Determination of Trace Metals Quality of Sources of Drinking Water in Some Selected Communities in the Akuapem South District of the Eastern Region, Ghana

The study was undertaken in three communities namely Adamrobe, Aburi and Pokrom-Nsaba, all located in the Akuapim South District of the Eastern Region. These communities depend on streams, wells, and springs for their drinking water requirements. The objective of the study was to assess the trace metals quality of the drinking water sources used by the communities. Water samples from these sources (streams, wells, and springs) were analyzed over a period of twelve months for various water quality parameters including the following trace metals: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), & arsenic (As), following standard methods designed in APHA, AWWA, and WEF. The results of the study revealed that, most of the mean levels of trace metals registered from the water samples were below the World Health Organization (WHO) and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) recommended critical limits for drinking water standards. The low level of trace metals recorded in the water samples was due to the absence of industrial and mining activities in these communities and their environs. The high level of lead registered in ABSP was as a result of the low pH discovered in the water sample for that station. It is therefore recommended that further study be conducted to track the long term health effects of the trace metals in the drinking water sources used by the study communities. Keywords: Trace Metals Quality, Sources of Drinking Water, Selected Communities, Akuapem South District, Eastern Region, Ghana

A developmental and training study of children's ability to find safe routes to cross the road

The sites and routes that children of different ages considered to be safe to cross the road were investigated. In Expt 1, children aged 5, 7, 9 and 11 years were instructed to choose 'the safest' crossing sites and routes to specified destinations. The results showed a gradual developmental shift with safer, more adult-like choices appearing with increasing age. Five and 7 year olds exhibited only a rudimentary selection procedure, choosing the most direct route as safest and showing a marked lack of awareness of the dangers posed by nearby roadside obstacles or other visual restrictions. In a further experiment, 5-year-olds were individually trained in finding safe places to cross. Training took place either in the real road environment or using a tabletop model of a traffic environment. A series of pre-and post-tests enabled the effectiveness of the training to be assessed. Substantial improvements following training were obtained in both groups. No differences were found between the two training methods. Though performance fell somewhat over the two months following training, trained children still outperformed their untrained peers eight months after the programme ended. The implications for road safety education are discussed

Behavioural group training of children to find safe routes to cross the road

Young children show poor judgement when asked to select safe places to cross the road and frequently consider dangerous sites to be safe ones. Thus, a sharp bend, the brow of a hill or positions close to parked cars are considered safe places to cross by most children under 9 years of age. This study examined the effectiveness of two practical training programmes in improving the judgements of 5-year-olds. Children were trained in small groups either in the real road environment or using simulations set up on a table-top model. A series of pre-and post-tests allowed the effectiveness of training to be assessed. Significant improvements relative to controls were found in both groups following training. There were no differences between the two training methods. Improvements were robust and no deterioration was observed two months after the programme ended. However, the benefits of group training were less marked than in an earlier study in which children were trained individually. The implications for road safety education are discussed

Errors in young children's decisions about traffic gaps : experiments with roadside simulations

Young children's vulnerability as pedestrians has often been attributed to deficiencies in their decision making about vehicle approach times. Some studies have found a preponderance o f risky decisions below the age of eight years. In contrast, studies using a closer simulation of road crossing, known as the pretend road, have found a preponderance of overcautious decisions in young children: traffic gaps of adequate size were frequently rejected (missed opportunities). However, the pretend road has potentially distorting characteristics which may account for this divergent pattern of findings. The experiments reported below show that new simulations that eradicate distortions nevertheless validate the pattern of results produced with the pretend road. Differences between adults and young children were pronounced for missed opportunities, but not for risky decisions. Subsidiary analyses suggest that the risky decisions of the youngest children may have arisen through lapses in attention, rather than deficits in timing. These findings run contrary to the view that attributes young children's pedestrian vulnerability to perceptuo-motor deficiency

Waiting time and patient satisfaction at the general outpatient department of a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Patient satisfaction is one of the key indicators of the quality of care and treatment delivered by the doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and the hospital as a whole. One of the key influencing factor of patient satisfaction is waiting time. Hence, this study seeks to determine the waiting time and the patient satisfaction with the services rendered at the General out-patient department of the University of Ilorin.A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted. Respondents were purposively selected, and informed consent was obtained for each of them. Structured questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and there was a response rate of 98%. Data collected was analysed using the Statistical Product Service Solution (SPSS) version 20. Majority of the respondents were males (55.1%), with a mean age of 40 years. Slightly less than half (49%, n=48) had had tertiary education.  The longest waiting time was recorded at the doctors’ offices, with 81.6% waiting for more than 2 hours. Most of the respondents (69.4%, n=68) spent 3-4 hours in the hospital (i.e. from arrival to exit). Majority of the respondents (89.8%, n=88) were dissatisfied with the waiting time, and 49 (50%) were satisfied with the overall performance of hospital.The waiting time at the hospital is too long compared to the recommendation of the Institute of Medicine. There is the need to devise innovative ways such as the process team approach, in shortening the waiting time at the hospital.  There is a need for more doctors to be employed. Also, further evaluation of the services rendered at the records department should be conducted.Keywords: Patient satisfaction, Outpatient department, Health services, waiting tim

Genetically determined NLRP3 inflammasome activation associates with systemic inflammation and cardiovascular mortality

Aims Inflammation plays an important role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. The NOD-like receptor protein-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome contributes to the development of atherosclerosis in animal models. Components of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway such as interleukin-1 beta can therapeutically be targeted. Associations of genetically determined inflammasome-mediated systemic inflammation with CVD and mortality in humans are unknown.Methods and results We explored the association of genetic NLRP3 variants with prevalent CVD and cardiovascular mortality in 538 167 subjects on the individual participant level in an explorative gene-centric approach without performing multiple testing. Functional relevance of single-nucleotide polymorphisms on NLRP3 inflammasome activation has been evaluated in monocyte-enriched peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Genetic analyses identified the highly prevalent (minor allele frequency 39.9%) intronic NLRP3 variant rs10754555 to affect NLRP3 gene expression. rs10754555 carriers showed significantly higher C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A plasma Carriers of the G allele showed higher NLRP3 inflammasome activation in isolated human PBMCs. In carriers of the rs10754555 variant, the prevalence of coronary artery disease was significantly higher as compared to non-carriers with a significant interaction between rs10754555 and age. Importantly, rs10754555 carriers had significantly higher risk for cardiovascular mortality during follow-up. Inflammasome inducers (e.g. urate, triglycerides, apolipoprotein C3) modulated the association between rs10754555 and mortality.Conclusion The NLRP3 intronic variant rs10754555 is associated with increased systemic inflammation, inflammasome activation, prevalent coronary artery disease, and mortality. This study provides evidence for a substantial role of genetically driven systemic inflammation in CVD and highlights the NLRP3 inflammasome as a therapeutic target.[GRAPHICS].Pathophysiology, epidemiology and therapy of agein