Emotional role functioning dimension and overall mental component significantly decreased only in low-functionality participants (p < 0.05). Although PA levels decreased significantly, older adults continued being active regardless of their functionality. While mental HRQoL in participants with higher physical functionality remained unchanged, participants with lower functional capacity had a higher risk of mental health concerns. Therefore, attention should focus on strategies to mitigate the negative effects of distancing measures on older people’s mental health, especially in those with lower functionality.

Rival Bodies: Negotiating Gender and Embodiment in Women’s Bikini and Figure Competitions

Women’s bodybuilding has attracted attention from gender researchers. However, increasingly popular fitness shows that feature different competitive tracks—bikini and figure—have garnered very limited scholarly consideration. This study draws on interview data from twenty bikini and figure competitors as well as ethnographic research conducted at several prominent bodybuilding shows in Texas with fitness competition tracks. Our investigation provides a comparative analysis of women’s participation in bikini versus figure fitness competitions as an embodied gender practice. Participation in this relatively new sport underscores the interconnections between gender and variegated forms of embodiment that we call athletic, aesthetic, erotic, and everyday bodies. Pre-competition regimens pose challenges for women’s management of their bodies due to dietary deprivation, rigorous workouts, and the specter of track-specific judging criteria. Pre-competition strains are often evident in primary relationships as women’s bodies are prepared for aesthetic presentation in a way that, for bikini and especially figure competitors, can undermine physical functionality and social capabilities. Competitions themselves reveal relationships marked by a mix of camaraderie and hierarchy among competitors, with those in the figure track often viewed as more “serious” athletes but less conventionally “feminine” than their bikini counterparts. Post-competition, women often struggle to accept the return of their “normal” everyday body. This study reveals the agency of women and their bodies in the context of a fast-growing sport while considering the broader social implications of fitness competitions given their tracking of women’s bodies.

VALORACIÓN DE INDEPENDENCIA FUNCIONAL EN PACIENTES GERIÁTRICOS.

IntroductionOlder adults usually have physical, psychological, and social changes that affect basic functions due to physiological aging. The objective of this study was to assess the degree of functional independence in geriatric patients and their relationship to age, level of education and time of residence.Patients and MethodsA descriptive, cross-cutting study focused on the assessment of the degree of functional independence under barthel’s index was carried out; made in residents with age ranges between 65-90 years, where an important description of the level of independence in seniors was obtained. The total population (sample) was 110 residents (57 women and 53 men). Results It showed that men have greater independence functionality (43% men vs. 32% women), corroborating this appreciation with a national census statistic performed in 2010. In addition, the results have been analyzed with its correlation and significance of the Residents’ Functional Level outcome regarding to their age, education level, and time in the institution.ConclusionsThe educational level showed a slight correlation with its physical functionality, however, no connection was found between functionality and age, nor institutionalized time. Further studies should be performed on a major scale to support static relevance.