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Introduction: Nuclear moisture density gauges are widely used in construction industry in different countries across the world, including Ghana, on a large scale. Like all irradiating devices, the nuclear gauges should be subjected to radiation safety assessment based on radiation protection and safety principles. Regarding this, the objective of this research was to investigate the radiation safety of the nuclear moisture density gauges to ensure the absence of any leakages from the radioactive source. Material and Methods: For the purpose of the study, a survey meter (RADOS-120) was used to measure and record the radiation dose once at a distance of 1 m from the surfaces of all sides of the nuclear moisture density gauge and very close distance from the surfaces of the device. Moreover, the device was examined using radiation contamination test and counts on a standard block. Results: A total of nine nuclear moisture density gauges manufactured by Troxler Electronics Inc. in the USA were evaluated within a period of 3 years. The minimum and maximum average dose rates were 0.49 and 66.67 µSv/h, respectively. The highest and lowest average dose rates were recorded in 2017 and 2016 on the devices with serial numbers of 38260 and 32839, respectively. Conclusion: The assessment of the nuclear moisture density gauges under study revealed no radiation contamination leakage. Furthermore, all the evaluated gauges were shown to function properly and were safe for the intended purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accounts of fishing conflicts have been rising globally, particularly between small-scale and industrial vessels. These conflicts involve verbal or physical altercations, and may include destruction of boats, assault, kidnapping, and murder. Current scholarship around industrial/small-scale fishing conflicts theorizes them as a form of resource conflict, where fish scarcity is the dominant contributor to conflict and competition. Alternatively, conflicts may be driven by spatial competition, concentrating where there are increased encounters, unrelated to resource status. Current policies to address these conflicts focus on enforcing the separation of small-scale and industrial vessels; however, this broad spatial separation has yet to be evaluated for deterring conflicts. Here we employ a novel spatial analysis to estimate the locations of industrial/small-scale conflicts at sea in Ghana, West Africa. Using data from narrative reports over the period of 1985 to 2014, we combine qualitative information on depth and shoreline indicators to analyze conflict locations. We find virtually all expected conflict locations (98%) occurred within the zone meant to exclude industrial vessels, and conflicts concentrated primarily around major ports. Our results suggest conflicts are likely more related to spatial patterns of vessel presence than patterns of resource use. These findings suggest a critical need for evidence-based and contextual information on the drivers of fisheries conflicts, rather than continued reliance on assumptions of resource scarcity. They also suggest that nuanced policies that reduce vessel encounter and clarify exclusive spatial rights may be more important in responding to these conflicts than approaches designed to broadly separate fleets or increase fish stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]