Modelling the seismic performance of rooted slopes from individual root–soil interaction to global slope behaviour

Many natural and man-made slopes are planted with vegetation, and it is known that this can increase the stability of slopes under static conditions. There is anecdotal evidence that vegetated slopes also perform better than fallow slopes during earthquakes. However, the study of the dynamic behaviour of slopes planted with species having dichotomous (‘woody’) roots is relatively rare owing to the extreme expense and difficulty involved in conducting full-scale dynamic testing on shrubs and trees. In this paper, dynamic centrifuge testing and supporting numerical modelling have been conducted to study this problem. In the centrifuge modelling, ABS plastic rods are used to simulate repeatably the mechanical properties of real roots. The numerical modelling work consisted of two parts. First, a computationally-efficient beam-on-non-linear-Winkler-foundation (BNWF) model using existing p–y formulations from piling engineering was employed to produce a macro-element describing the individual root and soil interaction both pre- and post-failure. By adding contributions from the different root analogues of different diameters, smeared continuum properties were derived that could be included in a fully dynamic, plane-strain continuum, finite-element model in a straightforward way. The BNWF approach was validated against large direct shear tests having stress conditions simulating those in the centrifuge at different potential slip plane depths. The conversion to smeared properties for global time-history analysis of the slope was validated by comparing the continuum finite-element results with the centrifuge test data in terms of both the dynamic response and permanent deformations at the crest, and these demonstrated good agreement. Owing to the simplicity of the BNWF approach and its ability to consider variable root geometries and properties, along with variation of soil properties with depth, it is suggested that the validated approach described will be useful in linking individual root–soil interaction characteristics (root strength and stiffness, diameter variation, root spacing and so on) to global slope behaviour

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Workers at the Primary Level in the Greater Accra Region

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on lives and livelihoods since its outbreak in the health sector. Health workers in Ghana have been at increased risk of contracting the virus due to their close contact with infected patients and some have become ill or died as a result, placing a significant mental and emotional burden on healthcare workers in Ghana. Objectives: This study examines the psychological impact of COVID-19 on primary healthcare workers in the Greater Accra Region. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional design. Data were collected using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) scale, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Impact Event Scale 6 (IES-R) to evaluate the mental health conditions of 97 healthcare workers providing healthcare services in health centres and health posts (called CHPS zones) in the Greater Accra Region. Results were presented using Frequencies, Percentages, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Overall, the majority of health workers were depressed (71.1%) in relation to COVID-19. 59.8% and 50.6% had psychological stress and anxiety respectively at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Family avoidance, alcohol, and role (CHO, public health nurse and other categories) were significantly associated with anxiety, depression, and stress in health workers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Generally, approximately half of the workers at the primary levels felt depressed, anxious, or felt stressed about COVID-19. Family avoidance, alcohol and role (CHO, public health nurse and other categories) were significantly associated with anxiety, depression and stress in health workers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need for the health system to recognize the presence of these adverse psychological effects in primary health workers and take pragmatic steps to address them. Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, Health workers, Anxiety, Stress, Depression, Psychological impact, Ghana Health Service. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/112-01 Publication date: December 31st 202

Social research on neglected diseases of poverty: Continuing and emerging themes

Copyright: © 2009 Manderson et al.Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) exist and persist for social and economic reasons that enable the vectors and pathogens to take advantage of changes in the behavioral and physical environment. Persistent poverty at household, community, and national levels, and inequalities within and between sectors, contribute to the perpetuation and re-emergence of NTDs. Changes in production and habitat affect the physical environment, so that agricultural development, mining and forestry, rapid industrialization, and urbanization all result in changes in human uses of the environment, exposure to vectors, and vulnerability to infection. Concurrently, political instability and lack of resources limit the capacity of governments to manage environments, control disease transmission, and ensure an effective health system. Social, cultural, economic, and political factors interact and influence government capacity and individual willingness to reduce the risks of infection and transmission, and to recognize and treat disease. Understanding the dynamic interaction of diverse factors in varying contexts is a complex task, yet critical for successful health promotion, disease prevention, and disease control. Many of the research techniques and tools needed for this purpose are available in the applied social sciences. In this article we use this term broadly, and so include behavioral, population and economic social sciences, social and cultural epidemiology, and the multiple disciplines of public health, health services, and health policy and planning. These latter fields, informed by foundational social science theory and methods, include health promotion, health communication, and heath education

Complementary feeding and the early origins of obesity risk:A study protocol

Introduction The rise in the prevalence of childhood obesity worldwide calls for an intervention earlier in the life cycle. Studies show that nutrition during early infancy may contribute to later obesity. Hence, this study is designed to determine if the variation in complementary feeding practices poses a risk for the development of obesity later in life. A mixed methods approach will be used in conducting this study.Methods and analysis The target participants are infants born from January to June 2015 in the South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) platform. The SEACO is a Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) that is established in the District of Segamat in the state of Johor, Malaysia. For the quantitative strand, the sociodemographic data, feeding practices, anthropometry measurement and total nutrient intake will be assessed. The assessment will occur around the time complementary feeding is expected to start (7 Months) and again at 12 months. A 24-hour diet recall and a 2-day food diary will be used to assess the food intake. For the qualitative strand, selected mothers will be interviewed to explore their infant feeding practices and factors that influence their practices and food choices in detail.Ethics and dissemination Ethical clearance for this study was sought through the Monash University Human Research and Ethics Committee (application number CF14/3850-2014002010). Subsequently, the findings of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, national and international conferences

Tourism Information Packaging and Promotion, the GIS Approach--the Case of Jomoro District of Ghana

The importance of tourism to the economic development of countries cannot be overemphasized. All activities involved in tourism are based on information, so it is largely an information product. In spite of the immense benefits to be derived, the industry has not received the needed boost in terms of investments. This is because information about tourists’ sites are not properly organized, packaged and marketed. Most of the information about the industry is in text form which does not contain the basic information that tourists and investors require in order to make informed decisions. The research seeks to study and explore the use of ICT to packaging tourism information using GIS with the view to enhancing tourism information packaging, promotion and development in Ghana using the Jomoro district as a case study. It further seeks to explore how GIS technology can be used for tourism data acquisition, compilation, storage, construction and output for presentation in map form with text embedded in them, in order to enhance tourism promotion and development in the country

Social sciences research in neglected tropical diseases 2: A bibliographic analysis

The official published version of the article can be found at the link below.Background There are strong arguments for social science and interdisciplinary research in the neglected tropical diseases. These diseases represent a rich and dynamic interplay between vector, host, and pathogen which occurs within social, physical and biological contexts. The overwhelming sense, however, is that neglected tropical diseases research is a biomedical endeavour largely excluding the social sciences. The purpose of this review is to provide a baseline for discussing the quantum and nature of the science that is being conducted, and the extent to which the social sciences are a part of that. Methods A bibliographic analysis was conducted of neglected tropical diseases related research papers published over the past 10 years in biomedical and social sciences. The analysis had textual and bibliometric facets, and focussed on chikungunya, dengue, visceral leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis. Results There is substantial variation in the number of publications associated with each disease. The proportion of the research that is social science based appears remarkably consistent (<4%). A textual analysis, however, reveals a degree of misclassification by the abstracting service where a surprising proportion of the "social sciences" research was pure clinical research. Much of the social sciences research also tends to be "hand maiden" research focused on the implementation of biomedical solutions. Conclusion There is little evidence that scientists pay any attention to the complex social, cultural, biological, and environmental dynamic involved in human pathogenesis. There is little investigator driven social science and a poor presence of interdisciplinary science. The research needs more sophisticated funders and priority setters who are not beguiled by uncritical biomedical promises