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La présente réflexion aborde la question du non-respect de la législation congolaise en matière du travail journalier. La Constitution de la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) conformément aux Conventions de l’Organisation Internationale du Travail (OIT), garantit certains droits au bénéfice de travailleur, qu’il soit journalier ou engagé par un contrat de travail. Le travail en soi, d’après son article 36 est non seulement un droit et un devoir sacrés pour chaque congolais, mais il est aussi un devoir pour l’Etat, dans la mesure où ce dernier doit garantir le droit au travail ainsi que tous les droits proches, notamment le droit à la protection contre le chômage, le droit à une rémunération équitable et satisfaisante. L’Etat a aussi le devoir d’assurer au travailleur ainsi qu’à sa famille une existence conforme à la dignité humaine, complétée par tous les autres moyens de protection sociale, notamment, la pension de retraite et la rente viagère. Le constituant met en charge de la loi (code du travail) l’établissement du statut des travailleurs. Ainsi, l’article 40 de la Loi n°16/010 du 15 juillet 2016 modifiant et complétant la Loi n° 015/2002 du 16 octobre 2002 portant Code du travail donne un régime juridique en matière de travail journalier et dans sa politique consumériste, elle l’a limité à 22 jours sur une période de 2 mois. Cependant, en pratique ceci est difficilement respecté par les employeurs.

Background: Diabetes and hypertension pose a significant socio-economic burden in developing countries such as Kenya, where financial risk-protection mechanisms remain inadequate. This proves to be a great barrier towards achieving universal health care in such settings unless mechanisms are put in place to ensure greater access and affordability to non-communicable disease (NCD) management services. Aim: This article aims to examine outpatient management services costs for patients with diabetes and hypertension attending public primary healthcare facilities. Setting: The study was conducted in Busia and Trans-Nzoia counties in Western Kenya in facilities supported by the PIC4C project, between August 2020 and December 2020. Methods: This cross-sectional survey included 719 adult participants. Structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect information on healthcare-seeking behaviour and associated costs. The annual direct and indirect costs borne by patients were computed by disease type and level of healthcare facility visited. Results: Patients with both diabetes and hypertension incurred higher annual costs (KES 13 149) compared to those with either diabetes (KES 8408) or hypertension (KES 7458). Patients attending dispensaries and other public healthcare facilities incurred less direct costs compared to those who visited private clinics. Furthermore, a higher proportionate catastrophic healthcare expenditure of 41.83% was noted among uninsured patients. Conclusion: Despite this study being conducted in facilities that had an ongoing NCDs care project that increased access to subsidised medication, we still reported a substantially high cost of managing diabetes and hypertension among patients attending primary healthcare facilities in Western Kenya, with a greater burden among those with comorbidities. Contribution: Evidenced by the results that there is enormous financial burden borne by patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes; we recommend that universal healthcare coverage that offers comprehensive care for NCDs be urgently rolled out alongside strengthening of lower-level public healthcare systems.

This paper was presented in the 2021 Conference on Land Policy in Africa held in Kigali, Rwanda, in November 2021. It is based on a three-year study by the Land Development and Governance Institute (LDGI), in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, to test the efficacy of the application of Kenya's new Community Land Act. The study sites are in Isiolo and Marsabit Counties, both in the Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) Northern Kenya. The study results demonstrate the importance of adequate sensitisation of the key actors (government, political and community) at county level and the grass root communities, the use of participatory and inclusive processes to establish the community governance organs and fulfil the statutory requirements provided under this new law. The study also highlights the importance of the use of community champions to ensure the continuous sensitisation of community members, and to to galvanise the communities in the registration and management of their land. Through the study, communities were supported to develop basic tools to guide them in land use planning and investor negotiations. The land use planning guide developed will help the communities to liase with the county government to prepare a land use development plan which is expected to enhance the sustainable use of the community land, while the investor negotiation guide developed will be helpful during negotiations with investors interested in partnering with the communities for investments on their land. The use of the investor guides is expected to inform the preparation of mutually beneficial investor agreements as anticipated under the Community Land Act. It is expected that the lessons from the study, which include: community empowerment, use of participatory inclusive processes, ensuring gender equity in the composition of governance organs and in decision making processes, embracing the youth, use of champions and avoiding the negative impacts of the adjudication of community land will be useful to state and non-state implementers of the new law, and may be used to inform the scaling up implementation countrywide. It is also expected that gaps identified in the new law, such as the management of the inheritance rights of children married outside the community, and those divorced, will inform law review.

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing of components is now becoming a very attractive method of producing models and parts in the medical, automotive, aerospace, and clothing industries, among many others. Despite the numerous advantages associated with 3D printing of components, the uptake of this technology is still in the early stages, owing to the limited research and data availability on the process, safety of components, and their integrity. Material extrusion 3D printing process is currently being investigated for manufacturing of metal composites and is one of the interesting subjects in fused deposition modelling. This study investigates the effect of infill pattern (lines, gyroid, cross, and lines) and layer height (0.15 mm, 0.1 mm, and 0.2 mm) on the dimensional deviation and mechanical properties of 3D printed 17-4 PH/PLA composites. The samples were produced through fused deposition modelling and evaluated for dimensional stability and tensile properties. In terms of dimensional accuracy, it is observed that for all samples, the width had the highest accuracy, followed by the height and finally the length. The largest width errors were observed for samples prepared at a layer height of 0.15 mm and gyroid infill patterns. The smallest width errors were observed on samples fabricated at a layer height of 0.2 mm and lines infill pattern. As expected, 3D printing at the lowest layer height of 0.1 mm resulted in the minimum dimensional error of the length of these samples. The lowest mechanical strength was reported at samples fabricated at an infill pattern of lines and layer heights of 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm.

Mechanical soap plodders refine, homogenize, and compact soap. Processing pressure, screen mesh size, and L/D affect plodder capacity and soap quality. Grittiness, air bubbles, and poor surface finish hinder soap production. This study optimised soap plodder machine screw length, speed, and density to maximise pressure at low-temperature. Soap plodder FEM was made with ANSYS Polyflow software. The rheological and thermal properties of soap paste were measured with a rotational viscometer and transient hot wire. Viscosity, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity were 900 cps, 0.0449 W/m-K, and 17.29 J/Kg-K. A L9 Taguchi DOE was used for three screw speeds (20, 35, and 50 RPM), screw lengths (300, 550, and 800 mm), and soap product densities in FEM simulation. ANOVA and Taguchi optimization modelling were adopted for analysis. The ANOVA showed a positive correlation between extrudate pressure, screw length, speed, and density. Temperature was mostly density-dependent. Ideal conditions were 800 mm screw length, 50 RPM screw speed, and 900 kg/m3 material density. Response pressure was 4.3604 bar, temperature 315 K. The observed responses would optimize soap plodder pressure, improving refining, homogenization, and soap processing with small mesh screens. The low temperature eliminates the need for a cooling jacket, reducing construction and operating costs

The issue of e-waste recycling is the uncharted territory in in most developing countries with a full potential to be a source of secondary resources. Every year there are tonnes of electronic materials with precious metals in them that lie in the landfills as there are no economically viable methods to extract them. Many people have attempted to recover precious metals from e-waste and the challenge is to come up with a method that is fast, clean (environmentally friendly), cheap and safe. The aim of the research was to recover precious metals that are of high value such as gold using hydrometallurgical methods. To achieve the faster reaction rate, the process involved heating H2SO4 to about 70±10°C and then washing with water after using a 1:1 solution of water to HNO3 to get rid of other remaining metals. Afterwards, a 10:1 ratio of HCl to H2O2 was added in order to strip the components of gold. Precipitation of the gold solution was done using Na2S2O5 and left for 4 hrs to settle. The final result, after precipitating and drying , showed that with the devised method, it is possible to recover gold at a shortest possible period of 4 days.

The study focuses on enhancing network intrusion detection to enhance network security and prevent potential data breaches. We propose B-XGBoost, an ensemble learning model that combines bagging and boosting, using 10k cross-validation and Bayesian optimization for binary network intrusion classification. The proposed model was trained and tested on the CIC-ID2017 dataset. Decision Trees, Random Forests, Support Vector Machines, Naive Bayes, k-Nearest Neighbors, and Neural Networks were trained and tested on the same dataset for performance comparison purposes. The results show that the BXGBoost algorithm had the highest F1 Score (0.982), Precision (0.975), Recall (0.990), Cohen’s Kappa (0.978), and ROC AUC (0.983). The other algorithms had varying levels of performance, with the Decision Trees having the second-highest F1 Score (0.950). Bayesian optimization significantly reduced the time, computational efficiency, and cost of hyperparameter tuning by using a probabilistic model to predict hyperparameters that resulted in high performance. The high scores in F1, precision, recall, agreement with human annotators, and ability to distinguish between positive and negative instances demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in enhancing network security. For the best results of the B-XGBoost to be obtained, the hyperparameters of the base model need to be tuned to achieve maximum computational efficiency in light of the available resources.

SDI emerged in the mid-90’s through peer-to-peer networking of organised slum dweller movements. Today this international network spans 32 countries where grass roots community organisations are supported by professional support NGOs in the building of social movements, transforming urban environments, and securing a more inclusive and resilient future for the world’s urban poor. SDI’s mission is to build the voice and agency of slum dweller communities, with a special focus on the role of women, in order to achieve inclusive cities in which the urban poor are to be at the centre of strategies and decision-making for equitable urban development.SDI has a commitment to project typologies that produce learning at scale around clean energy access as part of its informal settlement upgrading agenda. Since 2014 SDI has been involved in the field of access to energy particularly in Africa, India, and the Philippines where the SDI Energy Justice Programme leverages community-led collection of disaggregated energy access data (using the Know Your City tools), community empowerment programs, and pro-poor access models in contribution to energy access goals. In the face of growing needs of access to many essential services in slums, SDIs model provides bottom-up, innovative, and adaptable methodological options for catalysing pro-poor change at settlement, city, national, and global levels.

The inhabitants of the city of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, suffer significant damage every year due to floods, which constitute a major risk for the country. To mitigate the impact of these phenomena, a good understanding of the criteria involved in the vulnerability of populations is necessary. This article sets out to analyse the populations of Ouagadougou’s vulnerability to floods, with the objective of drawing up and spatially representing the social vulnerability profile of populations. It is part of phase 2 of the Raincell Africa project, which aims to understand the social vulnerability of Sahelian populations to the risks of urban flooding. The study is based on a quantitative approach developed by means of a socio-demographic survey of 2137 households in the city of Ouagadougou. Statistical processing of the survey data using factor analysis and Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering revealed eight vulnerability profiles in the city. The spatial distribution of these profiles indicates greater vulnerability in the margins of the city, characterized by unplanned settlements. This high exposure of informal settlements to flooding is linked to socio-demographic characteristics such as the level of education, risky behaviours in terms of urbanization and the populations’ false perception of danger. These elements must necessarily be taken into account for better flood management.

The intrinsic and extrinsic properties of a commercial polypropylene (PP) powder (BASF Ultrasint PP 1400) for use in powder bed fusion-based additive manufacturing were characterised and preliminary test parts were printed on an EOS P380 machine. The test specimens demonstrated relatively good dimensional accuracy (

The necessity for accurate and early identification of crop diseases is one of the primary difficulties facing the agricultural industries. Diseases have an impact on crop quality and have the potential to destroy hectares of crop yield, resulting in significant losses for farmers. Current diagnostic approaches are time intensive and necessitate the presence of highly skilled professionals to study the damaged plants, comprehend the symptoms, identify the disease, and offer appropriate treatments. Maize diseases can cause a significant reduction in both the quality and quantity of agricultural products. Visual inspection is the main approach adopted in practice for the detection and identification of maize diseases. However, this necessitates continuous oversight by experts, which can result in substantial expenses. The limitations of such techniques have created the need to look for alternative techniques which can detect and classify diseases at an early stage. In this study, models were trained using an open-source library of around 5000 pictures, including healthy plant samples. The convolutional neural network (CNN) outperformed the other established models, obtaining an amazing total accuracy of 97%. This achievement satisfies the need for a reliable and effective categorization model. Furthermore, these findings were then turned into a complete maize disease identification mobile application that is ready for real-world deployment. This application has the potential to provide the agricultural community with the means to promptly diagnose and address issues, reducing the reliance on professional expertise.

In this article, simulated/artificial surfaces consisting of perfectly ordered and mounded (perfect) structures and defective surfaces are characterised through statistical and fractal methods. The image sizes are designed to mimic atomic force microscopy (AFM) of scan area 1 μm2 and maximum height features of 500 nm. The simulated images are then characterised using statistical tools such as root mean square and average roughness, skewness, kurtosis, and maximum pit and peaks. Fractal analyses are also undertaken using fractal dimensions, autocorrelation, height-height correlation and power spectral density functions. The results reveal significant differences between defective and perfectly ordered and mounded surfaces. The defective surfaces exhibit higher roughness values and lower fractal dimensions values as compared to the perfect surfaces. The results in this article can help researchers to better explain their results on topography and surface evolution of thin films.

This paper presents a finite element simulation of equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) since it is one of the most common and successful severe plastic deformation techniques. This study reports the influence of the most significant factors influencing the ECAP technique. Through finite element simulation, the effect of the die geometry, workpiece geometry, and the pressing speed on the effective strain distributions, damage, and pressing loads, were investigated. The influence of the ECAP method on different material models is also presented. Additionally, the prospective expansion and future applications of ECAP are herein highlighted. From the results, the die geometry of a 90° channel imparts the highest strains during ECAP. Additionally, specimens of rectangular geometry are susceptible to cracking and damage as compared to circular samples. It was found that very high processing speeds (>7mm/sec) are undesirable during ECAP since they cause very high internal stresses to the structure of the workpieces. Besides, processing at room temperature can achieve homogeneous strain distribution with minimum sample damage.

Background: The high incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in children is of global concern. Enhancing the reporting of ADRs could contribute to making safer medicines available to children. Aim: To assess parents’ awareness of reporting ADRs and their knowledge on the reporting procedures in South Africa. Setting: South African parents with online access. Method: A quantitative descriptive study was conducted based on an anonymous voluntarily web-based self-administered questionnaire that was distributed through Facebook® and LinkedIn™ to parents in South Africa. Results: The questionnaire was completed voluntarily by 206 respondents. The majority of participants (70.9%) were aware of the term ADR. Significant associations between not being aware of the term ADR and single marital status, lower education level, not having private medical aid and accessing public clinics for medical services were found. The majority (66.5%) of participants did report an ADR to a healthcare professional whilst only 15% reported it to a product manufacturer. More than half of the participants (58.7%) knew how to report ADRs whilst 72.8% knew what type of ADRs to report. Almost a third (32.5%) did not know where more information on ADR reporting could be found or how ADRs could be reported (31.5%). Conclusion: The majority of the respondents were aware of the term ADR, indicative of a good knowledge basis on which ADRs to report and the importance of reporting ADRs. However, gaps in the respondents’ knowledge were identified which highlighted specific groups of individuals to be targeted to increase ADR awareness and improve the knowledge on the reporting process.

This study concerned the cultivation on rice straw and Gilbertiodendron dewevrei sawdust of Pleurotus tuber-regium, a tropical fungal species appreciated for its flavour and its medicinal properties. The spawns were obtained locally by isolating spores from specimens collected in their natural environment around Kisangani (DR Congo). The formation of sporophores is conditional to the formation of sclerotia 14 days beforehand. Three outbreaks were recorded with a total yield of 42.25 %, which can be considered very satisfactory and far above the generally accepted economic yield of 20 % for a substrate to be considered suitable for mushroom productiion.

Despite the universal healthcare system in Canada, Canadians of African Descent (CAD) still face numerous problems that place them at higher risk to pandemics such as COVID-19. From the struggles of working as frontline workers, to challenges compounded by pre-existing chronic medical conditions such as Diabetes, CAD may face unique issues, further weighing on their existing and potential health outcomes. This situation calls for closer attention to the specific needs of CAD who may be at greater risk of late diagnosis and delayed treatment for COVID-19. Historically, marginalized communities such as CAD must be included in healthcare considerations and planning, so as to avoid further leaving them behind during and after the storm. Past evidence has shown that structural inequities shape who is affected by disease and its economic fallout. Therefore, the unique needs of CAD must be considered in healthcare planning with the ongoing COVID-19 response. Keywords: pandemic, marginalized, healthcare, COVID-19, Canadians of African Descent

INTRODUCTION: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) remain among significant causes of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. Zambia shares this burden disproportionately compared to other countries and it is unknown to what extent HIV affects UTIs. This study investigated the prevalence of UTIs and associated factors among HIV infected pregnant women attending antenatal care at a tertiary hospital in Zambia. METHODS: we conducted a retrospective review of medical records of Zambian HIV infected pregnant women who attended antenatal care at the women and newborn hospital between 1st January 2017 and 31stDecember 2017. We used a structured data extraction tool to extract data from the patient medical records using simple random sampling without replacement. Medical records of patients with known, diabetes and renal transplant were excluded. A logistic regression model was used to establish factors associated with UTIs. RESULTS: we reviewed 380 medical records of pregnant women with a median age of 29 years (IQR: 22, 34). UTIs prevalence was 16.5%, (95% CI: 13.0, 20.7). Women with UTIs had lower gestational age than those without UTI (difference 3 weeks, P=0.0001). Gestational age was independently associated with UTI (AOR: 0.96, 95% Cl: 0.91-0.99). CONCLUSION: the burden of UTIs in this population was high compared to global estimates and gestational age predicts UTIs. Public health interventions should be directed at promoting an early screening of UTIs during pregnancy, preferably to educate HIV positive women to book for antenatal early so that screening could commence.

INTRODUCTION: Labour pains management is an important component of quality care in obstetrics but in Cameroon, very few maternities include this in their care plans. This study was conducted in the perceptive to introduce labour pains management as part of routine obstetric care in tertiary hospitals. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional prospective study of 7 months during which an interviewer structured questionnaire was administered to respondents who were conveniently selected at the outpatient Gynaecological unit. All pregnant women who were not scheduled for elective caesarean section and had no contraindication to Epidural Anaesthesia were asked to participate. The questionnaire had sections on awareness of epidural anaesthesia, labour pains perception and its control, and willingness to accept anaesthesia. RESULTS: 270/336 (80.35%) respondents were aware of EA. The main source of information was mass media in 39.63%. 62.5% considered labour pains “as normal and only 9.83% of them consider it unbearable. Conversely, 68.45% of respondents against 31.55% were favourable to epidural anaesthesia. 60.71% of study participants express willingness to accept Epidural anaesthesia in future labour for various reasons including need for a comfortable labour (23.81%), to experiment (23.81%),and because of past experience (9.83%). The majority of the 39.29% who refused Epidural anaesthesia was because of fear of related risks or complications (80.80%). CONCLUSION: majority of respondents knew about and would accept epidural anaesthesia. Those who would refuse the procedure included claimed Fear of complications. Health carers must be sensitized to integrate information on epidural anaesthesia in the education package.

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease with unknown etiology and pathogenesis. Biomarkers have the potential to aid in the clinical diagnosis of the disease, or to provide means of detecting early signs of the disease. Evaluating Melanoma associated antigen genes (MAGE-1) mRNA expression rate in synovial fluid cells and serum levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) for RA early diagnosis. METHODS: a total of 213 subjects were enrolled in the study, 135 RA patients and 78 normal subjects with traumatic knee joints (control group). Serum RF and anti-CCP were estimated quantitatively using ELISA. MAGE-1 mRNA expression rate was analyzed by RT-PCR. RESULTS: a significant increase in serum levels of RF IgM and anti-CCP in RA patients compared to the controls. A positively significant correlation was found between serum anti-CCP and RF IgM. The expression rate of MAGE-1 mRNA was 100% in RA patients versus the controls (0%). The specificity and the sensitivity of the three biomarkers was 100%. CONCLUSION: the high expression rate of MAGE-1 in synovial fluid cells of RA patients is encouraging its utilization as a diagnostic biomarker for RA. The combined use of MAGE-1 transcript in synovial fluid cells, serum RF and anti-CCP is recommended for improving early diagnostic ability of RA.

The alloying effect of three elements, namely Al, Cr and Zn, on the Pt site of L12 Cu3Pt phase was investigated using DFT (density functional theory) based first-principle calculations in attempt to stabilize it in the form of L12 Cu3Pt1-xYx ternary alloy. On the basis of phase stability and elastic properties, the substitution behaviour of all three alloying elements were compared with properties of thermodynamically sluggish Cu3Pt phase. The calculated heats of formation reveal that the thermodynamic phase stability is gradually enhanced with increasing content of aluminium alloying and diminished with increasing content of zinc and chromium. In this current work, the stress-strain approach was used according to Hooke’s law to calculate elastic properties such as elastic constants, Young’s modulus E, shear modulus G, bulk modulus B and Poisson’s ratio v, as they play an important role to investigate the resulting mechanical properties. The calculated results show that alloying with all three elements maintains the mechanical stability criteria of cubic crystals. Considered L12 Cu3Pt1-xYx ternary alloys exhibit the most ductile character with Al addition, followed by Cr, whereas introduction of Zn yielded lowest ductility at higher compositions.

Lake Victoria is the largest tropical lake in the world and the source of river Nile, the longest river in the world. Due to prolonged precipitation above the average over the past two years, the lake water levels have increased surpassing the highest ever recorded of 13.41m in 1964. To mitigate the negative impacts on the people, navigation and developments in the flood zones, lake outflows were gradually increased from 1000cumecs to 2400cumecs. Isimba Hydropower Plant (HPP) with a reservoir capacity of 170 million cubic meters is the fourth hydropower plant along the upper Nile cascade with a design flood level of 1055m above sea level. Reservoir operation is constrained by the bridge construction and ferry operation works downstream which are affected by the increased discharges. There is also uncertainty of the incoming discharge magnitude and travel time due to lack of an upstream gauging station. This paper seeks to assess the reservoir response to the increasing flood conditions using Hydrologic Engineering software for flood routing and to model an operation water level (OWL) that optimizes power production and flood control whilst ensuring public safety of the downstream activities through real-time forecasts in the short term.

Photovoltaic (PV) system installations have increased in recent years partly due to growing energy needs from a rising population. Such PV systems producing electricity contribute in promoting green energy. However, solar energy is highly intermittent and uncontrollable due to its high spatial and temporal variations of atmospheric conditions. With such variability, PV power forecasting is therefore crucial for full integration of solar energy into the grid. In this study, Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Random Forest Regression (RFR) models were built and used to forecast real-time PV power output of a 1.5kW solar PV system installed at the Department of Physics, University of Nairobi in Kenya. SVR model outperforms RFR model with root mean square (RMSE) of 43.16 adjusted R2 of 0.97 and mean absolute error (MAE) of 32.57 on the validation. Dataset compared to RMSE of 86, adjusted R2 of 0.90, MAE of 69 were obtained for RFR model. A real time power forecast application based on the SVR model was successfully built using the Shiny application in R software. This shows that SVR model is more robust than RFR and has capabilities of reducing errors during computations.

Un observatoire local participatif a été mis en place à partir de 2001 dans le District du Rufiji en Tanzanie, à l’initiative d’un projet de développement et d’une équipe de recherche. Ce dispositif a permis la collecte et le partage de données environnementales (sur l’eau, la pluie, la pêche, l’agriculture et l’alimentation) entre les différents acteurs de la gestion de l’eau et du territoire. Les modalités de collecte, de mise en commun et de discussion des résultats au cours d’ateliers organisés régulièrement sont décrites dans cet article. À partir de cette expérience de recherche participative, menée dans un contexte où le dialogue entre paysans et gouvernement local est peu fréquent, tendu, voire conflictuel, nous discutons des enjeux, des intérêts et des écueils des recherches participatives.

Twenty-five Years of Monitoring of Green Space Pattern Dynamics in Response to Urbanization in the Municipalities of Lubumbashi City (Haut-Katanga, DR Congo). This study assessed the spatial-temporal dynamics of green spaces in response to urban growth for the seven municipalities of Lubumbashi city, Democratic Republic of the Congo, between 1989 and 2014. Pattern analysis revealed that since 1989, the built-up proportion has gradually increased in all municipalities at the expense of green space areas as a result of rapid demographic pressure coupled with a lack of an appropriate program for their preservation. In terms of pattern dynamics, green space extent has been dominated by attrition, fragmentation and dissection processes. This is opposed to creation and aggregation which characterized built-up areas. Our observations emphasize the need for a sustainable management of green spaces that takes into account the socio-economic context of each municipality.

Introduction: the WHO Regional Office for Africa developed an evidence-based tool, called the Dalberg tool to guide the functional review and restructuring of the workforce and management of the country offices to better fit the health priorities of Member States.

INRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is the commonest gynaecological malignancy and the second most common cancer among women worldwide. Several epidemiological, clinical and molecular studies have strongly implicated oncogenic high-risk human papillomavirus infection in the aetiopathogenesis of cervical cancer. The objectives of this study were to determine the cervical HPV prevalence and genotype distribution in cervical cancer in Maiduguri, Nigeria.

Background: In sub-Saharan African countries, women face a high risk of obstetric fistulas. In Malawi, the prevalence rate is 1 per 1000 women. Studies suggest that several obstacles exist that prevent obstetric fistula patients from getting timely treatment for their condition. Aim: The aim of this article was to find out the factors that delay the timely treatment of obstetric fistula patients at Malawian hospitals. Setting: The study was conducted at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, a referral hospital, situated in Blantyre, Malawi, and the findings have been generalised to all the hospitals in Malawi. Methods: An exploratory case study, employing key interview questions, was used to provide insights into why there are delays in providing treatment and care for fistula patients. Purposive sampling technique was used to identify study respondents. Key informant interviews were conducted with 16 health care personnel at a hospital in Malawi. Results: The presence of numerous cases of complicated obstetric fistula cases overwhelms the health care system in Malawi. In addition, the severe shortage of staff, lack of obstetric fistula surgery training, low staff morale, inadequate infrastructure or equipment and water scarcity in the city of Blantyre contribute towards delayed treatment of fistulas at the hospitals. Conclusion: The presence of numerous cases of obstetric fistulas is overwhelming health services, and hence there is a need for devising and implementing health policies that will motivate Malawian health personnel to undertake obstetric fistula surgery and care.

The optical performance of the perovskite materials is enhanced through material optimization. This work seeks to establish the role of antisolvent and additive with new material composition on light absorption property. Due to this composition we extended the wavelengths to near Infrared range which is a suitable property for photovoltaic device. From the features of the film, optical parameters, together with anti-stoke shift and dielectric constant were calculated using Cauchy dispersion formalism. Based on our results, dielectric constant which is considered as a design parameter for photovoltaic cell and an unusual anti-stoke shift were observed. In sum, the optical properties are tied to material composition, morphology and technique used.

This paper describes how to use Deform-3D software to create a turning process model that can be used to simulate the turning on AISI 1025 carbon steel and Al6061 billets in industrial and automotive applications. The Deform-3D Software is used to build a 3D Finite Element turning model. Pre-processing, Simulation, and Post-processing are all modules that can be used to simulate. Tool and workpiece information, as well as appropriate necessary parameters, were taken into account in the software’s Pre Processing module. Simulation was performed at two different rotational speeds for two different materials using with and without titanium nitride coated tungsten carbide tool. After 1000 steps of simulation, results such as damage, effective strain, effective stress, total velocity, total displacement, and Temperature are reported from the Post Processing module. From results, comparative analysis will be carried out on performance characteristics at different rotational speeds. During the turning process, to accurately predict metal removal Deform 3D software is used for finite element simulation.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes is becoming a public health burden for sub-Saharan countries due to its prevalence which is growing rapidly. Traditional medicine is more and more used to treat diabetes in RD Congo as well as in other African countries. This study was undertaken in order to list plants used in the management of diabetes by traditional healers in four agglomerations of southern area of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo. METHODS: forty-nine traditional healers were randomly met and interviewed about diabetes treatment in traditional medicine. The survey concerned the plant identification, their part used, method of preparation and the route of administration. The inquest concerned also traditional medicine users. RESULTS: Ninety-five plants from 47 families were indicated as antidiabetic. Fabaceae (24.2%), Euphorbiaceae (7.4%), Apocynaceae and Strychnaceae (4.2 each) are the more representative families. This inventory showed that the root is the most used part of the cited plants, the decoction with water as the main preparation method and the oral administration as the principal way to give antidiabetic traditional formulations.

Sub-Saharan African countries have been continually searching for opportunities to transform their economic fortune. Among the central components for the envisioned transformation is the development of viable securities markets. These countries envision that the increasing demand for domestic and foreign capital can be satisfied by robust securities markets in terms of operation and control of insider trading practices. However, this objective may not be attained where the securities business is fouled with insider trading practices without adequate legal regime to counter such practices. In this era where the Tanzanian capital market is exposed to international investment and the need to boost its economy, regulation of such market in terms of insider trading practices is of utmost importance. This article is aimed at analysing the adequacy of the Capital Markets and Securities Act of 1994 and its regulations in combating insider trading practices for companies listed in the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange. From the discussion in this article, it is clear that the legal framework on insider trading in Tanzania is characterized by gaps, duplications, and ambiguities. At the end of the article it is concluded that, such legal regime is not adequate in combating insider trading practices in the stock market in Tanzania, thus amendment of the law is considered necessary. This work intends to shed light on insider trading and the importance of regulation for such offence.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertension often referred to as Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Causes of hypertension are classified into modifiable and non-modifiable factors. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and other associated factors leading to the onset of hypertension among employees working at the call center. METHODS: this was a descriptive cross sectional study design. Data collection was done in two parts; part one comprised of clinical health assessments; weight and height to aid determine Body Mass Index and blood pressure measurement. Part two was by self-administered questionnaires to participants to aid identify behavioral risk factors and further elicit lifestyle practices. Data was collected from a sample population of 370 respondents. Descriptive statistical analysis was applied in univariate analysis. Further analysis included bivariate and multiple regression analysis; Odds Ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to determine the strength of association. RESULTS: the proportion of hypertension was significantly higher among overweight respondents (32.7%) (OR= 11.55; 95% CI= 4.44-30.07; P = 0.001) and obese respondents (60.2%) (OR= 36.02; 95% CI= 13.43-96.60; P = 0.001) compared to those respondents who were within normal range of weight (4.0%). Nine (9) factors that were associated with hypertension at bivariate analysis (P = 0.05) were all subjected to a multiple regression analysis or reduced model where four factors remained in the final analysis. Respondents who were classified as overweight had 10.6 times likelihood developing hypertension compared to those respondents with normal weight (AOR= 10.61; 95%CI= 3.98-28.32; P = 0.001). Likewise, obese respondents were 43.6 fold more likely to develop hypertension compared to those respondents within normal range of weight [OR=43.68; 95%CI=15.24-125.16; P=0.001]. Respondents not trying to reduce fat in their diet were highly predisposed having hypertension at (AOR=2.44; 95% CI=1.20-4.96; P= 0.014) than respondents who always tried to reduce fat in their diet. Respondents who sometimes engage on more physical exercises were 2.2 times likely to develop hypertension (AOR=2.22; 95%CI= 1.20-4.10; P= 0.011) compared to those who always engaged in more physical exercises. Respondents with parenting issues were about twice as likely to have hypertension (AOR= 2.15; 95% CI: 1.23-3.74; P= 0.007) than parents who did not have parenting issues. CONCLUSION: this study depicts rising cases of hypertension and an alarming rate of pre-hypertension among the working population. This vary based on the age, obesity, parental responsibility, unhealthy diet and lack of or reduced physical activity. These call for strategic interventions and greater emphasis on health promotion programs at the workplace alongside staff empowerment towards health seeking behaviors.

During the electromechanical converters operation in the composition of the working sets, objects parameters can change both under the influence of external factors, such as changes in the environmental characteristics, and due to parametric disturbances caused by changes of the physical characteristics of electromechanical converters elements. In this regard, the analysis and monitoring of electromechanical converters parameters is an important task. The article deals with a method that allows to ensure control over the operation of electromechanical converters during operation as part of working sets, based on variations analysis of the object parameters. The article provides a linear integral criterion computational scheme using the reference and sensitivity models to the parameters to be analyzed. The results provide a good way to estimate changes of the electromechanical converters parameters with the required accuracy.

There are only a few reports on supernumerary kidney However, its discovery being difficult in places where diagnostic facilities are not easily accessible. We present a case of A 9 year old girl with a congenital malformation and supernumerary kidney at right upper pole of the right kidney with a mega urethra in which there is pus. The main complaint was a mild, persistent lower abdominal pain associated with virginal reflux. Urine analysis and culture as well as serum blood values were within normal limits. The diagnosis of visceral malformations, particularly a supernumerary kidney is not easy, especially in an environment where diagnostic facilities are not easily accessible.

INTRODUCTION: gastric cancer is one of the major causes of cancer related deaths, but data from sub-Saharan Africa are very scanty. The cancer genome atlas (TCGA) initiative confirmed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) related cancer as a distinct subtype, and we set out to look for serological evidence of its role in a sub-Saharan African patient group. METHODS: we used stored serum samples obtained from a gastric cancer case-control study conducted between 2010 and 2012 in Lusaka, Zambia. A total of 147 patients were included with 51 gastric adenocarcinoma cases and 96 age and sex matched controls. The presence of antibodies to EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1) and early antigen (EA) was determined using commercially available ELISA kits. Data were analysed in STATA Stata Corp, College Station TX. RESULTS: over 90% of all the samples analysed were positive for antibodies to EBNA-1. The presence of antibodies to EBV EA was significantly higher in gastric cancer cases than in controls, (OR 4.38; 95% CI 1.53-13.06, P=0.0027), with an attributable risk of 23%. HIV infection was also associated with EBV EA seroprevalence (OR 10.97; 95% CI 2.26 -13.06, P=0.001) but not EBNA-1 (OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.10 -38.75, P=0.596). There was no association of EBV infection with age below 45 years, Helicobacter pylori infection, intestinal metaplasia, gastric atrophy or inflammation. CONCLUSION: we therefore conclude that EBV exposure is common among Zambian adults and that EBV EA seropositivity is associated with gastric cancer and HIV infection, but not premalignant lesions.

With over 50 million students, Indonesia has the fourth largest education system in the world. The first twelve years of education are compulsory for all citizens. The students, together with over 3 million teachers spend six (or five in some cases) days a week at over 300,000 schools, typically from 6:30 AM to 2 (or 3) PM. Geographically, Indonesia is traversed by the infamous “ring of fire” and prone to natural events resulting from the tectonic plate movements of the Australian Plate from the South, the Eurasian and Sunda Plates from the North and the Philippine Plate from the East. Left unmitigated, these natural events would lead to natural disasters emanating from resulting earthquakes and leading to tsunamis, landslides, the collapse of building structures and failure of lifelines (roads, pipelines, electrical grid, etc.). In an effort to provide disaster-safe schools, the National Agency for Disaster Management has required that school facilities be a community center in case of disasters and serve as emergency shelters. Retrofit of existing buildings will be needed to comply with government guidelines. This paper presents a case study of the determination of structural deficiencies of an existing school building in SDN 42 Korong Gadang, Padang, West Sumatra and implementation of a seismic retrofit (design and construction) at the same building to mitigate potential earthquake disaster.