Assessment of nutrients status of areas supporting optimum oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq. L) cultivation in Ghana

In Ghana, information on the fertility status to support oil palm growth and productivity and possible fertilizer recommendation is not common. The objective of this study was to assess the nutrition-related limitations to production of oil palm across areas climatically delineated as optimum for sustainable oil palm production. Based on Ghana Interim Soil Classification System, benchmark soils identified in these areas were: Temang (Lixisols), Akroso (Acrisol), Kokofu (Alisols), Basitia (Acrislos), Firam (Acrisols) and Nkwanta (Acrisols). Results indicated generally strongly acidic soil and exchangeable acidity values obtained were high and consistent with very acidic soil conditions. There were generally- high C: N ratios (>20) except some few sites, thus supplementary nitrogen is required to reduce C: N ratio and improve N availability. The Total Exchangeable Bases (TEB), Effective Cation Exchange Capacity (ECEC) and available P values were less than the optimum values for sustainable oil palm production. Both soil and foliar analysis indicated that soils in areas assessed have low soil fertility with relatively good soil physical conditions. It is recommended that instead of superphosphate fertilizer application, rock phosphate should be administered due to high acidity. Raising the low ECEC levels of the soil calls for composted empty fruit bunches incorporation

Deterrent libraries: Denying persons with disability

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which aims at the eradication of poverty by 2030 has as its fourth goal the need to ensure inclusive and equitable education for all. Nonetheless, less than two per cent of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Ghana are able to attain higher education. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether libraries, which are major components of Higher Education Institutions, are physically accessible to even the limited number of PWDs in such Institutions. This study was undertaken in 2015 using the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) in Ghana as a case study. A mixed method approach was used that involved a desk study, interviews and a physical audit of the KNUST Library System using a checklist developed from international  accessibility standards. In all, 16 libraries were assessed. The study concluded that the libraries at KNUST were generally not physically accessible and this served as a deterrent to PWDs in their academic pursuits. Recommendations which include the need for retrofitting the libraries were made to help make the libraries accessible and in consequence help toward the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with respect to Ghana.Keywords: Accessibility; Higher Education Institutions; Libraries; Persons with disabilities (PWDs); Universal design principle

Immune cell census in murine atherosclerosis: cytometry by time of flight illuminates vascular myeloid cell diversity

Aims: Atherosclerosis is characterised by the abundant infiltration of myeloid cells starting at early stages of disease. Myeloid cells are key players in vascular immunity during atherogenesis. However, the subsets of vascular myeloid cells have eluded resolution due to shared marker expression and atypical heterogeneity in vascular tissues. We applied the high-dimensionality of mass cytometry to the study of myeloid cell subsets in atherosclerosis. Methods and Results: Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice were fed a chow or a high fat (western) diet for 12 weeks. Single cell aortic preparations were probed with a panel of 35 metal-conjugated antibodies using Cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF). Clustering of marker expression on live CD45+ cells from the aortas of ApoE-/- mice identified 13 broad populations of leucocytes. Monocyte, macrophage, type 1 and type 2 conventional dendritic cell (cDC1 and cDC2), plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC), neutrophil, eosinophil, B cell, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell, γδ T cell, natural killer (NK) cell and innate lymphoid (ILC) cell populations accounted for approximately 95% of the live CD45+ aortic cells. Automated clustering algorithms applied to the Lin-CD11blo-hi cells revealed 20 clusters of myeloid cells. Comparison between chow and high fat fed animals revealed increases in monocytes (both Ly6C+ and Ly6C-), pDC and a CD11c+ macrophage subset with high fat feeding. Concomitantly, the proportions of CD206+ CD169+ subsets of macrophages were significantly reduced as were cDC2. Conclusions: A CyTOF-based comprehensive mapping of the immune cell subsets within atherosclerotic aortas from ApoE-/- mice offers tools for myeloid cell discrimination within the vascular compartment and it reveals that high fat feeding skews the myeloid cell repertoire towards inflammatory monocyte-macrophage populations rather than resident macrophage phenotypes and cDC2 during atherogenesis

Iron and manganese accumulation potential in water distribution networks

The occurrence of discoloured drinking water at customers’ taps, which is mainly caused by the deposition and release of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in water distribution networks (WDNs), is a major concern for both customers and water companies. Increased concentrations of Fe and Mn in WDNs can lead to penalisation by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) and Water Services Regulation Authority in England and Wales (Ofwat). These high concentration levels can cause aesthetic problems such as giving water an unpleasant metallic taste and staining of laundry. It has also been found that increased Mn concentrations in drinking water can reduce intellectual function of children. Despite efforts by water companies to comply with standards for drinking water, they continue to receive customer complaints related to water discolouration. Currently, most water companies identify high-discolouration-risk regions in WDNs by either selecting areas in the network with high concentrations of Fe and Mn from their routine sampling, or using data obtained from customer complaints related to discolouration. However, these risk assessment methods are imprecise, because only few selected nodes are sampled and not all customers who experience water discolouration complain. Moreover, considering that the water mains in England and Wales span approximately 315,000 km, monitoring Fe and Mn concentrations will always be a difficult and expensive task. It is therefore imperative for water companies to gain a practical understanding of the processes and mechanisms that lead to water discolouration, and to develop a model to identify the high-risk areas in WDNs so that remedial measures can be effectively implemented.The factors that influence Fe and Mn accumulation from post-treatment to customers’ taps through WDNs can be categorised into physical, chemical and biological. However, to date, researchers have only studied these factors partially or separately, but never in combination. None of the current models are able to predict discolouration/Fe and Mn accumulation potential for every node in WSZs using chemical, biological, and hydraulic/physical variables. This study took a holistic approach in investigating these factors. A five-year data set comprising of 36 water quality, hydraulic, and pipe-related variables covering 176 different district metered areas (DMAs) were analysed to identify relevant variables that influence Fe and Mn accumulation potential. Customer complaint data were also investigated for seasonal trends. Majority of the DMAs (67.44%) showed significant peaks in customer complaints during summer. These spikes may be attributed to increased water consumption and warmer water temperatures during this period. An artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed using relevant variables identified through the data analysis. The model could predict Fe and Mn accumulation potential values for every node in a given water supply zone (WSZ). From the risk maps generated by the ANN model, it was observed that most of the regions in the network with high Fe and Mn accumulation potential also had high levels of customer complaints related to discolouration. Although the ANN model could predict Fe and Mn accumulation potential failures in WSZs, its black-box nature made it difficult to explain the causes of the failures, unless they were manually investigated.To overcome the limitation in the ANN model, a fuzzy inference system (FIS) was developed to predict Fe and Mn accumulation potential for every node in WDNs and also capture the chemical, biological and physical processes as water travels through the network. The rules and weights of the rules for the FIS were calibrated using a genetic algorithm. The FIS is also able to determine the causes of the Fe and Mn accumulation potential failures. The ability of the developed models in this research to predict and indicate the causes of high Fe and Mn accumulation potential at the node level make them a unique and practical tool to detect high risk nodes in all regions in WDNs, including regions which have not been sampled. Both models could be of great benefit to water resource engineers and drinking water supply companies in managing water discolouration. They could also be used to investigate variables that influence physical, chemical and biological processes in WDNs

Nitrogen fertilizer management strategy for oil palm-maize intercropping system in the semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana

  In an attempt to increase yield of maize in oil palm-maize intercropping system, farmers resort to indiscriminate cutting of fronds of palms leading to low yield of oil palm. This study evaluated the impact of different N fertilizer levels on maize varieties in oil palm-maize intercropping system. The economics of nitrogen application was also studied. The treatments were: T1-Sole oil palm, T2-Oil palm+‘Omankwa’, T3-Oil palm+‘Abelehi’ and T4-Oil palm+ ‘Obatanpa’. The crop associations were superimposed with nitrogen fertilizer levels as sub-treatments at N0- N0:P0:K0, N1-N60:P60:K60, and N2-N120:P60:K60 per ha. The experiment was a split plot design with 4 replications. There was no significant difference (p< 0.05) between maize varieties across seasons for both maize yield and aboveground biomass though ‘Omankwa’ was promising across seasons and more responsive to nitrogen application. Across the three maize varieties, N60P60K60 was significantly higher (p<0.05) by 40% and 17% for maize yield and aboveground biomass respectively as compared to N0:P0:K0. The study recommends N60P60P60 fertilizer level and further states that to improve fertilizer adoption, government should subsidize fertilizer cost for farmers to purchase. The outcome of cost benefit analysis revealed that return per cash invested favored cropping system with N60:P60:K60 and season with less water stress

Reduced Semen Quality And Risk Behaviour Amongst Men Consulting A Referral STD Clinic

A CAJM article on the reduced semen quality among Zimbabwean men who consult referral STD clinics.Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and infertility are public health challenges that continue to represent a high demand and costly adult medical care conditions in most developing countries. Few studies address strategies for prevention of infertility secondary to STDs through behavioural change and early and prompt STD treatment. A prospective cohort design was used to study the effects of urogenital infection on semen quality in consenting consecutive subjects that presented with chronic or recurrent sexually transmitted diseases. Health seeking behavioural correlates and socio-economic variables were compared between index subjects at a genito-urinary referral clinic and those that presented with non-STD conditions at a referral polyclinic

Harnessing the Power of Heterogeneous Photocatalytic Process for Sustainable Pharmaceutical Contaminant Remediation in Water Environments

Pharmaceutical pollutants in wastewater can be effectively degraded by heterogeneous photocatalytic processes (HPP); under light irradiation, these methods use semiconductor photocatalysts to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can oxidize and mineralize organic pollutants (OPs) into innocuous byproducts. Reactant transport to the photocatalyst surface, reactant adsorption, charge carrier formation and separation, redox reactions, and product desorption are all part of the photocatalytic mechanisms. This review article analyzes and compares the various approaches used to prepare photocatalysts. The photocatalyst composition, morphology, crystallinity, and production scale, influence the synthesis technique selection. While hydrothermal, microwave-assisted, sonochemical, and mechanochemical processes provide greater variety in synthesising diverse photocatalysts with varying compositions, morphologies, and surface characteristics, flame hydrolysis is appropriate for large-scale production of TiO2 photocatalysts. Because it regulates the photocatalyst's surface charge, the electrolytic solution's pH is significant in photocatalytic processes. Within a certain range, an increase in temperature generally results in a continuous increase in breakdown efficacy; beyond that, the rate of decomposition decreases. These findings besides giving researchers a broad overview of the current status of the HP process we believe will also inform its future applications and advancements

COLOUR IN FASHION: EFFECTS ON PERSONALITY

Colours have much impact on users – either positively or negatively – when they are used for fashion objects. This paper is purposed to identify major ways in which fashion designers in tertiary institutions within Kumasi metropolis use colours for their fashion objects and the effects of the colours on their clients. Qualitative research approach was employed for this research. Specifically, the descriptive research method was adopted for the study. One hundred and fifty (150) respondents with fashion design and textiles background from three public tertiary institutions offering fashion design and textiles as programme of study in the Kumasi metropolis of Ashanti region, were purposively sampled for the study. Identification, beautification and communication, constituting 92.0%, 84.7% and 84.7% respectively of the 150 respondents, ranked as the top three purposes for which people use colours in fashion goods. Interior decoration, communication, designing textiles and enhancement of the aesthetic appeal of clothes, representing 100%, 92.7%, 92.7% and 92.7% respectively were found to be the highest positive impact of colour in fashion. In the study, 85.3% of the respondents stated that some colours cause people to have low self-esteem while 62.0% of them said some colours cause people to feel lazy. It is recommended that people should select colours wisely to enhance their images.  Article visualizations

Environmental sanitation and urban agriculture in Ghana

Environmental sanitation and urban agriculture in Ghan