Prioritisation of wetlands of the Rangitikei catchment : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science in Natural Resource Management at Massey University

This study aimed to prioritise wetlands of the Rangitikei Catchment. The prioritisation will enable the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council to apply its limited resources in an effective way to preserve the biodiversity of the wetlands of the catchment. A process was designed to achieve the project aim. The first step in the process was the establishment of two conservation goals: 1)Maintain species diversity, 2)Eliminate threats within wetlands. Secondly, the wetlands of the Rangitikei Catchment were surveyed to collect state and pressure information. 25 wetland sites were surveyed using the REWA survey method. Data collected was then analysed, first using the complementarity programme Sites V1.0. However, complementarity analysis did not achieve a clarified prioritisation of wetland sites because extreme variability was found among sites. In particular, complementarity analysis did not respond well to having two very different conservation goals of pressure and state. Therefore, 13 prioritisation criteria were employed based on elements of pressure and state. A method was devised to overcome problems of weighting criteria. True scores were converted to adjusted scores of 1 to 4 using the box and whisker division method. This method also allowed for easier replication and manipulation of data as well as clear visual representation, unlike other methods. A unique prioritisation framework was then devised which allowed multiple criteria (in this study pressure and state) to be assessed simultaneously. The framework also allowed the large amounts of data involved in the prioritisation process to be presented as a single priority ranking. The prioritisation framework is a relatively simple, repeatable and highly adaptable method. The framework does not compromise the contribution of each criterion to the overall value of the wetland. This resulted in prioritisation of the surveyed wetland sites of the Rangitikei Catchment and allowed achievement of the study's conservation goals. The box and whisker division method and prioritisation framework presented in the study are two unique methods that may be applied in future prioritisation programmes. Both methods provide simple and visual representations of the complex processes involved in the prioritisation of wetland sites and respond to multiple and opposing conservation goals. The nature of the prioritisation framework allows information to be added as it becomes available as well as accommodating the addition and expansion of conservation goals

Measuring, Monitoring And Forecasting System For Carbon Monoxide Concentrations [QD181.C1 U85 2005 f rb].

The impact of air pollution is broad towards the health of human beings, thus many studies have been focused on the forecasting of air pollutants in urban areas. Kesan pencemaran udara amat meluas terhadap kesihatan manusia, justeru itu banyak kajian telah diketengahkan untuk meramal pencemar udara di kawasan bandar

The Influence Of Emotional Social Competency And Self-Efficacy Towards Student Leadership Practice Among Pismp Trainee Teachers

Kecerdasan sosial dan emosi, efikasi kendiri dan amalan kepimpinan adalah aspek penting dalam membentuk bakal guru yang holistik. Sehubungan dengan itu, tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk mengkaji pengaruh kecerdasan sosial emosi dan efikasi kendiri terhadap amalan kepimpinan dalam kalangan guru pelatih PISMP di Institut Pendidikan Guru di Malaysia Emotional and social intelligence, self-efficacy and leadership practice are important aspects in moulding future teachers holistically. In relation to that, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of emotional social intelligence and self-efficacy towards leadership practices among PISMP trainee teachers of Institute of Teacher Education in Malaysi

Measuring, Monitoring And Forecasting System For Carbon Monoxide Concentrations

Kesan pencemaran udara amat meluas terhadap kesihatan manusia, justeru itu banyak kajian telah diketengahkan untuk meramal pencemar udara di kawasan bandar. The impact of air pollution is broad towards the health of human beings, thus many studies have been focused on the forecasting of air pollutants in urban areas

Self-help Groups as a ‘Livelihood Development’ for Rural Women: Experiences from India and Ghana

Governments, civil society organizations, development practitioners and bilateral as well as multilateral development organizations have over the past three or so decades worked and continue to do so towards reducing country and global poverty. This drive led to an emergence of different policy interventions, which are human centered. Key among these policy interventions is the empowerment of women who are identified as the most vulnerable, suffering disproportionately from poverty and its consequences. This explains why world leaders, with the turn of this millennium, dedicated two of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to work towards bridging the gap between men and women and improving maternal health. These can only be achieved through the empowerment of women. As the 2015 deadline for the attainment of the MDGs draws closer and the discourse on what should constitute the next set of MDGs is at the peak, it is proper to find out how far we have come, where we are and where we are going. In doing this, this paper examines how rural livelihoods can be promoted through the empowerment of women using Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with focus on India and Ghana. The paper is based on experiences gained by the authors in their working relationships with, and research activities on self-help women's groups in the two countries. Overall, women SHGs have the potential to sustainably promote their livelihoods through economic, political and social empowerment. It is concluded that throughout the last two decades, SHGs across India and Ghana in particular, and the developing world as a whole have played critical roles in improving the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable, especially women. As the debate on the world we want after the MDGs in 2015 and strategies for achieving it takes shape, our recommendation is that policy makers and implementers, development practitioners, the academia and the donor community should adopt the bottom-up approach with a special focus on women SHGs. Keywords: Ghana, India, Livelihoods, Self-Help Groups, Wome

INCIDENCE AND OUTCOME OF MULTIDRUG RESISTANT AEROBIC GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA CAUSING VARIOUS CLINICAL INFECTIONS

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to isolate, characterize, and evaluate Gram-negative antibiotic bacteria isolated from different clinical samples. Methods: The Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines were used to isolate and identify microbial isolates on Muller–Hinton agar using standard bacteriological techniques and to monitor for antibiotic susceptibility by disc diffusion method. Results: The study involved 129 clinical samples that were obtained from 70 males and 59 females. A maximum number of cases were recorded in the age group 51–60 (33%) followed by 41–50 (16%). The results showed that the common isolates were Escherichia coli 49 (37%), Klebsiella spp. 37 (28%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 30 (23%), and among 12% microbial isolates, four isolates were Proteus species, seven isolates were Citrobacter species, and two isolates were Providencia species. The most of the isolates were multidrug resistant isolates. However, few isolates showed sensitivity to meropenem and imipenem and most of them were colistin sensitive. Out of 129 isolated microorganisms, 53 isolates were again screened for carbapenemase production through modified Hodge test. It was found that 50 strains were positive for carbapenemase producers (94%) and three strains were negative for carbapenemase production (6%). E. coli and P. aeruginosa followed by Klebsiella species showed carbapenemase production. Among the 50 strains that were positive for the development of carbapenemase, 47 strains were susceptible to colistin that was identified by the “E” strip method and three strains showed resistance to colistin. Conclusion: The study allows clinicians to select the right antimicrobial agent that not only leads to improved treatment but also helps to avoid the emergence of drug resistance strains which are still sensitive

A STUDY ON BACTERIOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION OF SUB-GINGIVAL PLAQUES IN PERIODONTITIS PATIENTS

Objective: The current study's objectives were to isolate and characterize the periodontal pathogens from subgingival plaque obtained from patients with chronic periodontitis using conventional microbiological techniques. Materials: In the Department of Microbiology at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital was where this study was carried out. Over the course of six months, from January to June 2019, samples were taken from subgingival pockets in patients with chronic periodontitis who visited the periodontology outpatient department at our institute of dental sciences. There were 21 cases in the research. For the purpose of preventing saliva contamination, tooth surfaces were dried using sterile gauze. Subgingival plaque samples were taken from the majority of diseased sites using a sterile periodontal Gracy curette, put in a test tube with fluid thioglycollate medium, and taken to the microbiology lab where they were processed right away using conventional microbiological procedures. Results: E. coli grew in the majority of samples (9), followed by Pseudomonas species and Staphylococci in 7 samples. Only sample number 7 out of 21 showed no growth for Candida albicans; the others all exhibited development. Samples like Sample 1, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 produced isolates that were multidrug resistant. Conclusion: Therefore, while developing a treatment plan for adult patients with periodontitis, the microbial diversity discovered in the current study should be taken into account. Variations in the quantities and species of cultivable bacteria have been found in investigations of periodontitis patients from different geographic regions, including developed and developing countries

Study of Electrolyte Changes in term Neonates receiving Phototherapy for Jaundice

BACKGROUND: Jaundice or hyperbilirubinemia is one of the most common problems occurring in the neonatal period. Phototherapy plays a major role in its treatment. However, this treatment modality may itself result in complications which even contribute to the development of convulsions. Hence in this study changes in serum sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate and calcium levels are evaluated in term neonates receiving phototherapy for unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To estimate and compare the serum electrolytes in term neonates before and after phototherapy. METHODS: After getting Ethical Committee approval informed, written consent, medical history were obtained from the neonate’s mother, general examination, systemic examination was carried out for 50 full-term jaundiced neonates receiving phototherapy. Laboratory tests including total serum bilirubin by Diazo method, serum calcium level by Arsenazo III method and serum electrolytes by Ion selective electrodes analyser were performed before and after 48 hours of phototherapy. RESULTS: Statistical analysis was done using Paired t test. There was a significant decrease in serum bilirubin after 48 hours of phototherapy which was accompanied by a significant decrease in serum calcium levels (p=0.014) in thirty neonates (60%). None of the neonates were clinically symptomatic. There was no alteration in the values of serum bicarbonate, sodium, chloride and potassium. CONCLUSION: This study shows a decrease in serum calcium levels in term infants exposed to phototherapy. Hence serum calcium should be monitored regularly for neonates receiving phototherapy to prevent the development of complications