Assessing Commercial Organic and Conventionally Grown Vegetables by Monitoring Selected Heavy Metals Found in Them.

Commercially available organic and conventionally grown vegetables were studied by quantitative determination of selected metals in them and to determine if any differences found are statistically significant. These findings can help the consumers to determine if the vegetable products are within the recommended maximum limits as proposed by the joint FAO/WHO Expert committee on organic foods designation. Eight edible vegetables were purchased from local stores in both the organic and conventionally grown categories. Samples were digested with concentrated nitric acid and the metals monitored were zinc, copper, lead, iron, cadmium, and nickel using flame atomic absorption. The concentration range for the heavy metals found are as follows: Zn, 2.04-69.4; Cu, 0.35-15.1; Pb, 0.00-3.99; Cd, 0.00-0.74; Fe, 2.52-319; and Ni, 39.9-53.8 μg/g. It was found that in general, conventional vegetables contain higher amounts of most of the heavy metals studied as compared to their organic counterparts. The study also showed that all vegetables products contain below the permissible limits for Zn, Cu, Ni, and Fe. For Pb all vegetables exceeded the safe limit except organic cucumber and conventional cabbage. For Cd, organic lettuce and green pepper, and conventional leafy green, green pepper, and spinach all exceeded the limit recommended by FAO/WHO

Exploring the relationship between water scarcity on food and nutritional security in rural households in the Nqgeleni location, Eastern Cape

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, 2016.After several years of political and economic successes made since 1994, South Africa continues to experience major challenges in water availability, increased poverty, high levels of unemployment and more recently, steep increases in food and fuel prices. The Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is one of the regions that have been negatively affected by changes in climate variability, thereby, increasing the vulnerability and subjecting a significant number of households to increased poverty; water scarcity and food insecurity. The situation continues and there is a need to address this. This study sought to understand how the local households in the Eastern Cape Province in Nqgeleni location adapt to the extreme drought which impacts on their livelihood by exploring the different adaptive measures or systems that are implemented to cope with the climatic conditions in uplifting and providing food and nutrition security for sustainable growth and development. The primary aim of this research was thus to investigate how water scarcity influences food and nutritional security on rural household in Nqgeleni location. To achieve this aim, three secondary objectives were formulated. Firstly, to establish the relationship between water scarcity on food and nutritional security of rural households in Nqgeleni location. Secondly, to identify the drivers of water scarcity in the area. Lastly, to create an inventory of coping mechanism employed by rural households with water scarcity, food and nutritional security. An extensive literature review was undertaken to integrate prior findings and theories on water scarcity, food and nutritional security. The literature study revealed that water scarcity has a significant impact on food security. In addition, several factors such as demographic profile variables (population growth) and structural inefficiencies (infrastructure and management) were identified as potential drivers of water scarcity. In order to address the objectives set for this study, a number of items were sourced from the literature and a structured questionnaire administered to respondents who were selected by means of a simple random sampling technique. Data was collected from 111 usable questionnaires. The mixed method approach was employed as a core research methodology. The responses obtained were subjected to statistical analyses. Cronbach-alpha coefficients were calculated to confirm the internal consistency of the measuring instrument. The findings from this study are thus as follows. There was a significant relationship between water scarcity, food and nutritional security. Food security also has an impact on nutritional security. In addition, the drivers of water scarcity found in this study includes population growth, lack of infrastructure and poor management of water related issues by the municipality; all of which confirm findings in other studies. Furthermore, a number of respondents profile variables were identified as contributing factors to poverty, vulnerability, water scarcity, food and nutritional security in the Nqgeleni location. This includes lack of education, size of the household, and income level of the household. Based on the above findings, an inventory of coping mechanism was recommended to assist the rural households deal with water scarcity, food and nutritional security. This study has added to the empirical body of water scarcity, food and nutritional security in South Africa and the world at large. KEYWORDS: Water scarcity; Food security; Nutritional security; Eastern Cape; Nqgeleni location; South AfricaLG201

Establishing a decentralized maintenance system

Establishing a decentralized maintenance syste

Evolution of organizational development and implications for management of Ghanaian organizations

The paper traces the history of Organization development (OD) over the past decades by highlighting major events that led to the formation of T-groups and thus organizational development. Five main stems (National training laboratory, Action research, Normative Approach, Quality work life and strategic change) of organization development are explained. The paper also outlines the contributions of some prominent people like Bradford and Kurt Lewin whose works have resulted in the evolution of OD. Based on past events examined, current trends emerging in OD were outlined together with implications for Ghanaian organizations

Activités antioxydantes des huiles essentielles de trois plantes aromatiques acclimatées au Togo

La presente etudes'finscrit dans le cadre de valorisation des HE des plantes aromatiques de notre sous - region en tant que molecules bioactives possedant des proprietes antioxydantes. Dans ce contexte, l'eobjectif specifique de ce travail est la recherche de la composition chimique des extraits de trois plantes acclimatees au Togo : Vetiveria zizanioides, Aeollanthus pubescens et Xylopia aethiopica et l'fidentification des echantillons qui ont des proprietes antioxydantes remarquables. LEVAN qui est le laboratoire des extraits vegetaux et aromes naturels nous a servi de cadre. Deux methodes sont appliquees pour mesurer le pouvoir antioxydant. Il sfagit du test de reduction de la 2,2-diphenyl  -1-picrilhydrazyle (DPPH) en utilisant la quercetine comme reference et du test de reduction de l'fion ferreux Fe,sup>2+ connu sous le nom de test á Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power â (FRAP). Les proprietes antioxydantes des HE ont ete mesurees et mises en evidence par la recherche de l'fintensite colorante (IC50 ) qui represente la quantite de produit necessaire pour faire diminuer la coloration de la solution de reactif (DPPH) de moitie, soit 50% et la determination de l'fequivalent en Fe2+ des solutions testees. Les constituants chimiques des HE sont identifies par la chromatographie en phase gazeuse, par comparaison de leur temps de retention, avec ceux des produits de reference publies dans la litterature. L'fextraction, par entrainement a la vapeur d'feau de matieres vegetales (racines et parties aeriennes) de Vetiveria zizanioides (Poaceae) recolte a Zeve (Sud-Togo), d'fAeollanthus pubescens (Lamiaceae) recolte au centre du Togo, de Xylopia aethiopica (Annonaceae) achete a Tsevie (Sud-Togo), donne de differents rendements en huiles essentielles. L'fHE d'fOcimum basilicum est achetee en France. Les resultats obtenus, montrent que l'fhuile essentielle d'fO. basilicum presente un pouvoir antioxydant superieur,  independamment de la methode utilisee, soit une intensite colorante (IC50) egale a 266 ppm et l'fequivalent en Fe2+ de 1318 µmol.L-1. Il existerait une correlation entre la capacite antioxydante des HE et leurs teneurs en composes phenoliques.Mots cles : Xylopia aethiopica, Aeollanthus pubescens, Vetiveria  zizanioides, Ocimum basilicum a linalol, Huiles essentielles

Taking people to water instead of taking water to people: changes in Ghana's rural water sector

The paper highlights key issues emerging from a “conversion programme”, the Accompanying Measures Eastern Region (AMER) Project, during which over 150 hand-pumps previously centrally-managed and maintained by government (the 3000 Wells Project), were transferred to rural communities for ownership and management (COM). Implementation was carried out in the Eastern Region of Ghana between 1996 and 2001. To ease the burden on communities to make the transition “transfer-friendly”, communities could pay 50% of arrears owed over six months for the rest to be written off, local residents were trained for maintenance of facilities and there was free rehabilitation of the hand-pumps. Even though some challenges were encountered, there were interesting findings such as the long time it takes for COM to take root in rural communities towards sustainability, the need to make alternative arrangements for maintenance of facilities and the complex relationships between socio-cultural configurations and payment of arrears

Multi-faceted participatory approaches in rural water and sanitation projects

The Rural Water and Sanitation Project implemented in two districts in the Eastern Region of Ghana between 1991 and 1996 by the UNDP and Ghana governments was people-centred in many ways. These included active participation of women, use of video films and microscopes in community mobilization and health/hygiene education, respect for local customs in borehole siting and the use of local folks in strategic construction of VIP latrines and pump repairs. Others include the impact of a mix in training venues, improved social status for voluntary workers, capacity-building and skills up-grading for local artisans leading to improved incomes among the poor etc. The success of the project hinged on the deployment of participatory strategies tailored to the socio-cultural milieu of the beneficiaries

Dissolution, hydrolysis and dehydration of cellulosic biomass into valuable chemicals by deep eutectic solvents

Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstract.M.Sc. (Chemistry

UI design and cross cultural communication

Thesis submitted to the Department of Computer Science, Ashesi University College, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, April 2013This thesis explores young Ghanaian students’ conceptualizations of and reactions to a website. In a study that comprises a design evaluation of an online pen-pal website and usability testing with students, it attempts to determine to what extent such a website can be used to help African-American and African children form better perceptions of each other, and how a design of a website. The approach used first determines what Ghanaian students’ expectations of a pen-pal website are, and comparing them to that of American students, and then having them testing it and giving feedback based on their reactions. Suggestions are then made for future measuring website usability and cross-cultural communication.Ashesi University Colleg

Effets d’un acide fort sur la réaction de la DPPH avec deux huiles essentielles de deux plantes aromatiques acclimatées au Togo

Des études ont montré que les extraits de certaines plantes médicinales ainsi que leurs huiles essentielles (HE) sont sources de substances bioactives avec de potentiels antioxydants remarquables. L’objectif de ce travail est l’étude de l’influence du milieu réactionnel sur l’action des HE des plantes, de O. basilicum et O. gratissimum acclimatées au Togo, sur la 2,2-diphényl-1-picrylhydrazyle. Les constituants chimiques des HE sont identifiés par la chromatographie en phase gazeuse. Le test de réduction de la 2,2-diphényl-1-picrylhydrazyle (DPPH) et celui de réduction de l’ion ferreux Fe2+ (FRAP) sont utilisés pour déterminer la capacité antioxydante. Les propriétés antioxydantes des HE ont été mises en évidence par la recherche de l’intensité colorante (IC50) et la détermination de l’équivalent en Fe2+ des solutions testées. L’introduction d’un acide fort (acide chlorhydrique) influence les paramètres cinétiques. Les huiles essentielles étudiées contiennent le thymol et l'eugénol et sont anti oxydants. Toutefois, en se référant à la classification de Sanchez-Moreno, ces huiles essentielles ont un pouvoir anti-radicalaire faible. Dans l’intervalle de concentrations étudié [0,025-0,1] M, la réaction est accélérée les cinq premières minutes avec un taux de conversion, comme la vitesse de réaction très élevés. Le mécanisme (electron transfer – proton transfer) est prédominant. L’augmentation de la concentration en HCl et le temps ont favorisé le mécanisme SPLET. Cette étude a montré que les huiles essentielles étudiées ont un pouvoir anti-radicalaire faible mais, elles ont des vitesses de réaction intermédiaires avec la DPPH.© 2015 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Mots clés: O. basilicum et O. gratissimum, DPPH, antioxydant, facteurs cinétiques, huiles essentiellesEnglish Title: Effects of a strong acid on the reaction of DPPH with two essential oils from two aromatic plants acclimatized in TogoEnglish AbstractStudies have shown that extracts of certain medicinal plants as their HE are sources of bioactive substances with potential remarkable antioxidants. The objective of this work is to study the influence of the reaction medium on the essential oils, O basilicum and O gratissimum, from Togo, their action on 2,2-dipheny-1-picrylhydrazyl. The chemical constituents of essential oils are identified using gas chromatography. The reduction tests with DPPH and reduction of Fe2+ ion (FRAP) are used to determine the antioxidant capacity. Antioxidant properties of the essential oils are shown up by the detection of colored intensity (IC50) and by the determination of Fe2+ ion equivalent in the solutions. The addition of a strong acid (HCl) influences the kinetic parameters. The studied essential oils contain thymol and eugenol and are antioxidants. Although, based on the Sanchez-Moreno classification, these essential oils have weak antiradical activity. Within the studied concentration range from 0.025M to 0.1M, the reaction runs fast in the first five minutes as well as a high reaction speed. The mechanism (electron-proton transfer) is predominant. Increasing time and HCl concentration favored SPLET mechanism. This study showed that essential oils studied have low anti-radical power, but they have intermediate reaction rates with DPPH.© 2015 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: O. basilicum, O. gratissimum, DPPH, antioxidant, kinetic factors, essential oil