scholarly journals Utilization of Spider Plants (Gynandropsis gynandra, L. Briq) amongst Farming Households and Consumers of Northern Namibia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6604
Author(s):  
Barthlomew Yonas Chataika ◽  
Levi Shadeya-Mudogo Akundabweni ◽  
Enoch G. Achigan-Dako ◽  
Julia Sibiya ◽  
Kingdom Kwapata
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Open Market ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Medicinal Use ◽  
Gynandropsis Gynandra ◽  
Farming Households ◽  
Selection Of

Spider plants (Gynandropsis gynandra, L. Briq.) are a semi-wild vegetable reported to have high nutritional, medicinal, insecticidal, and cultural values, yet continue to be neglected in research. The study was undertaken to investigate indigenous knowledge and utilization of the species in five regions of northern Namibia. Three tools were used; (i) focus group discussion, (ii) semi-structured interviews involving a random selection of 100 farming households and 24 consumers, and (iii) key informant interviews involving four agricultural staff and two open-market supervisors. Data were subjected to descriptive statistics, inferential, and cluster analyses. The study found that farming households and consumers placed higher nutritional, sociocultural, and medicinal values in spider plants than any other vegetable. Ranking of utilization traits, such as nutritional, sociocultural, and medicinal use, revealed three clusters of sociolinguistic groups associated with geographical region. The vegetable was sold and used in most cultural, traditional, and religious functions as a relish, as a source of honor, to bring luck, and for protection. The diverse uses and value placed on spider plants could offer an opportunity for the development of technologies for enhancing their domestication, production, and utilization. It is recommended that follow-up studies be carried to identify specific sociocultural and geographic factors affecting the use of spider plants.

scholarly journals Diversity and Domestication Status of Spider Plant (Gynandropsis gynandra, L.) amongst Sociolinguistic Groups of Northern Namibia

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barthlomew Chataika ◽  
Levi Akundabweni ◽  
Enoch G. Achigan-Dako ◽  
Julia Sibiya ◽  
Kingdom Kwapata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Organic Manure ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Plant Abundance ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Gynandropsis Gynandra ◽  
Spider Plant ◽  
Farming Households

Knowledge on the diversity and domestication levels of the spider plant (Gynandropsis gynandra) has the potential to affect pre-breeding for client-preferred traits, yet information is scarce in Namibia due to limited research. We investigated indigenous knowledge on the species diversity and domestication levels in the regions of Kavango West, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana, and Oshikoto of northern Namibia. Semi-structured interviews involving 100 randomly selected farming households, four key informant interviews, and a focus group discussion were conducted. Descriptive and chi-square tests were conducted using IBM SPSS version 20. Out of the possible four morphotypes, the results suggested that only one with green stem and green petiole existed and was associated with soils rich in organic manure. Spider plant abundance was reported to be on the decline, due to declining soil fertility. On a scale of 0 (wild species) to 6 (highest level of domestication), an index of 1.56 was found and this implied very low domestication levels. Furthermore, the study found significant differences in the trends of domestication across the sociolinguistic groups (χ2 (12, N = 98) = 46.9, p < 0.001) and regions studied (χ2 (12, N = 100) = 47.8, p < 0.001), suggesting cultural and geographical influences. In conclusion, the findings constituted an important precedent for guiding subsequent pre-breeding efforts.

Factors Affecting Dental Attendance following Treatment for Dental Anxiety in Primary Dental Care

2001 ◽  
Vol os8 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne-Marie Dailey ◽  
Alex N Crawford ◽  
Gerry Humphris ◽  
Michael A Lennon
Keyword(s):  
Dental Care ◽  
Dental Anxiety ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Community Clinic ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Dental Attendance ◽  
General Dental Practitioner ◽  
Mean Time

Aim To explore factors affecting patients’ dental attendance behaviour following referral from a dental anxiety clinic to a general dental practitioner. Design A four-year follow up of patients who completed a course of treatment for dental anxiety by conducting semi-structured interviews, face-to-face or by telephone, with confirmation of dental attendance from the dental records. Subjects Forty-one patients who had completed a course of treatment for dental anxiety, in a specially designed community clinic. Mean time since last dental visit before treatment was 7.8 years (range 0.5–29). Results Twenty-three patients were successfully followed up and 11 (47%) were receiving regular asymptomatic dental care. The dental anxiety scores of those who subsequently became asymptomatic attenders were significantly lower at follow-up than the patients who became symptomatic attenders (P=0.01). Effective dentist-patient communication was a common theme of the interviews. Conclusions At four-year follow-up, dental anxiety was substantially lower in those who subsequently became asymptomatic attenders than those who became symptomatic attenders. A positive dentist-patient relationship had developed with the asymptomatic attenders.

Artificial Neural Network for Enhancing Selection of Pavement Maintenance Strategy

2000 ◽  
Vol 1699 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashraf M. Abdelrahim ◽  
K.P. George
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Artificial Neural Network ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Maintenance Strategy ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Pavement Maintenance ◽  
Out Of Sample ◽  
Artificial Neural ◽  
Hidden Layer ◽  
Selection Of

In the selection of an economical treatment for rehabilitation of a deteriorated pavement section, decision makers usually encounter various situations. Factors affecting selection of a flexible pavement maintenance strategy may include distress conditions, traffic volume, and road class, among others. Traditionally engineers make their selection on the basis of their experience and judgment and past maintenance data. Experts’ judgments are usually compromised in a group discussion to construct decision trees or decision matrices or even to develop knowledge-based expert systems. An artificial neural network is known to be an efficient technique for selection of an appropriate maintenance strategy. A genetic adaptive neural network training algorithm with a single hidden layer and sigmoid squashing function constitutes the network. The input vector represents the factors affecting maintenance strategy selection, and the output vector represents the appropriate maintenance strategy. A set of examples is derived from experts’ judgments with a total of 144 cases randomly divided into “in-sample” and “out-of-sample” data for training and testing purposes, respectively. The trained network successfully predicted 83 percent of the test cases. The remaining 17 percent of cases were one or two levels away from the expert judgments used in network testing. Neural networks provide an efficient and optimum solution for such complex problems with the added advantage of faster implementation and easier updating than with other traditional techniques.

scholarly journals Doctors’ views of disulfiram and their response to relapse in alcohol-dependent patients, Free State, 2009

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina M. Van Zyl
Keyword(s):  
Free State ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Level Of Motivation ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
External Motivation

Background: Disulfiram is the oldest and best known drug to prevent relapse after detoxification from alcohol. Effective use of the drug is dependent on stringent monitoring and high levels of external motivation. Doctors’ perceptions about the drug have not been investigated extensively.Aim: We investigated the perceptions and practices of doctors involved in relapse prevention in alcoholics with regard to disulfiram and their response to relapse.Setting: The study population consisted of 60 doctors from the Free State Province, involved in the follow-up of alcoholics across various work settings.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used, and data collection involved the use of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results are presented in figures and percentages to provide a background for the qualitative findings that are clustered in themes.Results: A quarter of participants did not prescribe disulfiram, another quarter prescribed disulfiram routinely after detoxification, and half of them prescribed it for selected cases only. Subject to affordability, selection of disulfiram was mainly determined by the perceived level of the patient’s motivation. External motivation sometimes took the form of threats of bodily harm or death caused by drinking. Some participants regarded relapse as confirmation of poor motivation and even a valid reason for terminating the doctor-patient relationship.Conclusion: Doctors perceive disulfiram as a psychological tool to induce motivation through creating fear of drinking. Failure and success are perceived as related to the level of motivation. These perceptions could be unfair as biological factors in inter-patient variability in response are ignored.

Criteria for selecting partner cities in a national-level resilience network

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elrasheid Elkhidir ◽  
Sandeeka Mannakkara ◽  
Suzanne Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
National Level ◽  
Study Data ◽  
City Size ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish the factors affecting the selection of a suitable partner city for resilience building at the national level. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory sequential research was adopted using New Zealand as a case study. Data were collected through focus groups and semi-structured interviews and subsequently validated through an online survey. Findings The study confirmed that the criteria for selecting partner cities for collaboration and knowledge sharing on resilience were similarity of hazards, geographic proximity, city resources and priorities, resilience performance, city size and demographics, previous relationship, willingness to collaborate and similar industries. Practical implications The findings of this paper will help guide cities that are interested in developing national-level resilience partnerships through the process of selecting the most suitable partner cities. Originality/value Despite the existence of international intercity resilience networks, there is a lack of information on the criteria affecting the selection of suitable resilience partner cities at the national level. This paper addresses this gap and offers informed decision-making criteria for cities to consider.

scholarly journals The Interaction between Industries and Executive Agencies (The Department of Environment and Administration of Economic and Finance) to Reduce Pollution: A Qualitative Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Pakdaman ◽  
Samaneh Khademi ◽  
Mohammad Taghi Ghaneian ◽  
Hosien Zareian ◽  
Mohammad Hassan Ehrampoush ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Environmental Laws ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Content Analysis Method ◽  
Incentive Policies ◽  
Executive Agencies ◽  
Culture Development ◽  
Selection Of

Introduction: Nowadays, the appropriate selection of environmental instruments is considered a political priority in most countries. Given that one of the most important environmental tools in recent years to counteract industrial pollution has been levying green tax on polluting industries, the present study aims to identify interactive factors affecting the enforcement of green taxes between executive agencies [Department of Environment and Administration of Economic and Finance] and industries to reduce pollution. Materials and Methods: In this qualitative study, 13 participants from the DOE, MEFA and Deputy of Industries’ Affairs of Yazd were selected by purposive and snowball sampling. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and then analyzed in the MAXQDA10 software by content analysis method. Results: From our data analysis, two main categories executive organizations and industries were drawn, which included 8 sub-categories tax justice, tax culture development, tax determination and tax collection, weak tax systems, tax laws, tax penalties, tax incentives and adoption of an environmental framework by the industry. Conclusion: Reforming the environmental laws, approaches and policies, emphasizing education to develop the culture of tax payment, avoiding unilateralism in enforcing environmental policies and enhancing incentive policies seem essential.

scholarly journals Determining the risk of predator attacks around protected areas: the case of Bardia National Park, Nepal

Oryx ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 670-677
Author(s):  
Subodh K. Upadhyaya ◽  
C.J.M. Musters ◽  
Babu Ram Lamichhane ◽  
Geert R. De Snoo ◽  
Maheshwar Dhakal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
National Park ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Conservation Attitudes ◽  
Northern Sector

AbstractIn this study we determined the probability of predator attacks on livestock around Bardia National Park, Nepal. We conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the patterns and factors affecting livestock losses in four administrative sectors of the Park's buffer zone. We developed models to investigate the overall probability of livestock loss, economic damage caused, and the respondents’ attitudes towards wildlife. The probability of leopard attacks on livestock was much higher (85% of all livestock lost to depredation) than that of tiger attacks (8%), and the northern sector experienced the highest loss of livestock (50% modelled probability of livestock loss) in the buffer zone. Livestock loss was significantly related to the number of livestock owned by respondents, their ethnic group, and village distance to the Park boundary. Economic damage was influenced by buffer zone sector, number of livestock owned, and distance to the Park boundary. Conservation attitudes depended on respondents’ knowledge of wildlife, levels of education and self-sufficiency, and the probability of livestock being killed by leopards. Respondents who were male, highly educated and self-sufficient were most likely to support conservation. Tigers are tolerated based on religious beliefs, and these cultural values, together with the sharing of conservation benefits, facilitate conservation. Leopards, however, are not tolerated in the same way and are the most damaging predators.

Negotiating hygiene and sanitary behaviors in transnational contexts: examples of Nigerians in the UK

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel M. Akpabio
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Important Data ◽  
Behavioral Challenges ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Good Hygiene

The paper seeks to understand the extent to which hygiene and sanitary attitudes/practices are reproduced in transnational contexts using examples of Nigerians in the UK. In-depth and semi-structured interviews, participant interaction, secondary resources, follow-up interviews and informant discussions were important data sources. Issues discussed in this paper incorporate hand, body, dental, food and domestic hygiene and sanitary matters. The results show that not much has changed in hygiene and sanitary behaviors of the respondents despite having changed the environment and contexts of livelihood activities. The modest, recorded improvements in some behaviors can be attributed to the presence of basic infrastructures and services that unavoidably influence their utilization for some respondents. The paper argues that people do not necessarily aim for good hygiene and sanitary behaviors for health reasons as much as moral, social and certain cultural values. The desire to look good, be clean, eliminate discomfort, avoid bad bodily odor and gain social acceptance were the underlying driving reasons for sustaining good hygiene and sanitary living; health concerns were less important. Key elements of these findings hold practical prospects for addressing the hygiene and sanitary behavioral challenges for developing countries.

scholarly journals Factors affecting the success of internationally awarded Turkish chefs

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 2409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serdar Eren ◽  
Osman Güldemir
Keyword(s):  
Career Success ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The Past ◽  
Award Winning ◽  
Creativity And Innovation ◽  
Selection Of

IntroductionOver the past few decades restaurant business has boomed in Turkey. New styles and techniques are implemented to cuisine and chefs became more equipped in terms of skills and knowledge. However, there is a lack of a number of awarded Turkish chefs known in the international arena. Purpose:This paper tries to identify the operational and cultural factors related to the absence of Turkish chefs and restaurants in the culinary world.  The importance of this research is to analyze the reasons behind the success of Turkish award-winning chefs to help the young willing Turkish chefs throughout their career success paths to International Arena.Method and material: Semi-structured interviews are conducted with the award-winning Turkish chefs. The data gathered from the interviews are analyzed through the categorization of the factors previously found from the literature. Findings are discussed in this manner.Results and Discussion:Chefs’ philosophies which shape the concepts of their restaurants is the most important factor for success, the philosophy also triggers the creativity and innovation. Selection of products and employee in terms of the availability, quality, and sustainability is another important factor. Most of the chefs are having a struggle in costs and pricing since this factor mostly relies on the cultural profile of the customers.

scholarly journals Formative qualitative research to develop community-based interventions addressing low birth weight in the plains of Nepal

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Morrison ◽  
Sophiya Dulal ◽  
Helen Harris-Fry ◽  
Machhindra Basnet ◽  
Neha Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Based Interventions ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Household Decision

AbstractObjectiveTo explore the factors affecting intra-household food allocation practices to inform the development of interventions to prevent low birth weight in rural plains of Nepal.DesignQualitative methodology using purposive sampling to explore the barriers and facilitating factors to improved maternal nutrition.SettingRural Dhanusha District, Nepal.SubjectsWe purposively sampled twenty-five young daughters-in-law from marginalised groups living in extended families and conducted semi-structured interviews with them. We also conducted one focus group discussion with men and one with female community health volunteers who were mothers-in-law.ResultsGender and age hierarchies were important in household decision making. The mother-in-law was responsible for ensuring that a meal was provided to productive household members. The youngest daughter-in-law usually cooked last and ate less than other family members, and showed respect for other family members by cooking only when permitted and deferring to others’ choice of food. There were limited opportunities for these women to snack between main meals. Daughters-in-law’ movement outside the household was restricted and therefore family members perceived that their nutritional need was less. Poverty affected food choice and families considered cost before nutritional value.ConclusionsIt is important to work with the whole household, particularly mothers-in-law, to improve maternal nutrition. We present five barriers to behaviour change: poverty; lack of knowledge about cheap nutritional food, the value of snacking, and cheap nutritional food that does not require cooking; sharing food; lack of self-confidence; and deference to household guardians. We discuss how we have targeted our interventions to develop knowledge, discuss strategies to overcome barriers, engage mothers-in-law, and build the confidence and social support networks of pregnant women.

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