Legal termination of pregnancy among teenagers and older women in Soweto, 1999-2001

Background. Legal termination of pregnancy (TOP) was introduced in South Africa in 1996. No data are available to relate the numbers of TOPs to the total number of pregnancies in specific health regions. The level of use of TOPs by women of different age groups is not known.Objective. To determine the proportion of pregnancies that end in TOP, with special reference to maternal age, and to measure trends in use from 1999 to 2001.Setting. Greater Soweto, Orange Farm and Lenasia, a densely populated urban health region served by Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and comprehensive primary care reproductive health services.Methods. Two cross-sectional studies performed in 1999 and 2001, counting all pregnancies managed in state-run health services, including legal terminations, spontaneous miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies and deliveries. Results. There were 5412 pregnancies in the study period (9 weeks) in 1999, and 5316 in the study period (8 weeks) in 2001. The TOP rates decreased from 16.1% to 13.6% (P = 0.20). The TOP rates for teenagers decreased from 22.3% to 16.3% (P = 0.006), but were higher than those for older women (15.2% in 1999 and 13.2% in 2001, P = 0.006 and 0.028 respectively). TOP rates for teenagers 13- 16 years decreased from 28.0% to 23.0% (P = 0.44), and rates for older teenagers declined from 21.0% to 14.9% (P = 0.008). In 2001, 16.2% of women aged 35 and above underwent TOP, compared with 12.7% of women aged 20 - 34 years (P =0.014).Conclusion. Use of TOP services was highest in women at the extremes of reproductive age. There was a significant decline in TOP rates among older teenagers between 1999 and 2001. These data, from a comprehensive urban reproductive health service, provide a benchmark for comparison elsewhere and in the future

Student attitude towards Mathematics and performance: Does the teacher attitude matter?

The indispensable role of attitude in the learning of Mathematics has garnered the attention of educational researchers and Mathematics educators for a very long time. Hence, literature is replete with empirical evidence on the relationship between teacher attitude and student academic performance in Mathematics. The study was fashioned to extend the discussion to the influence of teacher attitude on student attitude. The samples for the study were one hundred students and four Mathematics teachers making a total of one hundred and four respondents. The students were randomly selected while the teachers were purposively sampled. Two sets of questionnaires were used to gather data from the respondents after they had been validated and their reliability established. Students’ end of term examination scores were used as a measure of students’ academic achievements. The study unveiled a significant relationship between teacher attitude and student attitude toward Mathematics. It was realised that teachers’ positive attitude radiated confidence in students hence made them develop positive attitude towards the learning of Mathematics. The results of the study were also consistent with existing findings on the relationship between teacher attitude and students’ performance in Mathematics. Implications of the findings are discussed and recommendations             have been proffered for practice.  Key words: Mathematics, teacher attitude, student attitude, student performance, influence and relationshi

Does automation improve stock market efficiency in Ghana?

The automation of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) in 2008, among other reforms, was expected to improve the efficiency of the market. The extent of this truism has, however, not been empirically established for the GSE. In this study, we attempt to assess the impact of the automation on the efficiency of the GSE within the framework of the weak-form Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) based on the before and after approach. The study was done both at the aggregate and micro-level. The aggregate result showed that automation of the exchange did not improve the overall efficiency of the exchange. However, there is evidence that the number of market participants involved in the exchange has increased in the post-automation era. The results of the impact of the automation on the effi ciency of the microstructure are, however, mixed. Generally, the rejection of the null hypothesis under homoscedasticity was found to be robust to heteroscedasticity for some firms, but the reverse was the case for other fi rms. This implies that the rejection of the null hypothesis under homoscedasticity is due to both heteroscedasticity and serial correlation. Based on the findings, a mix of strategies aimed at improving the efficiency of the exchange are recommended.Keywords: automation; stock market efficiency; Ghana Stock Exchang

Calcination Behaviour of Nsuta Rhodochrosite Ore in the Presence and Absence of End-of-Life High Density Polyethylene

This research investigated the calcination behaviour of the Nsuta Rhodochrosite (MnCO3) in the presence and absence of end-of-life high density polyethylene (HDPE) using a custom-made palm kernel shell fired furnace. Samples of pulverised Nsuta rhodochrosite were heated rapidly for 30, 40, 50 and 60 minutes, coupled with temperature measurements to determine the maximum temperature attained in the fireclay crucible. The procedure at 60 min was repeated using three blends of rhodochrosite samples containing different masses of HDPE (30 g, 40 g and 50 g) and heated for an hour. For gas analyses studies during calcination, cylindrical compacts of rhodochrosite ore in a LECOTM crucible were heated rapidly with and without high density polyethylene (HDPE at C/O ratio = 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) in a horizontal tube furnace for 600 s at 1150 °C under high purity argon gas and the off gas was continuously analysed for CH4, CO and CO2 using an online infrared gas analyser. The content of H2 in the off gas was detected using a GC3 gas chromatographic analyser equipped with a thermal conductivity detector. The Nsuta rhodochrosite ore was found to consist of a mixture of manganese II carbonate (MnCO3), silica (SiO2), mixed transition metal carbonate of the form Ca(Mn, Mg)(CO3)2 and mixed metal silicate of the form Ca0.6Mg1.94Si2O6. Calcination results indicated visible colour changes (from grey to dark brown), along with significant changes in the mass before and after calcination. In the absence and presence of the polymer, measured temperatures in the crucible ranged from 1001 °C to 1366 °C and 1361 °C to 1369 °C, respectively. Analyses by XRF showed marginal increase in the content of Mn in the calcined ore with HDPE addition. Gas analyses indicate that blending the carbonate with HDPE before heating results in significant decrease in the amount of CO2 emitted.   Keywords: Land Tenure Security, Registration, Spatial Data, Attribute Dat

Modeling Memorization and Forgetfulness Using Differential Equations

{\bf Research Context}: The aim of the study was to use differential equations to model memorization of students based on a given data taking into account forgetfulness.\\\noindent {\bf Research Methods}: The purpose of this paper was to decipher the rate at which students memorized the stuff that required memorization in the area of axioms and proofs of theorems as well as considering the fact that they will forget some of them along the way. The usage of differential equation was employed to model the trend. The paper contributes to the literature by documenting that students can memorize large number of stuff even beyond their perceived imaginations.\\\noindent {\bf Conclusion}:  This study employed the usage of differential equations to model the rate at which students could memorize a given number of axioms and proofs, considering the fact that they will forget some of them along the way. Persons who are able to absorb and retain more are able to recollect better than those who can absorb more and retain less.  On the other hand, those who can absorb less and retain more have an upper hand in recollection over those who can absorb more and retain less. Consequently it is better to have a higher retention constant than a higher absorption rate. Factors like the learning strategy, learning materials, learning environment, study mates have either a positive or negative influence on an individual's absorption and retention in the long term

Understanding the Mechanism of Arsenic Mobilisation and Behaviour in Tailings Dams

This study was carried out on leaching of tailings at 30 ᵒC and 40 ᵒC. The mineralogical and chemical composition of the tailings material were determined by Quantitative X-Ray Diffractometry (QXRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy combined with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDAX). The study revealed that the tailings contain sulphides (arsenopyrite and pyrite) which can leach to produce arsenic (As) and other ions in solution. The acid released during leaching depends on the temperature of leaching. More acid was produced at higher temperature (40 ᵒC) than lower temperature (30 ᵒC). It was established that arsenic precipitation from solution was higher at higher temperature (40 ᵒC) than lower temperature (30 ᵒC). Mimicking the study in a typical tailings environment, it could be proposed that As mobilisation will be enhanced at lower temperature (30 ᵒC) than at higher temperature (40 ᵒC). Keywords: Tailings, Leaching, Arsenopyrite, Heavy metals and Temperatur

Bioactive Compounds and Mineral Contents of Telfairia occidentalis hooker fil. Grown in Urea Solutions

The study focused on the use of Urea containing hydroponic solutions for growing Telfairia occidentalis Hooker fil and evaluated the bioactive compounds and mineral contents of T. occidentalis. They solutions varied in the amount of Urea granules (25g, 50g, 75g, 100g, 125g and 150g, respectively) dissolved in water and designated as M25U, M50U, M75U, M100U, M125U, M150U and Control, respectively. Two-week old seedlings of T. occidentalis raised using River-sand were transferred into the growth media; in four replicates. The bioactive compounds (nutritional composition, vitamins, and amino acids contents) and mineral content were determined 5 weeks after planting following standard procedures. Telfairia occidentalis grown in Control and M25U media had the highest energy level (1509.76 KJ/100g and 1496.70 KJ/100g, respectively) while the lowest energy content (1351.87 J/100g) was recorded at M75U growth medium. The study showed that T. occidentalis contains more of water-soluble vitamins than fat-soluble vitamins. The leaves grown in M100U medium had the highest total vitamins value. Also, 9 essential amino acids (EAA) and 11 non-essential amino acids (NEAA) were detected and quantified in the leaves of T. occidentalis grown in varying Urea solutions. The EAA contents were lower than the NEAA contents. Amongst the amino acids and growth media, glycine content (9.10%) of leaves was the most concentrated in M50U medium. The concentrations of N, Ca, Mg and K in the leaves were high compared Na, Mn, Fe, Zn and Cu in the growth media. The leaves grown in the Control medium had the lowest mineral content in most of the growth media

Access to vaccination services for priority ruminant livestock diseases in Ghana: barriers and determinants of service utilization by farmers

INTRODUCTION: Livestock diseases are a major constraint to agricultural productivity, frequently causing significant livelihood losses for farmers, and negatively affecting public food safety and security. Vaccines provide an effective and profitable means for controlling most infectious livestock diseases, but remain underutilized. This study sought to assess the barriers and determinants of vaccination utilization for priority livestock diseases in Ghana. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-method study involving a quantitative survey with ruminant livestock farmers (N = 350) and seven focus group discussions (FGD) involving 65 ruminant livestock farmers. The survey data were analyzed, and distribution of barriers to vaccination access described. We evaluated the determinants of vaccination utilization (any use of vaccination against contagious-bovine-pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and peste-des-petits-ruminants (PPR) in 2021) using logistic regression analyses at the 0.05 significance level. FGD transcripts were analyzed deductively. We used triangulation to achieve convergence across the different datasets and analyses. RESULTS: The farmers kept an average (median) of 5 tropical livestock units (TLUs) of ruminant livestock (IQR=2.6-12.0) that were on average 8 kilometers (IQR=1.9-12.4) away from veterinary officers (VOs). Only 16% (56/350) of herds were vaccinated against the diseases. Most farmers (274/350) had limited knowledge on vaccines against CBPP and PPR infections, 63% (222/350) perceived low risk of these diseases to their herds. About half of farmers reported experiencing outbreaks of either disease in the study year (2021). Farmers scored on average 80.5 out of 98 (IQR=74-85) on the RS-14 resilience scale. After adjusting for farmers' livestock rearing experience, herd size, sex, wealth status, distance to VOs, previous disease outbreaks, and perceived risk of the diseases, vaccination utilization was negatively associated with limited knowledge (aOR=0.19, 95%CI=0.08-0.43), and positively associated with personal exposure to outbreaks in the study year (aOR=5.26, 95%CI=2.01-13.7) and increasing resilience (aOR=1.13, 95%CI=1.07-1.19). FGDs revealed farmer misconceptions about vaccines, costs of vaccines, and timely access to vaccines from VOs as additional barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Acceptability, affordability, accessibility, and availability of vaccine services represent the main barriers to vaccines utilization by ruminant livestock farmers in Ghana. Given that limited knowledge regarding the value of vaccination and shortfalls in veterinary service supply are of central importance for both the demand and supply side, more collaboration between the different stakeholders in a transdisciplinary manner to effectively address the low vaccination utilization problem is needed