Adopted practices for mined land reclamation in Ghana: a case study of Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem mine ltd

Although mining is an economic booster, its negative ecological backlashes have become a great concern to environmental experts, development planners and policy makers in the era of increasing environment and sustainable development concerns. Reclamation of derelict mine sites is necessary for restoration of ecological integrity but must be based on sound ecological principles. Using AngloGold Ashanti as a case study, this study was conducted to identify land reclamation practices in Ghana and draw implications for ecological sustainability. Using semistructured interviews, desk studies, focus group discussions and direct field observations, the study confirmed that AngloGold Ashanti adheres to the reclamation security agreement signed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Acacia magium, Gliricidia sepium, Senna siamea and Leucaena leucocephala were the very important agroforestry multipurpose tree species used in the reclamation of the mined sites. The communities’ participation in the reclamation practice at the sites were frequent visits to reclaimed sites, permanent employment and casual labourers in maintaining trial farms. The adopted procedures and processes used in the reclamation of mined sites in Ghana as reminiscent in the company’s activities were: earthworks/ slope battering, spreading of oxide material, spreading of top soil, construction of crest drains and raising of cover crops to control run-off and erosion. Included also were tree planting, field maintenance-weeding, pruning and monitoring. Success criteria for the company’s reclamation were the ability of the reclaimed sites to support plants growth without further monitoring.Keywords: Agroforestry multipurpose trees, land reclamation, mining, soil fertility, success criteri

Marijuana use and repeated attempted suicide among senior high school students in Ghana: Evidence from the WHO Global School-Based Student Health Survey, 2012

Background The association between substance use including marijuana use and attempted suicide has been well documented. However, little is known about marijuana use and its association with attempted suicide repetition among young people in low-income and middle-income contexts. Aims This analysis was conducted to assess the factors associated with marijuana use and ascertain marijuana use as a determinant of repeated attempted suicide among senior high school (SHS) students in Ghana. Methods Data from the 2012 Global School-Based Student Health Survey in Ghana was used for this study. Modified Poisson, Logistic and Probit models weighted with Mahalanobis distance matching within propensity calliper were employed separately to determine the hypothetical association between marijuana use and repeated attempted suicide. All analysis was performed using Stata 16 and p≤0.05 was deemed statistically significant. Results The prevalence estimates of marijuana use and repeated attempted suicide among SHS students in Ghana were 3.4% (95% CI: 2.3 to 5.1) and 11.5% (95% CI: 9.1 to 14.4), respectively. The prevalence of marijuana use was significantly associated with school grade, smoking exposure, parent smoker, alcohol intake and truancy. Marijuana use was positively associated with repeated attempted suicide among SHS in Ghana (φ correlation=0.23, p<0.001). Repeated attempted suicide among students who use marijuana was approximately threefold and fivefold significant compared with non-marijuana use students, based on the Poisson (adjusted prevalence ratio: 3.02; 95% CI: 1.67 to 5.43, p<0.001) and Logistic (adjusted OR:5.06; 95% CI: 3.19 to 11.64, p<0.001) estimates respectively. Also, the Probit model showed that marijuana use significantly increased the log count of repeated attempted suicide by 95% (aβ: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.49 to 1.41, p<0.001). Conclusion Marijuana use does not only influence the onset of suicidal attempts but also repeated attempted suicide among SHS students in Ghana. Special attention is required for suicide attempters with a history of repeated attempts and current marijuana use among SHS students in Ghana. Early identification of the potential risk and protective factors is recommended to inform school-based interventions. National level structured school-based substance abuse interventions and health promotion programmes would be useful

Marijuana use and suicidal behaviours among school-going adolescents in Africa: assessments of prevalence and risk factors from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey

Background Marijuana use among adolescents, including high school students, has been consistently reported to be associated with a high incidence of suicidal behaviours. Little empirical research has been conducted on the propensity impact of marijuana use on suicidal behaviours in Africa. Aims To assess factors associated with marijuana use and further quantify marijuana use as an associated factor of suicidal behaviours, including repeated attempted suicide, suicidal ideation and suicide planning, among high school students in Africa. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 32 802 school-going adolescents using the Global School-Based Student Health Survey data from 10 African countries grouped into West Africa, North Africa, South-East Africa, South Africa and East Africa subregions. Marijuana use and repeated attempted suicide were the main outcome variables. We employed double selection least absolute shrinkage and selection operator poisson regression model to assess risk factors associated with marijuana use and dominance analysis to establish ranked important and common risk factors. Inverse probability weighting poisson regression adjustment was applied to assess impact. Results The prevalence of marijuana use and repeated attempted suicide were 3.7% (95% CI: 3.1 to 4.3) and 6.6% (95% CI: 5.9 to 7.4), respectively. The most important risk factor for marijuana use generally across the countries and specifically in three subregions was alcohol consumption, which constituted approximately 40% of the impact. The average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) indicated that marijuana use significantly increased the risk of suicidal ideation, suicide planning and repeated attempted suicide by 12% (ATT=0.12 (95% CI: 0.02 to 0.22)), 18% (ATT=0.18 (95% CI: 0.13 to 0.22)) and 31% (ATT=0.31 (95% CI: 0.20 to 0.41)), respectively. Conclusions Marijuana use was significantly associated with suicidal behaviours (suicidal ideation, planning and repeated attempted suicide) among the students. To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.5 (to strengthen prevention and treatment of substance abuse), school-based psychosocial interventions should be streamlined to adequately assess and manage marijuana use. Targeting the most dominant risk factors in this population could translate into the reduction of suicidal behaviours in countries within Africa

Clinical Electromyographycal Study on Gamma System -Selective Gamma fibere Blocking with Procaine Anesthesia-

It was observed in the preliminary study that there was diminution of the H reflex in the calf muscles with hypoactive ankle jerk after gamma fibre blocking with procaine injected in the tibial nerve. Although no remarkable change on motor power of the muscle was seen. The present investigation deals with mechanism of this diminution of the H reflex and with regulation of motor unit discharge during voluntary contraction after gamma fiber blocking. 1. Diminution of the H reflex. Amplitude of H reflex response which had been diminished after gamma fibere blocking was recovered by voluntary contraction of the calf muscles. There was little change observed in the latent period of the H reflex between the experimental states with and without voluntary contraction. Excitability of the motoneurone measured by the H reflex recovery curve with conditioning and test stimulus indicated that there was a marked increase of excitability of the motoneurone during voluntary contraction of the muscles. These results suggest that the diminution of the H reflex after gamma fibre blocking is due to decreased motoneurone excitability which is a result of diminished afferent impulse to the motoneurone from the spindle. On the other hand, augmentation of the H reflex response during voluntary contraction is due to increased motoneurone excitability where descending impulse to the motonerone from upper motor neurone compensate the loss of afferent impulse from the spindle. 2. Effect of gamma blocking upon veluntary contraction. There was never observed the démblée type of discharge at the onset of contraction and could not do a quick contraction of the muscle. There was seen prolonged reaction time on the E. M. G. although no decrease of motor power detected after gamma bloking. This may indicate again that there is decrease of motoneurone excitability after gamma blocking and it takes a little time to recover this decreased excitability by impulse from upper motor neurone at the onset of voluntary contraction