Electrical Resistivity Measurements of Downscaled Homogenous Rocks for Network Model Validation

Knowledge of electrical resistivity for reservoir rocks is crucial for a number of reservoir engineering tasks such as the determination of oil-in-place and the calibration of resistivity logs. Those properties can now be predicted by numerical calculations directly on micro-CT images taken from rock fragments typically having a bulk volume of 100 mm3. The experimental data used to validate those predictions are obtained on conventional cores having bulk volumes of the order of 10,000 mm3. A better validation of micro-CT technique would be to use the same core size for both imaging and flow experiment. Experimental data for electrical resistivity measurements using micropore membrane and centrifuge desaturation techniques are presented for cores having bulk volumes from 10,000 mm3 down to 100 mm3. Both 2- and 4-electrode techniques were applied to measure the resistivity index. Simple fluids like brine and air were used for clear wettability. Homogeneous sandstone cores (Berea and Bentheim) and a carbonate core (Mount Gambier) were used in the experiments. The results demonstrate that reliable experimental data of resistivity index can be obtained for the small cores of homogeneous porous rocks at sensitized frequency. Such data are of immense interest for validating the predictive value of network models based on micro-CT imaging of rock fragments with bulk volumes as small as 100 mm3

Sources of Community Health Worker Motivation: A Qualitative Study in Morogoro Region, Tanzania.

There is a renewed interest in community health workers (CHWs) in Tanzania, but also a concern that low motivation of CHWs may decrease the benefits of investments in CHW programs. This study aimed to explore sources of CHW motivation to inform programs in Tanzania and similar contexts. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 CHWs in Morogoro Region, Tanzania. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and coded prior to translation and thematic analysis. The authors then conducted a literature review on CHW motivation and a framework that aligned with our findings was modified to guide the presentation of results. Sources of CHW motivation were identified at the individual, family, community, and organizational levels. At the individual level, CHWs are predisposed to volunteer work and apply knowledge gained to their own problems and those of their families and communities. Families and communities supplement other sources of motivation by providing moral, financial, and material support, including service fees, supplies, money for transportation, and help with farm work and CHW tasks. Resistance to CHW work exhibited by families and community members is limited. The organizational level (the government and its development partners) provides motivation in the form of stipends, potential employment, materials, training, and supervision, but inadequate remuneration and supplies discourage CHWs. Supervision can also be dis-incentivizing if perceived as a sign of poor performance. Tanzanian CHWs who work despite not receiving a salary have an intrinsic desire to volunteer, and their motivation often derives from support received from their families when other sources of motivation are insufficient. Policy-makers and program managers should consider the burden that a lack of remuneration imposes on the families of CHWs. In addition, CHWs' intrinsic desire to volunteer does not preclude a desire for external rewards. Rather, adequate and formal financial incentives and in-kind alternatives would allow already-motivated CHWs to increase their commitment to their work

Knowledge of AIDS and HIV risk-related sexual behavior among Nigerian naval personnel

BACKGROUND: The epidemic of HIV continues to grow in Nigeria. Personnel in the military are at increased risk of HIV infection. Although HIV-risk related sexual behavior of Nigerian police officers has been studied, little is known about the sexual behavior of their counterparts in the Navy. This study describes knowledge of AIDS, and HIV-risk sexual behavior of naval personnel in Lagos Nigeria. METHODS: Four hundred and eighty personnel of the Nigerian Navy completed a 70-item questionnaire in 2002. Group discussion and in-depth interviews of four key informants were also conducted to gain insights into the context of risky sexual behaviors and suggestions for feasible HIV primary prevention interventions. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 34 years. Although the overall mean AIDS knowledge score was 7.1 of 10 points, 52.1% of respondents believed that a cure for AIDS was available in Nigeria and that one can get HIV by sharing personal items with an infected person (25.3%). The majority (88.1%) had had lifetime multiple partners ranging from 1–40 with a mean of 5.1; 32.5% of male respondents had had sexual contact with a female sex worker, 19.9% did so during the six months preceding the survey. Forty-one percent of those with sexual contact with a female sex worker did not use a condom during the most recent sexual encounter with these women. Naval personnel who have been transferred abroad reported significantly more risky sexual behaviors than others. Group discussants and key informants believed that sex with multiple partners is a tradition that has persisted in the navy even in the era of AIDS because of the belief that AIDS affects only foreigners, that use of traditional medicine provides protection against HIV infection, and influence of alcohol. CONCLUSION: Many naval personnel report participating in high-risk sexual behavior which may increase their risk of acquiring and spreading HIV. Naval personnel live and interact freely with civilian population and are potential bridging group for disseminating HIV into the larger population. Interventions including sustained educational program, promotion of condoms, changes in transfer policies are recommended to address this problem

End of life care in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of the qualitative literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>End of life (EoL) care in sub-Saharan Africa still lacks the sound evidence-base needed for the development of effective, appropriate service provision. It is essential to make evidence from all types of research available alongside clinical and health service data, to ensure that EoL care is ethical and culturally appropriate. This article aims to synthesize qualitative research on EoL care in sub-Saharan Africa to inform policy, practice and further research. It seeks to identify areas of existing research; describe findings specifically relevant to the African context; and, identify areas lacking evidence.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Relevant literature was identified through eight electronic databases: AMED, British Nursing Index & Archive, CINAHL, EMBASE, IBSS, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and the Social Sciences Citation Index; and hand searches. Inclusion criteria were: published qualitative or mixed-method studies in sub-Saharan Africa, about EoL care. Study quality was assessed using a standard grading scale. Relevant data including findings and practice recommendations were extracted and compared in tabular format.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 407 articles initially identified, 51 were included in the qualitative synthesis. Nineteen came from South Africa and the majority (38) focused on HIV/AIDS. Nine dealt with multiple or unspecified conditions and four were about cancer. Study respondents included health professionals, informal carers, patients, community members and bereaved relatives. Informal carers were typically women, the elderly and children, providing total care in the home, and lacking support from professionals or the extended family. Twenty studies focused on home-based care, describing how programmes function in practice and what is needed to make them effective. Patients and carers were reported to prefer institutional care but this needs to be understood in context. Studies focusing on culture discussed good and bad death, culture-specific approaches to symptoms and illness, and the bereavement process.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The data support or complement the findings from quantitative research. The review prompts a reconsideration of the assumption that in Africa the extended family care for the sick, and that people prefer home-based care. The review identifies areas relevant for a research agenda on socio-cultural issues at the EoL in sub-Saharan Africa.</p

The Role of GIS And Remote Sensing in the Control of Malaria

Effective control of mosquito requires adequate knowledge of not just the breeding sites but also the habitats and all other environmental factors relating to the Anopheline vector’s life. This is not just to avoid the nuisance they cause but most importantly to curtail the spread of the diseases they transmit. This paper identified environmental factors being chiefly responsible for the proliferation of the vector with Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) as viable tools in the control of the diseases they transmit. Effective application and utilization of the spatial technologies also forms a major aspect in the Malaria Early Warning System (MEWS). GIS and RS technology explore all minute details related to the environment, thus it remains a vibrant tool in the epidemiological studies of vector borne diseases