Transitional justice in postconflict contexts: The case of Sierra Leone\u27s dual accountability mechanisms

Literature on in-depth studies of dual transitional justice mechanisms in postconflict settings is inadequate. This qualitative case study sought to understand the practice of dual transitional justice by examining the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Special Court engaged for transitional justice in postconflict Sierra Leone. Data consisted of documentary sources, observational field notes and 31 individual semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions of Sierra Leonean public officials, United Nations officials, and TRC and Special Court officials, as well as civil society actors. Data were analyzed through detailed description , categorical aggregation , direct interpretation , establishment of correspondence and patterns , and development of naturalistic generalizations . It was found that because the 2 institutions were not planned and coordinated as different parts of the same tool, they were pitched against each other, undermining their respective mandates and creating tensions in their efforts to implement their plans. Also, the Sierra Leonean populace, civil society organizations, the government and the international community, including the United Nations, were divided in their opinions, sentiments and support for the 2 mechanisms. The implication of this study is that the policy choice, design and packaging of restorative and retributive mechanisms for postconflict transitional justice should not create conflict so that they can link seamlessly to the strategic goal of peace and stability. The knowledge of the dynamics of dual transitional justice is useful for governments, policy makers, the United Nations and especially the International Criminal Court whose intervention in a country may run parallel to a restorative process

Rabbit Production in Selected Urban Areas of Southern Ghana: Status and Implications for Policy and Research

A survey was conducted to elicit information on rabbit keeping in 26 urban areas of southern Ghana. The average age of the rabbit keepers was 44.3 years, and 95.5% of the keepers had formal education. Most of the producers got into rabbit keeping for money to meet urgent family needs, while household consumption was a major factor influencing the decision for rearing rabbits. Personal savings was the main source of income for the establishment of the rabbit enterprises. The major breeds of rabbits kept were the California White, New Zealand White and crossbreds of varied genetic variations. Backyard, small-scale and medium-scale commercial rabbit holdings were held by 18.2, 51.7 and 30.2% of the keepers respectively. The average rabbit population per farm was 77.8, with an average of 8.4 bucks, 21.6 does. Young rabbits formed 70.0% of the rabbit population. Owners of rabbitries usually cared for their animals as hired labour was expensive and often not available. High cost of feed was the most significant constraint to rabbit keeping, and mange was the most common disease affecting the rabbits. Marketing of rabbits was not organized, and this served as a disincentive to expanding the holdings. The rabbits were mostly sold either life or as fresh carcasses at the farm gate. To ensure a rapid growth of the rabbit industry, research should be undertaken to address the identified constraints to production while appropriate policies are put in place to enhance the growth of the industry

Mapping the Restoration of Degraded Peatland as a Field of Research Area: A Scientometric Review

Degraded peatland reduced many ecosystem services such as water quality and quantity, biodiversity, carbon storage, climate regulations and other cultural benefits. Therefore, several initiatives for the restoration of degraded peatland (RDP) have been attempted to restore the ecosystem processes, productivity and services of the degraded peatland to its original natural condition. Notwithstanding the popularity of RDP research among researchers and industry practitioners, a quantitative technique to map a comprehensive survey of the intellectual core and the general body landscape of knowledge on RDP research does not exist. In this study, a scientometric analysis was employed to analyze 522 documents using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. The Web of Science database was used to retrieve bibliographic records using the advanced search “TS (topic) =(‘drained peatland restoration’ OR ‘drained bog restoration’ OR ‘drained mire restoration’ OR degraded peatland restoration’ OR ‘degraded bog restoration’ OR ‘drained peatland reclamation’ OR ‘drained bog restoration’ OR ‘degraded peatland reclamation’ OR ‘degraded bog reclamation’ OR ‘drained mire restoration’ OR ‘degraded mire reclamation’ OR ‘degraded fen restoration’ OR ‘drained fen reclamation’). The outcome sought to provide relevant information in RDP research such as (i) publication trends (ii) research outlets (iii) most influential keywords (iv) most influential institutions and authors (v) top influential countries active in RDP research. In addition, four clusters were identified for ascertaining the central theme of RDP research in which cluster one is linked to the central research theme-“impact of drainage on peatland ecosystem services; cluster two focused on the impact of peatland restoration on greenhouse gas emissions; cluster three is associated with peatland restoration and biogeochemical properties and cluster four is related to peatland restoration and species richness. A new research hotspot such as soil respiration was identified via the keywords with the strongest citation bursts. This study will provide the various stakeholders such as industry, journal editors, policymakers and the researchers instinctive understanding of the research status and the development frontier of RDP research

The Biological Activity of Tea Tree Oil and Hemp Seed Oil

The interest in hemp seed oil (HSO) and tea tree oil (TTO) in the medical and food industries is increasing. The current study compares their bioactivity to other plant oils, mainly focusing on hemp seed oils (HSOs) with various cannabidiol (CBD) contents. A DPPH assay was employed to evaluate the antioxidant activity. The antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis was evaluated using time–kill, minimum inhibition concentration (MIC), and Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion methods. Tea tree oil showed significantly higher antimicrobial activity against S. enteritidis compared to E. coli and S. aureus (p \u3c 0.05). The antioxitant activity range (lowest to highest) was sesame \u3c vetiver \u3c rosehip \u3c tea tree \u3c organic hemp \u3c pure hemp \u3c 5% CBD \u3c vitamin C. Tea tree oil and 5% CBD showed antioxidant activity at IC50 of 64.45 μg/mL and 11.21 μg/mL, respectively. The opposing antimicrobial and antioxidant results for TTO and HSO indicate that these activities arise from different components within the oil compositions

Hemp Growth Factors and Extraction Methods Effect on Antimicrobial Activity of Hemp Seed Oil: A Systematic Review

The bioactive Hemp Seed Oil (HSO) is becoming very popular in the medical and research fields due to its antimicrobial properties against several diseases caused by bacteria and fungi. However, the effect of hemp-growing factors and extraction methods on the bioactivity of HSO does not receive adequate research attention. Therefore, this review aims to investigate the effect of growth factors and extraction methods on the antimicrobial activity of HSO. Articles were retrieved from Google Scholar and the Scopus database and screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study revealed that HSO prefers warm climates and favorable humidity ranging from 20 to 39 °C and 79–100% per year, respectively, and rainfall of 324 mm daily. The multivariate linear regression shown excellent prediction (R2 = 0.94) with climates upon Zone of Growth Inhibition (ZGI) of Gram-positive bacteria. Temperature is the strongest predictor (p \u3c 0.01) followed by humidity and rainfall (p \u3c 0.05). Furthermore, well-drained loam soil rich in organic matter seems to stimulate the antimicrobial activity of HSO. The major constituents that influence HSO’s antimicrobial ability to Staphylococcus aureus were cannabidiol (CBD), β-caryophyllene, and limonene. The extraction methods showed less influence on the HSO bioactivity. HSO did not show significant antioxidant activity, but Hemp Seed Hull (HSH), Hemp Seed Flour (HSF), and Hydrolyzed Hemp Seed Protein (HPH), expressed promising DPPH scavenging ability

Environmental system analysis of tomato production in Ghana

Tomato ( Lycoperscicum lycopersicum ) production in Ghana is characterised by low yields and high fertiliser input. This is compounded in the long run by production shocks due to environmental pressures such as drought, pests and diseases. Tomatoes among other vegetables are more susceptible to these biotic constraints than other crops. Chemical pesticides and, to a limited extent, integrated pest management practices have been applied to control the pests and diseases but with limited success. Pesticides use has been ineffective, leading farmers to apply high dosages. The aim of this study was to identify the most important sources of greenhouse gases, acidifying and eutrophying compounds associated with tomato production in Ghana and identify options to reduce the environmental impacts. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) methodology was used in the analysis (Cradle to gate approach). The inventory analysis involved collection of data on raw material, energy consumption and emissions. From the results, it was revealed that approximately 8,544 kg CO2-equivalents of greenhouse gas was emitted per hectare of tomato production in Ghana. Among the three main components of greenhouse gases, CO2, CH4 and N2O, N2O accounted for the highest value followed by CO2. When we considered the activities that generated greenhouse gases, fertiliser application ranks the first with a share of 97%. The total hectare acidifying emissions from SO2 and NOX were calculated to be 19.50 kg SO2 \u2013equivalent. When we considered the result in terms of actual and SO2 equivalent, emission of NOX was larger than that of SO2. About 211.50 kg PO4 equivalent of eutrophying compounds was found to be discharged per hectares. With regards to options to reduce environmental impact of tomato production in Ghana, practices that recover investment cost and generate a profit in the short term are preferred over practices that require a long term to recover investment costs: practices that have a high probability associated with expected profits are desired over practices that have less certainty about their returns.La production de la tomate ( Lycoperscicum lycopersicum ) au Ghana est caract\ue9ris\ue9e par de bas rendements et une utilisation \ue9lev\ue9e de fertilisants. Ceci r\ue9sulte \ue0 la longue en une perte de productions, par suite des pressions environnementales \ue0 savoir la s\ue9cheresse, les pestes et maladies. Parmi d\u2019autres l\ue9gumes, les tomates sont plus susceptibles \ue0 ces contraintes biotiques que d\u2019autres cultures. Les pesticides chimiques, et, dans certaines limites, la gestion des pratiques int\ue9gr\ue9es de la peste a \ue9t\ue9 appliqu\ue9 pour contr\uf4ler les pestes et maladies mais avec un success limit\ue9. L\u2019utilisation des pesticides a \ue9t\ue9 inefficace, poussant les fermiers \ue0 appliquer de fortes doses. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019identifier les sources les plus importantes de gaz \ue0 effets de serre,des compos\ue9s acidifiants et eutrophiants associ\ue9s \ue0 la production de la tomate au Ghana et identifier les options pour r\ue9duire les impacts environnementaux. La m\ue9thode d\u2019analyse du cycle de vie (LCA) \ue9tait utilis\ue9e dans l\u2019analyse (Cradle to gate approach). L\u2019analyse de l\u2019 inventaire concernait la collecte des donn\ue9es sur le mat\ue9riel brut, la consummation et l\u2019\ue9mission de l\u2019 \ue9nergie. De ces r\ue9sultats, il \ue9tait r\ue9v\ue9l\ue9 qu\u2019approximativement 8,544 kg CO2-equivalents de gaz \ue0 effets de serre \ue9tait \ue9mis par hectare de production de tomate au Ghana. Parmi les trois principaux composants de gaz \ue0 effet de serre, CO, CH et NO, le gaz NO pr\ue9sentait de valeurs les plus \ue9lev\ue9es suivi par le CO. En consid\ue9rant les activit\ue9s g\ue9n\ue9r\ue9es par les gaz \ue0 effet de serre, l\u2019application des fertilisants se range le premier avec une part de 97%. Le total des \ue9missions acidifiantes par hectare issue de SO2 et NOX \ue9taient \ue9valu\ue9 \ue0 19.50 kg SO2 \u2013equivalent. En consid\ue9rant le r\ue9sultat en terme d\u2019actuel et equivalent SO2, l\u2019\ue9mission de NOX \ue9tait plus large que celle de SO2. Environ 211.50 kg PO4 equivalent de compos\ue9s eutrophiants \ue9taient \ue9mis par hectare. Pour ce qui est des options visant \ue0 r\ue9duire l\u2019impact environnemental de la production de tomate au Ghana, les pratiques recouvrant le co\ufbt d\u2019investissement et g\ue9n\ue9rant un profit \ue0 court terme sont plus pr\ue9f\ue9r\ue9es que les pratiques o\uf9 le recouvrement co\ufbt d\u2019investissement est \ue0 long terme: les pratiques \ue0 profitabilit\ue9 \ue9lev\ue9e, associ\ue9es aux profits attendus sont les mieux d\ue9sir\ue9s que les pratiques avec b\ue9n\ue9fice incertain

Hospital Effluents and Wastewaters Treatment Plants: A Source of Oxytetracycline and Antimicrobial-resistant Bacteria in Seafood

The present study employs a data review on the presence and aggregation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and resistance (AMR) bacteria in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and distribution of the contaminated effluent with the aid of shallow and deep ocean currents. The study aims to determine the fate of OTC, AMR bacteria in seafood, and demonstrate a relationship between AMR levels and human health. This review includes (1) OTC, (2) AMR bacteria, (3) heavy metals in aquatic environments, and their relationship. Few publications describe OCT in surface waters. Although, OTC and other tetracyclines were found in 10 countries in relatively low concentrations, the continuous water mass movement poses a contamination risk for mariculture and aquaculture. There are 10 locations showing AMR bacteria in treated and untreated hospital effluent. Special effort was made to define the geography distribution of OTC, AMR bacteria, and heavy metals detected in WWTPs to show the likely dissemination in aquatic environment. The presence of OTC in surface waters in Asia, USA, and Europe, can potentially impact seafood globally with the aid of ocean currents. Moreover, low concentrations of heavy metals exert environmental pressure and contribute to AMR dissemination. Recommended solutions are (1) quantitative analysis of OTC, heavy metals, and AMR bacteria to define their main sources, (2) employ effective technologies in urban and industrial wastewater treatment, and (3) select appropriate modelling from Global Ocean Observing System to predict the OTC, heavy metals, and AMR bacteria distribution

Growth performance and carcass characteristics of rabbits fed concentrate diets containing graded levels of Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves

[EN] Ninety-six (96) 8-wk-old mixed breed of New Zealand white, California white and chinchilla rabbits were used to determine the growth performance, carcass and organ percentages of rabbits fed concentrate diets containing graded levels of Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves. The rabbits were assigned to two groups of 48. Those in group 1 were allotted to four dietary treatments with concentrate diets containing 0, 10, 20 and 30% inclusion levels of B. oleracea outer leaves for one week and 12-wk adaptation and testing periods, respectively, for growth performance evaluation. Similar treatment and design were adopted for group 2 rabbits using graded levels of M. paradisiaca leaves. Six rabbits were randomly selected from each treatment group for slaughter at the end of the testing period for carcass and internal organ characteristics evaluation. There were no dietary effects on the parameters of rabbits fed graded levels of B. oleracea outer leaves except for M. paradisiaca, where the control diet had the lowest feed intake and the least (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio comparable to 30% inclusion level and final body weight, which was the highest (P<0.05) for rabbits fed diets containing 10 and 20% inclusion levels of M. paradisiaca leaves. The cost of feed was highest for the control diets, and reduced with increasing inclusion levels of the leaves in the diets. None of the rabbits died during the experimental period. The findings suggest that rabbits can be fed concentrate diets containing B. oleracea outer leaves and M. paradisiaca leaves up to 30% inclusion level for good growth performance and high carcass characteristics at a lower production cost than concentrate diets, while maintaining good health.Osei, DY.; Apori, SO.; Hagan, JK.; Amedorme, D.; Ayizanga, R. (2024). Growth performance and carcass characteristics of rabbits fed concentrate diets containing graded levels of Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves. World Rabbit Science. 32(1):21-29. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2024.19616212932

Sensory characteristics of meat from rabbits fed concentrate diets containing Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves

Two separate experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of incorporating levels of Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves on sensory characteristics of rabbit meat. In each experiment, forty-eight (48) eight-week-old rabbits were randomly allotted to four treatments of concentrate diets with 0, 10, 20 and 30% inclusion levels of Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves. Six rabbits were randomly selected from each treatment group and used for sensory evaluation at the end of a 12-week feeding period. Muscle samples were collected from the longissimus dorsi of the carcasses, pan-fried using 300 ml of Frytol® vegetable oil at 170ºC for 10 minutes. Thirty evaluators conducted the sensory evaluation according to the consumer acceptance and preference testing technique on a nine-point hedonic scale comprising appearance, flavour, colour, mouth-feel, taste, texture and overall acceptability. Generally, the sensory characteristic scores for the meat samples support the evaluators’ acceptability of the meat from rabbits fed the various diets. However, in specific terms, meat from rabbits fed diets containing 10 and 30% Brassica oleracea outer leaves and 20% Musa paradisiaca leaves tended to have higher sensory scores over meat from rabbits fed diets of the other inclusion levels of the leaves in the sensory attributes measured. The results of the study also suggest that feeding concentrate diets containing Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves at 30% inclusion level resulted in the production of rabbit meat at a lower cost than feeding concentrate diets alone and acceptable to consumers

A lateral electrophoretic flow diagnostic assay

Immunochromatographic assays are a cornerstone tool in disease screening. To complement existing lateral flow assays (based on wicking flow) we introduce a lateral flow format that employs directed electrophoretic transport. The format is termed a “lateral e-flow assay” and is designed to support multiplexed detection using immobilized reaction volumes of capture antigen. To fabricate the lateral e-flow device, we employ mask-based UV photopatterning to selectively immobilize unmodified capture antigen along the microchannel in a barcode-like pattern. The channel-filling polyacrylamide hydrogel incorporates a photoactive moiety (benzophenone) to immobilize capture antigen to the hydrogel without a priori antigen modification. We report a heterogeneous sandwich assay using low-power electrophoresis to drive biospecimen through the capture antigen barcode. Fluorescence barcode readout is collected via a low-resource appropriate imaging system (CellScope). We characterize lateral e-flow assay performance and demonstrate a serum assay for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (HCV). In a pilot study, the lateral e-flow assay positively identifies HCV+ human sera in 60 min. The lateral e-flow assay provides a flexible format for conducting multiplexed immunoassays relevant to confirmatory diagnosis in near-patient settings