Asian Journal of Advanced Research and Reports
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Household Level Sanitation Practices and Their Implication on the Occurrence of Diarrhea and Other Related Infections in Temeke Municipality, Tanzania
No full textThis study aimed at assessing households\u27 level sanitation practices and their implication on the occurrence of diarrhoea and other related infections in Temeke Municipality. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the study area involving 220 respondents, randomly selected through simple random sampling from Azimio, Mtoni and Tandika wards. The study employed a mixed-method approach involving quantitative data from the household survey and qualitative data from key informant interviews. Data were analyzed using IBM-Statistics SPSS V.20 to compute frequencies and percentages presented in tables. The findings revealed that 77.7% of all the households have latrines that can be accessed within their plot. Furthermore, 94.7% of all the households share latrines which are located near their respective compound. In addition, the majority (97.4%) of the respondents use a bowl for washing hands, while 0.9% have a tap connected to water distribution. The majority (70%) of the respondents’ latrines are in bad condition, 94% have no water available inside for flushing and cleaning the facility and 17% reported that their facility leak sometimes in the past 6 months. The study concludes that there is improper management of available latrines in the study area which is attributed to factors like overuse and water scarcity among household compounds. The study recommends that the improvement of household-level sanitation practices should be embedded with behavioural change for better utilization of available facilities
Composting of Cow Dung and Food Waste under Aerobic Conditions for the Improvement of Soil
No full textComposting organic materials like cow dung and food waste is a sustainable method to enhance soil quality by recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. This study explores the aerobic composting process, which involves the microbial breakdown of organic matter in the presence of oxygen, leading to the production of nutrient-rich compost. Cow dung and food waste, both abundant in organic carbon and essential nutrients, were composted under controlled aerobic conditions to assess their impact on soil fertility and structure. The composting process was monitored over several weeks, with parameters such as temperature, moisture content, pH, and carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio being closely observed. The results indicated that the temperature peaked during the thermophilic phase, facilitating the breakdown of organic matter and pathogen reduction. The C/N ratio decreased from an initial value of approximately 30:1 to 15:1, indicating efficient decomposition. The final compost was applied to lateritic soil, commonly found in tropical regions, to assess its impact on soil properties. The treated soil showed significant improvements in terms of enhanced nutrient content, increased organic matter, better moisture retention, and improved soil structure. This, in turn, led to better plant growth and higher yields, demonstrating the effectiveness of composting cow dung and food waste under aerobic conditions. The study concludes that aerobic composting of cow dung and food waste is a viable strategy for improving soil fertility and sustainability in agriculture practices. It not only reduces organic waste but also provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly means of enhancing soil health
Factors Influencing Coastal Ecosystem Services and Societal Impacts in Ilaje, Ondo State, Nigeria
No full textBackground: The global population is projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050. Human activity over time has increased along the world\u27s coastlines. The more humans increase, the more danger to the coastal landscapes. The need to address this population issue is made more urgent by the fact that growing human activity has drastically changed the natural ecosystem and the services it offers.
Study Aim: The aim of study is to investigate the factors that influences the ecosystem services of coastal landscapes and its societal impact of Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo state.
Methods: The study utilized a quantitative research method, a cross-sectional community-based survey, with a sample size of 505 respondents from three main communities, Mahin, Ugbo, and Ugbonla. We collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive (Mode) and inferential statistical methods (Chi-square, Spearman\u27s rho Correlation Coefficient and Ordinal regression analyses) using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS).
Results: The study discovered the following factors affecting the ecosystem services of coastal landscapes in the study area: widespread and increasing pressure on marine and coastal resources, the prohibited use of these resources for places like the hideouts of militants, kidnappers, and smugglers, the misuse of these resources for public markets, and the abandonment of rickety and spoilt ships and boats. The results showed that illegal uses, such as hiding places for terrorists, kidnappers, and smugglers, had a detrimental effect on ecosystem services\u27 ability to provide clean water, air to people in the environment and detrimental influence on the environment\u27s ability to promote human well-being and healthy living.
Recommendation: Based on the findings, it is recommended that the administration of Ondo State should work with the Ministry of Blue Economy to combat the unauthorized use of Ilaje LGA\u27s coastal landscapes in order to develop them for tourism and hospitality enterprises and generate income as a consequence of economic diversification. This will help in achieving the United Nations Sustainable goals 1, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 14
Begait Sheep Production Systems and Breeding Practices of Smallholder Farmers in Tigrai, Ethiopia
No full textReconnaissance tour, focus group discussion and semi-structured interview were used to generate the dataset from 144 randomly selected small holder Begait sheep owners in two districts of Tigrai region, namely Tahtayadyabo and Kaftahumera, Ethiopia. The study was made to understand Begait sheep production systems: breeding practices, breeding objectives, and constraints to develop breeding strategies for Begait sheep smallholder farmers in the two districts of Tigrai regional state. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of SPSS 2010. The study area was characterized by mixed crop-livestock system where farmers livelihood depends on both crop and livestock production, and most farmers in the study area keep sheep primarily as source of income. The mean (±SE) overall livestock holding per households are 55.69 ±4.88 sheep, 28.36 ±2.43 goats, 9.23 ±1.05 cattle, 9.87 ±1.08 poultry, 1.33±0.11 donkeys, 0.14 ±0.02 camels, and 0.39 ±0.19 honey bee. The main feed sources for sheep in the area were crop residue (index =0.38), range land (index =0.31), hay (index =0.16), and natural pasture (index =0.14) (what is the difference between range land and natural pasture?). The majority of the farmers (77.78 %) shelter their sheep in separate housing during the night to prevent from thefts and predators. Even though controlled breeding poorly practiced in the study area, 99.31% and 87.50 % of the respondents practiced selection for breeding male and females respectively. Color, body size, facial profile, libido and tail size were the - traits of choice in selecting Begait rams for breeding across the two districts. Milk yield, body size, color, tail size and facial profile were traits used in selecting future Begait breeding ewes. Disease, feed and water shortage, limitation of grazing land, predator and market demand were identified production constraints to utilize the potential of Begait sheep breed that need special attention in designing breeding and effective management strategy
Practice of Female Sterilization in India: A Gender Disparity Approach
No full textGlobally, India became the first developing nation to start a government supported family planning approach in 1952. The programme has completed more than seven decades with change in policy approach from clinical based to target-free approach. Despite of emphasizing on choice based contraceptive methods women bear the burden of family planning with extensive practice of female sterilization throughout the country. With this backdrop, the current paper seeks to highlight the increasing trend of female sterilization compared to male sterilization and other family planning methods in India. It further attempts to analyze the factors associated with the rising trend of female sterilization by using a gender lens. The research paper is based on data collected from secondary sources, especially by using National Family Health Survey (NFHS). The finding of the study demonstrates an increasing trend of female sterilization in India and there exists significant influence of the socio-cultural factors and gender biasness. The family planning burden is majorly borne by women in terms of using other contraceptive methods and there is lack of male participation. This shows that gender biasness is firmly connected to the provision, adoption and utilization of the family planning services in India
Advances in Neural Networks for Pharmaceutical Applications
No full textArtificial neural networks (ANNs) are rapidly changing the landscape of the pharmaceutical industry. Their unique capabilities, including collective computing, adaptive learning, and fault tolerance, make them ideal for tackling complex challenges in drug discovery, analysis, and personalized medicine. This article summarizes the latest research progress in ANNs for pharmacy, highlighting breakthroughs in areas like QSAR modeling for drug design, pharmacokinetic prediction, and optimization of pharmaceutical preparations. With their immense potential to accelerate drug development, improve drug efficacy, and personalize healthcare, ANNs are poised to revolutionize the future of pharmaceuticals
Assessment of Levels of Physical Activity among Overweight and Obese Adults Attending General Out-Patient Clinic in Lagos University Teaching Hospital
No full textBackground: A sedentary lifestyle is more likely in obese people which does not only aid weight gain but also increases the risk of complications like diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, coronary artery disease, hypertension and cancers.
Aim of the Study: The study will ascertain the degree of physical activity among adult patients who are overweight/obese and who visit General Out-Patient Clinic (GOPC), Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
Methodology: The research was a cross-sectional, descriptive study. The study population comprised of overweight and obese adults, aged 18 to 64, who attended the GOPC of the FMD, LUTH between July and September, 2019. The sample was 285. Data was collected through pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS IBM) version 25 was used for data entry and analysis. Frequency and percentage were used to represent all categorical variables, and means, standard deviation, or, in the case of skewed continuous variables, median and interquartile range, were used to summarize them. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was employed to evaluate the normality of the data. The association between categorical variables was evaluated using the Fischer exact test and chi-square analysis.
Findings: The study found that there is an inverse and possibly bidirectional causal relationship between physical activity and unhealthy BMI (overweight and obesity). The result revealed there is a high percentage of physical inactivity and low percentage of high physical activity among adult patients who are overweight and obese visiting GOPC, LUTH.
Conclusion and Recommendations: The study recommended that physical activity interventions should receive special attention in the handling of overweight and obese adults, given the high levels of physical inactivity among them
The Ransomware Epidemic: Recent Cybersecurity Incidents Demystified
No full textThe pervasive threat of ransomware poses a significant risk to businesses across various scales as cybercriminals continue to exploit vulnerabilities causing severe disruptions and demanding substantial ransom payments. This review conducts a comprehensive literature review delving into recent ransomware attacks to analyze key aspects, including the targeted organizations, attack vectors, threat actors, propagation mechanisms, and the resulting business impact. The study goes beyond a surface examination by exploring the evolving nature of ransomware attacks, encompassing different types, attack vectors, and emerging tactics, such as double extortion, where cybercriminals not only encrypt data but also exfiltrate and threaten to release it publicly unless a ransom is paid. High-profile incidents, including those involving SickKids Hospital, Royal Mail, Dish Network, Five Guys, and ION are scrutinized to glean insights into the intricacies of these attacks. The review also evaluates the effectiveness of existing ransomware defenses and proposes potential strategies for organizations to counteract, identify, and manage ransomware incidents. The findings underscore the critical need for organizations to comprehend the evolving ransomware landscape and implement robust cybersecurity measures to protect both internal and external stakeholders. As ransomware continues to evolve in complexity, this study provides valuable insights emphasizing the importance of proactive defenses to mitigate the risks posed by this growing threat
Perceived Barriers to Physical Activity among Overweight and Obese Adult Patients Attending General Out-Patient Clinic in Lagos University Teaching Hospital
No full textBackground: Globally, only 1 in 4 adults engage in the recommended amounts of physical activity for health. The increasing rates of physical inactivity are partly caused by perceived obstacles to physical activity. Physical inactivity is the primary cause of roughly 21-25% of the burden of breast and colon cancer, diabetes, and ischemic heart disease.
Study Aim: To determine the perceived barriers to physical activity among overweight and obese adult patients attending the GOPC, LUTH using the barrier portion of the Exercise Benefit and Barrier Scale (EBBS).
Methodology: The research was a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted in LUTH. Data was collected by means of questionnaire and interview. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS IBM) version 25 was used for data entry, cleaning, and assessment. Frequency and percentage were used to represent all categorical parameters, and means, standard deviation, or, in the case of skewed continuous variables, median and interquartile range, were used to summarize them via systematic random sampling, 285 overweight and obese adults between the ages of 18 and 64 were chosen.
Result: The majority of overweight and obese adults (78.6%) felt that there were moderate to high levels of barriers to physical activity, most of which had to do with physical exertion. Age, family type, highest degree of education, type of occupation, median earnings, co-morbidity, smoking, and alcohol consumption, though significantly associated with levels of perceived barriers, were not independent predictors of a high level of perceived barriers.
Recommendation: Further evaluation of the perceived barriers to physical activity should be carried out to identify overweight and obese adults who encounter high barriers to physical activity. During lifestyle counseling, physical exertion, the most common barrier subscale to physical activity in this study, should be considered and addressed as appropriate
Pertubation of Road Construction and Inorganic Sedimentation on the Macroinvetebrate Fauna in the Midstream Segment of Qua Iboe River, Nigeria
No full textThe massive road construction projects in the drainage basin of Qua Iboe River (Nigeria) seriously affect the environment with elevated levels of some physico-chemical variables in perturbed segments of the river. The road construction resulted in elevated levels of the three pollution parameters (turbidity, bed load and suspended load which also had significant effect on the macroinvertebrate species richness and diversity in the perturbed zone, Biotic scores and biomass of macroinvertebrates were lower at perturbed than unperturbed zones. The three zones of the midstream segment of the stream were heterotrophic (P/R < 1.0) due to high turbidity, high silt load and suspended organic matter occasioned by the massive road development and maintenance across the drainage basin in the study area