Logistic Challenges in Urban Waste Management in Ghana (A case of Tema Metropolitan Assembly)

Waste handling is one of the greatest challenges facing humankind in modern times in spite of the numerous technological advancements that the world has experienced in recent times. The issue of waste management is a major problem confronting Ghana with detrimental effects on the nation’s economy, health of the citizenry and the social standing of the nation among community of nations. This problem is of keen concern to Ghana, particularly when it is clear that Ghana is one of the nations in South Saharan African with the potential of becoming a major tourism destination to many nationals the world over.  The study therefore sought to identify the logistical issues that confront the most industrious metropolis of Ghana - the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), in the management of waste within the metropolis. The researchers employed a combination of simple random and purposive sampling techniques to conduct cross sectional survey on 182 samples during the conduct of the study. The study found that waste management companies operating within the metropolis seriously lack the desired logistics to execute their mandates of ensuring a clean city. The study further established inadequacy of household waste collection bins as the key logistics that the waste management companies lacked. This therefore prevents households from separating waste into the various components for easy management.  Food debris, plastic solid waste, paper waste, bottles, cans/metals as well as old clothes were the main waste generated in the TMA.  The study concludes that there is a general lack of key logistics (waste collection bins, trucks and site technologies) to manage waste in the Tema Metropolitan Assembly. Key words: logistics, waste, management, climatic, humankin

Comparative study of spectral reflectance estimation based on broad-band imaging systems

We have been practicing spectral color estimation for museum artwork imaging and spectral estimation. We have had success using both narrow-band imaging based on a liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF) and various broad-band imaging approaches using the same monochromatic digital camera system. Details about our spectral color imaging system description, imaging procedures and the performance of spectral estimation methods used can be found in our previous technical reports.1,2 In previous reports we focused in methods of reconstruction from narrow-band images using LCTF, while we only reported preliminary analyses of reconstruction from wide-band images using six glass filtered images and a red-green-blue filter combined with and without a light-blue Wratten filter. There are practical advantages of using commercially available RGB cameras with this method if such a broad-band image acquisition system has sufficient estimation accuracy. We previously captured two sets of six broad-band images obtained by glass filters mounted in a wheel with glass filters, with and without extra absorption filter.1 In this report, we expand the analyses of spectral estimation using wide-band images by switching the red filter with a long-red filter in order to test the concept of using long-red, green and blue channels of the camera combined with and without lightblue absorption filter. The performance of this new configuration is compared to the imaging using all six filters of the filter wheel, as well as the configuration using six channels derived from red-green-blue filters without and with absorption filter

Comparison of the accuracy of various transformations from multi-band images to reflectance spectra

This report provides a comparative study of the spectral and colorimetric accuracy of various transformations from multi-band digital signals to spectral reflectance. The multiband channels were obtained by multi-channel visible-spectral imaging (MVSI) using a monochrome CCD and two different filtering systems. In the first system we used a liquid-crystal tunable filter (LCTF) capturing 31 narrow-band channels. We also used a filter wheel with a set of 6 glass filters imaging with and without an extra Wratten absorption filter giving a total of 12 channels. Four different mathematical methods were tested to derive reflectance spectra from digital signals: pseudo-inverse, eigenvector analysis, modified-discrete sine transformation (MDST) and non-negative least squares (NNLS). We also considered two different approaches to sampling the digital signals; in one approach we averaged the digital counts

Comparison of Expanded versus Equal Interval Recall Training in Persons with Dementia

While there is ample research evidence to show that SRT is effective for persons with dementia, questions remain as to the most efficient or effective procedures. This study examined use of Spaced Retrieval Training for persons with dementia using two different training procedures. In one procedure, recall was prompted after equally spaced intervals; in the other, recall was prompted after expanding intervals (e.g., 1 minute - 2 minutes - 4 minutes). Four persons with dementia who reside in a nursing home participated in this study. Results and implcations will be discussed

Integrating smallholders into forest landscape restoration

ITTO is promoting the participation of smallholders in six West African countries in efforts to restore 20 million hectares of degraded land by 203

Qualitative study of loneliness in a senior housing community: the importance of wisdom and other coping strategies.

ObjectiveOlder adults are at a high risk for loneliness, which impacts their health, well-being, and longevity. While related to social isolation, loneliness is a distinct, internally experienced, distressing feeling. The present qualitative study sought to identify characteristics of loneliness in older adults living independently within a senior housing community, which is typically designed to reduce social isolation.MethodSemi-structured qualitative interviews regarding the experience of loneliness, risk factors, and ways to combat it were conducted with 30 older adults, ages 65-92 years. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded using a grounded theory analytic approach based on coding, consensus, co-occurrence, and comparison.ResultsThree main themes with multiple subthemes are described: (A) Risk and Protective factors for loneliness: age-associated losses, lack of social skills or abilities, and protective personality traits; (B) Experience of loneliness: Sadness and lack of meaning as well as Lack of motivation; and (C) Coping strategies to prevent or overcome loneliness: acceptance of aging, compassion, seeking companionship, and environment enables socialization.DiscussionDespite living within a communal setting designed to reduce social isolation, many older adults described feeling lonely in stark negative terms, attributing it to aging-associated losses or lack of social skills and abilities. However, interviewees also reported positive personal qualities and actions to prevent or cope with loneliness, several of which mirrored specific components of wisdom. The results support the reported inverse relationship between loneliness and wisdom and suggest a potential role for wisdom-enhancing interventions to reduce and prevent loneliness in older populations