Noise Pollution in Teshie-Nungua Schools

Schools located in the Teshie-Nungua area a suburb of Accra, have their background noise levels above 55 dB, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended noise level in educational facility. A maximum noise level (Lmax) value of 95.8 dB and a minimum noise level (Lmin) value of 51.6 dB were recorded. In this paper, a Quest Technologies 210 Model sound level meter equipped with a microphone had been used to measure noise levels in schools around the Teshie-Nungua area. It has been shown that about 90 % of the measured schools presented equivalent noise levels (Leq) above 72.5 dB. Pupils were exposed to a high noise pollution level (LNP) value of 95.8 dB and the day and night noise levels (Ldn) in and around the target schools were all above 72 dB. About 98% of schools in the Teshie-Nungua area do not have acoustic materials to minimize noise levels has been established. It was observed that schools in the study area are located in mixed commercial and semi-commercial areas. Nearly 80 % of survey respondents ranked Constant Traffic as number one source of noise. These measured noise levels have the potential to adversely affect the hearing of the pupils in these schools if the required sound proof mechanism is not put in place. Keywords: Equivalent noise level, Noise level, Noise pollution, Teshie-Nungua

In vivo digestibility of six selected fodder species by goats in northern Ghana

An in vivo digestibility trial was conducted to evaluate the digestibility of six forages. These were selected indigenous browse species and groundnut haulms in Lawra and Jirapa Districts of the UpperWest Region of Ghana. Groundnut haulms served as a control due to its known good digestibility in small ruminants. Thirty West African Dwarf (WAD) young castrated billy goats with a mean age of 8 months were used. The average live body weight was 8.9 ± 0.1 kg. The animals were randomly assigned to the six treatments and replicated five times in a completely randomized design. They were confined in metabolism cages. The adaptation period was 3 weeks after which data was taken for 10 days. The treatments were the leaves and tiny twigs of T1 Annona senegalensis, T2 Ficus gnaphalocarpa, T3 Pericopsis laxiflora, T4 Pterocarpus erinaceus, T5 Afzelia africana, and T6 (control) Arachis hypogaea. Feed intake, faecal matter and urine output were measured. The results indicated that dry matter (DM) contents of the feedstuffs were less than 50% but crude protein (CP) contents were higher than the minimum required for sustaining ruminants. Neutral and acid detergent fibre contents were high, and F. gnaphalocarpa, in particular, contained a higher level of phosphorus (P). The amounts of feed intakes were typical of most fodder species with the exception of P. laxiflora and P. erinaceus, which were lower (P < 0.05). The apparent digestibility values were also typical of most fodder species but the digestibility of A. africana fibre appeared to be lower. Nitrogen retention was positive for all test species with the exception of P. laxiflora, which was negative. Mortality was recorded in animals on P. laxiflora, and the rate was high. Pericopsis laxiflora leaves, even though morphologically similar to the leaves of P. erinaceus, were not a suitable fodder. Ficus gnaphalocarpa appeared to be the overall best fodder species in terms of nutrient uptake

Oil and Cocoa in the Political Economy of Ghana-EU Relations: Whither Sustainable Development?

Oil and cocoa represent strategic export commodities for the Ghanaian economy, prioritised within the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda. This article examines these sectors in the context of Ghana’s relations with the European Union (EU). Notably, the EU constitutes the most important market for Ghanaian exports. The European Commission, moreover, has pledged to tangibly assist private sector development in Ghana, with particular reference to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through its focus on oil and cocoa, the article problematises certain aspects of EU aid and trade interventions with respect to normative SDG development pledges

The role of limited access to students from more diverse nonfeeder medical schools in creating diversity inequities in neurosurgical residency

OBJECTIVEImproving racial/ethnic diversity in neurosurgery is a long-standing issue that needs to be addressed. The positive correlation between medical students with home neurosurgery programs and successful matriculation into neurosurgical residency is well documented. In this article, the authors explored the relationship between decreased racial/ethnic diversity in neurosurgery residency programs and racial/ethnic diversity in feeder medical schools.METHODSThe authors conducted a standardized review of the literature to evaluate potential causes for decreased racial/ethnic diversity within neurosurgery. Additionally, they calculated the average enrollment of Black/African American medical students at the top 5 neurosurgery feeder medical schools (determined by Antar et al. following the 2014-2020 match cycles) during the 2021-2022 school year and compared that with the enrollment at US allopathic medical schools with the highest enrollment of Black/African American students. They also compared these two groups in terms of how many students they sent into neurosurgery residency programs from 2014 to 2020. For each of these comparisons, the authors conducted a two-sample t-test to evaluate correlation between these two variables.RESULTSThere was significantly lower average enrollment of Black/African American students at the top 5 feeder medical programs into neurosurgery residency (80.6 ± 8.32) compared with the top 5 medical schools with Black/African American enrollment in the 2021-2022 school year (279 ± 122.00, p < 0.05). The authors also found a significant increase in the number of students entering neurosurgery residency programs between the top 5 feeder medical programs into neurosurgery residency (30.8 ± 6.06) and the top 5 medical programs for Black/African American enrollment (6 ± 6.16, p < 0.0001).CONCLUSIONSIn this paper, the authors examined, through a Black/African American lens, the role of racial/ethnic diversity in medical schools that historically send many students to neurosurgery residency. This study sought to provide insight into this problem and examine how Black/African American students from nonfeeder medical schools are disproportionately affected. The authors' findings suggest that the lack of Black/African American representation in neurosurgery is strongly correlated with the diversity efforts of medical schools. Lastly, the authors highlight the University of Miami's Summer Research Scholarship in Neurosurgery for Medical Students and other programs as potential solutions to combat the lack of racial/ethnic diversity in neurosurgery

Pars Interarticularis Fractures Treated with Minimally Invasive Surgery: A Literature Review

Recurrent stress on the isthmic pars interarticularis often leads to profound injury and symptom burden. When conservative and medical management fail, there are various operative interventions that can be used. The current review details the common clinical presentation and treatment of pars injury, with a special focus on the emerging minimally invasive procedures used in isthmic pars interarticularis repair. PubMed and Google Scholar database literature reviews were conducted. The keywords and phrases that were searched include but were not limited to; "history of spondylolysis", "pars interarticularis", "pars defect", "conventional surgical repair of pars", and "minimally invasive repair of pars". The natural history, conventional presentation, etiology, risk factors, and management of pars interarticularis injury are discussed by the authors. The surgical interventions described include the Buck's repair, Morscher Screw-Hook repair, Scott's Wiring technique, and additional pedicle screw-based repairs. Minimally invasive techniques are also reviewed, including the Levi technique. Surgical intervention has been proven to be safe and effective in managing pars interarticularis fractures. However, minimally invasive techniques often provide additional benefit to patients such as reducing damage of surrounding structures, decreasing postoperative pain, and limiting the time away from sports and other activities