Availability Of Sufficient Quantities Research Articles

Landscape analysis of healthcare workforce and resilience actions in the Sahelian context of high security challenge areas: The case of Burkina Faso.

Access to health services is a major challenge in developing countries in general, particularly those affected by insecurity. The availability of sufficient quantity and quality of equitably distributed healthcare workforce is a major obstacle, yet it is an essential pillar of an effective and efficient national health system. Burkina Faso, similar to other countries in the Sahel, has been affected by an unprecedented security crisis that has severely tested the functionality of health facilities and the availability of healthcare workforce. To describe the landscape of healthcare workforce and to analyse the actions taken by the government and other stakeholders to improve the resilience of the system and the retention of healthcare workers in the context of major security challenges. This is a transversal, descriptive and analytical study carried out in Burkina Faso in 2023 through a documentary review, analyses of databases collected from health districts and regional directorates, focus groups and a national triangulation workshop with key informants. The study shows that, with the closure and minimal functioning of certain health facilities in security-challenged areas, healthcare workforceare concentrated in the urban areas of regional and district capitals, to the detriment of rural areas. Some staff become in an irregular situation regarding the administration. To strengthen resilience to the crisis, the main solutions have been implemented: (i) enhancing the community platform with the recruitment of 15,000 community-based health volunteers, (ii) delegating tasks to community health agents, (iii) simplified approaches, (iv) advanced health posts and mobile clinics, (v) redeployment to the most stable structures, (vi) thinking about legislation in crisis situations. Community resilience through the delegation of tasks to community-based health workers and strengthening of the community health platform has helped ensure the continuity of care in insecure areas. However, the optimization of innovative and attractive strategies will further improve the retention and return of healthcare workers in rural areas affected.

The Effect of Feed Protein Levels on The Growth of Kissing Gourami (Helostoma temminckii)

Kissing gourami culture has begun to be developed to reduce the dependence on natural catches. Many factors that are influence fish culture. One of those is the availability of sufficient quantity and quality feed. Protein is an important nutrient that supports fish growth and affects feed prices. The protein requirement for each fish needs to be known as a basis for formulating feed. This research aims to determine the optimum feed protein level for kissing gourami. This study used a completely randomized design with five treatments and three replications. The treatment given is different levels of feed protein, consisting of 25% (P0), 30% (P1), 35% (P2), 40% (P3), and 45% (P4). The result showed that feed protein level 35% (P2) gave the best result for kissing gourami which resulted a absolute weight growth of 0.45 g, absolute length growth of 0.24 cm, protein efficiency ratio of 0.49, and feed efficiency of 17.11%.

Techno-Economic Analysis of a Hydrogen Production and Storage System for the On-Site Fuel Supply of Hydrogen-Fired Gas Turbines

Abstract Hydrogen-fired gas turbines have the potential to play an important role in future CO2-neutral energy and industry sectors. A prerequisite for the operation of hydrogen-fired gas turbines is the availability of sufficient quantities of hydrogen. The combination of electrolysis and renewable power generation is currently considered the most relevant pathway for the large-scale production of CO2-neutral hydrogen. Regarding the fuel supply of hydrogen-fired gas turbines, this pathway is associated with various technical and economic challenges. This applies in particular to configurations in which electrolyzers and hydrogen storage capacities are installed directly at gas turbine sites to avoid hydrogen transport. Considering an exemplary system configuration, this study extends prior model-based investigations by focusing on the economic viability of the on-site fuel supply of hydrogen-fired gas turbines. The impact of various design parameters and operational strategies is analyzed using the levelized cost of hydrogen as the main economic indicator. The study reveals that the investigated on-site hydrogen production is not economically viable within the current (2019) framework of the German energy sector. Assuming the extensive availability of renewable power generation in the long-term, additional investigations indicate that on-site hydrogen production and storage systems for gas turbines could potentially become economically viable if various advantageous conditions are met. These conditions include a sufficient availability of inexpensive renewable power for the operation of electrolyzers as well as a sufficient utilization of on-site hydrogen storage capacities to justify corresponding capital expenditures.

Evaluating satellite-based evapotranspiration estimates for hydrological applications in data-scarce regions: A case in Ethiopia

Water resource development opens up opportunities for improving smallholder farmer livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa; however, implementation of water resource interventions to ensure sustainability hinges on the availability of sufficient quantity and quality data for monitoring, analysis and planning. Such data is often acquired through instrumentation of water resources (e.g. stream flow monitoring) or the use of hydrological models. In sub-Saharan Africa, data scarcity has limited the ability to monitor and make appropriate decisions for water resource allocation and use. Data derived from remote sensing has been considered a viable option to fill this gap; however, there is limited research in the region that evaluate the quality of the remotely sensed based datasets. This study evaluated actual evapotranspiration (AET) estimates derived from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR AET) images and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MOD16 AET) images using estimates from a grid-based Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The SWAT model was set up for the entire country of Ethiopia, and calibrated and validated using observed streamflow at several meso-scale watersheds in which satisfactory model performance was obtained. AET estimates from the calibrated and validated SWAT model were then used to evaluate remotely sensed based AET for three landscapes. The AVHRR AET better agreed with the SWAT-simulated AET than the MOD16 AET, although the AVHRR AET overestimated the SWAT-simulated AET in all of the landscapes. Both remotely sensed AET products showed better agreement with the SWAT-simulated AET over agriculture dominated landscapes compared to grassland and forest dominated landscapes. The findings of the study suggest that remotely sensed based AET may help to fine-tune hydrological models in agricultural landscapes in data-scarce regions to improve studies on the impacts of water management interventions aiming to ensure environmental sustainability while enhancing agricultural production, and household income and nutrition.

Procurement in Short Supply Chains: Lessons Learned from the Tourism Industry

Purpose: This paper explores the procurement management strategies adopted in 100 five-star hotels operating in a highly touristic area in South Greece. The study identifies and discusses the benefits and the challenges of managing short supply chains in the selected region. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative data were gathered by using a questionnaire with 16 closed-ended and 3 open-ended questions. The sample included the Managing Directors and some Administrators. The questionnaire was filled in between April 2017 and June of the same year. Findings: The majority of the respondents prefer to do business with local suppliers for a variety of reasons, the most important being the boost of local economy and immediate delivery which improves response time. High prices of local products and the availability of sufficient quantities were found the main concerns for the smooth running of operations. Research limitations/implications: The research uses data from two prefectures of Crete; a wider sample including other prefectures in Greece and in South Europe would provide a more holistic view on the effectiveness of short food supply chains. Originality/value: This paper makes a contribution by examining how short supply chains can be developed in local economies. This paper explores the procurement management strategies adopted in 100 five-star hotels operating in a highly touristic area in South Greece. The study identifies and discusses the benefits and the challenges of managing short supply chains in the selected region. The majority of the respondents prefer to do business with local suppliers for a variety of reasons, the most important being the boost of local economy and immediate delivery which improves response time. High prices of local products and the availability of sufficient quantities were found the main concerns for the smooth running of operations. Supplier selection criteria are also discussed.

In Vitro Rooting and Acclimatization of Micropropagated Elite Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.)Genotypes - N52 and N53

Availability of sufficient quantity and quality of sugarcane planting materials from conventional seed source is one of the major challenges in the Ethiopian sugar estates. To circumvent this challenge, tissue culture technology is found to be the best alternative for which in vitro propagation protocol is a key pre-request. Thus, the present study was aimed to optimize protocol for in vitro rooting and acclimatization of two elite sugarcane genotypes i.e., N52 and N53. Experiments were laid out in a completely randomized design with factorial treatment arrangements. Half strength MS liquid media supplemented with combination of Sucrose (0, 40, 50, 60 and 70 g/l) and NAA (0,3,5 and 7 mg/l) along with two sugarcane genotypes (N52, N53) were used for rooting while substrate containing sand, soil and farmyard manure in six different ratios (1:1:0, 1:1:1, 1:2:1, 2:1:1, 1:1:2 and 1:2:0) were used for acclimatization. With regard to in vitro rooting, ½ strength liquid MS medium + 50 g/l sucrose + 3 mg/l NAA induced the highest rooting (100%) with 23.5 ± 1.29 average root number per shoot and 4.95 cm ± 0.06 cm root length in genotype N52 while 5 mg/l NAA + 50 g/l sucrose induced the highest (100%) rooting response with an average of 21.76 ± 0.57 root number per shoot with 4.54 cm ± 0.06 cm root length in sugarcane genotype N53. In acclimatization, best survival rate (94% in N52 and 100% in N53) was achieved on substrate mixtures containing sand + soil in 1:1: ratios. Thus, it can be deduced that this protocol can be used successfully for in vitro rooting and acclimatization of these genotypes.

Indirect Organogenesis inEclipta prostrata(L.) L.

Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. is now emerging as an economically valuable crop due to its utilization in the preparation of a wide array of industrial products. Availability of sufficient quantity of quality planting material of Eclipta can encourage its wide spread cultivation and production of desired plant raw materials for drug preparation by the pharmaceutical industries. Hence development of an optimized rapid micropropagation technology is essential to ensure the bulk production of ready to grow Eclipta plantlets.

Cross-sectoral Approaches Help Build Water Resilience – Reflections

Future challenges for the planet includes e.g. population growth, climate change and urbanisation. The combined pressure from these and other processes on water, energy and ecosystem services call for cross-sectoral approaches to increase the resilience of society, with particular aim to reduce hydro-climatic hazards and secure water availability of sufficient quantity and quality. In the global strife to achieve this water resilience, we pinpoint four strategies of pivotal importance. These are: 1) to ensure sustainable utilisation of ecosystems and their services; 2) to ensure that interventions for increased resilience are tailor-made to local conditions; 3) to broaden livelihood opportunities in order to make income-generating activities less dependent on only one sector or resource; and 4) to facilitate interactions between rural and urban areas and processes. Although the challenges mentioned are largely human induced, the power to address these are also within human reach. It is only if we properly facilitate work building on the linkages between humans and the environment that we can enhance water resilience.

MICROCOSM TESTING OF MUNICIPAL SEWAGE AND GREEN WASTE FOR FULL-SCALE REMEDIATION OF AN ACID COAL PIT LAKE, IN SEMI-ARID TROPICAL AUSTRALIA

Pit lakes (abandoned flooded mine pits) represent a potentially valuable water resource to mining companies, the environment and regional communities across arid inland Australia. However, the water is often of low pH with high dissolved metal concentrations. The addition of organic matter to the pit lakes to enhance microbial sulfate reduction is potentially a cost effective and sustainable remediation strategy for these acid waters. However, the cost and availability of sufficient quantities of suitable organic substrates is typically limiting in these remote regions. Nevertheless, small quantities of sewage and green waste (organic garden waste) are often available in these areas from the regional towns which support the mines. This paper reports on preliminary microcosm laboratory experiments in preparation for the treatment of an acid (pH 2.2) coal mine pit lake in semi-arid tropical, inland north Queensland, Australia with municipal treated sewage and green waste. A laboratory experiment using microcosms (acrylic tubes) containing acid pit lake water and sediment were treated as follows; controls (untreated), sewage, green waste and sewage and green waste. The pH increased to a maximum of 5.5 in 145 days in the green waste and sewage treatment, with notable decreases of iron, aluminium and toxic heavy metals. Our results indicated that the green waste was a key component in alkalinity production and heavy metal removal.

422. Optimization of AAV Vector Production by Transient Transfection

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors hold promise for human gene therapy. Although most preclinical studies and current phase I clinical trials use vectors derived from rAAV serotype 2, other serotypes have been identified which transduce certain cell types more efficiently. The availability of sufficient quantity and quality of rAAV vectors is a key element in obtaining reliable and reproducible data and is essential for the transition to human clinical trials. Furthermore, to allow a fair comparison of the transduction efficiencies of rAAV vectors of different serotypes in vitro and in vivo, their quality and purity should be similar. This stresses the need for a universal purification method for different AAV serotypes. The aim of this study was to develop such a method, making use of single-domain antibody fragments from species of Camelidae. These antibodies have excellent binding characteristics, unusual high physical and thermal stability due to their single domain nature, and are efficiently produced in S.cerevisiae. A single domain antibody fragment with affinity for rAAV2 was selected from a naive Llama phage library. The selected antibody fragment was coupled to chromatography resin and displayed high affinity for rAAV vectors pseudotyped with capsids of serotype 1, 2, 3, and 5 when tested in small scale chromatography experiments. These results indicated that the single chain antibody fragment recognized a conserved epitope in the capsid proteins of these serotypes. The process was further optimized and scaled up to allow purification of clinical grade rAAV1 vector. This resulted in a simple, reproducible, and efficient purification process providing highly purified rAAV1 with recoveries of approximately 50%. Characterization of the purified rAAV1 in vitro and in vivo, demonstrated that this vector induced good levels of transgene expression. From this study we conclude that single domain antibody fragments are extremely powerful for efficient purification of rAAV vectors and will significantly improve the characterization and comparison of rAAV vectors of different serotypes as vectors for gene therapy applications.

The gene: The polymerase chain reaction and its clinical application

Chromosomal DNA transfers and stores information regarding the structure and function of the cell. Genetic information, encoded within sequences of nucleotides that compose DNA, is grouped into functional units called genes. Genetic diseases are caused by changes in the chromosomal DNA, leading to a change in the quantity or function of the protein gene product. In the past, genetic diagnosis was limited by the availability of sufficient quantity and quality of DNA and the absence of an efficient amplification procedure. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), an inexpensive, rapid, and accurate means of amplifying DNA, is already making a major contribution to the diagnostic sciences. PCR techniques have been widely used in diverse applications, including molecular analysis of microbial pathogens, inheritable diseases and syndromes, and neoplasms. The purpose of this article is to 1) Review gene structure and function, 2) review principles of PCR technology and its applications in molecular biology, and 3) discuss an experimental clinical application of PCR to identify novel infectious agents responsible for odontogenic infections. © 2002 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 60:808-815, 2002

Perfused heart studies to investigate lipid metabolism.

The isolated perfused heart preparation is an invaluable model for investigating metabolism in a variety of physiological and pathological states. It avoids confounding systemic factors (e.g. endocrine, metabolic and work load changes) and permits simultaneous measurement of mechanical function. The ability to measure arteriovenous concentration differences across the myocardium and the coronary flow rate, together with the use of radiolabelled substrates, permits assessment of substrate assimilation and disposition of most potential energetic substrates. In the case of lipids, metabolism of non-esterified fatty acids has been extensively investigated in the perfused rat heart, but fatty acids may also be derived from circulating triacylglycerols (TAG) in lipoproteins [chylomicrons, very-low-density-lipoprotein (VLDL)]. TAG requires initial hydrolysis by the endothelial enzyme lipoprotein lipase and hence an intact heart preparation is vital to maintain tissue structural integrity. Chylomicron-TAG utilization and fate (oxidation, tissue-lipid deposition) in isolated working hearts has been studied using chylomicrons obtained from thoracic-duct catheters. However, lack of availability of sufficient quantities of VLDL has hindered examination of their cardiac utilization; the recent development of a technique to produce large quantities of radio-labelled rat VLDL has facilitated these studies and established that VLDL-TAG is an important metabolic substrate for working heart. Results relating to myocardial utilization of VLDL-TAG under varying physiological (lactation) and pathological (endotoxinaemia) conditions will be presented. The putative role of VLDL as a regulator of cardiac lipid metabolism will also be discussed.

Factor concentrates for haemophilia in the developing world.

The success in the management of haemophilia in the last two decades has been predominantly due to the availability of sufficient quantities of safe factor concentrates. Unfortunately, the prohibitive cost of these products has prevented this benefit from being available to the vast majority (approximately 80%) of haemophiliacs living in the developing world. A few developing countries have established facilities for the production of low- to intermediate-purity factor concentrates locally. The infrastructure required to achieve this can be very basic. The experience in South Africa, Thailand, Cuba and Brazil, described herein, shows that this approach provides factor concentrates which are very economical in comparison with more purified commercial products. This has had a major impact on the quality of haemophilia care in these countries. Wide availability of low-cost factor concentrates has made these products accessible to a large number of haemophiliacs and even made home therapy possible. The effort to provide these products results in improvement of the blood transfusion services. This, in turn, contributes to better facilities for patients with other transfusion-dependent diseases and society in general. Installation of small plasma fractionation plants is also a viable option. This not only allows processing of large pools of plasma for greater quantities of factor concentrates but also provides albumin and immunoglobulin. The revenue generated from the sale of the other products has been used to improve and subsidize haemophilia care. It is concluded that local production of intermediate purity factor concentrates in developing countries is absolutely necessary. A well organized transfusion service is required to collect adequate quantities of plasma for fractionation.

The role of cytokines in oncology

The availability of sufficient quantities of recombinant human cytokines and promising preclinical data have led to their introduction into clinical trials. Cytokines have potential as new therapeutic agents in a variety of hematological disorders as well as in solid tumors. Only a few of the still increasing number of these glycoprotein hormones have been studied in humans so far, either as single agents or in combination with chemotherapy and other cytokines. Their clinical effects, beneficial role in supportive care, and use in the treatment of certain cancer patients are reviewed.

Synthesis of Morphine-3-Glucuronide

Abstract Morphine-3-glucuronide [1, morphine-(3β-d-glucopyranosyl)-uronate is a major metabolite of morphine (2a) and heroin (2b) in man and animals.1,2,3 However, due to the lack of the availability of sufficient quantities, the pharmacological and toxicological properties as well as the chemical properties of this metabolite have not been fully evaluated. Yoshimura and co-workers4 reported that 1 could be prepared by the condensation of morphine (2a) with methyl 3,4,5-tri-0-acetyl-lα-bromo-l-deoxy-d-glucopyranuronate (3) in an aqueous sodium hydroxide-acetone mixture.