HIDDEN HEALTH COSTS OF PESTICIDE USE IN ZIMBABWE'S SMALLHOLDER COTTON

Balancing the numerous benefits that may accrue from pesticide use on cotton, farmers face health hazards. Pesticide-induced acute symptoms significantly increased the cost of illness in a survey of 280 smallholder cotton growers in two districts of Zimbabwe. Cotton growers lost a mean of Z$180 in Sanyati and Z$316 per year in Chipinge on pesticide-related direct and indirect acute health effects. These values are equivalent to 45% and 83% of annual household pesticide expenditures in the two districts. The time spent recuperating from illnesses attributed to pesticides averaged 2 days in Sanyati and 4 days in Chipinge during the 1998/99 growing season. These pesticide health cost estimates represent lower bounds only; they omit chronic pesticide health effects as well as suffering and other non-monetary costs. Acute pesticide symptoms were determined in large part by pesticide use practices, notably the lack of protective clothing. Yet many smallholder farmers misunderstood pesticide health hazards, and so did little to protect themselves. Despite the use of simple color codes, 22% of smallholder cotton growers in Sanyati and 58% in Chipinge did not know how to order the four colored pesticide label triangles by toxicity. Better farmer education in exposure averting strategies is needed. Likewise, fuller accounting for hidden health costs in future would allow farmers to make more informed decisions about agricultural pest management.Crop Production/Industries, Health Economics and Policy,

Rab14 regulates the maturation of macrophage phagosomes containing the fungal pathogen Candida albicans and the outcome of the host-pathogen interaction

Date of Acceptance: 02/02/2015 Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Entrepreneurial and Buyer-Driven Local Wine Supply Chains: Case Study of Acres of Land Winery in Kentucky

The IFAMR is the flagship journal in Agribusiness published quarterly by IFAMA. More information can be found at: www.ifama.or

Phishing Attacks: A Security Challenge for University Students Studying Remotely

The emergence of the deadly global respiratory coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in 2019 claimed many lives and altered the way people live and behave as well as how companies operated. Considerable pressure was exerted on Institutions of Higher Learning (universities) to salvage the academic projects through the process of business model reconfiguration. Students were required to study remotely and were, therefore, exposed to phishing and scamming cyber-attacks. The effects of these attacks were examined in this study with the support of literature and empirical research leading to appropriate recommendations being proposed. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews from students at a selected public-funded university. Atlas.Ti was used for data analysis to identify usable and sensible themes. The study established that students were aware of the factors that exposed them to phishing and scamming attacks but lacked the skills to identify such attacks before becoming victims

Exploring Gender Differences in Colon Cancer Screening Knowledge and Health Beliefs among African Americans

poster abstractAfrican Americans are diagnosed with and die at higher rates from colorectal cancer (CRC) than any ethnic groups in the United States. Culturally appropriate, effective interventions are urgently needed to reduce these cancer disparities by increasing participation in CRC screening. Both men and women are at risk for CRC, but may have different perceptions of their personal risk for CRC, knowledge, and health beliefs about screening. The purpose of the study was to examine gender differences among 817 African American primary care patients who are overdue for CRC screening. A framework based on the Health Belief Model and the Transtheoretical Model was developed specifically for this study. Baseline data were analyzed from a randomized clinical trial comparing two interventions to promote screening. African American primary care patients (n=817) who were due for screening were recruited from 11 clinics. Telephone interviewers collected baseline data on demographic characteristics, CRC knowledge, CRC health beliefs (perceived risk, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy). Comparisons between male and female participants were conducted using t-tests and chi-square. Significant differences were found between men and women on several health beliefs about CRC screening. Compared to women, men had higher perceived CRC risk scores (p=.001), higher colonoscopy benefits scores (p=.012), higher colonoscopy self-efficacy scores (p= .005), and higher FOBT self-efficacy scores (p=.000). Women had significantly higher colonoscopy barriers scores (p=.005) than men. No differences were observed between men and women on CRC knowledge scores (p=.829), FOBT benefits scores (p=.783), and FOBT barriers scores (p=.679). Results indicate there are differences between African American men and women in relation to specific CRC screening health beliefs. Knowledge of CRC screening is equally low for both groups. Health care providers should take note of this when providing recommendations for screening. In addition, these results can inform the development of effective strategies for tailoring interventions to increase CRC screening

Geri dönüştürülmüş al-si pistonlarda mikroyapılarının aşınma etkisi

Wear has a tendency of initiating adverse conditions in an automobile engine system. The piston is an important engine component which withstands severe thermal stresses in an engine. Scrap pistons which constitute environmental nuisance will be recycled. A reduced value of wear rate of the pistons determined to be 1.15µg/m was noticed to have an improved microstructure which retains toughness and hardness required for optimal working condition. While wear rate high value of 6.04µg/m yielded micrograph of pistons which produced less pronounced needle shaped eutectic silicon paricles. The micrographs of the aluminium alloy cast piston produced from scraps generator pistons. The result shows primary α-aluminium particles at the background of the structural matrix of the piston alloy. Also, needle shaped near eutectic silicon particles are noticed to be dispersed in the microstructure of the imported piston alloys.Aşınma, bir otomobil motor sisteminde olumsuz koşulları başlatma eğilimindedir. Piston, bir motordaki şiddetli termal gerilimlere dayanan önemli bir motor bileşenidir. Çevresel rahatsızlık oluşturan hurda pistonlar geri dönüştürülecek. 1,15 µg / m olarak belirlenen pistonların aşınma oranının azaltılmış bir değerinin, optimum çalışma koşulu için gerekli olan tokluğu ve sertliği koruyan gelişmiş bir mikro yapıya sahip olduğu fark edilmiştir. 6.04 µg / m'lik yüksek aşınma hızı değeri, daha az belirgin iğne şeklinde ötektik silikon parçacıklar üreten pistonların mikrografını vermiştir. Hurda jeneratör pistonlarından üretilen alüminyum alaşımlı döküm pistonun mikrografları. Sonuçlar piston alaşımının yapısal matrisinin arka planında birincil a-alüminyum parçacıklarını göstermektedir. Ayrıca, ötektik silikon partiküllerine yakın iğne şeklindeki partiküllerin ithal edilen piston alaşımlarının mikroyapısında dağıldığı fark edilir

A Dynamic Shift Share Analysis of Economic Growth in West Virginia

A regional economy consists of industries with a variety of economic potentials. A growth or decline in any of these sectors affects the overall growth of the economy. Analysis of economic growth by sector of a particular region helps policy makers, community leaders and researchers in better decision making and problem solving. This study attempts to analyze the employment growth pattern and policy implications in the economic development of West Virginia using a dynamic shift share analysis. The study uses employment data for 38 years from 1970 to 2007 for the empirical analysis. Results indicate that agriculture, mining and manufacturing are no longer the backbone of the economy of West Virginia. The three sectors showed employment declined within the 38-year period. Service and financial insurance and real estate are the most robust sectors contributing 91 percent of employment growth from 1970 to 2007. Apart from these two sectors, the wholesale and retail and construction sectors showed positive economic growth. Identification of investment priorities within these potential sectors and implementation of a comprehensive regional development policy plan would definitely accelerate the economic growth of West Virginia

Natural Language Processing in-and-for Design Research

We review the scholarly contributions that utilise Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods to support the design process. Using a heuristic approach, we collected 223 articles published in 32 journals and within the period 1991-present. We present state-of-the-art NLP in-and-for design research by reviewing these articles according to the type of natural language text sources: internal reports, design concepts, discourse transcripts, technical publications, consumer opinions, and others. Upon summarizing and identifying the gaps in these contributions, we utilise an existing design innovation framework to identify the applications that are currently being supported by NLP. We then propose a few methodological and theoretical directions for future NLP in-and-for design research

Vertical Coordination to Smallholder Small Grain Growers in Zimbabwe: Benefits of Contract Farming and Policy Implications

Zimbabwe’s agro-ecological regions IV and V lie in low rainfall areas and food security is a perennial concern. Vertical coordination strategies and market institutions provide hope for building farmer resilience in regions affected by climate change in Zimbabwe. This study focused on four districts (Binga, Chiredzi, Hwange, Matobo) which are in regions IV and V. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 281 respondents. Probit and Multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate the determinants. Results show that contract farmers allocated more than 3 hectares to small grains agricultural enterprise. The research established that long distances to markets, access to credit, extension services and affiliation to farming groups are some critical determinants which influence market participation and yields sold