A computer programme for calculating the area colonized by emergent macrophytes in Lake Kainji

(29 page document

Radiation Transport Modeling and Assessment to Better Predict Radiation Exposure, Dose, and Toxicological Effects to Human Organs on Long Duration Space Flights

NASA's long-range plans include possible human exploratory missions to the moon and Mars within the next quarter century. Such missions beyond low Earth orbit will expose crews to transient radiation from solar particle events which include high-energy galactic cosmic rays and high-energy protons. Because the radiation levels in space are high and the missions long, adequate shielding is needed to minimize the deleterious health effects of exposure to radiation. The focus of this study is radiation exposure to the blood-forming organs of the NASA astronauts. NASA/JSC developed the Phantom Torso Experiment for Organ Dose Measurements which housed active and passive dosimeters that would monitor and record absorbed radiation levels at vital organ locations. This experiment was conducted during the STS-9 I mission in May '98 and provided the necessary space radiation data for correlation to results obtained from the current analytical models used to predict exposure to the blood-forming organs. Numerous models (i.e., BRYNTRN and HZETRN) have been developed and used to predict radiation exposure. However, new models are continually being developed and evaluated. The Space Environment Information Systems (SPENVIS) modeling program, developed by the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, is to be used and evaluated as a part of the research activity. It is the intent of this research effort to compare the modeled data to the findings from the STS-9 I mission; assess the accuracy and efficiency of this model; and to determine its usefulness for predicting radiation exposure and developing better guidelines for shielding requirements for long duration manned missions

Can brewer-sponsored ‘drink responsibly’ warning message be effective without alcohol policies in Nigeria?

Alcohol availability, use and misuse and their related problems are rising in many parts of the African continent and this has been attributed to many factors such as non-existent or ineffective regulatory measures. In contemporary Nigeria, while a culture of intoxication is growing, there are no regulatory measures in the form of alcohol policies to reduce it. What exists is brewer-sponsored self-regulation. This paper therefore, critically analyses this self-imposed 'drink responsibly' warning message, arguing that because responsible drinking messages are strategically designed to serve the interest of alcohol industries, it cannot be effective. The paper further argues that because there are no definitions of standard drinks and where alcohol by volume (ABV) is scarcely inscribed on product labels of alcoholic beverages, such message will remain ineffective. Therefore, it recommends that an urgent step should be taken by the government to formulate and implement comprehensive evidence-based alcohol policies in Nigeria

Ground-Level Magnetic Study of Greene County, Ohio

Author Institution: Department of Physics, Wright State UniversityWe performed a ground level geomagnetic survey of Greene County, Ohio in the fall of 1976. The geomagnetic map showed a positive magnetic anomaly running from the northwestern section to the southeastern section of the county while the remainder of the map was relatively undisturbed. We analyzed the localized anomaly of the southeastern section by the Peters methods and by fitting to the model of a vertical rectangular prism magnetized along the earth's field. The Peters slope and half-slope methods gave maximum depth limits to the top of the body of 1.16 km and 1.08 km respectively. The best fit to the vertical prism model yielded a depth of 1.04±0.05 km, a width of 2.5 ±0.2 km, and a susceptibility contrast of +0.0039 cgs units. From the depth, we concluded that the source of the anomalies is intrabasement susceptibility variations

The NASA Radiation Interuniversity Science and Engineering(RaISE) Project: A Model for Inter-collaboration and Distance Learning in Radiation Physics and Nuclear Engineering

This viewgraph document reviews the Radiation Interuniversity Science and Engineering (RaISE) Project, which is a project that has as its goals strengthening and furthering the curriculum in radiation sciences at two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Prairie View A&M University and Texas Southern University. Those were chosen in part because of the proximity to NASA Johnson Space Center, a lead center for the Space Radiation Health Program. The presentation reviews the courses that have been developed, both in-class, and on-line

The politics of alcohol policy in Nigeria: a critical analysis of how and why brewers use strategic ambiguity to supplant policy initiatives

The global call by the World Health Assembly (WHA) to control the rising alcohol-related problems caused by harmful consumption through policy became necessary in 2005 due to the recognition of the fact that many countries did not have alcohol policies. This gave rise to the adoption of a ten-point policy strategy by the World Health Organization (WHO) Member States in 2010. Against this backdrop, many countries adopted alcohol policies to reduce harmful alcohol consumption. Nigeria was one of the WHO Member Countries that adopted the resolution. Nigeria is among the 30 countries with the highest per capita consumption and alcohol-related problems, yet has not formulated alcohol policy to date. This paper draws on Eisenberg’s Strategic Ambiguity Model to explore the role of brewers in supplanting alcohol policy initiatives in Nigeria. It argues that the leading alcohol producers in Nigeria have been the main reason alcohol policies have not been formulated. The article focuses on why their campaigns for responsible drinking, promotions, sponsorships and ‘strategic social responsibilities’ may have increased since the WHA made the call and the WHO adopted the resolution in 2010. It concludes by arguing that there is an urgent need to formulate policies drawing from the WHO resolution to curtail the activities of these brewers and reduce harmful consumption

Incorporating Environmental Health into Pediatric Medical and Nursing Education

Pediatric medical and nursing education currently lacks the environmental health content necessary to appropriately prepare pediatric health care professionals to prevent, recognize, manage, and treat environmental-exposure–related disease. Leading health institutions have recognized the need for improvements in health professionals’ environmental health education. Parents are seeking answers about the impact of environmental toxicants on their children. Given the biologic, psychological, and social differences between children and adults, there is a need for environmental health education specific to children. The National Environmental Education and Training Foundation, in partnership with the Children’s Environmental Health Network, created two working groups, one with expertise in medical education and one with expertise in nursing education. The working groups reviewed the transition from undergraduate student to professional to assess where in those processes pediatric environmental health could be emphasized. The medical education working group recommended increasing education about children’s environmental health in the medical school curricula, in residency training, and in continuing medical education. The group also recommended the expansion of fellowship training in children’s environmental health. Similarly, the nursing working group recommended increasing children’s environmental health content at the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing nursing education levels. Working groups also identified the key medical and nursing organizations that would be important in leveraging these changes. A concerted effort to prioritize pediatric environmental health by governmental organizations and foundations is essential in providing the resources and expertise to set policy and provide the tools for teaching pediatric environmental health to health care providers

Perception of alcohol availability, promotion and policy by Nigerian university students

As a follow-up to the Monitoring Alcohol Marketing and Promotion in Africa (MAMPA) project conducted in Nigeria and three other countries in Africa, a survey of Nigerian students was conducted to assess their perceptions of alcohol promotion and policy in the country. Nearly five hundred students drawn from five faculties in the University of Uyo, Nigeria completed a perception of alcohol policy survey, in which they indicated their levels of agreement with statements on alcohol policy. The sample consisted of 265 (53.9%) male and 227(46.1%) female students; with age range of 16-37 years (mean of 24.8 years). Findings revealed that respondents were in support of policy options that sought to reduce availability of alcohol (in terms of access and cost). They also agreed with statements on alcohol as the cause of health and social problems; supported strong laws against drunk-driving; and agreed with the statement that the industry flouts self-imposed code on alcohol advertising. Chi-square analyses of data however confirmed the hypothesis that drinkers will significantly differ from non-drinkers in their perception of alcohol policy in Nigeria. The implications of these findings were discussed in the context of the development of effective alcohol control policy in Nigeria and other low and middle-income countries.Key Words: Perception, alcohol policy, alcohol advertising, university student

Alcohol marketing in Africa: not an ordinary business

Alcohol was the cause of nearly five million deaths globally in 2010, an increase of over one million deaths recorded ten years earlier. It was the leading risk factor for disease in southern sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), fifth in the East and West, and sixth in the Central African region. Several factors account for the increasing harm associated with alcohol in Africa among which are the availability of a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, rising urban populations, more disposable income to purchase alcohol, and unrestrained marketing and promotion of alcohol. Using a variety of strategies, producers of alcohol target young people and women with aspirational messages and other exhortations in an unprecedented onslaught of marketing and promotion which is increasingly being recognized as detrimental to public health and social welfare. Missing in the discussion on alcohol in most African countries is a clear understanding that alcohol marketing is not an ordinary economic activity and that the business of alcohol (an addictive substance with high potential for harm) can subvert the rights of individuals and the principles of democracy which many African societies are struggling to enthrone. This paper discusses these issues with particular attention to the harms caused by alcohol (to drinkers and non-drinkers alike), the potential for far-reaching harms to individuals and the society at large if the present scenario continues, and how these harms can be averted or minimized with the implementation of evidence-based policies.Key words: Alcohol marketing, alcohol promotion, Africa, alcohol advertisin

Social Media: Enlarging the Space for User-Generated Community Journalism

Social media have to a large extent competed with the traditional media in terms audience size. Social media have enjoyed a large following because of interactivity and utility in bringing about User-Generated community journalism. Social media have also brought about re-definition of news and news determinants as well as enhanced democratization of communication. For the traditional mass media to remain effective or relevant to their audience, social media and their contents should be incorporated into their channels. By so doing, contents of the mass media would go a long way to reflect the interest of the community or their audience members. Keywords: Social media, enlarging the space, use-generated community journalism