Bacterial Contamination Levels of Lettuce Irrigated with Waste Water in the Kumasi Metropolis

Consumption of vegetables contaminated with pathogenic micro organisms, particularly, in areas where urban waste water is used to irrigate vegetable crops is suspected to be a factor in outbreaks of some public health diseases. The microbiological quality of lettuce on three farms where waste water is used in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana was therefore studied for their Total colifoms, faecal coliforms, enterococci, E. coli and Salmonella CFU levels using standard methods. Total coliforms on the lettuce varied from 4.93×104CFU to 6.17×104CFU. Faecal coliforms ranged from 3.48×103CFU to 4.66×104CFU and E. coli 2.98×103CFU to 3.86×104CFU. Samonella and enterococci levels ranged from 2.50×102CFU to 2.72×102CFU and 0.68×100CFU to 2.05×100CFU respectively. In most cases the highest bacterial contamination was associated with lettuce grown at Atonsu and the lowest was at Karikari farms located within the Kumasi Metropolis. The differences in total colifom counts at the two locations were significant (P < 0.001). Differences in bacteria counts for faecal colifoms (P < 0.000) and E. coli (P < 0.000) were significantly higher than counts associated with the other bacteria from all the three farms. In general, bacterial counts on farm lettuce exceeded the recommended World Health Organization (WHO) and International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Food (ICMSF) standards of 103. Wastewater use on farms therefore, could be the main contributor to lettuce contamination and outbreak of communicable diseases. Education on use of effective de-contamination methods before eating will help reduce the risk associated with the consumption of such contaminated vegetables. Key Words: lettuce, contamination, bacteria, Kumasi, Ghana

Determinants of propensity of tertiary agricultural students in Ghana to enter agribusiness as a self-employment venture

The study aimed to identify factors that affect the decision of tertiary agricultural students in Ghana to enter agribusiness as a self-employment venture after graduation. The results showed that tertiary agricultural students in Ghana were predominantly males with little or no farming background. They had a rather moderate propensity to enter self-employed agribusiness. The propensity was based on the perception that agribusiness was beneficial, sustainable, and had a bright future. A significant and positive relationship was found between the propensity to enter self-employed agribusiness and availability of inputs, training received by students and supportive policies. However, a significant and negative relationship was found between students' propensity to enter self-employed agribusiness and the desire for other competing enterprises as well as risks and constraints in agribusiness. The most important determinants of the decision of tertiary level agricultural students to enter into agribusiness were found to be attraction to other businesses such as NGOs, non-agricultural manufacturing industries and banks; training received; perceived constraints; and needs for self- employment in agribusiness. The results indicate that the propensity of agricultural graduates to enter self-employed agribusiness may be increased by (1) making agribusiness attractive by increasing its competitiveness with respect to other enterprises, ( 2) modifying the curricula to make agricultural training at the tertiary level more practical, (3) making it easier to acquire production inputs for agribusiness, and (4) improving the policy environment with supportive policies to minimize risk and constraints in agribusiness.. La recherche était entreprise pour identifier les facteurs qui influencent la decision d'étudiants agricoles du niveau supérieur au Ghana de s'établir dans les agro-industries comme une entreprise de travailleur indépendant après l'obtention du diplôme. Les résultats montraient que les étudiants agricoles de l'enseignement supérieur au Ghana étaient principalement mâles avec peu ou sans expérience d'agriculture. Ils avaient plutôt une propension modérée de s'établir dans l'agro-industrie de travailleur indépendant. Cette propension est fondée sur l'idée que l'agro-industrie est bénéfique, durable et avait un avenir brillant. Un rapport considérable et positif était découvert entre la propension de s'établir dans l'agro-industrie de travailleur indépendant et la disponibilité d'intrants, la formation reçue par les étudiants et les politiques d'appui. Un rapport considérable et négatif était toutefois découvert entre la propension d'étudiants de s'établir dans les agro-industries indépendantes et le désir pour d'autres entreprises en concurrence ainsi que les risques et les contraintes d'agro-industries. Les déterminants les plus importants de la decision d'étudiants agricoles du niveau supérieur de s'établir dans les agro-industries étaient découverts d'être l'attrait aux autres entreprises telles que les ONGs, les industries manufacturières non-agricoles et les banques; la formation reçue; les contraintes remarquées; et les besoins requis pour l'indépendant en agro-industrie. Les résultats indiquent que la propension de licenciés agricoles de s'établir dans l'agro-industrie comme travailleurs indépendants pourrait être augmenté par (1) la transformation d'agro-industrie en la rendant attirante par l'augmentation de sa compétitivité relativement aux autres entreprises, (2) la modification du programme scolaire pour rendre la formation agricole au niveau supérieur plus pratique, (3) la facilitation de l'acquisition de resources de production pour l'agro-industrie, et (4) l'amélioration de l'environnement politique avec les politiques d'appui pour réduire au minimum le risque et les contraintes d'agro-industrie. Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 39 (1) 2006: pp. 41-5

Factors associated with mortality in extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients at a teaching hospital in Ghana

Objectives: To investigate the clinical manifestations and factors associated with mortality in patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Chest Clinic in Accra, Ghana.Design: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients treated for EPTB at the Chest Clinic between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011. Patients with a new diagnosis of EPTB without concomitant pulmonary disease, aged 18 years or older, and who were treated at the Chest Clinic were eligible for participation in the study. Relevant data were abstracted from medical records and entered into a database. The factors associated with mortality were examined using bivariate and multivariate analysis.Results: Of the 157 patients in the study, the most affected age group was 25-34 years old (33.1%), 57.3% were male, and 71 (55.5%) of the 128 patients tested for HIV were sero-positive. Overall, 62 (39.5%) died during EPTB treatment. Mortality was associated with disseminated TB (AOR 149.85; P < 0.001), TB meningitis (AOR 79.14; P < 0.001), abdominal TB (AOR 23.59; P = 0.011), pleural effusion (AOR 12.6; P = 0.021) and age (AOR 1.05; P = 0.021). Among HIV co-infected patients, early initiation of ART reduced mortality rate.Conclusions: The site of EPTB was a key determinant of mortality. Given that death occurs soon after diagnosis, patients with suspected TB meningitis, disseminated, abdominal and pleural TB should be targeted for early diagnosis and treatment to reduce the high EPTB mortality in our setting.Key words: Extrapulmonary TB, HIV coinfection, Treatment outcomes, Mortality, Adults, Ghan

Effects of Harvest Time and Storage Form on Insect Population and Damage of Maize

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of harvest time and storage form on population levels of insect pests and their damage on stored maize. Maize was cultivated on a total land area of 19 x 23m2 during the major season (April to August 2020) and minor season (September to December 2020). Maize was harvested at three stages; early harvest, mid harvest and late harvest. Harvested maize was stored in three ways; husked, de-husked and shelled. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to the data through Sisvar version 5.6. Insect pests that were sampled during the study were Sitophilus zeamais, Cathartus quadricollis, Carpophilus dimidiatus and Tribolium castaneum. Carpophilus dimidiatus were sampled from treatments during the major season whereas Tribolium castaneum was sampled during the minor season. Sitophilus zeamais and Cathartus quadricollis were sampled in both seasons.  In the major season, late harvest shelled maize (LHS) recorded 689% more S. zeamais numbers as compared to early harvest husked maize (EHH). Mid-harvest husked maize (MHH) had 307% less number of S. zeamais compared to LHS in the minor season. Late-harvest shelled maize (LHS) had the highest percentage insect damaged kernels (86.94%) in the major season

Review of errors in the issue of medical certificates of cause of death in a tertiary hospital in Ghana

Objective; Reliable mortality statistics are useful in determining national policies on preventive and interventional medicine. This study reviews, completed medical certificates of cause of death at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, in order to determine their accuracy and reliability.Methods: A one-year review of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCD) signed between 01-01-2013 and 31-12-2013 in the medical, pediatric, surgical and obstetrics/gynecology departments of Cape Coast Teaching Hospital were done, analyzing for errors using the WHO/ICD-10 guidelines as the standard. The errors were grouped into minor and major errors.Results: In all, 337 medical certificates of cause of death were audited. Majority, 212(62.9%) were issued in the internal medicine and therapeutics department. 30.86% (104) MCCDs were completed by specialists while 69.14% (233) were completed by non-specialist medical officers. Over half (56.68%) of the MCCDs had major errors while all (100%) had at least one minor error.Conclusion: Our study showed significant errors in MCCD records, with the errors more likely in certificates issued by non-specialist medical officers. All the certificates audited had at least one minor error. Training of doctors on proper completion of MCCDs is strongly advocated.Funding: None of the authors received any financial support for this study.Keywords: Errors, Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, Ghan

The Effect of Knowledge Management and Motivation on Organizational Performance: A Case of Techiman Municipal Assembly, Ghana

In the 21st century, managing knowledge globally in organizations has become a big challenge.  In particular, it has become very difficult for researchers to ascertain how knowledge management and motivation generally impact organizational performance. Our study seeks to ascertain the effect of knowledge management and motivation on organizational performance in a localized context, with a study of the Techiman Municipal Assembly of the Brong Ahafo Region of the West African nation of Ghana. While, a descriptive approach is to be employed in the study, the population of the study has been pegged at three hundred and eighty (380) junior and senior staff employees, who were randomly selected for the purpose of our study. Operationally, a sample size of one hundred and ninety-five (195) members has been selected by utilizing the Taro Yamani formula at a significance level of 5%. Stratified random sampling technique has also been utilized to identify the categories of staff for consideration. Questionnaire instruments were designed and subsequently used to collect data for the study. The variables were coded and descriptive statistics, along with regression analysis, were employed in the process. Our  findings have, so far, revealed that the most prominent knowledge management practices at the Techiman Municipal Assembly constitute training through induction and workshop (with Mean score=3.98), and a seminar (with Mean score=3.89), all of which are  identified as knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing, respectively. The study is also expected to reveal  that the most crucial  challenge in managing knowledge at the Techiman Municipal Assembly is  the lack of processes for conversion of implicit knowledge to explicit Knowledge (with Mean score=4.11). Furthermore, the findings of the study shows a significant positive relationship between knowledge management and organizational performance (r = 0.362ᵃ, sig. value=0.000), as well as motivation and organizational performance (r = 0.333ᵃ, sig. value=0.001). Furthermore, multiple regression has, as well, been conducted, which has indicated that a significant positive relationship between knowledge management and motivation (independent variables) and organizational performance (r = 0.395ᵃ, sig. value=0.000) does exist.  The study, overall, recommends that there is the need for the assembly’s management to develop localized motivational strategy and packages, which will promote job advancements, job rotation, accommodation, recognition, promotion, and cash rewards for the employees, incentives that are expected to motivate employees to the extent of ultimately making them willing to share their maximum knowledge to bring about higher quality as well as sterling performance. Keywords: Assembly, Municipal, Region, Knowledge, Management, Motivation, Organizational Performance, and Public Secto

The Association between Adult Sport, Fitness, and Recreational Physical Activity and Number and Age of Children Present in the Household: A Secondary Analysis Using NHANES

Article describes how only one in three adults in the United States meets the weekly recommendation for physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between adult moderate and vigorous sport, fitness, and recreational physical activities and the number and age (0–5 and 6–17) of children in their household

Central-West Siberian-breeding Bar-tailed Godwits (<i>Limosa lapponica</i>) segregate in two morphologically distinct flyway populations

Long-distance migratory species often include multiple breeding populations, with distinct migration routes, wintering areas and annual-cycle timing. Detailed knowledge on population structure and migratory connectivity provides the basis for studies on the evolution of migration strategies and for species conservation. Currently, five subspecies of Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica have been described. However, with two apparently separate breeding and wintering areas, the taxonomic status of the subspecies L. l. taymyrensis remains unclear. Here we compare taymyrensis Bar-tailed Godwits wintering in the Middle East and West Africa, respectively, with respect to migration behaviour, breeding area, morphology and population genetic differentation in mitochondrial DNA. By tracking 52 individuals from wintering and staging areas over multiple years, we show that Bar-tailed Godwits wintering in the Middle East bred on the northern West-Siberian Plain (n = 19), while birds from West Africa bred further east, mostly on the Taimyr Peninsula (n = 12). The two groups differed significantly in body size and shape, and also in the timing of both northward and southward migrations. However, they were not genetically differentiated, indicating that the phenotypic (i.e. geographical, morphological and phenological) differences arose either very recently or without current reproductive isolation. We conclude that the taymyrensis taxon consists of two distinct populations with mostly non-overlapping flyways, which warrant treatment as separate taxonomic units. We propose to distinguish a more narrowly defined taymyrensis subspecies (i.e. the Bar-tailed Godwits wintering in West Africa and breeding on Taimyr), from a new subspecies (i.e. the birds wintering in the Middle East and breeding on the northern West-Siberian Plain)