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

Spatial Data Analysis for Traffic Safety Network Screening

Problem - The roadway system represents a major investment, both public and private, and a valuable resource that enables mobility and accessibility to users. Due to degradation of aging infrastructure and increasing traffic, transportation agencies are seeking to effectively update or improve the system. With rising costs, tight budgets, and limited land resources, agencies are seeking effective techniques for identifying critical mobility and safety concerns. Historically, assignment of crashes to portions of the network, whether segments or intersections, has been the primary manner to link crash and road elements. Purpose – The primary goal is to explore a potentially more efficient and effective means of developing roadway connected crash cluster identification results as an input to network screening and diagnostics. Beyond this, using the data linkages, we intend to explore crash typology (e.g., severity, collision type) distributions and clusters with respect to network (traffic and roadway) characteristics. Nuance – The research uses GIS and spatiotemporal analysis techniques relying on crash locations as a basis rather than elements of the road network (e.g., intersections, non-intersections). The intent of the analysis is to develop crash clusters that can be flagged for further analysis and potential mitigation. Data – Crash, roadway geometrics, and traffic data of 5 years (2015-2019) were collected for Story County of Iowa. These readily available data are being analyzed using Geospatial Information System (GIS) and some statistical models such as the Markov Switching Models (MSM). Existing methodologies will also be used to develop results that will be compared with the new methodology. Prior Studies – There have been many network screening methods since the 1970s and the more widespread inception of computing resources. Though these methods have some advantages, they do have several shortcomings as well as detailed in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM). Due to these shortcomings, the HSM and other sources promote methods that address these shortcomings such as the Empirical Bayesian (EB) and Hierarchical Bayesian (HB) methods. Historically, assignment of crashes to segments or intersections, has been the primary manner to connect crashes and road elements. The use of GIS and spatial and temporal analysis, alternative methods for connecting crashes to the roadway network have been developed to replace the older methods like screening with additional differentiating criteria. Impact – The primary outcome of this research is the development of a new method of generating distributions and clusters of crashes along a roadway network for use in traffic safety screening. Practitioners should be able to utilize the process to develop network screening related to their jurisdictions, given sufficient and appropriate input data. Keywords –Transportation Engineering, Network screening, Crash rate, Spatial analysis, GIS, Iowa Data, Markov switching models

Spatial Data Analysis for the Development of Expected Adverse Weather Charts for Transportation Construction Projects

Problem - Seasonal and daily weather events impact construction projects across the various climate regions of South Dakota in differing fashions. Additionally, the impacts for similar weather events can impact grading, surfacing, and structural construction activities in various ways. Adverse weather conditions can cause major delays which may lead to time extensions and increase project cost. Purpose – To address these issues, South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) developed Working Day Weather Charts in 1998. However, advances in construction practices and weather prediction as well as climatic changes have occurred over the interim 25 years. This study is focused on developing updated zones, tables, charts, and recommendations for roads and bridges construction in South Dakota. Nuance – The tables and charts are planned to be developed on both weekly and monthly basis to determine the impact of adverse weather events on construction projects and for use in future contracts. Data - Weather, soil, and hydrographic data for South Dakota state are being considered for this study. The primary importance is on the weather data which is collected for 30 years (1991-2020) period from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The important weather data parameters are temperature, snow, rainfall, and wind. The soil data have been collected from the broad-based inventory of soils and non-soil areas of the United States namely State Soil Geographic (STATSGO2). The key focus is to analyze the soil parameters in combination with adverse weather events that affect the construction of roads and bridges. The hydrographic data is focused on the peak flow at major water bodies in South Dakota that may cause flooding or ponding which affects road and bridge construction. Additionally, interviews with SDDOT personnel and construction contractors were conducted to determine factors important to the industry. Starting with data exploration of all the available data, key parameters will be analyzed to develop updated expected adverse weather day chart and updated zones. Prior Studies – A considerable amount of work has been done on effects of weather on construction type categories and various Department of Transportation agencies evaluate the use of adverse weather in contract time calculations. The Virginia Department of Transportation place contract determination guidelines online. The VDOT document provides steps in determining contract time but contained little information on the impact of adverse weather on contract time calculations. Another document from the National Research Council of Canada on construction work protocols during winter in 1971. Beyond that, a recent (2022) publication from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) covers a systematic approach for determining construction contract time. However, in most papers, little information is documented on the impact of adverse weather and how to implement that in tables and charts for construction type activities across South Dakota. Impact – The results can directly help SDDOT engineers and contractors to estimate the appropriate contract time and warranted time extension due to unexpected adverse weather for variety of transportation construction projects across the diverse geographical terrains and climates of South Dakota. Keywords: Transportation, Adverse Weather, Construction, NOA

Effect of organic fertilizers on physical and chemical quality of sugar loaf pineapple (Ananas comosus L) grown in two ecological sites in Ghana

Pineapple has a large demand for plant nutrients and for this reason; fertilization is almost mandatory where the fruit is destined for sale. As consumer demand for organic food grows, organic production and certification is seen as a valuable alternative for smallholder farmers in developing countries. This study sought to investigate the effects of different organic fertilizers on the physical and chemical quality of pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) cultivated in two different ecological zones in Ghana. Organic fertilizers treatments were POME (Palm oil meal effluent), Phos-K (PH), Yara (Y) and combination of Phos-K and POME (PH+P) and Yara + POME (Y+P) in the ratio of 1:1. Soil without fertilizer was control. A farmer field demonstration and an on-station experimental trial were conducted parallel at Nsakyi and at the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) research farm, respectively. The experiment was laid out in the Randomised Completely Block Randomized Design (RCBD) with five fertilizer treatments and four replications. Sugar loaf pineapples were harvested at 17 months upon maturity, washed, peeled, and juice extracted for analyzing vitamin C, Total Soluble Solids, pH, Titratable acidity, juice yield and colour. Fruits were weighed with Sartorius scale and percentage weight loss estimated over 15 days. The weight loss of pineapples treated with POME (25.56 ± 0.62 %) from BNARI farm was significantly (p<0.05) higher than all the other pineapple treaments. pH of all pineapple samples significantly (P<0.05) differed for all the different fertilizer treatments for both farms. Phos-K significantly (p<0.05) enhanced the vitamin C content of pineapples from both ecological sites Lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) for juice of pineapple treated with Phos-K from BNARI farm was significantly (p<0.05) higher, than samples from Nsakyi farms indicating desirable visual appeal for sugar loaf pineapples. Organic fertilizers significantly (p<0.05) influenced the pH, vitamin C and juice yield of pineapples grown in the two different ecological zones. Irrespective of the ecological differences in Nsakyi and BNARI farm sites, the application of Phos-K to pineapple significantly (p<0.05) increased the juice yield which is a desirable quality of pineapple. Thus the application of Phos-K organic fertilizer, better improved the physical and chemical quality attributes of pineapple. However, there is the need to conduct further work on application rate and utilization efficiency of organic fertilizers that will produce maximum pineapple quality and yield.Keywords: Organic fertilizers, Juice, weight los

A Survey of the Benthic Macrofauna and Fish Species Assemblages in a Mangrove Habitat in Ghana

In order to enhance ecological knowledge for coastal and mangrove  ecosystem conservation in Ghana, the study documents the taxonomic groups of benthic macrofauna and fish assemblages in an urban mangrove swamp as its fundamental objective with emphasis on their composition, richness and diversity. This is because benthic and fish fauna of mangrove habitats are amongst the least studied biota in Ghana. Fish and benthos sampling was undertaken from five randomly selected pools within a mangrove stand during the wet and dry seasons using pole-seine net (7 m long and 1.5 m depth, with stretched mesh size of 5 mm) and an Ekman grab (15 cm × 15 cm dimensions), respectively. All samples were  preserved in 10% formalin for laboratory analysis. The results indicated a more diverse macrozoobenthic community in the wet (H¹ = 1.8) than dry season (H¹ = 1.5) . Overall, five out of a total of 13 genera found are intolerant to pollution and four moderately tolerant, while four comprising polychaetes and the midge Chironomus, are pollution tolerant. This suggests that the mangrove habitat is less polluted. A grand total of 917 fish specimens, belonging to 15 species and nine families, were encountered for both seasons (371 and 546 specimens for wet and dry seasons, respectively). The black-chinned tilapia, Sarotherodon  melanotheron, was the dominant fish species in the wet season, accounting for 54.2% of the total fish caught, whilst the grey mullets, Mugil babanensis and Mugil curema, were the dominant species in the dry season, with a combined total of 51.4% of the fish population. However, over 70% of these dominant fish species from both seasons were juveniles providing a strong justification for the observation that the mangrove habitats are nursery grounds for fish inhabiting adjacent riverine, estuarine and inshore marine habitats. Considering this relevance of mangroves and the ongoing conversion attempts of mangrove habitats to other land uses, a concerted mangroves conservation effort is strongly advocated

Cross-species gene expression analysis of species specific differences in the preclinical assessment of pharmaceutical compounds

Animals are frequently used as model systems for determination of safety and efficacy in pharmaceutical research and development. However, significant quantitative and qualitative differences exist between humans and the animal models used in research. This is as a result of genetic variation between human and the laboratory animal. Therefore the development of a system that would allow the assessment of all molecular differences between species after drug exposure would have a significant impact on drug evaluation for toxicity and efficacy. Here we describe a cross-species microarray methodology that identifies and selects orthologous probes after cross-species sequence comparison to develop an orthologous cross-species gene expression analysis tool. The assumptions made by the use of this orthologous gene expression strategy for cross-species extrapolation is that; conserved changes in gene expression equate to conserved pharmacodynamic endpoints. This assumption is supported by the fact that evolution and selection have maintained the structure and function of many biochemical pathways over time, resulting in the conservation of many important processes. We demonstrate this cross-species methodology by investigating species specific differences of the peroxisome proliferatoractivator receptor (PPAR) a response in rat and human

Stratospheric impacts on dust transport and air pollution in West Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean

Saharan dust intrusions strongly impact Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal regions. Today, most operational dust forecasts extend only 2–5 days. Here we show that on timescales of weeks to months, North African dust emission and transport are impacted by sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs), which establish a negative North Atlantic Oscillation-like surface signal. Chemical transport models show a large-scale dipolar dust response to SSWs, with the burden in the Eastern Mediterranean enhanced up to 30% and a corresponding reduction in West Africa. Observations of inhalable particulate (PM(10)) concentrations and aerosol optical depth confirm this dipole. On average, a single SSW causes 680–2460 additional premature deaths in the Eastern Mediterranean and prevents 1180–2040 premature deaths in West Africa from exposure to dust-source fine particulate (PM(2.5)). Currently, SSWs are predictable 1–2 weeks in advance. Altogether, the stratosphere represents an important source of subseasonal predictability for air quality over West Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean

The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among Dwellers in A Peri-Urban District of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant health issue affecting about 296 million people worldwide. The disease is of great public health concern in Ghana as the country is within the endemic region of HBV infection. This study sought to determine the prevalence of HBV infection and associated risk factors among dwellers in a peri-urban district of Ghana. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Sunyani West District of the Bono Region of Ghana. Respondents aged ≥18 years were purposively recruited from the four major towns in the District with health centres. A questionnaire was used to collect data from participants, and a rapid diagnostic test for the sero-presence or otherwise of hepatitis B infection was conducted. A total of 992 respondents took part in the study, with the prevalence of HBV infection using HBsAg as a marker among all the study participants being 2.9% (male 4.0% (12/298), female 2.5% (17/694)). Females aged between 20-29 years had a comparatively higher prevalence of hepatitis B infection than their corresponding males. The intake of alcohol (RR=4.23; 95% CI:2.05-8.74, p <0.000), previously diagnosed of having a sexually transmitted disease (RR= 2.43; 95% CI: 1.03-5.71, p = .04) and having multiple sexual partners (RR= 2.27; 95% CI: 1.11-4.65, p = .02) were the significant risk factors for HBV infection among the study participants. The study showed a low prevalence of HBV infection in the Sunyani West District of Ghana using HBsAg as a serum marker to diagnose the infection. Keywords: Hepatitis, prevalence, risk factors, Sunyani Wes

Cost-effectiveness analysis of introducing RDTs for malaria diagnosis as compared to microscopy and presumptive diagnosis in central and peripheral public health facilities in Ghana.

Cost-effectiveness information on where malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) should be introduced is limited. We developed incremental cost-effectiveness analyses with data from rural health facilities in Ghana with and without microscopy. In the latter, where diagnosis had been presumptive, the introduction of RDTs increased the proportion of patients who were correctly treated in relation to treatment with antimalarials, from 42% to 65% at an incremental societal cost of Ghana cedis (GHS)12.2 (US$8.3) per additional correctly treated patients. In the "microscopy setting" there was no advantage to replacing microscopy by RDT as the cost and proportion of correctly treated patients were similar. Results were sensitive to a decrease in the cost of RDTs, which cost GHS1.72 (US$1.17) per test at the time of the study and to improvements in adherence to negative tests that was just above 50% for both RDTs and microscopy