Groundwater Sodium Levels Estimation of Proposed Irrigation Groundwater Source for the Kumahumato Settlement of the Dadaab Subcounty, North Eastern Kenya

The Project Area of Kumahumato is a locality located on the fringes of the Merti aquifer within a radii ranging from 5 to 10 kilometer metric units. The area is primarily inhabited Nomadic pastoralists who have limited experience with matters farming and allied agricultural techniques. Owing to the rapid change in climate patterns and with massive death toll of livestock resulting from prolonged droughts and unpredictable rains, the community leadership have deemed it fit to focus on irrigation-aided agriculture. One problem noted is that the sodium levels in the soils may be exacerbated by irrigation farming, if the groundwater sodic levels area already way above the thresholds deemed safe by the WHO, both for human usage and for soil chemistry. The sodium levels may increase with progressive usage of borehole water in the farming projects, up to a point deemed way beyond salvage-meaning the destroyed fertility may not be reclaimed or restored once the damage is done. To mitigate against the potential disastrous and irreversible consequence, the study team undertook a geophysical surveys as well as hydrochemical surveys and data analysis to understand the likely consequence of a prolonged usage of irrigation –based agriculture in the Kumahumato centre. To achieve this, eight algorithms were employed, namely, Neural Networks, Naïve Bayes, Support Vector Machines, Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, K-Nearest Neighbor and Random forests  algorithm amongst others. The final three algorithms mentioned here emerged out as the best performers, registering between 95 to hundred percent precisions levels during detailed data analysis. A point picked at random in the Kumahumato area which showed promise of good groundwater potential was analysed and found to be at suitable aquifer sodium levels, which will not be a threat to small scale agriculture envisaged in the program. Machine Learning was thus employed and proved a useful decision making tool in the Project Planning and Design Phase for the proposed food security meant to be a practical resilience response to climate change hazards

Factors influencing variation in implementation outcomes of the redesigned community health fund in the Dodoma region of Tanzania: a mixed-methods study

INTRODUCTION: Micro-health insurance (MHI) has been identified as a possible interim solution to foster progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). Still, MHI schemes suffer from chronically low penetration rates, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Initiatives to promote and sustain enrolment have yielded limited effect, yet little effort has been channelled towards understanding how such initiatives are implemented. We aimed to fill this gap in knowledge by examining heterogeneity in implementation outcomes and their moderating factors within the context of the Redesigned Community Health Fund in the Dodoma region in Tanzania. METHODS: We adopted a mixed-methods design to examine implementation outcomes, defined as adoption and fidelity of implementation (FOI) as well as their moderating factors. A survey questionnaire collected individual level data and a document review checklist and in-depth interview guide collected district level data. We relied on descriptive statistics, a chi square test and thematic analysis to analyse our data. RESULTS: A review of district level data revealed high adoption (78%) and FOI (77%) supported also by qualitative interviews. In contrast, survey participants reported relatively low adoption (55%) and FOI (58%). Heterogeneity in adoption and FOI was observed across the districts and was attributed to organisational weakness or strengths, communication and facilitation strategies, resource availability (fiscal capacity, human resources and materials), reward systems, the number of stakeholders, leadership engagement, and implementer's skills. At an individual level, heterogeneity in adoption and FOI of scheme components was explained by the survey participant's level of education, occupation, years of stay in the district and duration of working in the scheme. For example, the adoption of job description was statistically associated with occupation (p = 0.001) and wworking in the scheme for more than 20 months had marginal significant association with FOI (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that assessing the implementation processes helps to detect implementation weaknesses and therefore address such weaknesses as the interventions are implemented or rolled out to other settings. Attention to contextual and individual implementer elements should be paid in advance to adjust implementation strategies and ensure greater adoption and fidelity of implementation

Blended tropical almond residue for fuel production: characteristics, energy benefits, and emission reduction potential

Abstract:Besides the nuts produced from almond cultivation, it also generates several million tonnes of residue that include hulls, shells, leaves, pruning, and inedible kernels which are valuable feedstocks in clean fuel production. In this article, blended tropical almond residue of two particle sizes (NT15 and NT25) were investigated. The heating, proximate and ultimate values were reported while the chemical composition of the ash was determined. Also, the pore structure and the inherent functional groups were determined for the particle sizes. The thermogravimetric analysis was also carried out to determine the thermal behaviour at different heating rate (10, 15, 30 oCmin-1) in inert environment while the kinetic parameters were evaluated based on three non-isothermal methods (Flynn– Wall–Ozawa, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose and distributed activation energy model). Notably, the ash content was higher in the finer particle size NT15 (1.11 %) compared to NT25 (0.87 %). Low pore surface area (1.218-0.970 m²g-1) agrees with literature values while a slight difference in pore size distribution was observed during adsorption at higher relative pressure. A representation of mixed functional groups whose wavelength falls within 527 cm-1, 848 cm-1, 991 cm-1, 1035 cm-1, 1179 cm-1, 1597 cm-1, 1772 cm-1, 2849 cm-1 was observed with no significant difference between the two particle sizes. The average activation energy, Ea for NT15 and NT25 were in the range of 127.4-131 kJmol-1 and 129-133 kJmol-1 respectively for all the three methods, with the lowest Ea (127.4 kJmol-1) and compensation factor, K0 (1.29E+12 min-1) obtained for the smaller particle size (NT15) based on Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose method. Finally, the energy benefits and CO2 emission reduction potential were estimated. The highest energy potential is in USA (4.17 Mtoe) while Morocco has the highest emission reduction at 3.28 %. The information obtained from this study can be used in the scaling up of bioreactors which can further support the global clean energy drive and reduce environmental pollution

Geophysical investigations of Suyien Earthdam in Maralal, Samburu County, Kenya

The Current economic and population growth has increased the water supply gap in Maralal, Samburu County. Water sources include boreholes, pans and the Suyien dam. Despite the high rainfall in the area, Suyien dam has never filled since its construction in March 2010. This study investigated the geological factors hindering the dam’s impoundment of water. The aim was to determine the characteristics of the subsurface compromising this process. A desk survey of existing geological and hydrological reports as well as topographic and geological maps was undertaken. Analysis of laboratory tests, aerial photographs, electrical resistivity and trial pits was done. Results showed that the topography, dotted with several sinusoidal hills comprises Mozambiquan rocks, igneous intrusives, and Paleogene-Quaternary volcanics and sediments. Neo-Proterozoic and volcanic formations had surface joints and fractures implying secondary porosity and permeability. Hydrogeological information showed boreholes sited near rivers or laggas, yield about 1.4-2.5 m3/hour and about 4 m3/hour in volcanic rocks. Geophysical investigations showed subsurface rock sequences were fractured allowing groundwater leakage. Sediment deposition and vegetation growth at the dam's entrance also block water drainage into the dam. Suggested mitigation include, unblocking the dam’s entrance to allow in surface runoff and the sealing of fractures with waterproof cement

The influence of micro-expressions on deception detection

Facial micro-expressions are universal symbols of emotions that provide cohesion to interpersonal communication. At the same time, the changes in micro-expressions are considered to be the most important hints in the psychology of emotion. Furthermore, analysis and recognition of these micro-expressions have pervaded in various areas such as security and psychology. In security-related matters, micro-expressions are widely used to detect deception. In this research, a deep learning model that interprets the changes in the face into meaningful information has been trained using The Facial Expression Recognition 2013 dataset. Necessary data is also obtained through live stream or video stream by detecting via computer vision and evaluating with the trained model. Finally, the data obtained is transformed into graphic and interpreted to determine whether the people are trying to deceive or not. The deception classification accuracy of the custom trained model is 74.17% and the detection of the face with high precision using the computer vision methods increased the accuracy of the obtained data and provided it to be interpreted correctly. In this respect, the study differs from other studies using the same dataset. In addition, it is aimed to facilitate the deception detection which is performed in a complex and expensive way, by making it simple and understandable

Evaluation of Long-Term Respiratory Effects of Exposure to Welding Fumes

Abstract Welding fumes are known to cause respiratory health problems. We aimed to evaluate the long-term respiratory effects of exposure to welding fumes. Inception cohorts of welding, plumbing, and heating apprentices were prospectively contacted 7-17 years post-apprenticeship. Questionnaires, as well as spirometry and non-specific bronchial hyperresponsiveness (NSBHR) tests were repeatedly administered. A long-term evaluation was done in 71 former apprentices at the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal between 2013 and 2017. Post-apprenticeship exposure to welding fumes and gasses was evaluated using three methods: self-report, expert assessment and the asthmaspecific job exposure matrix. The incidence of wheezing and excessive lung function decline, given continued post-apprenticeship exposure to welding fumes, was estimated using Cox regression. Incident wheezing was found in 18.8% of subjects, and excessive lung function decline was observed in 12.7% of subjects. All three exposure assessment methods consistently showed that subjects with continued, post-apprenticeship exposure to welding fumes or gasses had a lower risk of developing wheezing symptoms or excessive decline in lung function, although none of the associations were significant. In conclusion, continued post-apprenticeship exposure to welding fumes does not seem to increase the risk of developing long-term respiratory outcomes.Keywords: apprentices, lung function, occupational, welding Abstrak Asap dan gas pengelasan (welding fumes and gasses) diketahui dapat menyebabkan masalah pernapasan. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengevaluasi efek pernapasan jangka panjang dari pajanan asap dan gas pengelasan. Mantan peserta sekolah kejuruan pengelasan secara prospektif dihubungi 7-17 tahun pasca-pendidikan. Subjek penelitian melengkapi kuesioner, uji spirometri dan uji bronkus non-spesifik. Evaluasi jangka panjang dilakukan pada 71 subjek di Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal antara tahun 2013 dan 2017. Pajanan asap dan gas pengelasan pascapendidikan dievaluasi menggunakan tiga metode: laporan oleh pekerja, penilaian oleh ahli dan penggunaan matriks pajanan di tempat kerja pekerjaan khusus. Hubungan antara pajanan asap dan gas pengelasan dengan insidens mengi dan penurunan fungsi paru-paru berlebihan dievaluasi menggunakan regresi Cox. Insidens mengi ditemukan pada 18,8% subjek, dan penurunan fungsi paru berlebihan diamati pada 12,7% subjek. Ketiga metode penilaian pajanan secara konsisten menunjukkan bahwa subjek dengan pajanan asap dan gas pengelasan pasca-pendidikan memiliki risiko lebih rendah terkena gejala mengi atau penurunan fungsi paru-paru yang berlebihan, meskipun tidak ada hubungan yang bermakna. Sebagai kesimpulan, pajanan asap dan gas pengelasan jangka panjang tampaknya tidak meningkatkan risiko penurunan fungsi pernapasan.Kata kunci: fungsi paru, pekerjaan, asap dan gas pengelasa

Asthma Prevalence, Knowledge, and Perceptions among Secondary School Pupils in Rural and Urban Costal Districts in Tanzania.

Asthma is a common chronic disease of childhood that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of asthma among secondary school pupils in urban and rural areas of coast districts of Tanzania. The study also aimed to describe pupils' perception towards asthma, and to assess their knowledge on symptoms, triggers, and treatment of asthma. A total of 610 pupils from Ilala district and 619 pupils from Bagamoyo district formed the urban and rural groups, respectively. Using a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire, a history of "diagnosed" asthma or the presence of a wheeze in the previous 12 months was obtained from all the studied pupils, along with documentation of their perceptions regarding asthma. Pupils without asthma or wheeze in the prior 12 months were subsequently selected and underwent a free running exercise testing. A >= 20% decrease in the post-exercise Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) values was the criterion for diagnosing exercise-induced asthma. The mean age of participants was 16.8 (+/-1.8) years. The prevalence of wheeze in the past 12 months was 12.1% in Bagamoyo district and 23.1% in Ilala district (p < 0.001). Self-reported asthma was found in 17.6% and 6.4% of pupils in Ilala and Bagamoyo districts, respectively (p < 0.001). The prevalence of exercise-induced asthma was 2.4% in Bagamoyo, and 26.3% in Ilala (P < 0.002). In both districts, most information on asthma came from parents, and there was variation in symptoms and triggers of asthma reported by the pupils. Non-asthmatic pupils feared sleeping, playing, and eating with their asthmatic peers. The prevalence rates of self-reported asthma, wheezing in the past 12 months, and exercise-induced asthma were significantly higher among urban than rural pupils. Although bronchial asthma is a common disease, pupils' perceptions about asthma were associated with fear of contact with their asthmatic peers in both rural and urban schools

Strategies to prevent HIV transmission among heterosexual African-American women

BACKGROUND: African-American women are disproportionately affected by HIV, accounting for 60% of all cases among women in the United States. Although their race is not a precursor for HIV, the socioeconomic and cultural disparities associated with being African American may increase their risk of infection. Prior research has shown that interventions designed to reduce HIV infection among African-American women must address the life demands and social problems they encounter. The present study used a qualitative exploratory design to elicit information about strategies to prevent HIV transmission among young, low-income African-American women. METHODS: Twenty five low income African American women, ages 18–29, participated in five focus groups of five women each conducted at a housing project in Houston, Texas, a large demographically diverse metropolitan area that is regarded as one of the HIV/AIDS epicenters in the United States. Each group was audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using theme and domain analysis. RESULTS: The participants revealed that they had most frequently placed themselves at risk for HIV infection through drugs and drinking and they also reported drug and alcohol use as important barriers to practicing safer sex. The women also reported that the need for money and having sex for money to buy food or drugs had placed them at risk for HIV transmission. About one-third of the participants stated that a barrier to their practicing safe sex was their belief that there was no risk based on their being in a monogamous relationship and feeling no need to use protection, but later learning that their mate was unfaithful. Other reasons given were lack of concern, being unprepared, partner's refusal to use a condom, and lack of money to buy condoms. Finally, the women stated that they were motivated to practice safe sex because of fear of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, desire not to become pregnant, and personal experience with someone who had contracted HIV. CONCLUSION: This study offers a foundation for further research that may be used to create culturally relevant HIV prevention programs for African-American women