Cement Floor Research Articles

Influence of swimming time in alleviating the deleterious effects of hot summer on growing Muscovy duck performance

This experiment was conducted to observe the effects of varying swimming times (ST) of Muscovy ducks, raised in an open-sided house, in alleviating the deleterious effects of high temperature in hotter times of the day in the summer season on growth performance (body weight, average daily gain, feed consumption, and feed conversion ratio), carcass characteristics, body temperature, and some health aspects. We hypothesized that swimming times during the hottest periods of the day would show different performances. To test this hypothesis a total of 180 Muscovy ducklings were randomly distributed into 4 equal groups in a completely randomized design experiment. All groups were raised under similar housing conditions. Birds of the first group (C) were raised in the indoor system and had no access to a swimming pond. While all birds of the second, third, and fourth groups (T1, T2, and T3) had access to a swimming pond during 10:00 to 12:00 h, 12:00 to 14:00 h, and 14:00 to 16:00 h, respectively. The swimming pond (dimensions of 30 m length × 10 m width × 3 m depth with cement floor) was located in the front of the house. Vaccination and medical programs were undertaken according to the different ages under supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The obtained results indicated that swimming during 12:00 to 14:00 h improved (P < 0.05) growth performance, dressed carcass, meat tenderness, lymphocyte, heterophils/lymphocytes ratio, body temperature, and mortality rate of Muscovy ducks. However, bone measurement, plumage conditions, foot pad dermatitis, hock discoloration, breast blisters score, and blood hematocrit values were insignificantly better in the group with access to the swimming pond during 12:00 to 14:00 h. In conclusion, raising ducks during hot conditions in an open-sided house with access to a swimming pond at 12:00 to 14:00 h is highly recommended due to the high BW, better immunity, decreased mortality rate, and low body temperature of ducks which was positively reflected in the health condition.

Affordable house designs to improve health in rural Africa: a field study from northeastern Tanzania

The population of sub-Saharan Africa is currently estimated to be 1245 million and is expected to quadruple by the end of the century, necessitating the building of millions of homes. Malaria remains a substantial problem in this region and efforts to minimise transmission should be considered in future house planning. We studied how building elements, which have been successfully employed in southeast Asia to prevent mosquitos from entering and cooling the house, could be integrated in a more sustainable house design in rural northeastern Tanzania, Africa, to decrease mosquito density and regulate indoor climate. In this field study, six prototype houses of southeast Asian design were built in in the village of Magoda in Muheza District, Tanga Region, Tanzania, and compared with modified and unmodified, traditional, sub-Saharan African houses. Prototype houses were built with walls made of lightweight permeable materials (bamboo, shade net, or timber) with bedrooms elevated from the ground and with screened windows. Modified and unmodified traditional African houses, wattle-daub or mud-block constructions, built on the ground with poor ventilation served as controls. In the modified houses, major structural problems such as leaking roofs were repaired, windows screened, open eaves blocked with bricks and mortar, cement floors repaired or constructed, and rain gutters and a tank for water storage added. Prototype houses were randomly allocated to village households through a free, fair, and transparent lottery. The lottery tickets were deposited in a bucket made of transparent plastic. Each participant could draw one ticket. Hourly measurements of indoor temperature and humidity were recorded in all study houses with data loggers and mosquitoes were collected indoors and outdoors using Furvela tent traps and were identified with standard taxonomic keys. Mosquitoes of the Anopheles gambiae complex were identified to species using PCR. Attitudes towards the new house design were assessed 6-9 months after the residents moved into their new or modified homes through 15 in-depth interviews with household heads of the new houses and five focus group discussions including neighbours of each group of prototype housing. Between July, 2014, and July, 2015, six prototype houses were constructed; one single and one double storey building with each of the following claddings: bamboo, shade net, and timber. The overall reduction of all mosquitoes caught was highest in the double-storey buildings (96%; 95% CI 92-98) followed closely by the reduction found in single-storey buildings (77%; 72-82) and lowest in the modified reference houses (43%; 36-50) and unmodified reference houses (23%; 18-29). The indoor temperature in the new design houses was 2·3°C (95% CI 2·2-2·4) cooler than in the reference houses. While both single and two-storey buildings provided a cooler indoor climate than did traditional housing, two-story buildings provided the biggest reduction in mosquito densities (96%, 95% CI 89-100). Seven people who moved into the prototype houses and seven of their neighbours (three of whom had their houses modified) participated in in-depth interviews. After living in their new prototype houses for 6-9 months, residents expressed satisfaction with the new design, especially the second-storey sleeping area because of the privacy and security of upstairs bedrooms. The new design houses had fewer mosquitoes and were cooler than modified and unmodified traditional homes. New house designs are an underused intervention and hold promise to reduce malaria transmission in sub-Saharan Africa and keep areas malaria-free after elimination. Ruth W Jensens Foundation, Copenhagen and Hanako Foundation, Singapore.

A thermal periodic theory and experimental validation of building integrated semi-transparent photovoltaic thermal (BiSPVT) system

Abstract In this paper, a thermal periodic theory of building integrated semi-transparent photovoltaic thermal (BiSPVT) system has been developed by using the basic energy balance equation for a semi-transparent photovoltaic roof; room air, brick/glazed walls and reinforced concrete cement (RCC) floor of the first room. Since solar irradiation and ambient air temperature are periodic in nature hence, all temperatures namely temperature of rooms, PV cell and floor will be periodic in nature. With the help of energy balance equations and periodic nature of all temperature, two 5 × 5 matrices namely time independent and time-dependent part of basic equations have been obtained. Two matrices were solved for unknown time independent and time dependent constants by using matrix inversion method for an experimental climatic data of Varanasi, India and design parameters of BiSPVT system. By using the known constants, the hourly variation of solar cell, air of rooms and floor temperatures have been computed. Further, the obtained theoretical results have been validated experimentally for the proposed BiSPVT system. It has been found that the maximum solar cell and room 1 temperatures are 67.64 °C and 44.6 °C respectively. Moreover, an effect of a number of air change (N), packing factor and thickness of (RCC) on room air temperature have been studied. Based on obtained results, it has been observed that there is (i) significant effect of the number of air change (N) for room 1 and (ii) marginal effect on room 2 room air temperature. Further, it has been observed that the optimum number of air change for room 2 (N2) is 3 and optimum thickness of RCC should be 0.3 m to minimize the room 2 temperature. The electrical DC energy produced by the proposed BiSPVT system with an effective area of PV roof as 88.66 m 2 is 14.55 kW h per day during typical day of experiment.

Crime scene reconstruction—Sex prediction from blood stained foot sole impressions

It is often difficult to predict the sex of an individual based on bloody incomplete footprints. However, such prints/impressions are particularly common in a crime scene. Again variability in the texture, color of the target surface has an impact on the bloodstained impression formed. The study of bare foot, footprint, footwear (i.e. shoe, canvas etc.) within the legal context is referred to as forensic podiatry. Based on the fact that it is possible to predict the sex of an individual from footprint impressions, an automated model has been proposed in this paper for analyzing the sex of an individual from his/her broken/incomplete footprint impressions based on morphological features alone. Five male and female volunteers aged between 20 to 65 years participated in dataset development. Keeping the blood volume constant and having stepped on differently shaped porcine blood pools, the individuals were asked to walk on herbarium sheets. The footprints were recorded and documented in accordance with the guidelines in place for physical evidence documentation within the forensic domain. The morphological features that were extracted from each of the footprint impressions are footprint length, footprint breadth, angle of walking, approximated heel radius etc. Using exhaustive cross validation technique, the dataset was divided into training and test set. Non-redundant, relevant features that are particularly effective at sex prediction were marked out using the relief algorithm in coherence with the correlation metric. Supervised learning techniques were used on the dataset to predict the sex of the owner of an unknown footprint. The study concentrates on morphological features in order to deal with bloodstain footprint transfer stains formed on any non-porous/non-absorbent surfaces such as cemented floor, glass, mosaic floor space, colored and designed tiled floor spaces. Features such as the angle of walking and foot breadth were found to be particularly influential in sex prediction from incomplete bloodstained foot sole impressions. In comparison to a system for sex prediction from complete footprint impressions (82.2%), the automated system developed on incomplete foot impressions recorded an accuracy level of 83.47%.

Serological detection of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic dogs in the western region of Cuba.

We investigated the prevalence of IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in 176 dogs from Havana Province and Mayabeque Province, Cuba, by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). The overall prevalence was 72.72% (128/176). Dogs living on the cemented floor environment were significantly higher (p=0.01) in being positive for T. gondii. The high detection of antibodies to T. gondii parasite confirms the outstanding dogs in the West of the Cuban provinces, which is a potential hazard in the region, not only for dogs, but also for public health, considering it is a zoonosis of great importance.

Working conditions and public health risks in slaughterhouses in western Kenya

BackgroundInadequate facilities and hygiene at slaughterhouses can result in contamination of meat and occupational hazards to workers. The objectives of this study were to assess current conditions in slaughterhouses in western Kenya and the knowledge, and practices of the slaughterhouse workers toward hygiene and sanitation.MethodsBetween February and October 2012 all consenting slaughterhouses in the study area were recruited. A standardised questionnaire relating to facilities and practices in the slaughterhouse was administered to the foreperson at each site. A second questionnaire was used to capture individual slaughterhouse workers’ knowledge, practices and recent health events.ResultsA total of 738 slaughterhouse workers from 142 slaughterhouses completed questionnaires. Many slaughterhouses had poor infrastructure, 65% (95% CI 63–67%) had a roof, cement floor and walls, 60% (95% CI 57–62%) had a toilet and 20% (95% CI 18–22%) had hand-washing facilities. The meat inspector visited 90% (95% CI 92–95%) of slaughterhouses but antemortem inspection was practiced at only 7% (95% CI 6–8%). Nine percent (95% CI 7–10%) of slaughterhouses slaughtered sick animals. Only half of workers wore personal protective clothing - 53% (95% CI 51–55%) wore protective coats and 49% (95% CI 46–51%) wore rubber boots. Knowledge of zoonotic disease was low with only 31% (95% CI 29–33%) of workers aware that disease could be transmitted from animals.ConclusionsThe current working conditions in slaughterhouses in western Kenya are not in line with the recommendations of the Meat Control Act of Kenya. Current facilities and practices may increase occupational exposure to disease or injury and contaminated meat may enter the consumer market. The findings of this study could enable the development of appropriate interventions to minimise public health risks. Initially, improvements need to be made to facilities and practices to improve worker safety and reduce the risk of food contamination. Simultaneously, training programmes should target workers and inspectors to improve awareness of the risks. In addition, education of health care workers should highlight the increased risks of injury and disease in slaughterhouse workers. Finally, enhanced surveillance, targeting slaughterhouse workers could be used to detect disease outbreaks. This “One Health” approach to disease surveillance is likely to benefit workers, producers and consumers.

Energy performance of a medium scale green roof system installed on a commercial building using numerical and experimental data recorded during the cold period of the year

The aim of this study is to investigate the energy performance of a medium scale green roof system installed on a two-story commercial building in Athens, Greece and its possible contribution to the mitigation of the urban heat island phenomenon. For the purpose of this research, in-situ measurements of temperature and humidity took place during the cold period of the year. The surface temperature of the conventional concrete floor of the roof was found to be up to 21.9K higher than the one of the planted area during the day, while at the first hours of the day, the surface temperature of the green roof appeared to be up to 1.6K higher than the one of the cement floor of the roof. Differences of the surface temperatures of the varying plants of the green roof were measured and led to a proposal of an optimum selection among them for the best performance of such a green roof system. Furthermore, simulations for this building were performed by using the EnergyPlus program. It was calculated that, the indoor air temperature, for a non air conditioned status of the building, was decreased up to 1.1K during a typical summer day and was increased up to 0.7K during a typical winter day. Lastly, an overall saving of 15.1% for a whole year on the energy consumption of the building was calculated.

Mexican unpasteurised fresh cheeses are contaminated with Salmonella spp., non-O157 Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli and potential uropathogenic E. coli strains: A public health risk

Fresh cheeses are a main garnish of Mexican food. Consumption of artisanal fresh cheeses is very common and most of them are made from unpasteurised cow milk. A total of 52 fresh unpasteurised cheeses of five different types were purchased from a variety of suppliers from Tabasco, Mexico. Using the most probable number method, 67% and 63% of samples were positive for faecal coliforms and E. coli, respectively; revealing their low microbiological quality. General hygienic conditions and practices of traditional cheese manufacturers were poor; most establishments had unclean cement floors, all lacked windows and doors screens, and none of the food-handlers wore aprons, surgical masks or bouffant caps. After analysing all E. coli isolates (121 strains) for the presence of 26 virulence genes, results showed that 9 (17%) samples were contaminated with diarrheagenic E. coli strains, 8 harboured non-O157 Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC), and one sample contained both STEC and diffusely adherent E. coli strains. All STEC strains carried the stx1 gene. Potential uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains were isolated from 15 (29%) samples; the most frequent gene combination was fimA-agn43. Two samples were contaminated with Salmonella. The results demonstrated that unpasteurised fresh cheeses produced in Tabasco are of poor microbiological quality and may frequently harbour foodborne pathogens. Food safety authorities in Mexico need to conduct more rigorous surveillance of fresh cheeses. Furthermore, simple and inexpensive measures as establishing programs emphasizing good hand milking practices and hygienic manufacturing procedures may have a major effect on improving the microbiological quality of these food items.

Floors and Toilets: Association of Floors and Sanitation Practices with Fecal Contamination in Peruvian Amazon Peri-Urban Households.

Over two billion people worldwide lack access to an improved sanitation facility that adequately retains or treats feces. This results in the potential for fecal material containing enteric pathogens to contaminate the environment, including household floors. This study aimed to assess how floor type and sanitation practices impacted the concentration of fecal contamination on household floors. We sampled 189 floor surfaces within 63 households in a peri-urban community in Iquitos, Peru. All samples were analyzed for colony forming units (CFUs) of E.coli, and households were evaluated for their water, sanitation, and hygiene characteristics. Results of multivariate linear regression indicated that households with improved sanitation and cement floors in the kitchen area had reduced fecal contamination to those with unimproved sanitation and dirt floors (Beta: -1.18 log10 E.coli CFU/900 cm(2); 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.77, -0.60). Households that did not versus did share their sanitation facility also had less contaminated kitchen floors (Beta: -0.65 log10 E.coli CFU/900 cm(2); 95% CI: -1.15, -0.16). These findings suggest that the sanitation facilities of a home may impact the microbial load found on floors, contributing to the potential for household floors to serve as an indirect route of fecal pathogen transmission to children.

Secagem de resíduo de cervejaria em camadas de diferentes espessuras

The aim of this study was to determine the proper drying thickness and time in the sun, on cement floor, brewery waste. For the experiment was used brewery residue obtained in industry located in the municipality of Toledo - PR, which had DM content of 20.60%. The waste was distributed over the concrete surface with the aid of 26 frames with 2, 4, 6 and 8 cm thicknesses, corresponding to treatments, with six replications. The waste was exposed to sunlight for three days (9 o'clock on day 11 hours on the second day and 11 hours on the third day), and trashed every two hours of exposure to sun and covered during the night, to avoid deposition dew. Significant variation was observed for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), mineral matter (MM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (NDA) (p<0.01), due to the different drying thicknesses. Drying of the sun brewer waste was effective when the thickness of the material was 2 cm, and deterioration of the dry observed in thicknesses greater than 4 cm.

Simulation of Various Wall and Window Glass Material for Energy Efficient Building Design

Buildings consume huge amount of energy for forced ventilation and artificial day lighting. Use of appropriate material combinations for walls and window glass can help in reducing energy consumption for cooling and lighting. This paper presents the thermal properties of four building materials such as, laterite stone, dense concrete, burnt brick and mud brick. It also presents the experimentally measured optical properties of glass materials such as, clear glass, bronze glass, green glass and reflective. In this study building of size 5m X 5m X 3.2m with four wall materials and four glass materials were designed using design builder software. The thickness of the wall was considered as external wall with thickness 0.22m. All the walls covered with cement plaster on either side. Roof of the building is made of reinforced cement concrete and floor is dense concrete. Thermal analysis was carried out using by Energy plus software. Single sized glass windows were placed in south direction (Due to less heat gain in south direction) for Mangalore city (12.870N, 74.880E), Karnataka, India. Different window to wall ratios (20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%) were maintained for buildings. Total eighty building models were investigated for heat gain into buildings. From the results, it is observed that irrespective of the window to wall ratio, mud brick walls with reflective window glass were observed to be energy efficient from the lower heat gain point of view, and laterite stone wall building with clear glass windows were observed to be the worst due to their higher heat gain values. At 60% window to wall ratio mud brick walls with reflective window glass have 24.93kWh heat gain and dense concrete walls with clear glass have 32.9 kWh heat gain. The results of the study help in establishing the best combination of wall and glass materials for minimum heat gain into buildings.

The Health Centre Community.

The greatest burden of malaria is borne by the children of rural sub-Saharan Africa. Each year nearly 90% of all malaria-related deaths occur in these remote areas, far from lifesaving medical care. In the Bugoye sub-county of rural Western Uganda, most families subsist on small plots of staple crops carved into the hillsides. Lacking transportation, worried parents carry their sick children down the narrow mountain paths to the health centre in search of care (Figure 1). The Level III Health Centre in Bugoye is the only facility in the sub-county—an area spanning more than 40 villages and nearly 60 km—equipped to treat cases of severe malaria. During the high season, hundreds of malaria-stricken children come to the health centre each week for diagnosis and treatment (Figure 2). Like many public health facilities in rural sub-Saharan Africa, the Bugoye Health Centre faces many challenges, including drug shortages, unreliable electrical power and inadequate staffing. The health centre is not shiny or new. There are no private rooms. The unfinished cement floors are cracked, the paint is peeling, the thin foam mattresses are worn and tattered and most of the equipment is decades old (Figure 3). What Bugoye does have, however, is a vibrant sense of community. In many ways, the health centre has the atmosphere of a bustling village unto itself. It is the heart of the sub-county. Entire families inhabit the wards, providing food, linen and clothing for their sick loved ones (Figures 4 and 5).The bright colours of children in church clothes dot the yard and groups of women gather behind the clinic, preparing meals over open fires (Figure 6). Village officials, health centre staff and local tradesmen sit on the benches at the front to wave to friends, chat about

CLINICAL NUTRITION PROGRAM IMPROVES FOCUS, CONCENTRATION, DYSTAXIA AND DYSMETRIA IN 5 YEAR OLD BOY WITH HISTORY OF HEAD INJURY

Event Abstract Back to Event CLINICAL NUTRITION PROGRAM IMPROVES FOCUS, CONCENTRATION, DYSTAXIA AND DYSMETRIA IN 5 YEAR OLD BOY WITH HISTORY OF HEAD INJURY David J. Clark1* 1 Carrick Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, United States Background: A 5 year old boy was presented by his parents with chief complaints of poor memory, poor concentration and focus and poor muscle tone. At two years of age he hit his head on a cement floor and was diagnosed with a concussion, but did not receive treatment. The poor muscle was noted shortly after. At three years of age in preschool he was noted to be hyperactive and was unable to follow directions. At four years of age, compared to his peers, he was noted to have diminished balance, coordinate and endurance. Prior to presentation he had been receiving occupational therapy for eighteen months. In addition, he had followed a gluten-free diet but he became very weak. Methods: Neurological examination revealed overt weakness (3/5) of the left deltoid, left biceps, left knee flexors and also a soft pyramidal paresis of left side extensor muscle groups. Examination also revealed dystaxia and dysmetria of the left arm and leg, Grade 1 on the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) for left finger tapping and fist making test, combined eye-head movements during saccades to left. He also demonstrated repetitive rolling of his head in a circle on his neck as well as repetitive gazing to the right and up to the right. Urine organic acid testing showed elevated indican and p-hydroxyphenylacetate. Tissue antibody testing found high myocardial peptide antibodies and borderline levels of cerebellum antibodies. Blood chemistry showed low vitamin D (25.7), high cholesterol (177) and clinically significant results as follows: ferritin (14), neutrophil percentage (35), lymphocyte percentage (54), mean corpuscular volume (81). The patient was placed on a gluten-free, milk-free diet and a supplement regimen consisting of vitamin D, iron, turmeric, resveratrol, omega fatty acids, topical glutathione and probiotics. Results: After three months of treatment, his mother reported he had transitioned into kindergarten successfully. Memory, focus and concentration had all improved. Teachers noted no concerns in those areas. The dystaxia and dysmetria had improved. Conclusion: The author suggests further investigation into clinical nutrition and supplementation in the treatment of focus and concentration problems in young children, especially in those with a history of significant head injury. Keywords: Pediatric head injury, bacterial overgrowth, Vitamin D Deficiency, iron deficiency, Executive Function Conference: International Symposium on Clinical Neuroscience: Clinical Neuroscience for Optimization of Human Function, Orlando, United States, 7 Oct - 9 Oct, 2016. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Abstracts ISCN 2016 Citation: Clark DJ (2016). CLINICAL NUTRITION PROGRAM IMPROVES FOCUS, CONCENTRATION, DYSTAXIA AND DYSMETRIA IN 5 YEAR OLD BOY WITH HISTORY OF HEAD INJURY . Front. Neurol. Conference Abstract: International Symposium on Clinical Neuroscience: Clinical Neuroscience for Optimization of Human Function. doi: 10.3389/conf.fneur.2016.59.00061 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 01 Sep 2016; Published Online: 07 Sep 2016. * Correspondence: Dr. David J Clark, Carrick Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Cape Canaveral, FL, United States, mail@doctordavidclark.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers David J Clark Google David J Clark Google Scholar David J Clark PubMed David J Clark Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Effect of Drying Method on Quality of Soybean Seed

The experiment was conducted at the Seed Laboratory, Regional Agricultural Research Station, BARI, Jamalpur in 2010 with a view to study the effect of drying method on soybean seed germination and seedling vigour. Eight drying condition viz., i) Cemented floor ii) Tripale upon cemented floor iii) Bamboo chatai upon cemented floor, iv) Cloth upon cemented floor, v) Earthen floor, vi) Tripale upon earthen floor, vii) Bamboo chatai upon earthen floor and viii) Cloth upon earthen floor were included in the experimental treatment variables with three replications using a completely randomized design. Seed moisture content (%), germination (%), germination index, and seedling dry weight (g) were recorded at 50, 100, 150 and 200 days after storage (DAS). The highest germination percentage, germination index and seedling dry matter was obtained from tripale over cemented floor followed by bamboo chatai over cemented floor, tripale over earthen floor and bamboo chatai over earthen floor. The lowest germination percentage, germination index and seedling dry matter was obtained from cemented floor.Bangladesh Agron. J. 2015, 18(1): 53-57

Understanding the Social Context of the ASGM Sector in Ghana: A Qualitative Description of the Demographic, Health, and Nutritional Characteristics of a Small-Scale Gold Mining Community in Ghana.

This descriptive paper describes factors related to demographics and health in an artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) community in Ghana’s Upper East Region. Participants (n = 114) were surveyed in 2010 and 2011, adapting questions from the established national Demographic Health Survey (DHS) on factors such as population characteristics, infrastructure, amenities, education, employment, maternal and child health, and diet. In the study community, some indicators of household wealth (e.g., radios, mobile phones, refrigerators) are more common than elsewhere in Ghana, yet basic infrastructure (e.g., cement flooring, sanitation systems) and access to safe water supplies are lacking. Risk factors for poor respiratory health, such as cooking with biomass fuel smoke and smoking tobacco, are common. Certain metrics of maternal and child health are comparable to other areas of Ghana (e.g., frequency of antenatal care), whereas others (e.g., antenatal care from a skilled provider) show deficiencies. Residents surveyed do not appear to lack key micronutrients, but report lower fruit and vegetable consumption than other rural areas. The results enable a better understanding of community demographics, health, and nutrition, and underscore the need for better demographic and health surveillance and data collection across ASGM communities to inform effective policies and programs for improving miner and community health.

Feedstuff and poor latrines may put pigs at risk of cysticercosis — A case-control study

Attempts to control Taenia solium in low-income countries have been unsuccessful or unsustainable. This could indicate a ‘missing link’ in our understanding of the transmission dynamics of the parasite and possibly the magnitude of environmental contamination. We aimed to identify risk factors associated with porcine cysticercosis using a case-control study design, utilising known information on persistent or multiple infections of porcine cysticercosis. The study, a combination of questionnaire interviews and observational surveys, was conducted in July 2014 in the two districts Mbeya and Mbozi, Tanzania. Study households were identified based on their status regarding porcine cysticercosis prevalence and allocated into cases or controls based on previous porcine cysticercosis presence. This resulted in 43 farmers in the case group and 50 farmers in the control group, from 20 villages. Potato peels were said to be given to pigs either raw or boiled by 46% of the farmers. Based on logistic regression porcine cysticercosis could be associated with absence or a completely open latrine (p=0.035, OR 5.98, CI: 1.33–43.02) compared to an enclosed latrine. Feeding potato peels to pigs was also associated with increased risk of infection (p=0.007, OR 3.45, CI: 1.43–8.79). Logistic analysis including the pig management system indicated pigs kept in elevated pens (p=0.049, OR 5.33, CI: 1.08–32.27) and on a dirt floor (p=0.041, OR 9.87, CI: 1.29–114.55) were more likely to be infected compared to a cemented floor. Whether potato peels are contaminated with Taenia eggs before they reach the household or whether the contamination is from water or dirty hands during the process of peeling, remains to be confirmed. This study suggests that detailed assessment of a number of areas of pig management is essential for designing effective control programmes.

Occurrence Of Strongyloides Stercoralis In Slum Areas Of Dhaka, Bangladesh

The present study was conducted to find out the prevalence of Strongyloidesstercoralisin three slum areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Overall prevalence of S. stercoralis incollected samples was found to be 14.68%. Other enteric parasites detected in the stoolwere Ascarislumbricoides (16.08%), Trichuristrichura (8.39%) and Enterobiusvermicularis (5.59%). Male respondents showed higher prevalence (16.66%) of S.stercoralis infection compared to female (11.32%). Age group of 41-50 years showed thehighest prevalence (44.44%) compared to other age groups. Highest infestation rate wasobserved in labors (22.22%). Mud floor house dweller showed higher prevalence ofinfestation (18.66%) compared to those in cement floor. Prevalence of S. stercoralis washighest (20.77%) in community latrine users. Supplied drinking water users also showedthe higher infection rate (15.84%). Bare footed respondents showed infection rate ofabout 16.66%, whereas 11.86% was noted in those who use shoes.&#x0D; Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 41(1): 45-50, June 2015

PENGARUH MODERNISASI PERTANIAN TERHADAP KEHIDUPAN SOSIAL EKONOMI MASYARAKAT DI KAMPUNG YANAMEK DISTRIK ABENAHO KABUPATEN YALIMO

Agriculture is part of the culture that was first developed by humans as a response to the challenges of survival which gradually became difficult due to the depletion of food sources in the wild due to the rate of human growth. In addition, agriculture as a system in human life aims to produce vegetable and animal materials including aquatic biota (water) by using natural and water resources effectively and efficiently in order to achieve the welfare of human life and the preservation of the carrying capacity of the environment. The results showed that the use of agricultural land from the aspect of meeting basic needs in the form of housing, clothing and food can be said to be high after the utilization of agricultural land. This can be seen from the number of people who have permanent housing in the sense that there has been rehabilitation of the floors and walls of the house. What used to be an earthen floor and clapboard walls, now has a cement or tile floor and the walls are made of walls or ceramics. Indeed, there are still respondents who do not have housing because housing has been provided by the relevant agency specifically for civil servants or teachers who are placed in schools that already have housing. Likewise, the fulfillment of clothing and food needs can be said to be very fulfilled

Resilience factors for food and nutrition security in Guatemalan communities

ObjectiveThe interaction of poverty and climate‐related crisis, along with socio‐ecological determinants of poor nutrition, could become major factors negatively affecting food and nutrition security (FNS). Therefore, it is important to identify resilience factors to enrich FNS. This study aimed at the identification of resilience factors (RF) as contributors to food and nutrition security in 3 communities from the municipality of Santa Catarina Mita, Department of Jutiapa, Guatemala.Methods: We assessed food and nutrition security with direct interviews, with a food security (FS) scale and with anthropometry in 184 families from the communities of La Barranca, El Quebracho y La Javia, from the southern department of Jutiapa.Results: A total of 590 subjects, mean age of 31y with 0‐99y as range, were recruited from the selected households (hholds). FS was present in 24% of hholds. RF associated with less vs. more malnutrition in preschool age children included hholds with cement floor, using a sewer system, availability of rice, eggs and leafy leaves and head of hhold not working in agriculture. For mothers, RF for less vs. more overweight and obesity included education, not buying sweet drinks, drinking water from the public system and head of hholds growing corn and beans as cash crops.ConclusionsOnly one‐quarter of families evaluated were food secure. Contrasting them against those food insecure, we identified resilience factors to avoid malnutrition in preschoolers and to control overweight/obesity among mothers. The identification of RF for sustainable FNS and for promoting health could contribute to solutions for the socio‐economic development of rural communities.

Factors related to household rodent abundance in rodent-borne disease foci in western Yunnan

To analyze the factors related to the household abundance of rodents in rodent-borne disease foci in the western part of Yunnan province. From July 2011 to October 2012, 800 households (20 households in 1 village) were randomly selected in 40 natural villages of 10 counties in western Yunnan where rodent borne disease was endemic to conduct a study on relationship between rodent abundance and environmental factors. Five cages were placed in each household for 3 consecutive nights to capture rodents. The rodent species were identified based on their morphological characteristics. The data on potential factors related to rodent abundance were collected through questionnaires and field observation. A dataset was established by using EpiData software and the analysis was performed with hurdle regression model under R software. A total of 421 rodents were captured in 800 households, belonging to 9 species, 6 genera, 2 families, 2 orders. Rattus tanezumi was the predominant species (66.03%). The final hurdle regression model showed that the probability of capturing rodents in the households where family member had high education level and the garbage was placed outside declined by 50%-68% ;The probability of capturing rodents in the households of Dai and Yi ethnic groups increased by 2.16-2.87 times;The probability of capturing rodents in the households where rodents were observed or vegetables grown near houses increased by 1.54-1.59 times;In the households where many rodents were believed to exist, the probability of capturing rodents and the number of rodents captured increased by 1.59 and 1.84 times respectively. The number of rodents captured in the houses with cement or tile floor increased by 3.62 times. The household abundance of rodents in the area in western Yunnan, where the rodent-borne disease survey was conducted, seemed to be closely related to the social economy status, human intervention and ecological environment. To control the abundance of rodents effectively, it is necessary to take these factors into consideration.