Neighboring Districts Research Articles

Functionalities Analysis of Hand Crushed Chippings From Ngeta and Akia Rock Quarries in Lira District, Uganda, East Africa for their Suitability as Surfacing Materials for Low Volume Traffic Roads in Lira And Neighboring Districts

Abstract In Uganda, Only few kilometers of low volume traffic roads can be sealed in a financial year due to low IPF for road maintenance and this makes hand crushing of the chippings possible as only a small quantity will be required. Before any chippings are used as a surfacing material, it must be analyzed for its functional suitability and also to reduce cost, the haulage distances should be short. Hand crushed samples from the above quarries were taken and analyzed for their suitability. All the parameters analyzed except a few for Ngeta were within the permissible limits.

Prospective observational study on cholelithiasis in patients with carcinoma gall bladder in a tertiary referral hospital of Eastern India.

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBCA) is the fifth most common types of gastrointestinal malignancy and is the most common malignancy of the biliary tract. Cholelithiasis, gallbladder polyps, porcelain gall, and choledochal cysts are common known associations with GBCA. Because of the better understanding of the etiopathogenesis, the traditional nihilistic attitude toward the prognosis has, over the years, given way to greater interest and hope for treating the disease. Long-term survival has been reported in patients with resectable lesions in the hands of expert hepatobiliary surgeons. This prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital of Eastern India on patients with the diagnosis of GBCA. The main objective was to assess the incidence of gallstones in patients with GBCA, and the relationship, if any, between the size and number of stones and GBCA in our patient cohort. This prospective observational study was conducted, over a period of 2 years, at a tertiary referral hospital of Eastern India which caters to patients from all the neighboring districts. A total of 54 patients with the diagnosis of GBCA were included in the study. Data on their demographic and clinical profile, the incidence of associated gallstones, their size (<3 or ≥3cm), and number (solitary or multiple) were collected. Known predisposing factors of GBCA, if any, in those presenting without stones were noted. GBCA was found to afflict females 2.4 times as frequently as males. Patients, irrespective of their sex, were mostly in their sixth decade. Approximately three-fourth of the cases had associated cholelithiasis. The number of stones had no correlation with the disease. However, contrary to available published data, stones <3 cm were significantly more common in our study cohort. The results of this study reaffirm that cholelithiasis is a strong predisposing factor for GBCA and females with gallstones in their sixth decade, are more at risk. Although number of stones was not found to be an independent risk factor, patients with stones <3 cm (mostly multiple) were found to be more at risk in our study.

Naxalbari and Jhapa Revolt: Historical Study

Naxalbari is a small village in West Bengal, India, where a section of the Communist Party of India (CPM) led by Kanu Sanyal,and Jangal Santhal initiated a violent uprising in 1967. On 18 May 1967, the Siliguri Kishan Sabha, of which Jangal was the president, declared their support for the movement initiated by Kanu Sanyal and readiness to adopt armed struggle to redistribute land to the landless. But before it, as a consequence of the debate in international communist movement, Indian communist Party split and a faction choose the path of Mao Thought to go ahead. The party was led by Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal revolted against the existing political system. The uprising was started from Naxalbari village by using the policy of “annihilation of class enemy”. It is known as Naxalbari Revolt. But the neither could gain achievement nor run for long last. Top leader of the party, Charu Majumdar, was arrested and killed. After his murder, the party split into more than one dozen factions. On the other side, in Nepal, the neighboring district Jhapa came into influence of Naxalbari Revolt and the youth communists of Jhapa started the revolt using the same path of Naxalbari. Jhapa Revolt also runs for only 30 months. Both the movements became failure to achieve the aim. But due to the differences of ruling structure, existing political system, and geo political condition between two countries, the revolt of India split into several divisions and the movement of Nepal, even being unsuccessful to achieve the aim achieved to unify the divided movement. The impact of Naxalbari movement in India seems remain still now in some parts of India but in Nepal, Jhapa revolt has become a history. Whatsoever, both revolts have left impact in both countries till now.

Monitoring and evaluation design of Malawi’s Right Foods at the Right Time nutrition program

Child stunting is a public health problem in Malawi. In 2014, the Government of Malawi launched the Right Foods at the Right Time (RFRT) program in Ntchisi district delivering nutrition social and behavior change communication, a small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement to children 6–23 months, and nutrition sensitive activities. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems are key aspects of successful program implementation. We describe these and the methodology for an impact evaluation that was conducted for this program. Two monitoring systems using traditional and electronic platforms were established to register and track program delivery and processes including number of eligible beneficiaries, worker performance, program participation, and to monitor input, output, and outcome indicators. The impact evaluation used comparative cross-sectional and longitudinal designs to assess impact on anthropometric and infant and young child feeding outcomes. Three cross-sectional surveys (base-, mid-, and end-line) and two longitudinal cohorts of children followed in 6-month intervals from 6 to 24 months of age, were conducted in sampled households in the program and a neighboring comparison district. Additional M&E included qualitative studies, a process evaluation, and a cost-effectiveness study. The current paper describes lessons from this program’s M&E, and demonstrates how multiple implementation research activities can inform course-correction and program scale-up.

Timely and Quantitative Damage Assessment of Oyster Racks Using UAV Images

Oyster racks identification relies on manual in situ assessment and often leads to a compensation dispute in aquacultural damage assessment. This study proposes an efficient classification method to identify oyster racks using unmanned aerial vehiclesw (UAVs) images. After image preprocessed by the morphology-based opening operation and mosaicing, the Canny edge detection algorithm, an edge line reparation algorithm, and the multiresolution segmentation techniques are applied to recognize the boundary of oyster racks and the number of oyster racks are further obtained. In this study, a case study was carried out in the District 23 of Dongshi fishing port on September 4, 2015 and October 5, 2015 to evaluate the influence of the Typhoon Dujuan. Based on the image identification, eight horizontal racks were destroyed by the storm surges and strong winds, but the raft-string racks were increased by 60, which were steered from neighbor districts. The damaged ratio of oyster racks was successfully identified and 38 racks were eligible for disaster relief. Comparing to the current manual in situ damage assessment process taking over one month, the proposed process provides a timely and quantitative assessment by efficiently identifying oyster racks on the UAV images within one week, which demonstrated that the proposed process is a promising way for the efficient damage assessment of oyster racks.

Becoming a Literacy Leader in the 21st Century: Fieldwork that Facilitates the Process

ABSTRACTThis study describes and analyzes a field experience that has provided advanced literacy specialist candidates the context for advancing their understanding of professional leadership through the lens of a literacy coach. The field experience described was born out of the ongoing work of teacher educators at a small, independent, liberal arts university and a collaborative effort between the university and a neighboring urban school district. First, we situate our conceptual and pedagogical understandings of literacy coaching in a body of theoretical work on which we have relied to craft the field experience. Then, we analyze the impact of the field experience through the lens of the literacy coaches. Finally, we discuss implications these findings have for our advanced literacy specialist program.

Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of 2014 Dengue Outbreak in Guangdong, China

The record-breaking number of dengue cases reported in Guangdong, China in 2014 has been topic for many studies. However, the spatial and temporal characteristics of this unexpectedly explosive outbreak are still poorly understood. We adopt an integrated approach to ascertain the spatial-temporal progression of the outbreak in each city in Guangdong as well as in each district in Guangzhou, where the majority of cases occurred. We utilize the Richards model, which determines the waves of reported cases at each location and identifies the turning point for each wave, in combination with a spatial association analysis conducted by computing the standardized G* statistic that measures the degree of spatial autocorrelation of a set of geo-referenced data from a local perspective. We found that Yuexiu district in Guangzhou was the initial hot spot for the outbreak, subsequently spreading to its neighboring districts in Guangzhou and other cities in Guangdong province. Hospital isolation of cases during early stage of outbreak in neighboring Zhongshan (in effort to prevent disease transmission to the vectors) might have played an important role in the timely mitigation of the disease. Integration of modeling approach and spatial association analysis allows us to pinpoint waves that spread the disease to communities beyond the borders of the initially affected regions.

The sociodemographic profile of women participating in mammography screening in Lower Silesia

Introduction. Female breast cancer is the most common malignancy worldwide. An important element of cancer control involves population-based screening, which aims to reduce related mortality. Screening programs can only serve their purpose if they are long-term and available on a mass scale; accordingly, they are deemed effective as long as they cover at least 70% of the target population. Alarmingly, the coverage of breast cancer screening in Poland is markedly lower. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of selected sociodemographic factors on the participation of women in mammography screening. Material and methods. The study included a population of Lower Silesian women aged 50 to 69, who participated in mammography screening, and analyzed a total of 32,626 questionnaires collected by means of a diagnostic survey between January 3, 2007 and December 30, 2011. Examined sociodemographic factors included the place of residence, age, educational level, and occupational status. Results. The largest group of screening participants comprised women aged 55 to 59 (30%), from Wroclaw and the neighboring districts, with at least secondary education (74%), mostly old-age and disability pensioners (55%). Conclusions . Place of residence, age, education and occupation have a significant impact on the participation of Lower Silesian women in mammography screening. Age and disability pensioners aged 55–59 with at least secondary education are more likely to participate.

The effect of natural disaster on fertility, birth spacing, and child sex ratio: evidence from a major earthquake in India

Natural disasters can lead to significant changes in health, economic, and demographic outcomes. However, the demographic effects of earthquakes have been studied only to a limited degree. This paper examines the effect of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, which killed more than 20,000 people, injured 167,000, and caused massive losses to property and civic assets, on childbearing outcomes. Using data from two large-scale District Level Household Surveys (2002-2004 and 2007-2008), we employ difference-in-difference and fixed-effect regression models to compare the outcomes across earthquake-affected districts and their neighboring districts during five years before and after the earthquake. We find that the earthquake led to significant rises in childbirth probabilities and reductions in birth intervals. In rural areas, it reduced the likelihood of having a male child. We also find considerable variation in the demographic effects of the earthquake across location, household socioeconomic status, and parental age and education.

Risk factors, person, place and time characteristics associated with Hepatitis E Virus outbreak in Napak District, Uganda

BackgroundHepatitis E is self-limiting, but can cause death in most at risk groups like pregnant women and those with preexisting acute liver disease. In developing countries it presents as epidemic, in 2014 Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) outbreak was reported in Napak district Uganda. The role of factors in this setting that might have propagated this HEV epidemic, including host, agent, and environmental characteristics, were still not clear. This study was therefore conducted to investigate the risk factors, person, place and time characteristics, associated with the hepatitis E virus (HEV) epidemic in Napak district.MethodsReview of line lists data for epidemiological description and matched case control study on neighborhood and age in the ratio of 1:2 were used to assess risk factors for HEV outbreak in Napak. Cluster and random sampling were used to obtain a sample size of 332, (111 cases, 221 controls). Possible interaction and confounding was assessed using conditional logistic regression.ResultsOver 1359 cases and 30 deaths were reported during 2013/2014 HEV outbreak. The mean age of patients was 29 ± years, 57.9% of cases were females. Overall case Fatality Ratio was 2.2% in general population but 65.2% in pregnant women. More than 94% of the cases were reported in the sub counties of Napak, 5.7% of cases were reported in the outside neighboring districts. The epidemic peaked in January 2014 and gradually subsided by December 2014. Risk factors found to be associated with HEV included drinking untreated water (OR 6.69, 95% CI 3.15–14.16), eating roadside food (OR 6.11, 95% CI 2.85–13.09), reported not cleaning utensils (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.55–1.76), and being a hunter (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03–12.66).ConclusionThe results of this study suggest that the virus is transmitted by the feco-oral route through contaminated water. They also suggest that active surveillance and appropriate measures targeting community and routine individual health actions are important to prevent transmission and decrease the deaths.

A study on epidemiological pattern of acute encephalitis syndrome with special reference to japanese encephalitis in Patna medical college and hospital, Patna, Bihar, India

Background: Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) is defined as a person of any age, at any time of year with the acute onset of fever and a change in mental status (including symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, coma, or inability to talk) and/or new onset of seizures (excluding simple febrile seizures). Viruses have been mainly attributed to be the cause of AES in India although other etiologies such as bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, leptospira, toxoplasma, rickettsia, chemical, and toxins have also been reported over the past few years. The causative agent of AES varies with season and geographical location, owing to wide range of causative agents and the rapid neurological impairment due to pathogenesis, clinicians face the challenge of a small window period between diagnosis and treatment. The present study is dedicated to knowing the present epidemiological pattern of AES in Bihar aiming to help in diagnosis and treatment.Methods: This is a prospective study conducted in the department of pediatrics, Patna Medical College and Hospital, Patna from January 1st to December 31st, 2016, in this study all cases which presented with acute onset of fever and a change in mental status including symptoms such as confusion, disorientation, coma or inability to talk and/ or new onset of seizures excluding simple febrile seizures were included. Demographic, etiological analysis and outcome of cases of Acute Encephalitic Syndrome as well as Japanese encephalitis were done.Results: The total number of patient diagnosed clinically with AES were 186 of them 105 were male and 81 were female. Number of cases were highest in the age group of &gt;5-10 years amounting to 37.7% followed by 26.4% in &gt;2-5 years age group, marked male predominance was seen in the age group 5 -10 years. A minor female predominance was observed in the age group &gt;10 years. In May number of cases were maximum 36 (19.4%) followed by April 32 (17.2%), number of cases of AES were least in the month of December followed by November (8). Maximum number of cases were from the district of Patna and its neighboring district amounting to 58.5% with Nalanda district alone comprises 24.3%. Etiological analysis reveals that 36.5% children admitted with the clinical diagnosis of AES, 36.5% were diagnosed with Acute bacterial meningoencephalitis and 22.04% were diagnosed with Japanese Encephalitis, 7.5% Tuberculous meningitis, 6.4% Cerebral malaria, 5.4% Herpes simplex encephalitis and 3.2% with acute encephalitis syndrome unknown.Conclusions: Acute Encephalitis Syndrome remains an important cause of prolonged hospital bed occupancy with a high rate of mortality. Although in JE positive cases mortality were less, but morbidity in form of various motor deficit and cognitive impairment increases the burden on the family and society. With the introduction of effective JE vaccine and with rigorous surveillance of AES cases and social initiative taken by the Government, we can hope a better scenario. More and more extensive studies are the need of hour to know more about the etiopathogenesis of AES, so that future strategies to bring down the mortality and morbidity due to this disease can be carried out.

INCREASE IN DEFORESTATION: A KEY CHALLENGE TO HOUSEHOLD CHARCOAL SUPPLY – A CASE OF TANGA URBAN, TANZANIA

This study investigated an increase in deforestation and its impact in charcoal supply for households in Tanga district (urban). Tanga district was chosen because it has high urban population as compared to her neighbor Districts of Muheza and Mkinga. The district was also chosen because it is so close to natural and reserved forests in both Muheza and Mkinga districts in which effect of deforestation on charcoal supply can be clearly seen and determined. The study involved 61 respondents including (households, charcoal venders and forest officer). Questionnaire survey, interview and documentary review methods were employed in data collection. A quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 20 th version). While qualitative information was analyzed using content analysis. The study findings show that majority 56 (92%) of the respondents reported that there is high rate of deforestation which was mainly contributed by charcoal production in the study area. The study further revealed that the observed high rate of deforestation affect the availability and supply of charcoal for domestic use. The scarcity of charcoal coupled with high and fluctuating price give the evidence on presence domestic energy crisis in the study area. Along with other recommendations, the study recommends that the Government Regulator (Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authorities - EWURA) should consider reducing tariff on other sources of energy particularly gas and electricity to allow many people afford and resorting to alternative energies for their domestic use and hence reduce the extent of deforestation. JEL: Q23, Q21, R23 Article visualizations:

Court Orders, White Flight, and School District Segregation, 1970–2010

American public schools experienced a substantial reduction of black-white segregation after the Supreme Court ordered the immediate desegregation of Mississippi schools in 1969. Past research has shown that progress slowed by the 1990s, with some arguing that segregation actually began to rebound. This study is the first to examine enrollment data for each decade between 1970 and 2010 for a comprehensive set of districts across the country and also the first to include data for 1980 for a national sample of districts. It provides definitive evidence that most desegregation occurred in the 1970s, with little subsequent change. It also addresses two questions about the desegregation process. First, how closely was it tied to court orders for a particular school district or for a neighboring district? Desegregation was greatest in response to a legal mandate, but it also extended to districts that never faced court action. Second, what was the effect of mandates on white flight? White student enrollment declined generally in these decades but more in districts that faced a mandate in the immediate past decade. White flight contributed to a modest increase in segregation between school districts, but desegregation within districts was sufficient to result in a large net decline at a metropolitan level.

Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder and Culture: Early and Prolonged Grief in Nepali Widows

Objective: Persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), has not been well studied in socioculturally diverse populations. Thus, this qualitative study examined (a) how widows in Nepal understand grief, (b) whether a local construct of PCBD exists, and (c) its comparability with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), terminology. Methods: Using an adapted Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC) framework, semistructured interviews with 25 widows and 12 key informants, as well as three focus-group discussions (n = 20), were conducted between October 2014 and April 2015. Through an inductive grounded theory–based approach, we used the constant comparative method, iteratively coding transcripts to identify themes and patterns in the data. Also, we created two lists of grief responses, one of early reactions and another all reactions to grief, based on the frequency of mention. Results: No single term for grief was reported. Widows reported a local construct of PCBD, which was broadly compatible with DSM-5 terminology but with important variation reflecting societal influence. Surviving torture during conflict, economic and family stressors, and discrimination were mentioned as important determinants that prolong and complicate grief. Suicidal ideation was common, with about 31% and 62% of widows reporting past-year and lifetime suicidality, respectively. Findings may not be generalizable to all Nepali widows; participants were recruited from a non-governmental organization, from Kathmandu and its neighboring districts, and were primarily of reproductive age. Conclusions: While PCBD symptoms proposed in DSM-5 were mentioned as relevant by study participants, some components may need adaptation for use in non-Western settings, such as Nepal.

Life Outside the Classroom: Everyday Mobility of School Students

A number of studies have emphasized the importance of the educational potential of cities and revealed that home district characteristics influence children’s educational identity and access to educational resources. However, little attention is paid to the conditions and limits of children’s access to the city environment as well as the geographies of their outdoor activities, i. e. how far from home they travel when hanging out, how this distance can change as a child grows up, how often children attend specific places, and how the geographies of their mobility depend on their personal characteristics. A survey of Moscow school students of grades 5–10 is used to explore the basic characteristics of children’s independent mobility, including their everyday mobility, i. e. frequented places and the distance to them. It is shown that children normally travel within a radius of 1 km from home; the central part of the city and the neighboring districts are visited less often than places within the home district. A comparison of everyday mobility of high- and low-performing students has proved that the proportion of children whose most frequented place is centers for after-school education is higher among high- erformers. Yet, no correlation was found between the size of the “habitat” and academic performance. Moreover, places for leisure, including leisure education, of families have been described based on a survey of over 700 mothers of school students. Families with high levels of cultural capital and ood financial standing have demonstrated greater diversity of shared leisure activities and comprise a higher proportion of those attending family courses, public lectures, or other urban events. Such families exploit the educational leisure opportunities provided by the city more actively than others.

Ślady dawnych gwar typu bułgarskiego w północno-wschodnich Węgrzech

Traces of Old Bulgarian Dialects in North-Eastern HungaryThe paper presents the oldest Slavic borrowings in Hungarian together with a reconstruction of the Slavic dialectal landscape of the Carpathian Basin at the time when Hungarian tribes arrived there at the end of the 9th century. According to some phonetic criteria, it seems that Hungarians found two main Slavic dialects in their new homeland: Pannonian Slavic with mixed West and South Slavic features, and Bulgarian Slavic. The dialects of the Bulgarian type might be attributed to today’s north- -eastern Hungary and the neighboring districts of Slovakia.

Analysis and Assessment of the Regional and Transregional Impacts of Industrial Activities in District 21 of Tehran

Air pollution is an offspring of industrial development exacerbated by population growth and urbanization. Nowadays, this has turned out to be one of the major problems of metropolitans. Being the most populated city of Iran, having specific geographical features, and being home to more than %20 of all Iranian industries, Tehran also suffers from air pollution. Many of these factories are located in district 21 of Tehran where 1391.9 hectares (27 percent) of the area is allocated to industries making it a congruent subject for the present study. This study aims to analyze and assess regional and transregional impacts of industrial activities in district 21 of Tehran. Research methodology of the study was analytic-evaluative (content analysis_ case study). Data analysis was performed using the IHWP fuzzy model. In the first part of the present study 8 indices such as air, water, soil pollution, etc. were enumerated and the environmental impacts of the industries active in the district. The results showed that 10 industrial units are at very low damage level, 82 units are at low damage level, 204 units are at medium damage level, 96 units at high damage level, and 8 units at very high damage level where area 2 of district 21 is much more polluted. In the second part of the study, the transregional impacts of industries in district 21 on neighboring districts were brought into focus. The results showed that district 18 has been affected by impacts of district 21, more than other districts. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2016.v5n3s1p460

A Day at the Office: Political Advocacy and Private Practice

A Day at the Office: Political Advocacy and Private Practice

Assessment of regional influence from a petrochemical complex by modeling and fingerprint analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

This study aimed to demonstrate a strategy to investigate the influence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on its neighboring districts from a gigantic petrochemical complex. Monitoring of the VOCs in the region was achieved by a nine-station network, dubbed photochemical assessment measurement stations (PAMS), which produced speciated mixing ratios of 54 non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) to represent VOCs with an hourly resolution within a 20 km radius. One-year (2013/10/1–2014/9/30) worth of PAMS data from the network were used in forms of total NMHCs (called PAMS-TNMHC) and speciated mixing ratios. Three dimensional modeling coupled with PAMS measurements successfully elucidated how the study domain was affected by the petrochemical complex and distant sources under three typical seasonal wind patterns: northeast monsoonal, southwest monsoonal, and local-circulation.More exquisite analysis of influence on the neighboring districts was permitted with the use of speciated mixing ratios of VOCs provided by the PAMS network. The ratios of ethylene/acetylene (E/A) > 3 and propylene/acetylene (P/A) > 1.5 were used as indicators to reveal the PAMS sites affected by the petrochemical emissions. Consequently, the hourly speciated data from the nine PAMS sites enabled a finer assessment of the districts affected by the complex to calculate the percent time of influence (dubbed TI%) for all the sites (districts). It was found that the region was more affected by the complex under both the northeast monsoonal and the local-circulation wind types with some of the PAMS sites greater than 5% for the TI%. By contrast, influence on the region was found minimal under the southwest monsoonal flow with the TI% small than 1.5% across all sites.This study successfully devised a method of assessment with the use of speciated measurements of selected VOCs and modeling to assess the influence of a prominent source on the neighboring districts by filtering out irrelevant sources under the complex meteorological conditions.

Alarmingly High Incidence of Eosinophilia in Barabanki and Neighboring Districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh: A Prospective Hospital-Based Study.

Eosinophilia is very common among rural poulation in Barabanki and neighbouring districts with no access to hygienic mode of stool disposition. Significant proportions of these children are suffering from anemia, undernutrition, anorexia, pain abdomen, cough and hence long term morbidity. This adds to the DALY of a developing country like India. All these chronic problems are preventable and treatable with simple corrective steps of which the most important ones are access to safe drinking water and toilet. The present study was conducted to study clinical and laboratory profile of patients with eosinophilia and to identify possible causes.