Subjectivities in motion: Dichotomies in consumer engagements with self-tracking technologies

With the rise of self-tracking technologies (STT), self-quantification has become a popular digital consumption phenomenon. Despite recent academic interests, self-tracking practices remain poorly understood, in particular, little is known on how consumers engage with STT and how such behavioural trends produce new subjectivities. This paper adopts a Foucauldian perspective of self-surveillance to explore: how do subjectivities emerge from consumer interactions and engagements with self-tracking technologies? Data were collected from twenty participants using an ethnographic research design over six months consisting of semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The findings reveal two sets of dichotomies in the way consumers engage with STT, categorised as: ‘health and indulgence’ and ‘labour and leisure’. Through these dichotomies of self-surveillance, four subjectivities emerged: ‘redemptive self’, ‘awardee’, ‘loyal’ and ‘innovator’. Our study presents subjectivities as a continual process of (re)configuration of the self, as consumers move from one dichotomy to another. At the practical level, our findings offer novel approaches to segment consumers by reviewing the different contours of consumer behaviour in their interactions with STT

Insects infesting sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) panicles in northern Ghana. 1. Distribution, species composition, and damage potential

Surveys in the Upper East Region showed that sorghum panicles were attacked by an insect pest complex of which midge, mirid and pentatomid bugs and head caterpillars were most prominent. Midge was most important on late-planted sorghums while mirid bugs constituted the main pests of early sorghums. The mirid bug complex (Heteroptera: Miridae) was dominated by Eurystylus oldi (Poppius), but Creontiades pallidus (Rambur), Campylomma angustior (Poppius), Taylorilygus sp. and Megacoelum apicale (Reuter) also proliferated on most farms. Important predators associated with head bugs included earwigs, Forficula senegalensis Serville (Demaptera: Forficulidae) and assassin bugs, especially Cosmolestes pictus Klug (Heteroptera: Reduviidae). Yield loss estimates showed that controlling either head bugs or midge alone increased grain yields by 23-35 and 26-38 per cent, respectively, while controlling both pests increased yield by up to 63 per cent. Farmers recognized panicle feeders as pests on their crops, but usually did not think they caused economic damage; hence, farmers made no conscious efforts to control them. This is probably because most of them grow local guinense-type sorghums, which are known to be less susceptible to panicle pests compared to the improved caudatum types. Des sondages entrepris partout dans la Région d\'Upper East révélaient que les panicules de sorgho sont ravagées par l\'ensemble d\'insecte ravageur dont le moucheron, le mirid, le pentatome ( punaise de bois ) et les chenilles sont plus marquants. Le moucheron était plus important sur les sorghos semés tardivement alors que les punaises mirids constituaient les ravageuses principales de sorghos tôt. L\'ensemble de punaise mirid (Hétéroptère : Mirid) était dominé par Eurystylus oldi (Poppius), mais Creontiades pallidus (Rambur), Campylomma angustior (Poppius), Taylorilygus sp. et Megacoelum apicale (Reuter) aussi proliféraient sur la plupart de champs. Les prédateurs importants associés avec les punaises comprenaient les perce-oreilles, Forficula senegalensis Serville (Demaptera : Forficulidae) et les triatomes surtout Cosmolestes pictus Klug (Hétéroptère: Reduviidae). Les estimations de perte de rendement montraient que la lutte contre soit la punaise soit le moucheron seulement augmentait les rendements de grain par 23-35 et 26-38%, respectivement, alors que la lutte contre les deux ravageurs augmentait le rendement par jusqu\'à 63% . Les agriculteurs reconnaissaient les mangeurs de panicule comme de ravageurs sur leurs cultures mais dans la plupart des cas ne pensaient pas qu\'ils provoquaient des dommages à l\'économie et ne faisaient donc pas aucun effort consciencieux pour lutter contre eux . C\'est probablement à cause du type guinense local, qui sont reconnu d\'être moins prédisposé aux ravageurs de panicule que les types de caudatum amélioré. Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 40 (1) 2007: pp. 43-5

Gravitational aeration tower filter system to increase the dissolved oxygen amount for iron removal in groundwater

This paper discusses the Gravitational Aeration Tower Filter System (GATS) aims to increase the amount of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) for iron removal in groundwater. The groundwater is mainly used in remote areas. The presence of a large volume of iron contained in the groundwater will subject to water contamination besides limiting the lifespan of existing water filter to filter the contaminants. Pre-treatment systems i.e., aeration techniques are often used to reduce the amount of iron contained in the groundwater. One of the aeration techniques i.e., the GATS is proposed and designed for this work. The GATS is tested to assess its effectiveness in increasing the DO and in the removal of iron in the water. The study area is located in Kampung Majid Ibrahim, Simpang Renggam. The initial value of the iron in the tubewell ranged from 1.4 mg/L to 2.3 mg/L, which exceeded the standard limit of 0.3 mg/L. Using AQUAREAD AP2000 and Hanna High Iron Checker, data collection is carried out in-situ testing. The flow rate is set at 5.5 L/min through the GATS, with varying air parameters. The results of the GATS test demonstrate the DO percentage increases up to 90.50 % and the percentage of iron removal is up to 10.24% with an airflow of 1.0 L/min

Gravitational Aeration Tower Filter System to Increase the Dissolved Oxygen Amount for Iron Removal in Groundwater

This paper discusses the Gravitational Aeration Tower Filter System (GATS) aims to increase the amount of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) for iron removal in groundwater. The groundwater is mostly used in remote areas. The presence of a large volume of iron contained in the groundwater will subject to water contamination besides limiting the lifespan of existing water to filter the contaminants. Pre-treatment systems i.e., aeration technique is often used to lower the amount of iron ​​contained in the groundwater. One of the proposed aeration techniques i.e., the GATS has been designed in this work. The GATS is tested to observe its effectiveness to increase the DO and iron removal in the water. The area of study is conducted in Kampung Majid Ibrahim, Simpang Renggam. The initial value of the iron in the tubewell is between 1.4 mg/l to 2.3 mg/l, which has exceeded the limit standard of 0.3 mg/l. Data collection is carried out in-situ testing using AQUAREAD AP2000 and Hanna High Iron Checker. The flow rate through the GATS is fixed to 5.5 L/min, with air parameters are varied. The results of the GATS test demonstrate the DO percentage increases up to 90.50 % and the percentage of iron removal is up to 10.24% with the airflow of 1.0 L/min

Assessment of emergency medical services in the Ashanti region of Ghana

Background: We aimed to assess the structure, function and performance of Ashanti Region’s emergency medical services system in the context of the regional need for prehospital emergency care.Design: A mixed-methods approach was employed, using retrospective collection of quantitative data and prospectively gathered qualitative data. Setting – pertinent data were collected from Ghanaian and international sources; interviews and technical assessments were performed primarily in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.Participants: All stakeholders relevant to emergency medical services in the Ashanti Region of Ghana were assessed; there was a special focus on National Ambulance Service (NAS) and Ashanti Region healthcare personnel.Intervention: This was an observational study using qualitative and quantitative assessment techniques.Main outcome measures: The structure, function and performance of the Ashanti emergency medical services system, guided by a relevant technical assessment framework.Results: NAS is the premier and only true prehospital agency in the Ashanti Region. NAS has developed almost every essential aspect of an EMS system necessary to achieve its mission within a low-resource setting. NAS continues to increase its number of response units to address the overwhelming Ashanti region demand, especially primary calls. Deficient areas in need of development are governance, reliable revenue, public access, community integration, clinical care guidelines, research and quality assurance processes.Conclusions: The Ashanti Region has a growing and thriving emergency medical services system. Although many essential areas for development were identified, NAS is well poised to meet the regional demand for prehospital emergency care and transport.Keywords: EMS, prehospital, ambulance, emergency, Ghana, Afric

Apoptosis of germ cells in the normal testis of the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

It has been established that excess germ cells in normal and in pathological conditions are removed from testicular tissue by the mechanism of apoptosis. Studies on germ cell apoptosis in avian species are grossly lacking, and there are only a few reports on induced germ cell degenerations in the testis tissue of birds. This study was designed to investigate the process of apoptosis of germ cells in the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Germ cell degenerations were investigated in birds of all age groups, namely pre-pubertal, pubertal, adult, and aged. Apoptosis of germ cells in the quails, as shown by hematoxylin & eosin (H&E), TdT dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) assay and electron microscopy, was similar to that observed in previous studies of germ cells and somatic cells of mammalian species. The observed morphological features of these apoptotic cells ranged from irregular plasma and nuclear membranes in the early stage of apoptosis to rupture of the nuclear membrane, condensation of nuclear material, as well as fragments of apoptotic bodies, in later stages of apoptosis. In the TUNEL-positive cell counts, there was a significant difference between the mean cell counts for the four age groups (P < 0.05). Post hoc analysis revealed a highly significant difference in the aged group relative to the pubertal and adult age groups, while the cell counts of the pre-pubertal group were significantly higher than those of the pubertal group. However, there was no significant difference between cell counts of the pre-pubertal and the adult, and between the pre-pubertal and the aged groups.The National Research Foundation, South AfricaThe National Research Foundation, South Africahttp://www.elsevier.com/locate/ticehj2021Anatomy and PhysiologyParaclinical Science

Distribution of causes of maternal mortality among different socio-demographic groups in Ghana; a descriptive study

BACKGROUND: Ghana's maternal mortality ratio remains high despite efforts made to meet Millennium Development Goal 5. A number of studies have been conducted on maternal mortality in Ghana; however, little is known about how the causes of maternal mortality are distributed in different socio-demographic subgroups. Therefore the aim of this study was to assess and analyse the causes of maternal mortality according to socio-demographic factors in Ghana.METHODS: The causes of maternal deaths were assessed with respect to age, educational level, rural/urban residence status and marital status. Data from a five year retrospective survey was used. The data was obtained from Ghana Maternal Health Survey 2007 acquired from the database of Ghana Statistical Service. A total of 605 maternal deaths within the age group 12-49 years were analysed using frequency tables, cross-tabulations and logistic regression.RESULTS: Haemorrhage was the highest cause of maternal mortality (22.8%). Married women had a significantly higher risk of dying from haemorrhage, compared with single women (adjusted OR = 2.7, 95%CI = 1.2-5.7). On the contrary, married women showed a significantly reduced risk of dying from abortion compared to single women (adjusted OR = 0.2, 95%CI = 0.1-0.4). Women aged 35-39 years had a significantly higher risk of dying from haemorrhage (aOR 2.6, 95%CI = 1.4-4.9), whereas they were at a lower risk of dying from abortion (aOR 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1-0.7) compared to their younger counterparts. The risk of maternal death from infectious diseases decreased with increasing maternal age, whereas the risk of dying from miscellaneous causes increased with increasing age.CONCLUSIONS: The study shows evidence of variations in the causes of maternal mortality among different socio-demographic subgroups in Ghana that should not be overlooked. It is therefore recommended that interventions aimed at combating the high maternal mortality in Ghana should be both cause-specific as well as target-specific

Junctional complexes of the blood-testis barrier in the Japanese quail (Coturnix Coturnix japonica)

DATA AVAILABILITY : Data will be made available on request.This study investigated the developmental changes in the adherens junctions, gap junctions, as well as tight junctions forming the blood-testis barrier (BTB) in Japanese quail (Coturnix Coturnix japonica) testis. Testicular tissue from pre-pubertal, pubertal, adult, and aged Japanese quail were examined by immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The tight junction proteins claudin-3, claudin-11, occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), were generally localised in the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, and spermatocytes of pre-pubertal, pubertal, some adult birds. The adherens junction protein E-cadherin had a similar distribution pattern. During pre-pubertal development, the gap junction protein connexin-43 (Cx43) was only localised between Leydig cells in the testicular interstitium. However, TEM revealed the presence of gap junctions between cells of the seminiferous epithelium as early as the pre-pubertal stage. Furthermore, TEM confirmed the presence of tight and adherens junctions in the seminiferous epithelia of all age groups. The findings of this study document age-related differences in the immunolocalisation and intensity of the junctional proteins and the ultrastructure of the junctional complexes forming the BTB in quail testes. Additionally, the junctional complexes forming the BTB in the Japanese quail are well established prior to puberty. This study provides baseline information for the future evaluation of pathological changes in the BTB of avian species at different developmental stages.The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and the University of Pretoria for a PhD postgraduate bursary.https://www.elsevier.com/locate/acthishj2023Anatomy and PhysiologyParaclinical SciencesProduction Animal Studie