Search results for: residents

Authors: Branimir Skoric

Abstract:

Over the past two decades, number of international travels rose significantly in the United Kingdom and Worldwide in the shape of business travels and holiday travels as well. The fact that elderly people travel a lot, more than ever before increased the needs for medical evacuations (repatriations) back home if they fell ill abroad or had any kind of accident. This paper concerns medical evacuations of patients on the way back home to the United Kingdom (United Kingdom Residents) and their specific medical needs during short-haul or long-haul commercial scheduled flight and ground transportation to the final destination regardless whether it was hospital or usual place of residence. Particular medical need during medical evacuations is oxygen supply and it can be supplied via portable oxygen concentrator, pulse flow oxygenator or continuous free flow oxygenator depending on the main diagnosis and patient’s comorbidities. In this retrospective study, patients were divided into two groups. One group was consisted of patients suffering from cardio-respiratory diagnoses as primary illness. Another Group consisted of patients suffering from noncardiac illnesses who have other problems including any kind of physical injury. Needs for oxygen and type of supply were carefully considered in regards of duration of the flight, standard airline cabin pressure and results described in this retrospective study.

Keywords: commercial flight, elderly travellers, medical evacuations, oxygen

Procedia PDF Downloads 142

Authors: M. Talebzadegan, S. Bina , I. Riazi

Abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to present an active solar energy system to supply heating demands of the teaching staff dormitory of Islamic Azad University of Ramhormoz. The design takes into account the solar radiations and climate data of Ramhormoz town and is based on the daily warm water consumption for health demands of 450 residents of the dormitory, which is equal to 27000 lit of 50 C° water, and building heating requirements with an area of 3500 m² well-protected by heatproof materials. First, heating demands of the building were calculated, then a hybrid system made up of solar and fossil energies was developed and finally, the design was economically evaluated. Since there is only roof space for using 110 flat solar water heaters, the calculations were made to hybridize solar water heating system with heat pumping system in which solar energy contributes 67% of the heat generated. According to calculations, the Net Present Value “N.P.V.” of revenue stream exceeds “N.P.V.” of cash paid off in this project over three years, which makes economically quite promising. The return of investment and payback period of the project is 4 years. Also, the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of the project was 25%, which exceeds bank rate of interest in Iran and emphasizes the desirability of the project.

Keywords: solar energy, heat demand, renewable, pollution

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Authors: Kwadwo Afari Gyan

Abstract:

Cities are growing at unprecedented levels. Meanwhile, governments in the Global South are already overwhelmed by this growth and are unable to provide infrastructure proactively as expected. As a result, urban residents resort to providing their own infrastructure, such as drainage systems, as part of self-built housing development. Their small-scale, incremental housing practices, which often represent the formation of dense and diverse housing types, styles, and ages, have been identified to affect the planning of drainage systems at the regional scale. Such developments reflect the varied, affordable responses as part of a collective effort to curb regional problems, specifically flooding in this case. However, while some are included in this collective action, others are excluded as they are unable to afford to be included. This phenomenon, in addition to the formation of new autonomous localities, has led to challenges in mitigating flooding and has affected resilience to climate change. Using a qualitative approach, this paper explores how the mismatch between housing development, which occurs at an individual scale, and drainage infrastructure, which is provided at a regional scale, affects a regional effort to mitigate flooding in Tema, Ghana. It seeks to explore and reveal a relationship between affordability and inclusiveness. It also explores how density and diversity influence public infrastructure provision and their connection with affordability.

Keywords: climate change, affordability, inclusivity, equity, contextualization, regionalism

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Authors: Habibi Said Mustafa, Hiroko Ono

Abstract:

Since 2006, Afghanistan is dealing with one of the most dramatic trend of urban movement in its history, cities and towns are expanding in size and number. Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan and as well as the fast-growing city in the Asia. The influx of the returnees from neighbor countries and other provinces of Afghanistan caused high rate of artificial growth which slums increased. As an unwanted consequence of this growth, today informal settlements have covered a vast portion of the city. Land Readjustment (LR) has proved to be an important tool for developing informal settlements and reorganizing urban areas but its implementation always varies from country to country and region to region within the countries. Consequently, to successfully develop the informal settlements in Kabul, we need to define an Afghan model of LR specifically for Afghanistan which needs to incorporate all those factors related to the socio-economic condition of the country. For this purpose, a part of the old city of Kabul has selected as a study area which is located near the Central Business District (CBD). After the further analysis and incorporating all needed factors, the result shows a positive potential for the implementation of an adaptable Land Readjustment model for Kabul city which is more sustainable and socio-economically friendly. It will enhance quality of life and provide better urban services for the residents. Moreover, it will set a vision and criteria by which sustainable developments shall proceed in other similar informal settlements of Kabul.

Keywords: adaptation, informal settlements, Kabul, land readjustment, preservation

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Authors: Swarnali Chakma, Akihiko Hokugo

Abstract:

Research on three case studies reviewed here explains many aspects and complications of evacuation behavior during an emergency period. The scenario and phenomenon of the disaster were different, but the similarities are that after receiving the warning peoples does not take it seriously. Many individuals evacuated after taking some kind of action, for example; return to home, searching for family members, prepared valuable things etc. Based on a review of the literature, the data identified a number of factors that help explain evacuation behavior during the disaster. In the case of Japan, cultural inhibitors impact people’s behavior; for example, following the traffic rules, some people lost their time to skip because of the slow-moving car makes overcrowded traffic and some of them were washed away by the tsunami. In terms of Bangladeshi culture, women did not want to evacuate without men because staying men and women who do not know each other under the same roof together is not regular practice or comfortable. From these three case studies, it is observed that early warning plays an important role in cyclones, typhoons and earthquakes. A high level of trust from residents in the warning system is important to real evacuation. It is necessary to raise awareness of disaster and provide information on the vulnerability to cyclones, typhoons and earthquakes hazards at community levels. The local level may help decision makers and other stakeholders to make a better decision regarding an effective disaster management.

Keywords: disaster management, emergency period, evacuation, shelter, typhoon

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Authors: Kalluru Maheswaramma, Putta Padma

Abstract:

This study makes an attempt to demonstrate the wondrous world of the upwardly middle black community in Gloria Naylor’s Linden Hills. Gloria Naylor’s first novel The Women of Brewster Place is about the working class and Linden Hills about middle-class Black America. Naylor believes their serenity that is lost in the middle or working class black people as they move into the upper patriarchal society. Naylor challenges the different forms of superiority, homophobia, and chauvinism, interracial bias, and the like, which plague a community so significantly trying to be acceptable in the larger white community. In an ironic twist, Naylor creates characters that recognize their desire for a solid black community but who in reality ignore blackness and negate any emergent sign of its development. Linden Hills is an expose of the wealthy and spiritually dissolute upper class. Linden Hills is an examination of an upper-middle-class African American community in which women are largely exploited or invisible and in which men have, in the course of upward mobility, sacrificed their racial identity and their essence. Linden Hills is a social world, which includes firm stratification, false values, and an immobilizing impact on its residents. Touching a brief note upon the origin and development of African American Literature as well a note on the chosen writer and her works, the paper proceeds to depict the middle-class black community of Linden Hills.

Keywords: gloria naylor, linden hills, African American community, the middle black community

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Authors: A. Novikova, L. Rocchi, G. Startiene

Abstract:

Market and non-market outputs are produced jointly in agriculture. Their supply depends on the intensity and type of production. The role of agriculture as an economic activity and its effects are important for the Lithuanian case study, as agricultural land covers more than a half of country. Positive and negative externalities, created in agriculture are not considered in the market. Therefore, specific techniques such as stated preferences methods, in particular choice experiments (CE) are used for evaluation of non-market outputs in agriculture. The main aim of this paper is to present construction of the research path for evaluation of non-market farming system outputs in Lithuania. The conventional and organic farming, covering crops (including both cereal and industrial crops) and livestock (including dairy and cattle) production has been selected. The CE method and nested logit (NL) model were selected as appropriate for evaluation of non-market outputs of different farming systems in Lithuania. A pilot survey was implemented between October–November 2018, in order to test and improve the CE questionnaire. The results of the survey showed that the questionnaire is accepted and well understood by the respondents. The econometric modelling showed that the selected NL model could be used for the main survey. The understanding of the differences between organic and conventional farming by residents was identified. It was revealed that they are more willing to choose organic farming in comparison to conventional farming.

Keywords: choice experiments, farming system, Lithuania market outputs, non-market outputs

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Authors: Mohammad Talei, Neda Ranjbar Nosheri, Reza Kazemi Gorzadini

Abstract:

Today municipalities are searching for the new tools for increasing the public participation in different levels of urban planning. This approach of urban planning involves the community in planning process using participatory approaches instead of the long traditional top-down planning methods. These tools can be used to obtain the particular problems of urban furniture form the residents’ point of view. One of the tools that is designed with this goal is public participation GIS (PPGIS) that enables citizen to record and following up their feeling and spatial knowledge regarding main problems of the city, specifically urban furniture, in the form of maps. However, despite the good intentions of PPGIS, its practical implementation in developing countries faces many problems including the lack of basic supporting infrastructure and services and unavailability of sophisticated public participatory models. In this research we develop a PPGIS using of Web 2 to collect voluntary geodataand to perform spatial analysis based on Spatial OnLine Analytical Processing (SOLAP) and Spatial Data Mining (SDM). These tools provide urban planners with proper informationregarding the type, spatial distribution and the clusters of reported problems. This system is implemented in a case study area in Tehran, Iran and the challenges to make it applicable and its potential for real urban planning have been evaluated. It helps decision makers to better understand, plan and allocate scarce resources for providing most requested urban furniture.

Keywords: PPGIS, spatial information, urbanizing futures, urban planning

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Authors: Rezeda Khairutdinova, Chulpan Gromova, Dina Birman

Abstract:

The paper presents results of an exploratory study of teachers’ social attitudes toward ethnic and religious diversity, and variables influencing such attitudes. The study was conducted in Russia and is focused on school teachers, given their special role in culturally diverse modern societies. Using the social distance scale (adapted from Bogardus, 1926), we sampled 355 school teachers from two Russian regions known for their high cultural diversity: Moscow and Moscow region, Kazan and Republic of Tatarstan, and measured teacher attitudes toward large religious and ethnic groups (including migrants). The findings showed that teachers hold mostly tolerant attitudes with respect to members belonging to culturally and religiously diverse groups. The social distance between respondents and native residents of their region was minimal. Social distance was larger with respect to such ethnic groups as migrants from the Caucasian and Central Asian countries. The analysis of perception of different religious groups also showed positive attitudes toward these groups and readiness to interact with them. Teacher attitudes were not related to their age or ethnicity. The findings indicated that there was a significant correlation between social distance and the region of residence on the one hand, and between social distance and the degree of social interaction on the other. The results of this study will be used to develop a large-scale study to contribute to a better understanding of teacher attitudes toward immigrant students in public schools.

Keywords: attitudes of teachers, cultural diversity, migrants, social distance

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Authors: Feng Zisu

Abstract:

Community is the basic unit of the city, community pedestrian space is also an important part of the urban public space, and its quality improvement is also closely related to the residents' happiness and sense of belonging. Domestic and international research perspectives on community pedestrian space have gradually changed to inclusive design for the whole population, paying more attention to the equitable accessibility of urban space and the multiple composite enhancement of spatial connotation. In order to realize the inclusive and sustainable development of pedestrian space in old communities, this article selects Cao Yang New Village in Shanghai as a practice case, and based on the connotation of inclusiveness, the four dimensions of space, traffic, function and emotion are selected as the layers of inclusive connotation of pedestrian space in old communities. This article identifies the objective social needs, dynamic activity characteristics and subjective feelings of multiple subjects, and reconstructs the structural hierarchy of “spatial perception - behavioral characteristics - subjective feelings” of walking. It also proposes a governance strategy of “reconfiguring the pedestrian network, optimizing street quality, integrating ecological space and reshaping the community scene” from the aspects of quality of physical environment and quality of behavioral perception, aiming to provide new ideas for promoting the inclusive and sustainable development of pedestrian space in old communities.

Keywords: inclusivity, old community, pedestrian space, spatial quality, sustainable renovation

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Authors: Ali Jahanfar, Brajesh Dubey, Bahram Gharabaghi, Saber Bayat Movahed

Abstract:

Ever increasing population growth of major urban centers and environmental challenges in siting new landfills have resulted in a growing trend in design of mega-landfills some with extraordinary heights and dangerously steep slopes. Landfill failure mobility risk analysis is one of the most uncertain types of dynamic rheology models due to very large inherent variabilities in the heterogeneous solid waste material shear strength properties. The waste flow of three historic dumpsite and two landfill failures were back-analyzed using run-out modeling with DAN-W model. The travel distances of the waste flow during landfill failures were calculated approach by taking into account variability in material shear strength properties. The probability distribution function for shear strength properties of the waste material were grouped into four major classed based on waste material compaction (landfills versus dumpsites) and composition (high versus low quantity) of high shear strength waste materials such as wood, metal, plastic, paper and cardboard in the waste. This paper presents a probabilistic method for estimation of the spatial extent of waste avalanches, after a potential landfill failure, to create maps of vulnerability scores to inform property owners and residents of the level of the risk.

Keywords: landfill failure, waste flow, Voellmy rheology, friction coefficient, waste compaction and type

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Authors: S. Abera, T. Gidey, W. Terefe

Abstract:

Introduction: Testing for HIV is the key entry point to HIV prevention, treatment, and care and support services. Hence, predictive data mining techniques can greatly benefit to analyze and discover new patterns from huge datasets like that of EDHS 2011 data. Objectives: The objective of this study is to build a predictive modeling for HIV testing and identify determinants of HIV testing for adults with age above fourteen years using data mining techniques. Methods: Cross-Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP-DM) was used to predict the model for HIV testing and explore association rules between HIV testing and the selected attributes among adult Ethiopians. Decision tree, Naïve-Bayes, logistic regression and artificial neural networks of data mining techniques were used to build the predictive models. Results: The target dataset contained 30,625 study participants; of which 16, 515 (53.9%) were women. Nearly two-fifth; 17,719 (58%), have never been tested for HIV while the rest 12,906 (42%) had been tested. Ethiopians with higher wealth index, higher educational level, belonging 20 to 29 years old, having no stigmatizing attitude towards HIV positive person, urban residents, having HIV related knowledge, information about family planning on mass media and knowing a place where to get testing for HIV showed an increased patterns with respect to HIV testing. Conclusion and Recommendation: Public health interventions should consider the identified determinants to promote people to get testing for HIV.

Keywords: data mining, HIV, testing, ethiopia

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Authors: Mostafa Jafari

Abstract:

Religious tourism is the core strategy of shaping Iranian's life-style. Why and How? This paper answers to this question. Theoretical base: From strategic marketing point of view, Life style is pattern of believes values, interests and acts. Strategy can be defined as a set of continuous important decisions. Here, strategy is making decisions about the target place and vehicle of touristic travel due to reform and redefine the self-identity and shaping life style. Methodology: Target society of this research is the selected residents of three provinces at northwest of Iran. The data collection instrument is interview and questionnaire and the collected data analysis by SEM (structural Equation Modeling) and LISREL software. Results: The primary results show that variety of touristic travels play an important role on shaping new life style of Iranian people. The target places of touristic travel (Europe, USA. Japan and etc.) are at the second priority. The number of foreign friends is at the third position. The fourth criteria are the number of travels. Among all kind of touristic travels the religious tourism from competitive point of view plays the main role. Findings: The geometry of Iranian life style are shaping and reshaping through some domestic and international tourism strategies particular religious strategy. During the dynamic trend of identity redefine, so many Iranians put the quantity and quality of their touristic travel on the first priority.

Keywords: religious tourism, core strategy, shaping life style

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Authors: Funke Morenike Jiyah, Joshua Jiyah

Abstract:

The occurrence of various health issues have been linked to excessive noise pollution in all works of life as evident in many research efforts. This study provides empirical analysis of the effects of noise pollution on the well-being of the residents of Bida Local Government Area, Niger State, Nigeria. The study adopted a case study research design, involving cross-sectional procedure. Field observations and medical reports were obtained to support the respondents’ perception on the state of their well-being. The sample size for the study was selected using the housing stock in the various wards. One major street in each ward was selected. A total of 1,833 buildings were counted along the sampled streets and 10% of this was selected for the administration of structured questionnaire.The environmental quality of the wards was determined by measuring the noise level using Testo 815 noise meters. The result revealed that Bariki ward which houses the GRA has the lowest noise level of 37.8 dB(A)while the noise pollution levels recorded in the other thirteen wards were all above the recommended levels. The average ambient noise level in sawmills, commercial centres, road junctions and industrial areas were above 90 dB(A). The temporal record from the Federal Medical Centre, Bida revealed that, apart from malaria, hypertension (5,614 outpatients) was the most prevalent health issue in 2013 alone. The paper emphasised the need for compatibility consideration in the choice of residential location, the use of ear muffler and effective enforcement of zoning regulations.

Keywords: bida, decibels, environmental quality, noise, well-being

Procedia PDF Downloads 130

Authors: M. Talebzadegan, S. Bina, I. Riazi

Abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to present an active solar energy system to supply heating demands of the teaching staff dormitory of the Islamic Azad University of Ramhormoz. The design takes into account the solar radiations and climate data of Ramhormoz town and is based on the daily warm water consumption for health demands of 450 residents of the dormitory, which is equal to 27000 lit of 50-C° water, and building heating requirements with an area of 3500 m² well-protected by heatproof materials. First, heating demands of the building were calculated, then a hybrid system made up of solar and fossil energies was developed and finally, the design was economically evaluated. Since there is only roof space for using 110 flat solar water heaters, the calculations were made to hybridize solar water heating system with heat pumping system in which solar energy contributes 67% of the heat generated. According to calculations, the net present value “N.P.V.” of revenue stream exceeds “N.P.V.” of cash paid off in this project over three years, which makes economically quite promising. The return of investment and payback period of the project is 4 years. Also, the internal rate of return (IRR) of the project was 25%, which exceeds bank rate of interest in Iran and emphasizes the desirability of the project.

Keywords: Solar energy, Heat Demand, Renewable , Pollution

Procedia PDF Downloads 244

Authors: Durga Prasad Neupane

Abstract:

This study investigates the impacts of homestay tourism on the traditional lifestyle and culture of the indigenous Tharu people in Nepal. It explores how this form of tourism has influenced the lives of Tharu individuals and their community as a whole. The study delves into the effects of tourism on various aspects, including language, socio-economic development, and cultural promotion and revival. Employing a qualitative approach and a case study design, the study gathers in-depth and comprehensive data on the impacts of homestay tourism on the Amaltari Tharu community. Building rapport with respondents, including homestay management committees, Tharu homestay owners, and non-Tharu residents, is achieved through various channels like personal interactions, phone conversations, and repeated visits. The research further combines document analysis with in-depth interviews to glean diverse perspectives and insights. The study's findings reveal that while homestay tourism presents challenges, it also holds significant potential for promoting and revitalizing the Tharu culture. Tourism has not only fostered the flourishing of Tharu traditions but has also contributed to improved educational opportunities within the community. However, the study recognizes the influence of globalization in driving changes to Tharu customs and rituals, potentially leading to a new form of cultural colonization. In this context, homestay tourism emerges as a crucial tool for preserving and revitalizing the unique ethnic identity and traditions of the Amaltari Tharu community.

Keywords: homestay, tourism, Tharu culture, cultural revival, linguistic variations

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Authors: Abdulmajeed Mustapha, Murat Sahin, Ebru Karahan

Abstract:

Low-income housing for poor people in urban areas is a global challenge, especially in developing countries. The quality of construction of mass housing is oftentimes compromised, thus resulting in a housing deficit, thereby affecting the residential satisfaction of users. This research analyses the various factors affecting residential satisfaction in War College Housing Estate, Abuja, Nigeria. These were investigated using parameters such as environmental characteristics and public amenities such as public benefits, safety/security, and sociodemographic characteristics. The study adopted a quantitative approach for the data gathering through literature reviews within the topic’s scope. The survey was conducted between April to May 2021 using a questionnaire form that was distributed to household members, onsite analysis within the selected housing project, and interviews with a few professionals within the field of this research. Data gathered from the survey and analysis on housing and sociodemographic characteristics, amongst others, were acquired through the means of interviews and site surveys of the selected Housing Estate. Findings from the various characteristics determining satisfaction revealed that residents had varying levels of satisfaction, ranging from a scale of satisfied to dissatisfied. It is recommended that the government come up with policies that will not only make the environment clean and safe but also make sure that the needs of the people who live there are taken into account. This will help the people who live there be more satisfied with their homes.

Keywords: residential satisfaction, neighborhood satisfaction, low-income housing, socio-demographic characteristics, Nigeria

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Authors: A. A. Yakub, Omavudu Ikogho

Abstract:

Land subdivision in most peri-urban areas of Kano metropolis is the entrenched prerogative of ‘KAFADA’ a group of informal plot partitioners who oversee the demarcation of mainly previous farmland into residential plots popularly called 'awon igiya' for those in need. With time these areas are engulfed in the milieu of the rapidly expanding urban landscape and form clusters of poorly planned settlements with tendencies to become future slums. This paper studies the practice of informal land subdivision in Kano metropolis with emphasis on the practitioners, the institutional framework, and the demand and supply scenario that sustains this trend as well as the extent of infrastructural development in these areas. Using three selected informally planned settlements as case-studies, a series of interviews and questionnaires are administered to 'KAFADA,' residents and the state land officers to generate data in these areas. Another set of data was similarly generated in three government subdivided residential layouts, and both sets analysed comparatively. The findings identify varying levels of infrastructural deficits in the informal communities compared to the planned neighbourhoods which are seen to be as a result of the absence of government participation and an informal subdivision process which did not provide for proper planning standards. This study recommends that the regulatory agencies concerned register and partner with KAFADA to ensure that minimal planning standards are maintained in future settlements.

Keywords: peri-urban, informal land markets, land subdivision, infrastructure

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Authors: Sanusi Abubakar Sadiq, Rebecca William Chiwar

Abstract:

Wildlife Park stands a chance of contributing to tourism development in different ways, but available infrastructure, and facilities required by visitors when they arrive, access road to the destination, and resources to facilitate positive experience are lacking in certain areas. The study set out to find out the need to develop Sumu Wildlife Park Bauchi State, to an international standard. The study focused on identifying the existing facilities and infrastructure at the park and to further identify the available resources used by visitors. In attempt to find out the impact of developing Sumu Wildlife Park and ways of filling the gap of the actual standard data were obtained from fifteen administrative staff of Sumu Wildlife Park, ten staff of Bauchi state Tourism Board and twenty-five residents of the community in Kafin Madaki, Bauchi. Relevant literature were reviewed in the study; data collected were organized and analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS), software for analysis. Findings revealed that though Sumu Wildlife Park has attractions to keep visitors patronage but has insufficient facilities to maintain visitors and has not been developed to an expected standard. The problem faced by the management of Sumu wildlife Park is lack of adequate facilities, infrastructure and resources. The need to develop Sumu Wildlife Park has enormous benefits in increasing patronage. Provision of more funds would help improve standard as there would be more activities within and around the park. Regular maintenance of those facilities protects the life span of the park.

Keywords: attractions, facilities, infrastructure, resources

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Authors: Chenxu Fang, Qikai Guan

Abstract:

Riverside public space in mountainous cities has unique scenic resources and humanistic connotations and is an important place indispensable to the activities of urban residents. In recent years, with the continuous development of society and the expansion of the city, the public space along the riverside has been affected to a certain extent. Based on this, this study is based on the concept of health and safety through the study of riverfront space in the local section of Jialing River in Chongqing City; according to the actual use function of riverfront public space, the riverfront public space in mountainous cities is categorized into leisure and recreational riverfront space, ecological conservation waterfront space, and composite function waterfront space. Starting from the health and safety elements affecting the environment in the riverfront public space, the health and safety influencing factors of the riverfront public space are categorized into three major categories, namely, material, non-material, and social, and through the field research and questionnaire collection, combined with the analysis of the Likert scale, the important levels of the health and safety influencing factors of different types of the riverfront public space of the mountainous cities are clarified. We summarize the factors affecting the health and safety of mountainous riverside spaces, map their importance levels to the design of different types of riverside spaces, and put forward three representative paths for the governance of the safety and health of mountainous riverside public space.

Keywords: health and safety, mountain city, riverfront public space, spatial governance, Chongqing Jialing River

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Authors: Enock E. Goler, Emmanuel H. Kwon-Ndung, Gbenga F. Akomolafe, Terna T. Paul, Markus Musa, Joshua I. Waya, James H. Okogbaa

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An ethno-medicinal survey of plants used in treating various diseases and ailments was carried out in the study area of Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria to obtain information on their uses and potentials. The ethno-medicinal survey was administered through structured questionnaires among local inhabitants from areas with high plant density and diversity within the various Local Government Areas of the State. A total of 84 (Eighty four) plant species belonging to 45 (Forty five) families were found to be useful in treatment of various ailments such as diabetes, measles, fever, asthma, jaundice, pneumonia, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), aches, diarrhea, cough, arthritis, yellow fever, typhoid, erectile dysfunction and excessive bleeding. Different parts of the plant such as the roots, leaves and stems are used in preparing herbal remedies which could be from dry or freshly collected plants. The main methods of preparation are decoction or infusion, while in some cases the plant parts used are consumed directly. Residents in the study areas find the herbal remedy cheaper and more accessible and claimed that there are no side effects compared to orthodox medicine. This study has confirmed the need towards the conscious conservation of plant genetic resources in order to ensure sustained access to these ethno-medicinal plant materials.

Keywords: ethno-medicinal, Nasarawa, plants, survey

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Authors: Christina Knorr

Abstract:

Analysis of the evacuation of occupants of a building plays a significant role in Fire Safety Engineering. One of the tools used for the analysis is the concept of the Required Safe Egress Time (RSET). It is generally accepted that RSET is measured from the time the fire ignites until the time that all occupants have evacuated to a safe location. Instructions on how RSET is determined can be found in both the International Fire Engineering Guidelines and, more recently, in the Australian Fire Engineering Guidelines. The guidelines also specify measures that could be applied to reduce the RSET and hence improve the performance of fire-safety measures of a building. Further, it is suggested that the delay period can be reduced through “training programs.” This study examined the overall level of fire-safety awareness among occupants of residential apartment buildings in Australia and investigated the possible effects of fire-safety training on the delay period and, hence, the RSET. A questionnaire, interviews, and an experiment were conducted to collect data about people’s fire-safety knowledge, people’s behaviour and nature, and the duration of activities people are likely to undertake in the event of a fire. The study led to an investigation into the delay and response time approximations and the development of a new equation to incorporate the impact of training into the RSET calculations for the general use of the fire engineering community. Regardless of the RSET, it can be concluded that fire-safety education and training for residents of apartment buildings have a direct impact on improving their behaviour and firefighting equipment usage in a fire incident.

Keywords: fire safety engineering, fire safety training, occupant evacuation behaviour, required safe egress time

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Authors: X. Li, J. Sundquist, C. Sjöstedt, M. Winkleby, K. S. Kendler, K. Sundquist

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Aims: This study examines the association between the incidence of drug abuse (DA) and linking (communal) social capital, a theoretical concept describing the amount of trust between individuals and societal institutions. Methods: We present results from an 8-year population-based cohort study that followed all residents in Sweden, aged 15-44, from 2003 through 2010, for a total of 1,700,896 men and 1,642,798 women. Social capital was conceptualized as the proportion of people in a geographically defined neighborhood who voted in local government elections. Multilevel logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and between-neighborhood variance. Results: We found robust associations between linking social capital (scored as a three level variable) and DA in men and women. For men, the OR for DA in the crude model was 2.11 [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.02-2.21] for those living in areas with the lowest vs. highest level of social capital. After accounting for neighborhood-level deprivation, the OR fell to 1.59 (1.51-1-68), indicating that neighborhood deprivation lies in the pathway between linking social capital and DA. The ORs remained significant after accounting for age, sex, family income, marital status, country of birth, education level, and region of residence, and after further accounting for comorbidities and family history of comorbidities and family history of DA. For women, the OR decreased from 2.15 (2.03-2.27) in the crude model to 1.31 (1.22-1.40) in the final model, adjusted for multiple neighborhood-level and individual-level variables. Conclusions: Our study suggests that low linking social capital may have important independent effects on DA.

Keywords: drug abuse, social linking capital, environment, family

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Authors: Akeem Akinboro, Bala Alhaj Kegun

Abstract:

Haemoglobinopathy is a genetic disorder that has the potentiality to cause death of individuals in whom both the alpha (α) and beta (β) globin chains of the haemoglobin molecule are defective due to mutations in their genes. The haemoglobin genotype variants among some residents of Niger state, Nigeria, were determined using the secondary data available at Bida, Minna and Kotangora general hospitals of the state. A total of 1,639 data, representing 434, 655 and 550, collected from the outside patients who visited the medical laboratory units of the three general hospitals, respectively, over five years period (2015-2020) were analyzed into gene frequency, sex and age to determine their haemoglobin genotypes status. More males (51.6 – 58.7%) than females (41.3 – 48.4%) visited the three hospitals during the period covered and most of the patients were between 11 - 20 years old. The frequency of HbA allele in the human population was 0.72, 0.65, 0.68 for Bida, Minna and Kotangora, respectively, while it was 0.25, 0.29 and 0.28 for HbS allele. The HbC allele was prevalent at 0.03, 0.06 and 0.05 among the human population in Bida, Minna and Kotangora cities of Niger state. In overall, the prevalence of HbA, HbS and HbC alleles in Niger state of Nigeria was 0.68, 0.28 and 0.05. Minna being the capital city of Niger state and the most populous among the three cities in the state seems to have influx of more people who are carriers of abnormal haemoglobin genotypes which has resulted to higher frequency of HbS and HbC than those of the other two cities in this study. These results show that the pattern of haemoglobin genotypes frequency of Kontagora could be a prediction for the whole of Niger state. It is therefore necessary and important to take screening of blood for haemoglobin genotype serious among intending couples to prevent and reduce the possibility of having increase in the number of people with abnormal haemoglobin genotypes in the state.

Keywords: haemoglobin, genotype, niger state, gene frequency, general hospitals

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Authors: Elmeida Effendy, Mustafa M. Amin, Nauli Aulia Lubis, P. J. Sirait

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Music therapy may have an effect on mental illnesses. This is a comparative, quasi-experimental study to examine the effect of music therapy added to standard care on Positive Negative Syndrome Scale, Cognitive Function and Quality of Life in female schizophrenic patients. 50 schizophrenic participants who were diagnosed with semistructured MINI ICD-X, were assigned into two groups received pharmacotherapy. Participants were assigned into each group of therapy by using matched allocation method. Music therapy added on to the first group. They received music therapy, using Mozart Sonata four times a week, over a period of six week. Positive and negative symptoms were measured by using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Cognitive function were measured by using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA). All rating scale were administrated by certified skill residents every week after music therapy session. The participants who were received pharmaco-and-music therapy significantly showed greater response than who received pharmacotherapy only. The mean difference of response were -6,6164 (p=0,001) for PANNS, 2,911 (p=0,004) for MMSE, 3,618 (p=0,001) for MOCA, 4,599 (p=0,001) for SF-36. Music therapy have beneficial effects on PANSS, Cognitive Function and Quality of Life in schizophrenic patients.

Keywords: music therapy, rating scale, schizophrenia, symptoms

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Authors: Inemesit Akpan Umoren, Aniekan James Akpan

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Media practitioners and information managers have often erroneously operated on the premise that media messages are received as disseminated to the extent that audiences of whatever background assimilate the content uniformly. This does not subsist since media audiences are often segmented in terms of educational level, social category, place of residence, gender, among others. While those who are highly educated, live in urban areas and are of highest standing are more likely to have direct access to the media, those in the rural areas and of low education and standing, may not have direct or easy access. These, therefore, informed the study to establish the consumption patterns of mass media products by residents of rural communities in south-south, Nigeria. The study, which was anchored on the multi-step flow and social categories theories, adopted a survey research design and a sample of 383 using Mayer’s 1979 guide drawn from nine rural communities in the south-south, Nigeria states of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Edo. Findings among others showed that while a negligible percentage is highly exposed to media messages of all types, a greater member depend on opinion leaders, social groups, drinking joints, among other such for filtered content. It was concluded that since rural or community media organizations are very vital in ensuring media content get to all audience without necessarily being passing through intermediaries. Among the recommendations was that information managers and media organizations should always have in mind the ruralites while packaging their contents even in the mainstream media.

Keywords: consumption, media, media product, pattern

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Authors: Esmaeil Zabihi, Seyed Hossein Alavi

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The purpose of this study is a comparison of movement and physical fitness in athlete's male students in altitude and sea-level. The samples consist of 450 subjects in altitude and sea-level in Iran in years of 2013 which were selected randomly from the population. We investigated the effect of high altitude on the tests activity profile of youth high altitude and sea level residents. Methods 450 Sea Level (Mahmood Abad) and 450 Altitude-resident (Shahre-Kord) athlete students tests of physical fitness near sea level (-5 m) and in Altitude (2100 m). This study is Descriptive Research (causal-comparative research). The tests of physical fitness include pull-ups test, sit-ups test, agility test(4 9), 45 sprint test, 1600 m running, long jump, and flexibility test. For determining of different between the physical fitness of altitude and sea-level students was used t-test (P ≤ 0.05). The result of this study show that there is no significant difference between the average of pull-ups test, flexibility, 45 sprints, and agility (4 9) test of students in sea-level and altitude. But there is a significant difference between the average of sit-ups, 1600 m running and long jump in altitude. The students of altitude have higher power rather than sea-level. But the students of sea-level have stronger abdominal muscles and cardio-respiratory endurance rather than altitude. High altitude reduces the distance covered by youth athlete students during tests. Neither acclimatisation nor lifelong residence at high altitude protects against detrimental effects of altitude on tests activity profile.

Keywords: physical fitness, sea level, altitude areas, AAHPERD test

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Authors: Sadia Suri Kashif, Raheeda Fatima, Maqsood Ahmed Khan

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Purpose of the study: The objective of this research was to determine the perception of Pakistani physicians (whether primary care, specialists or residents) in Karachi, being one of the largest and highly populated cities of Pakistan, regarding clinical approaches towards diet, exercise, and therapy in obese patients. This research determines their understanding of obesity and employability of obesity management in their daily practices. Research methodology: This is a questionnaire-based survey. A minimum of 300 questionnaires (N=300) were distributed and filled by practicing physicians in a random selection of medical setups in Karachi. Randomly 246 physicians responded to the survey. The survey tested their views regarding weight management, importance of general awareness and their strategies to control weight. Results: In the first part of survey the physicians responded to almost 66% regarding the seriousness of obesity management with advising diet modification, physical exercise and decreasing calorie intake; 57% failed to employ Body Mass Index and Waist Hip Ratio as weight measurement tools in their daily practice; 50% disagreed on using pharmacotherapy as an option; 67% were not sure about the proper dosage and indication of anti-obesity medication while almost same disagreed on using surgical options for management of obesity; 83.3% physicians agreed on the increased obesity pandemic in Pakistan. Conclusion: The findings indicate that there is a gap between awareness and knowledge among Pakistani practicing physicians regarding pharmacotherapy for obesity. There is a need to frequently update latest guidelines to help manage this condition, which is becoming more prevalent in our country day by day. Physicians should be obligated to use updated knowledge for managing obesity.

Keywords: obesity, physicians, BMI, weight management, obesity awareness

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Authors: Maria Elisa B. Manuel

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The Philippine housing sector is bracing challenges with the massive housing backlog and the adamant cycle of relocation, resettlement and returns to the cities of informal settler families due to the vast inaccessibility of necessities and opportunities in the past off-city housing projects. Bistekville 2 has been established as a model socialized housing project by utilizing government partnerships with private developers and individuals in the first in-city and onsite resettlement effort in the country. The study looked into the resilience of the residents to idiosyncratic economic shocks by analyzing their vulnerabilities, assets and coping strategies. The study formulated an economic resilience framework to identify how these factors that interact to build the household’s capacity to positively adapt to sudden expenses in their households. The framework is supplemented with a scale that presents the proximity of the household to resilience by identifying through its indicators whether the households are in the level of subsistence, coping, adaptive or transformative. Survey interviews were conducted with 91 households from Bistekville 2 on the components that have been identified by the framework that was processed with qualitative and quantitative processes. The study has found that the households are highly vulnerable due to their family composition and other conditions such as unhealthy loans, inconsistent amortization payment. Along with their high vulnerability, the households have inadequate strategies to anticipate shocks and primarily react to the shock. This has led to the conclusion that the households do not reflect resilience to idiosyncratic economic shocks and are still at the level of coping.

Keywords: idiosyncratic economic shocks, socialized housing, economic resilience, economic vulnerability, adaptive capacity

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Authors: Mursal Ibrahim Zada

Abstract:

Since 2001, the new Government of Afghanistan has put the improvement of transportation in rural area as one of the key issues for the development of the country. Since then, about 17,000 km of rural roads were planned to be constructed in the entire country. This thesis will assess the impact of rural road improvement on the development of rural communities and housing facilities. Specifically, this study aims to show that the improved road has leads to an improvement in the community, which in turn has a positive effect on the lives of rural people. To obtain this goal, a questionnaire survey was conducted in March 2015 to the residents of four different districts of Kabul province, Afghanistan, where the road projects were constructed in recent years. The collected data was analyzed using on a regression analysis considering different factors such as land price, waiting time at the station, travel time to the city, number of employed family members and so on. Three models are developed to demonstrate the relationship between different factors before and after the improvement of rural transportation. The results showed a significant change positively in the value of land price and housing facilities, travel time to the city, waiting time at the station, number of employed family members, fare per trip to the city, and number of trips to the city per month after the pavement of the road. The results indicated that the improvement of transportation has a significant impact on the improvement of the community in different parts, especially on the price of land and housing facility and travel time to the city.

Keywords: accessibility, Afghanistan, housing facility, rural area, land price

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