Prognosticating COVID-19: A need for Africa-specific laboratory predictors

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Penyuluhan Pengemasan, Pelabelan dan Strategi Pemasaran Serundeng Laos

Produksi laos yang berlimpah dengan fluktuasi harga jual membuat pendapatan petani laos tidak menentu. Kelurahan Sukamulya membangun UMKM Serundeng Laos dengan memberdayakan ibu-ibu rumahtangga untuk mengatasi permasalahan tersebut. Namun, produksi serundeng laos menghadapi permasalahan dalam memproduksi, yaitu tidak diproduksi secara kontinu akibat masih rendahnya penjualan. Melihat bauran pemasaran pada produk serundeng laos, pengemasan dan pelabelan produk masih blm tepat. Selain itu, pemasaran produknya juga masih terbatas. Untuk itu, diperlukan penyuluhan pengemasan dan pelabelan serta strategi pemasaran online yang tepat agar UMKM serundeng laos menjadi lebih baik. Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat ini bertujuan untuk memberikan motivasi dan keterampilan kepada masayarakat untuk mampu memahami bagaimana pengemasan dan pelabelan yang tepat serta strategi pemsaran online yang baik. Lokasi Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat dilaksanakan di Kelurahan Sukamulya, kecamatan Sematang Borang Kota Palembang pada tanggal 12-19 Februari 2020. Metode yang digunakan yaitu, penyuluhan dan pelatihan kepada peserta tentang pengemasan, pelabelan serta strategi pemasaran online. Pelaksanaan kegiatan ini diikuti oleh 26 peserta, yang diikuti dengan antusias dan diskusi yang hidup selama pelatihan berlangsung. Hasil Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat ini menunjukkan bahwa metode pengabdian berupa penyuluhan, pelatihan, seta tanya jawab sangat tepat dalam memberikan pemahaman tentang pengemasan dan pelabelan serta strategi pemasaran online yang tepa

Task Sharing and Shifting to Provide Pathology Diagnostic Services: The Kenya Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Cytology and Bone Marrow Aspiration and Trephine Biopsy Training Program

Purpose: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) cytology is a simple, inexpensive, and accurate diagnostic test for benign, infectious, and malignant lesions of the breast, thyroid, lymph nodes, and other organs. Similarly, bone marrow aspiration and trephine (BMAT) biopsy procedures are relatively simple and inexpensive techniques that are important for diagnosing and monitoring many hematologic diseases including leukemias and lymphomas. However, the scarcity of pathologists in Kenya limits patient access to these simple diagnostic tests. We describe a task sharing and shifting program that sought to improve the provision of FNABs and BMAT biopsies in tertiary public hospitals in Kenya. Methods: Between January 2016 and February 2017, we trained pathologists, pathology residents, and technologists from the University of Nairobi and Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, in FNAB and BMAT biopsies, who in turn trained pathologists, medical officers (MO), clinical officers (CO), and technologists at five tertiary public hospitals. The program involved curriculum development, training workshops, the establishment of new and strengthening existing FNAB and BMAT biopsy clinics, interim site visits, audits, and stakeholder workshops. Results: Fifty-one medical personnel at the tertiary hospitals were trained. The FNAB numbers increased by 41% to 1,681, with 139 malignant diagnoses (7.1%). BMAT biopsy numbers increased by 268% to 140, with 34 malignant cases. Between 60% and 100% of the FNAB and BMAT biopsy procedures were performed by MO and CO over the project period. One new FNAB and two new BMAT biopsy clinics were established. Conclusion: This project demonstrates a successful model of task sharing and shifting from specialist pathologists to MO and CO that improved access to important FNAB and BMAT biopsy services in a low-resource setting

Production of biochar from oil palm frond by steam pyrolysis for removal of residual contaminants in palm oil mill effluent final discharge

Advances in biochar production and modification have extended the applications of biochar to wastewater treatment. However, not all feedstocks produced porous biochar at a moderate temperature suitable for wastewater treatment. In this study, biochar was produced from oil palm frond using steam pyrolysis at 500 °C and pulverized to granular and micro-fine particles. Both biochar particles were characterized and applied as adsorbents for treating final discharge of palm oil mill effluent. The effluent was also filtered and treated to examine the effect of suspended solids on adsorption capacity. The biochar had Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 406.6 m2 g−1. Pulverization eliminated the residual macropores in granular biochar, created new external surface area, and exposed constricted nanopores, which resulted in increasing the surface area to 457.7 m2 g−1. The adsorption capacity decreased from 24.6 to 6.1 mg g−1 for chemical oxygen demand and 49.0 to 10.9 Pt–Co g−1 for color by increasing the dosage of micro-fine biochar from 5 to 30 g L−1. The total suspended solids affected the adsorption capacity of granular biochar by blocking residual macropores that provide access to adsorption sites in micropores and mesopores. At 30 g L−1, the micro-fine biochar exhibited an effective reduction of chemical oxygen demand from 224 to 41.6 mg g−1 and color from 344 to 15 Pt–Co g−1 making the wastewater suitable for reuse in palm oil mills and safe for discharge into the aquatic environment

Reference intervals for prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time derived from black African blood donors at a university teaching hospital in Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction: Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) are important coagulation screening tests that give an insight into how well the extrinsic and intrinsic arms of the coagulation cascade are performing. For correct interpretation of laboratory results and avoidance of errors and misdiagnosis, population specific RIs are most appropriate. In a healthcare setting, it is up to the laboratory to establish RIs for use for the particular analytes that they run, or at least verify the RIs availed by the manufacturer of the reagents for a particular analyte. Objectives: This study aimed to establish reference intervals (RIs) for both PT and APTT at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUH-N) laboratory using black African blood donors. In doing so the study also looked into factors that might lead to differences in the intervals; gender, age and blood group Methods: As per clinical and laboratory standards institute (CLSI) guidelines, at least 120 male and 120 female black African donors were recruited, and samples collected for PT and APTT, after informed consent. Data on age, gender, blood group, PT and APTT results were entered into Microsoft Excel® spread sheet for analysis. Data Analysis: Analysis of the data was performed using SPSS® and reference value advisor v2.1. CLSI guidelines for determining reference intervals were used. RIs derived from the study were compared to the RIs provided by the manufacturer of the platform using the reference change value (RCV). Mann–Whitney U test was performed to determine differences between groups. Pearson’s correlation was run to see if there was any correlation between PT/APTT and age. Results: A total of 258 study participants were enlisted. The PT reference intervals were 10.50–13.30 seconds while the APTT reference intervals were 24.13-35.10. Based on reference change value (RCV), both were significantly higher than manufacturer provided intervals. There was a statistically significant lower PT and APTT in females as compared to males (U=3971 p\u3c0.0005; U=5924.5 p 0.004), while blood group O participants had a significantly higher APTT compared to non-O participants (U=5613 p 0.004). Our study also found a weak negative correlation of PT with age (Pearson coefficient -0.127, p 0.049). Conclusion: We report a reference interval for PT and APTT for black African adults that is significantly different from the manufacturer provided RIs and recommend adoption of the same by our laboratory. We further recommend stratification of RIs according to gender due to the significant difference in levels

Validation of a Swahili version of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) among adults living with HIV compared to a community sample from Kilifi, Kenya

Background: Depression remains under-investigated in people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa due to paucity of adequately validated measures. This study aimed to validate an adapted version of the 9-item Pa- tient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) among adults living with HIV compared to those from the community in Kilifi, Kenya. Methods: Analysis of data from 450 adults living with HIV and 337 adults from the community was conducted examining the reliability, factorial structure, measurement invariance and discriminant validity of interviewer- administered PHQ-9, Swahili version. Results: Internal consistency of the Swahili PHQ-9 was good overall, in adults living with HIV and those from the community (Macdonald’s omega \u3e 0.80). The two-week test-retest reliability was acceptable among adults living with HIV ( ICC = 0.64). A one-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model indicated the Swahili PHQ-9 was unidimensional in the overall sample, in adults living with HIV and those from the community. Multi-group CFA substantiated measurement invariance of this unidimensional scale across participant group (adults living with HIV vs. community), sex (females vs. males) and age category (young, middle-age and elderly adults). The Swahili PHQ-9 exhibited good discriminant validity between the two participant groups. Limitations: No diagnostic interview for mental disorders was administered in the original studies limiting analysis of sensitivity and specificity of the Swahili PHQ-9. Conclusion: The Swahili PHQ-9 is a reliable and valid unidimensional scale. It appears a valuable tool for assessing depressive symptoms that can be generalized across different demographic groups, in primary HIV clinics and the general community within this and similar settings

Emerging application of biochar as a renewable and superior filler in polymer composites

Biochar is conventionally and widely used for soil amendment or as an adsorbent for water treatment. Nevertheless, the need for transition to renewable materials has resulted in an expansion of biochar for use as a filler for polymer composites. The aim is to enhance the physical, chemical, mechanical and rheological properties of the polymer composite. The reinforcement of biochar into a polymer matrix however is still new, and limited reports are focusing on the effects of biochar towards polymer composite properties. Hence, this review highlights the unique properties of biochar and its effect on the crystallization, thermal, flammability, electrical conductivity, and mechanical properties of polymer composites. This review does not solely summarize recent studies on biochar–polymer-based composites, but also offers insights into a new direction of biochar as a renewable and superior polymer filler in the future

One-step steam pyrolysis for the production of mesoporous biochar from oil palm frond to effectively remove phenol in facultatively treated palm oil mill effluent

Conventional aerobic treatment of facultatively treated palm oil mill effluent (POME) containing phenolic compounds such as phenol, encounters difficulty because of microbial inhibition. In this study, adsorption of phenol in facultatively treated POME was proposed as a solution for mitigating the inhibition. Low-cost biochars produced from oil palm frond using nitrogen or steam pyrolysis at 600 °C were characterized and investigated for efficient and effective removal of phenol. Nitrogen and steam pyrolysis yielded mesoporous biochars with Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area of 368.4 m2/g and 461.3 m2/g respectively. Within 8 h, steam-derived biochar attained equilibrium capacity of 59.6 mg/L in distilled water, which decreased to 18.5 mg/L in facultatively treated POME. Steam-derived biochar exhibited slightly higher adsorption capacity for phenol in facultatively treated POME due to higher surface area, wider nanopore size distribution, a larger volume of mesopores and a stronger affinity for phenol. More than 90% of phenol was removed using 16–20 g/L dosage, yielding a facultatively treated POME with 0% inhibition to aerobic microbial growth. Overall, low-cost biochar produced from oil palm frond can be used as an efficient and effective adsorbent for adsorbing phenol in facultatively treated POME to enhance the performance of aerobic treatment system

Adsorption mechanism and effectiveness of phenol and tannic acid removal by biochar produced from oil palm frond using steam pyrolysis

In order to meet the growing demand for adsorbents to treat wastewater effectively, there has been increased interest in using sustainable biomass feedstocks. In this present study, the dermal tissue of oil palm frond was pyrolyzed with superheated steam at 500 °C to produce nanoporous biochar as bioadsorbent. The effect of operating conditions was investigated to understand the adsorption mechanism and to enhance the adsorption of phenol and tannic acid. The biochar had a microporous structure with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 422 m2/g containing low polar groups. The adsorption capacity of 62.89 mg/g for phenol and 67.41 mg/g for tannic acid were obtained using 3 g/L biochar dosage after 8 h of treatment at solution pH of 6.5 and temperature of 45 °C. The Freundlich model had the best fit to the isotherm data of phenol (R2 of 0.9863), while the Langmuir model best elucidated the isotherm data of tannic acid (R2 of 0.9632). These indicated that the biochar-phenol interface was associated with a heterogeneous multilayer sorption mechanism, while the biochar-tannic acid interface had a nonspecific monolayer sorption mechanism. The residual concentration of 26.3 mg/L phenol and 23.1 mg/L tannic acid was achieved when treated from 260 mg/L three times consecutively with 1 g/L biochar dosage, compared to a reduction to 72.3 mg/L phenol and 69.9 mg/L tannic acid using 3 g/L biochar dosage in a single treatment. The biochar exhibited effective adsorption of phenol and tannic acid, making it possible to treat effluents that contain varieties of phenolic compounds