Käytön arvioimiseksi digitaalisen kuvantamisen arvioida kasvuun nuorten maniokki

The world population is growing and is expected to reach over 9 billion in about 30 years. Climate change is also widely expected to worsen famines in certain regions of the world. This will drastically increase global food demand. Food security efforts should be therefore be geared towards promoting food crops that can thrive in these regions and can withstand the condition likely to be brought about by changing climate. Cassava is a typical example of such a crop. This study investigated the use of digital images to estimate growth parameters of young cassava plants. Cassava was cultivated in pots at the University of Helsinki greenhouse at Viikki. The plants were given different water level (100%, 60% and 30% saturation) and potassium (0.1, 1.0, 4.0, 16.0 and 32.0mM) treatments. Digital red-green-blue (RGB) and multispectral images were taken every other week for 5 consecutive times. The images were processed to obtain leaf area, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Crop Senescence Index (CSI) and correlated with directly measured growth parameters of the young cassava crops. It was observed that leaf area that was computed from images, and NDVI which was computed from the multispectral images have significant positive correlations with the growth parameters, ie, actual leaf area, chlorophyll content, and plant biomass. CSI however showed weak a correlation between the growth parameters of the young cassava plants. Images leaf area and NDVI were then used to identify the changes in the effects of the water and potassium treatments

Clinical malaria case definition and malaria attributable fraction in the highlands of western Kenya.

BackgroundIn African highland areas where endemicity of malaria varies greatly according to altitude and topography, parasitaemia accompanied by fever may not be sufficient to define an episode of clinical malaria in endemic areas. To evaluate the effectiveness of malaria interventions, age-specific case definitions of clinical malaria needs to be determined. Cases of clinical malaria through active case surveillance were quantified in a highland area in Kenya and defined clinical malaria for different age groups.MethodsA cohort of over 1,800 participants from all age groups was selected randomly from over 350 houses in 10 villages stratified by topography and followed for two-and-a-half years. Participants were visited every two weeks and screened for clinical malaria, defined as an individual with malaria-related symptoms (fever [axillary temperature≥37.5°C], chills, severe malaise, headache or vomiting) at the time of examination or 1-2 days prior to the examination in the presence of a Plasmodium falciparum positive blood smear. Individuals in the same cohort were screened for asymptomatic malaria infection during the low and high malaria transmission seasons. Parasite densities and temperature were used to define clinical malaria by age in the population. The proportion of fevers attributable to malaria was calculated using logistic regression models.ResultsIncidence of clinical malaria was highest in valley bottom population (5.0% cases per 1,000 population per year) compared to mid-hill (2.2% cases per 1,000 population per year) and up-hill (1.1% cases per 1,000 population per year) populations. The optimum cut-off parasite densities through the determination of the sensitivity and specificity showed that in children less than five years of age, 500 parasites per μl of blood could be used to define the malaria attributable fever cases for this age group. In children between the ages of 5-14, a parasite density of 1,000 parasites per μl of blood could be used to define the malaria attributable fever cases. For individuals older than 14 years, the cut-off parasite density was 3,000 parasites per μl of blood.ConclusionClinical malaria case definitions are affected by age and endemicity, which needs to be taken into consideration during evaluation of interventions

Epidemiological risk factors for clinical malaria infection in the highlands of Western Kenya.

BackgroundUnderstanding the complex heterogeneity of risk factors that can contribute to an increased risk of malaria at the individual and household level will enable more effective use of control measures. The objective of this study was to understand individual and household factors that influence clinical malaria infection among individuals in the highlands of Western Kenya.MethodsThis was a matched case-control study undertaken in the Western Kenya highlands. Clinical malaria cases were recruited from health facilities and matched to asymptomatic individuals from the community who served as controls. Each participant was screened for malaria using microscopy. Follow-up surveys were conducted with individual households to collect socio-economic data. The houses were also checked using pyrethrum spray catches to collect mosquitoes.ResultsA total of 302 malaria cases were matched to 604 controls during the surveillance period. Mosquito densities were similar in the houses of both groups. A greater percentage of people in the control group (64.6%) used insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) compared to the families of malaria cases (48.3%). Use of ITNs was associated with lower level of clinical malaria episodes (odds ratio 0.51; 95% CI 0.39-0.68; P < 0.0001). Low income was the most important factor associated with higher malaria infections (adj. OR 4.70). Use of malaria prophylaxis was the most important factor associated with less malaria infections (adj OR 0.36). Mother's (not fathers) employment status (adj OR 0.48) and education level (adj OR 0.54) was important malaria risk factor. Houses with open eaves was an important malaria risk factor (adj OR 1.72).ConclusionThe identification of risk factors for clinical malaria infection provides information on the local malaria epidemiology and has the potential to lead to a more effective and targeted use of malaria control measures. These risk factors could be used to assess why some individuals acquire clinical malaria whilst others do not and to inform how intervention could be scaled at the local level

Access to and impact of information technologies at Balme Library, University of Ghana

Libraries, particularly academic libraries implement technologies to enhance their services to promote teaching, learning and research. In this thesis the impact of information technologies (library technologies) on delivery of services at the Balme Library of the University of Ghana was evaluated. The researcher adopted the multi-methods approach to the research by using a semi-structured questionnaire to collect data from users (students) of the library and para-professional staff of the Balme Library of the University of Ghana who formed one group of the study. The interview was used to collect data form professional staff of the library who on the other hand formed the second group of the study. Responses of the data collected from the two groups formed the components of the study and data collected quantitatively were analysed using univariate analysis method and interpreted by the descriptive and inferential statistics method. The qualitative data, on the other hand, was analysed using the narrative analysis approach. The findings of the study reveal that a variety of IT facilities such as computers, internet, photocopiers, scanners, braille embossers, magnifiers for reading, reference management software, video conference facility, electronic theses, electronic databases, automated library system, electronic past questions and the library website are available at the library and are very accessible to all users (students) and staff of the library. Students and staff of the library have good IT skills to utilise those resources. The findings also reveal that the IT infrastructure had positive impacts on the delivery of library services ensuring that users received the appropriate services they needed at the right times and places The study found challenges of slow internet connectivity, unstable power supply, lack of IT skills, inadequate IT infrastructure among others and these hinder the maximum utilisation of IT in and out of the library and recommends periodic training of staff and users, proper maintenance of facilities, increase of internet bandwidth and better marketing of library servicesInformation ScienceM. Inf. (Information Science

Pain services and prescription of opioid drugs in Ghana

No Abstrac

Impact of health sector services fund on the quality of maternity services at health centres in Kisii South Sub-County

Background: The Ministry of Health used to disburse funds to the sub-counties through the sub-county treasury. However, there were operational difficulties and challenges for the health facilities in accessing these funds. It is against this background that the Ministry of Health came up with a more innovative approach in 2005 in which funds are credited directly into health facility accounts thereby bypassing the sub-county treasury. The direct funding innovation was first piloted in the Coast Province in 2005 and in 2010 it was rolled to the rest of the country. Since then no further evaluation has been carried out to assess the impact of this funding scheme in other sub counties.Objectives: To assess the impact of the direct funding on the quality of deliveries in maternity units of health centres in Kisii South Sub-county.Design: Descriptive study.Setting: The three health centres in Kisii South Sub-county namely, Nyamagundo, Riana and Riotanchi.Subjects: Secondary data from the maternity registers and interviewing staff working in maternity units.Results:There was statistically significant (p=0.05) increase in the number of deliveries in all the three health centres with Nyamagundo having 131%, Riana 114% and Riotanchi 103%, 33% of the facilities were conducting outreach services and purchasing medical supplies. However, the medical supplies and staffing challenges were still there in all and the structural barriers to quality maternity services were identified in all the facilities.Conclusions: The recommendations are that the funding should be enhanced and it should be workload or output based as the challenges vary among the facilities and other service delivery indicators should also be evaluated, besides rolling it to the other sub-counties in the same category

Apprenticeship Training System In Ghana: Processes, Institutional Dynamics And Challenges

Ghana’s informal apprenticeship system has been an important part of its informal economy, particularly for its role as a complimentary means of skills transfer and the development of the nation’s human capital required for the overall national development. In spite of its role, little attention has been paid to this sector over the years. This study interrogates and documents the processes, institutional dynamics and challenges that confront the informal apprenticeship system of Ghana a means of skills acquisition and transfer in the wake of the ever changing social and economic conditions in Ghana. The study adopted both exploratory and descriptive approaches. Using quota sampling technique, 200 questionnaires were distributed among four broad trades namely; wood workers; auto mechanics; textile and apparel; and beauticians and hair dressers. This was complimented by key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The study revealed that the system provides an alternative path for nearly 33 per cent of students who drop out before completing Junior High School and nearly 42 per cent who drop out after completing Senior High School. It was also evident that the master craftsmen/women generally have a weak theoretical basis for what they do besides the financial challenges they have. A two part training programme has been proposed: a theoretical and practical component. It is also recommended that a policy be developed to improve the system without the state necessarily capturing and controlling it

Secondary Malaria Vectors of Sub-Saharan Africa: Threat to Malaria Elimination on the Continent?

Secondary vectors of malaria include those anopheline species that are known to play minor part in malaria transmission. Primary vectors of malaria in Africa are Anopheles gambiae s.s, Anopheles coluzzii, Anopheles arabiensis, Anopheles funestus, Anopheles moucheti and Anopheles nili, while Anopheles rivolorum, Anopheles pharoensis, Anopheles ziemanni, among others are secondary vectors. They are recognized for their importance in malaria transmission, as they may help to augment or extend the malaria transmission period and potentially sustain malaria transmission after the main indoor resting and indoor biting vectors have been reduced by vector control measures such as indoor residual spraying or Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). Thus, the terminology “secondary” versus “primary” vector is fluid and forged by ecological conditions and malaria control strategies. Most secondary vectors are outdoor resting and outdoor biting are thus, not taken care of in the current control methods. High use of insecticides for vector control in Africa, climate change, unprecedented land use changes in Africa are some of the factors that could influence the conversion of secondary vectors to become main vectors in Africa. This chapter examines the role of secondary vectors in malaria transmission and the possibility of them becoming main vectors in future