The Use of Natural Lighting in Students’ Hostels: A Case Study of Ayeduase, a Suburb of Kumasi, Ghana

The role that natural lighting plays in buildings cannot be underestimated. Natural light is integrated into buildings because of its potential economic benefit and the effect on the occupants’ psychological and physiological well-being. This study concentrates on Ayeduase, a suburb of Kumasi, Ghana, where students live in hostels with poor architectural design. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to investigate the health and visual comfort of students living in Ayeduase, by creating awareness of the positive effects of natural light on humans. Questionnaires and interviews, as well as empirical measuring of daylight levels in the spaces of selected hostels were used. Analysed data revealed that the level of illuminance in the hostels is considerably poor and this resulted in students using artificial lighting throughout the day. Nevertheless, the negative effect of this situation can be prevented from occurring in further developments in Ayeduase (and Ghana as a whole), by educating designers on the benefits of using natural lighting in buildings and by enforcing laws that will ensure that buildings have maximum openings that allow enough daylight into the interior spaces. These measures will help reduce utility costs, improve the well-being of building occupants and increase the performance of students.Keywords: Natural Lighting, Building Science, Occupants, Perceptio

A holistic survey of dampness in a six bedroom residential apartment

As one of the most damaging failures that occur in buildings, dampness in all its forms affects both old and modern types of buildings. As an important function, buildings should seek to prevent water penetrations and give envelop to their occupants. This study adopted a holistic approach to dampness surveying to identify and document the areas in a six bedroom residential building severely affected by dampness. A case study approach which involves a three-stage protocol of damp investigation, thus visual inspection, non-destructive tests using a moisture meter and destructive testing was used in the study to identify and document areas in the building severely affected by dampness. The results from the visual investigation showed that dampness was seen on the external and internal walls of the building and was accompanied by symptoms such as damp patches in horizontal bands, blistering of paint, surface efflorescence, stains and in some portions mould growth. A further investigation with the moisture meter showed that the problem was very pronounced in the walls located in the western orientation. Also, destructive tests revealed that the dampness in the bathrooms and kitchen were due to plumbing leakages and rain water penetration respectively. Further research on affected buildings situated in different ground conditions is recommended. This study should serve as a platform for further studies to be conducted on the building in order to trace the visible evidence back to the actual seat of the problem. In so doing, it should provide a platform for all stakeholders in the construction industry to come together to address this common but dangerous problem.Keywords: Dampness, residential buildings, plumbing leakage, rising damp, water penetratio

Expectant management of early onset of severe pre-eclampsia in Durban

Fifty patients with severe pre-eclampsia who presented before 32 weeks' gestation were managed conservatively (sedation, bed rest, antihypertensive therapy and intensive fetal and maternal monitoring) until intervention was indicated. Twelve patients presented before 26 weeks ofpregnancy and there were no fetal survivors in this group; 23 presented between 26 and 29 weeks and 8(34,8%) of the babies in this group survived. The rate of perinatal loss in those presenting between 30 and 32 weeks was 26,6% (N =4). Patients who had a history of a hypertensive disorder in their previous pregnancy(ies) had a higher perinatal mortality rate; 23 such mothers experienced 16 perinatal losses compared with 27 mothers who had no such history and who had only 8 perinatal losses. There was 1 maternal death, there were 2 cases of eclampsia, 3 of pulmonary oedema, 4 of abruptio placentae and 1 case of renal failure; 2 patients had disseminated intravascular coagulation. The local indigent and underprivileged black population have a more aggressive form of early onset of severe pre-eclampsia than that reported for other population groups. The high maternal complication rate of 30,8% and the low fetal survival rate before 26 weeks indicate that there is no place in our setting for expectant management of severe pre-eclampsia in patients presenting before 26 weeks. This applies particularly to those with a previous history ofhypertension in pregnancy

An experimental assessment of the efficiency of glazing types used as cladding materials for multi-storey office buildings in Ghana

Architecture all over the world in recent years has embraced the extensive use of glass as a cladding material for high-rise structures. Multi-storey structures in Ghana have seen it fair share in this growing phenomenon. Experimental results on the effectiveness of the glazing types used for the cladding is presented and discussed in this work. The aim of the study was to establish the effectiveness of the glazing types towards the reduction of thermal discomfort and cooling loads in high rise office buildings in Accra, Ghana. The simulation technique with the use of the Tas simulation tool was used in this study. The methodology used was the case-study, where a multi-storey structure was selected and used in the running of the experiment. The analysis showed that in terms of cooling loads, the single glazing performed poorly. Though the triple glazing was the best, economically, the double glazing could be used instead. In terms of solar gains, the single glazing again was the poorest. It is recommended that the selection of a glazing type for any multi-storey structure should be done after an elaborate simulation. This will help in the determination of the total cooling loads for the building in order to reduce the extensive use of energy which has become one of the scarcest commodities in Ghana at the moment

Perceptions of workers on the benefits of institutional source sorting: A case of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR), Accra, Ghana

The management of solid wastes at the workplace in Ghana is characterised by mixed wastes pickup delays, dustbin overflows and leakage of plastic bags into the environment. Benefits from the pilot of source sorting as a mitigation measure at the workplace are unavailable in literature. Hence, the study employed descriptive statistical tools to assess the advantages of a piloted source sorting system at the CSIR-IIR. The sampled size was 100 staff with an 80% questionnaire recovery rate. The analysis of data showed that, the implementation of segregation at source transformed the social approach of workers towards waste management. Most workers (97.7%) preferred sorting their wastes at source irrespective of the location of the generation point. A congenial environment was created by the source separation infra­structure, which made staff worked better, (70% responses). The majority of staff (95.2%) confirmed the savings made by the Institute on the cost of landfilling. The sorting at source improved cleanliness of the compound (97.6% responses) and eliminated open-air burning of wastes (95.1% responses). In all, the source segregation was beneficial to the social, economic and environmental well-being of staff and management of the Institution

Efficacy of spraying intervals of Ridomil Plus 66 WP for control of taro leaf blight disease

Taro leaf blight causes up to 100% yield loss in susceptible taro ( Colocasia esculenta L. (Schott)) cultivars. The use of fungicides in disease management is fast and effective; however efficacy of fungicides could be affected by frequency of application. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of spraying intervals and economic benefits of Ridomil Plus 66 WP (12% Metalaxyl-M and 60% Copper (1) oxide) on taro leaf blight disease. The study consisted of four fungicide spraying intervals, viz at one, two and at four weekly intervals, all at the concentration of 3.3 g l-1 and no fungicide application as the control. Results showed no significant differences (P > 00.5) between one and two weekly spraying intervals in terms of taro leaf blight disease incidence and severity. These were, however, significantly different (P < 0.05) from four weekly and no fungicide applications. Taro corm yield was higher in weekly spraying interval, but not significantly different (P > 0.05) from biweekly application intervals. Yields in weekly intervals were 2.9, 33.0 and 44.0% higher than biweekly, four weekly and no application intervals. Applying fungicide at a biweekly interval was found to be economically efficient as it recorded higher total revenue and net present values. Applying 66 WP (12% Metalaxyl-M and 60% Copper (1) oxide) at 2 weekly interval was the optimum period and most efficient to reduce the incidence and severity of Phytophthora leaf blight disease and increase yield of taro.La br\ufblure des feuilles de taro peut causer une perte de rendement allant jusqu\u2019\ue0 100% chez les cultivars sensibles de taro ( Colocasia esculenta L. (Schott)). L\u2019utilisation de fongicides dans la gestion des maladies est rapide et efficace; cependant, l\u2019efficacit\ue9 des fongicides pourrait \ueatre affect\ue9e par la fr\ue9quence d\u2019application. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude \ue9tait d\u2019\ue9valuer l\u2019efficacit\ue9 des intervalles de pulv\ue9risation et les avantages \ue9conomiques de Ridomil Plus 66 WP (12% de m\ue9talaxyl-M et 60% d\u2019oxyde de cuivre (1)) sur la maladie du taro. L\u2019\ue9tude consistait en quatre intervalles de pulv\ue9risation de fongicide, c\u2019est-\ue0-dire \ue0 une, deux, quatre intervalles hebdomadaires, le tout \ue0 la concentration de 3,3 g l-1 et sans application de fongicide. Les r\ue9sultats n\u2019ont montr\ue9 aucune diff\ue9rence significative (P> 00,5) entre un et deux intervalles de pulv\ue9risation hebdomadaires en termes d\u2019incidence et de gravit\ue9 de la br\ufblure du taro. Celles-ci \ue9taient cependant significativement diff\ue9rentes (P <0,05) de quatre applications hebdomadaires et sans fongicide. Le rendement en corme de taro \ue9tait plus \ue9lev\ue9 dans l\u2019intervalle de pulv\ue9risation hebdomadaire, mais pas significativement diff\ue9rent (P> 0,05) des intervalles d\u2019application bihebdomadaires. Les rendements \ue0 intervalles hebdomadaires \ue9taient de 2,9, 33,0 et 44,0% sup\ue9rieurs \ue0 ceux des deux semaines, quatre semaines et aucun intervalle d\u2019application. L\u2019application d\u2019un fongicide toutes les deux semaines s\u2019est av\ue9r\ue9e \ueatre \ue9conomiquement efficace car elle a enregistr\ue9 des revenus totaux et des valeurs actuelles nettes plus \ue9lev\ue9s. En conclusion, l\u2019application de 66 WP (oxyde de m\ue9talaxyl-M \ue0 12% et oxyde de cuivre (1) \ue0 60%) \ue0 intervalles de 2 semaines s\u2019est av\ue9r\ue9e \ueatre la p\ue9riode optimale et la plus efficace pour r\ue9duire l\u2019incidence et la gravit\ue9 de la maladie phytophthora et augmenter le rendement du taro

Together, yet still not equal? Sex integration in equestrian sport

Sex segregation is a core organising principle of most modern sports and is a key element in the marginalisation and subordination of girls and women in sport and beyond. In this article I explore the only Olympic-level sport which is not organised around sex segregation – equestrian sport – in order to consider the implications of sex integration for female participants. I draw on a study conducted on elite riders that found that although sex integration in equestrian sport does not lead to female participants being excluded from high-level competition, men continue to perform disproportionately well. This suggests that although sex integration may be an important step towards breaking down gender hierarchies in sport, without accompanying wider changes in gender norms and expectations, sex integration alone will not be enough to achieve greater gender equality in equestrian sport

Capacity for the management of kidney failure in the International Society of Nephrology Africa region:Report from the 2023 ISN Global Kidney Atlas (ISN-GKHA)

The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and associated risk of kidney failure are increasing in Africa. The management of people with CKD is fraught with numerous challenges because of limitations in health systems and infrastructures for care delivery. From the third iteration of the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA), we describe the status of kidney care in the ISN Africa region using the World Health Organization building blocks for health systems. We identified limited government health spending which in turn led to increased out-of-pocket costs for people with kidney disease at the point of service delivery. The healthcare workforce across Africa was sub-optimal and further challenged by the exodus of trained healthcare workers out of the continent. Medical products, technologies, and services for the management of people with non-dialysis CKD and for kidney replacement therapy (KRT) were scarce due to limitations in health infrastructure that was inequitably distributed. There were few kidney registries and advocacy groups championing kidney disease management in Africa compared to the rest of the world. Strategies for ensuring improved kidney care in Africa include focusing on CKD prevention and early detection, improving the effectiveness of the available healthcare workforce (e.g., multidisciplinary teams, task substitution, and telemedicine), augmenting kidney care financing, providing quality, up-to-date health information data, and improving the accessibility, affordability, and delivery of quality treatment (KRT or conservative kidney management) for all people living with kidney failure