Understanding socio-economic sustainability drivers of sustainable regeneration: an empirical study of regeneration practitioners in UK

The construction industry has been recognized as a major driver towards the delivery of UK sustainable regeneration objectives. Several construction organizations have played various roles in their quest to deliver sustainable regeneration projects in line with sustainable development objectives. Yet, to-date the delivery of such sustainable development objectives has continued to be an on-going challenge for these organizations involved in the delivery of regeneration projects. The study adopted an exploratory research approach, using a questionnaire survey to collect data from 193 construction organizations/practitioners involved in the delivery of sustainable regeneration projects in the UK. The findings revealed that the majority of construction organizations were promoting socio-economic sustainability principles to meet their own corporate business objectives. The findings further revealed that the majority of practitioners’ organizations were integrating socio-economic sustainability principles into their business practices because they believed doing so was the best way to gain advantage over their competitors and remain relevant in their market place

Field evaluation of non-synthetic insecticides for the management of insect pests of okra Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench in Ghana

In a two-year study, aqueous seed extracts of the neem tree Azadirachta indica A. Juss (Meliaceae) and Bacillus thurigiensis (Bt) were evaluated in the field for the management of pests of okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. The aqueous neem seed extracts were applied at the rate of 30, 50, 75 and 100 g/l and B.thurigiensis was applied at the rate 1.0 g/l of water. Actellic 25 EC, a synthetic insecticide, was applied at the rate of 2 ml/l as standard check. Arthropod fauna on okra were sampled using traps, sweep nets, aspirators and handpicking. The nature of damage caused to the stems, leaves, flowers and fruit was assessed by visual observation. The major insect pests of okra collected were Podagrica uniformis Jac, Aphis gossypii Glov, Sylepta derogata (F.), Spodoptera litoralis Boisd, Prodenia litura (F.), Dysdercus superstitiosus (F.), Epilachna similis (F.), Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) and Zonocerus variegatus (F.). These pests were observed attacking mainly the leaves of okra. Some of the minor pests identified were Lagria villosa (F.), L. cuprina Thoms, Mylabris temporalis Wellni, M. trifasciata (Thumb.), Lapidognatha sp and Empoasca devastans (D.). Actellic, neem seed extract and Bt significantly reduced the population and damage caused by the major insect pests of okra recorded at Legon, Ghana compared to the untreated. Actellic and aqueous neem seed extracts were equally effective against the pests of okra and caused a significant reduction in insect damage to the leaves, flowers and fruit of the crop. There were no significant differences among the different dosages of neem seed extract on all the parameters assessed, with the exception of the final fruit yield. Actellic, neem extracts or Bt produced higher yield of marketable fruit of okra than untreated plants. Neem seed extract applied at the rate of 30 g/l of water to okra plants produced lower fruit yield than those treated with 50 g or more. Aqueous neem seed extracts and Bt can be used effectively by farmers as a component of integrated management of pests of okra in Ghana. Key words/phrases: Bacillus thurigiensis (Bt), insect pests, neem seed extract, non-synthetic insecticides, okra SINET: Ethiopian Journal of Science Vol.26(2) 2003: 145-15

Species Diversity and Relative Abundance of Fisheries Resources Found in Beach Seine along the Central Coast of Ghana

The diversity and relative species abundance of fisheries resources were studied from Winneba to Cape Coast on the central coast of Ghana during December 2007 to May 2009. Samples of organisms were collected at random from beach seine landings during the study period. The fishes were counted and identified to the family and species levels. Ecological indices such as Shannon-Wiener diversity index, equitability and Sørenson’s similarity index were used to analyse the data. Specimens from Winneba, Saltpond and Cape Coast comprise 56 species belonging to 30 families. Carangidae, Haemulidae, Clupeidae and Sciaenidae were some of the families, where key species occurred during the study. The relative abundance of key organisms in the beach seine landings include Chloroscombrus chrysurus (26.0%) in 2007, Brachydeuterus auritus (22.8%) in 2008, Ilisha africana (14.7%) in 2008, Sardinella aurita (13.1%) in 2009 and Selene dorsalis (11.2%) in 2007. The organisms that were in low relative abundance were Acanthurus monroviae, Penaeus notialis, Galeoides decadactylus and Trichiurus lepturus. Shannon-Wiener diversity index, estimated in the study, ranged from 2.54 to 2.83. Species equitability range was 0.67–0.77, and the Sørenson’s similarity estimated ranged was 0.66–0.69. The estimations of fish species diversity and equitability were higher (H’ = 2.83; J’ = 0.77) during the 2009 study in the central coast of Ghana. The similarity indicators in the various paired periods during the study showed considerable similarity in the organisms that were exploited by the beach seine in the area. The study explains the linkage between the diversity and relative species abundance of the coastal fisheries resources and offshore marine resources in Ghana, and the need to regulate beach seine operations in order not to over exploit the juvenile stocks

The role of built environment practitioners in driving the socio-economic sustainability aspects of sustainable regeneration

In the United Kingdom (UK), over the past three decades efforts have been made to ensure adequate promotion of sustainability objectives through various policy initiatives. However, despite the effort and the existence of these policy initiatives, sustainability projects in particular, regeneration projects are yet to deliver their intended sustainability objectives. While there is a rise in demand for higher sustainability benefits by stakeholders such as clients, communities and policy makers, the delivery of sustainability benefits from sustainability regeneration projects are yet to meet the expectations of these stakeholders. This article provides an overview of sustainability benefits within the context of the sustainable regeneration projects in the UK from a study that examines the roles and sustainability drivers of construction practitioners towards the promotion of sustainability on their regeneration projects. To do so, a qualitative research approach is adopted using a semi-structured interview technique for the study. The data obtained was analysed using content analysis. The findings revealed that out of the eight socio-economic sustainability drivers presented to practitioners, enhancement of reputation was the most important ‘socio-economic’ sustainability driver while the least important driver was legislative and legal requirement. The findings further revealed that majority of practitioners/ organisations were promoting the socio-economic sustainability driver they believed will enable them to meet their own corporate business objectives

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance pattern of coagulase negative Staphylococci isolated from pigs and in-contact humans in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria

The nasal carriage and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of coagulase negative  staphylococci (CoNS) isolates from healthy pigs and in-contact humans were  investigated in 300 pigs and 101 in-contact humans from pig farms and abattoir. The results indicate that 13.2% (53/401) of the isolates were CoNS species based on confirmatory test with Microgen biochemical kit and were further subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing. Nine CoNS species were identified; S. haemolyticus (n = 10), S. simulans (n =5), S. chromogen (n = 9), S. warneri (n =5), S. xylosus (12), S. epidermidis (n = 5), S. schleiferi (n = 5) and S. hominis (n = 2). Overall, resistance to beta-lactams was the most observed; 79.2% of the isolates were resistant to penicillin while 11.3% and 7.5% were respectively resistant to oxacillin and cefoxitin, respectively.  Resistance to 2 or more antimicrobial agents was observed in 39.6% (21/53) of the CoNS isolates. All the isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent except for gentamicin. Multidrug resistant CoNS are common colonizers of apparently healthy pigs and in-contact humans in the study area with S. xylosus and S. haemolyticus being the major species detected.Key words: Antibiotics, CoNS, pigs, humans

Synthesis, characterization and ab initio study of WO3 nanocubes with peculiar electrochemical properties

Simple sol–gel method has been exploited to deposit Sn-doped TiO2 thin flms on glass substrates. The resultant coatings were characterized by X-ray difraction (XRD), UV–visible techniques (UV–Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and photoluminescence analysis (PL). The XRD pattern reveals an increase in crystallite size of the prepared samples with the increasing doping concentration. A decrease in doping concentrating resulted in the decrease in bandgap values. The diferent chemical bonds on these flms were identifed from their FTIR spectra. The photoluminescence analysis shows an increase in the emission peak intensity with increasing dopant concentration, and this can be attributed to the efect created due to surface states. The prepared samples were tested as antibacterial agent toward both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria like S.aureus (Staphylococcus aureus) and E.coli (Escherichia coli), respectively. The size of the inhibition zones indicates that the sample shows maximum inhibitory property toward E.coli when compared to S.aureus

Electrodeposited CuO thin film for wide linear range photoelectrochemical glucose sensing

Cupric oxide (CuO) has been used as a non-enzymatic glucose sensor for decades. However, there is a paucity of publications on bare CuO based photo electrochemical (PEC) glucose detection. In this study, a photo active CuO thin film was electrodeposited onto conductive glass and its band gap was tuned by etching in NH3 solution. A 6 W light-emitting diode (LED) bulb was used as the light source for PEC glucose oxidation. Various physical and electrochemical characterization techniques were used to study the PEC behavior of the CuO thin film electrode during glucose oxidation. The electrochemical oxidation of glucose was found to be an irreversible electron transfer process controlled by diffusion at the electrode surface under illumination and dark conditions. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) confirmed that the charge transfer resistance in the light decreases by several orders of magnitude. Good amperometric performance was obtained for the CuO film with a 4 s response time and negligible interference from other species present in human blood. The as prepared sensor exhibited a remarkable wide linear range up-to 29 mM

‘Populism’ in Guyana and Newfoundland

SUMMARY Populist development, as an alternative to large?scale capitalist development, is sometimes interpreted as a form of ‘transition to socialism’, or even as socialism itself. This article examines two areas, Newfoundland and Guyana, where populist strategies have been so presented and concludes that this interpretation is difficult to sustain. RESUMEN ‘Populismo’ en Guyana y Newfoundland El desarrollo populista, como alternativa al desarrollo capitalista en gran escala, se interpreta a veces como una forma de ‘transición al socialismo’ o incluso como socialismo propiamente tal. Este artículo examina dos áreas, Newfoundland y Guyana, donde las estrategias populistas han sido presentadas de esa forma y concluye que esta interpretación es difícil de sostener. SOMMAIRE ‘Populisme’ en Guyane et Terre Neuve Le développement populiste, en alternative au développement capitaliste à grande échelle est parfois interprété comme une forme de ‘transition au socialisme’ ou même comme du socialisme. Cet article examine deux régions, Terre Neuve et Guyane, ou les stratégies populistes ont été appliquées et conclut en estimant que cette interprétation est difficile à soutenir