A collaboratively derived international research agenda on legislative science advice

The quantity and complexity of scientific and technological information provided to policymakers have been on the rise for decades. Yet little is known about how to provide science advice to legislatures, even though scientific information is widely acknowledged as valuable for decision-making in many policy domains. We asked academics, science advisers, and policymakers from both developed and developing nations to identify, review and refine, and then rank the most pressing research questions on legislative science advice (LSA). Experts generally agree that the state of evidence is poor, especially regarding developing and lower-middle income countries. Many fundamental questions about science advice processes remain unanswered and are of great interest: whether legislative use of scientific evidence improves the implementation and outcome of social programs and policies; under what conditions legislators and staff seek out scientific information or use what is presented to them; and how different communication channels affect informational trust and use. Environment and health are the highest priority policy domains for the field. The context-specific nature of many of the submitted questions—whether to policy issues, institutions, or locations—suggests one of the significant challenges is aggregating generalizable evidence on LSA practices. Understanding these research needs represents a first step in advancing a global agenda for LSA research.Fil: Akerlof, Karen. George Mason University; Estados UnidosFil: Tyler, Chris. University College London;Fil: Foxen, Sarah Elizabeth. University College London;Fil: Heath, Erin. American Association for the Advancement of Science; Estados UnidosFil: Gual Soler, Marga. American Association for the Advancement of Science; Estados UnidosFil: Allegra, Alessandro. University College London;Fil: Cloyd, Emily T.. American Association for the Advancement of Science; Estados UnidosFil: Hird, John A.. University of Massachussets; Estados UnidosFil: Nelson, Selena M.. George Mason University; Estados UnidosFil: Nguyen, Christina T.. George Mason University; Estados UnidosFil: Gonnella, Cameryn J.. Herndon; Estados UnidosFil: Berigan, Liam A.. Kansas State University; Estados UnidosFil: Abeledo, Carlos R.. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Al Yakoub, Tamara Adel. Yarmouk University; JordaniaFil: Andoh, Harris Francis. Tshwane University Of Technology; Sudáfrica. Tshwane University of Technology; GhanaFil: dos Santos Boeira, Laura. Veredas Institute; BrasilFil: van Boheemen, Pieter. Rathenau Instituut; Países BajosFil: Cairney, Paul. University of Stirling; Reino UnidoFil: Cook Deegan, Robert. Arizona State University; Estados UnidosFil: Costigan, Gavin. Foundation For Science And Technology; Reino UnidoFil: Dhimal, Meghnath. Nepal Health Research Council; NepalFil: Di Marco, Martín Hernán. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones "Gino Germani"; ArgentinaFil: Dube, Donatus. National University of Science and Technology; Zimbabu

“Appropriate Technology for the 21st Century: Technological Innovation to Empower Africaâ€

Presentation on Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Appropriate Technology.,Low-income earners in Zimbabwe’s rural areas currently depend, to a very large extent, on water from rivers, wells, dams and boreholes. Water from all these sources is contaminated in one form or the other by the anthropogenic as well as natural pollutants and in many cases is unsuitable for human consumption. Over the past decade, an increasing number of field-based studies have been undertaken to determine the success of point – of – use (POU) treatment measures in reducing waterborne diseases. However for poor communities in rural areas of Zimbabwe such interventions have remained largely ineffective due to availability and application challenges, lack of support, resistance due to cultural stigmas and mere ignorance. The aim of this research was to provide a simple POU solution to water quality problems in the rural communities of Zimbabwe. Thermally converted magnetite particle material with nanoporosity was used to construct rudimentary filters for use by villagers. Both laboratory and village scale tests were conducted. Results revealed that filters constructed using nano-porous magnetite material were very effective for microbiological and chemical pollution control in water and can be used successfully and sustainably by poor communities in the rural areas.,Kenyata University Northern California Council of Black Professional Engineers (NCCBPE) National Technical Association NACOST

Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Household Drinking Water Using Acacia Galpinii Seeds and Seed Pods

Background. Contamination of drinking water with heavy metals poses a human health threat, particularly in low-income countries where point-of-use water purification systems are beyond the reach of a majority of households. Objectives. The study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of Acacia galpinii (monkey thorn tree) biomass in removing lead (Pb (ll)), cadmium (Cd (ll)), calcium (Ca (ll)), and magnesium (Mg (ll)) ions from drinking water. Methods. A. Galpinii biomass from seed and seed pods was processed by pulverizing, Soxhlet oil extraction and particle size grading. The material was analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometry. Influence of the physiochemical parameters (contact time, initial concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH) on the effectiveness of the biomass in removing Pb (ll), Cd (ll), Ca (ll) and Mg (ll) ions was evaluated and the best fit adsorption isotherm model (Langmuir vs. Freundlich) was also determined. Results. Particle size, dose, contact time and pH all played significant roles in the effectiveness of metal removal for both seed and seed pod biomass. At biomass particle size <90 microns, 98% removal rates of Pb (II) ions were achieved for powdered seed pods compared with 65% for powdered seeds. The same trend was observed for Cd, Ca and Mg. Contact time for effective removal of metal ions by pod powder and seed powder was 90 minutes and 120 minutes, respectively. Maximum adsorption was achieved at solution pH 6-8 for all metals. Lead adsorption followed a Langmuir isotherm model with maximum adsorption capacities of 10.8932 for pod powder and 3.4412 for seed powder. Adsorption of Ca and Mg followed a Freundlich model, with adsorption capacity of 1.1789 for Ca and 1.4521 for Mg. Conclusions. Acacia galpinii seeds and seed pods are inexpensive, readily available and may serve as a cost effective means for treatment of drinking water for domestic users in low and middle income countries. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests

Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years for 32 cancer groups, 1990 to 2015: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration

Importance: Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Current estimates on the burden of cancer are needed for cancer control planning. Objective: To estimate mortality, incidence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 32 cancers in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. Evidence Review: Cancer mortality was estimated using vital registration system data, cancer registry incidence data (transformed to mortality estimates using separately estimated mortality to incidence [MI] ratios), and verbal autopsy data. Cancer incidence was calculated by dividing mortality estimates through the modeled MI ratios. To calculate cancer prevalence, MI ratios were used to model survival. To calculate YLDs, prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights. The YLLs were estimated by multiplying age-specific cancer deaths by the reference life expectancy. DALYs were estimated as the sum of YLDs and YLLs. A sociodemographic index (SDI) was created for each location based on income per capita, educational attainment, and fertility. Countries were categorized by SDI quintiles to summarize results. Findings: In 2015, there were 17.5 million cancer cases worldwide and 8.7 million deaths. Between 2005 and 2015, cancer cases increased by 33%, with population aging contributing 16%, population growth 13%, and changes in age-specific rates contributing 4%. For men, the most common cancer globally was prostate cancer (1.6 million cases). Tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths and DALYs in men (1.2 million deaths and 25.9 million DALYs). For women, the most common cancer was breast cancer (2.4 million cases). Breast cancer was also the leading cause of cancer deaths and DALYs for women (523 000 deaths and 15.1 million DALYs). Overall, cancer caused 208.3 million DALYs worldwide in 2015 for both sexes combined. Between 2005 and 2015, age-standardized incidence rates for all cancers combined increased in 174 of 195 countries or territories. Age-standardized death rates (ASDRs) for all cancers combined decreased within that timeframe in 140 of 195 countries or territories. Countries with an increase in the ASDR due to all cancers were largely located on the African continent. Of all cancers, deaths between 2005 and 2015 decreased significantly for Hodgkin lymphoma (-6.1% [95% uncertainty interval (UI), -10.6% to -1.3%]). The number of deaths also decreased for esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, and chronic myeloid leukemia, although these results were not statistically significant. Conclusion and Relevance: As part of the epidemiological transition, cancer incidence is expected to increase in the future, further straining limited health care resources. Appropriate allocation of resources for cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and curative and palliative care requires detailed knowledge of the local burden of cancer. The GBD 2015 study results demonstrate that progress is possible in the war against cancer. However, the major findings also highlight an unmet need for cancer prevention efforts, including tobacco control, vaccination, and the promotion of physical activity and a healthy diet