Towards appropriate sanitary inspection tools for self supply systems in developing countries

The assessment criteria in many of the available examples of standard sanitary inspection tools are scored on a two-way ‘yes or no’ answer. The possibility of variations between the set out criteria in the forms and the observed sanitary faults are not provided for within the two-way answer system. The use of this type of scoring system may therefore either exaggerate or underplay particular risk factors. Onsite sanitary inspection of urban self supply wells was conducted in Abeokuta, Nigeria. The survey included the inspection of system operations and maintenance, to evaluate systems adequacy for safe water supply. This paper captures the inspection process. It explains the need for moderation of standard sanitary inspection forms to suit the peculiarities of urban self supply wells. The paper introduced a new scoring method and suggests appropriate sanitary survey format for self supply hand dug wells

Inorganic profiles of chemical phosphorus removal sludge

Iron dosing is commonly used to remove phosphorus from wastewater but little is known about how this changes the distribution of iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and trace metals in activated and digested sludge. This research compared the inorganic profiles of sludge from full-scale processes (activated sludge and anaerobic digestion) with and without iron dosing, with the aim of identifying changes in inorganic distribution resulting from iron dosing. Sludge phosphorus and metals were fractionated using sequential chemical extraction. Bioavailable iron was lower in iron-dosed activated sludge, as was bioavailable phosphorus (6.5 g/kg compared with 1.8 g/kg), with most of the iron and phosphorus bound as iron-hydroxy-phosphates. Similar results were found for anaerobically digested sludge afer iron dosing; iron and phosphorus in the sludge increased by 4 and 1.35 times, respectively, but bioavailability was decreased. The ratio of chemical oxygen demand to bioavailable phosphorus in the digester was 840 : 1 after iron dosing. By contrast, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc were increasingly bioavailable in the digester after iron dosing. The reported changes were linked to the iron content of the sludge; hence the level of iron dosing is key to minimising changes in sludge inorganic profiles

A study on the revival of shamanism in Horqin, Inner Mongolia

今日の中国は社会主義市場経済を実施し、社会が全面的に発展を遂げている。一方で、こう言った社会の背景のもとに、シャマニズムを含めた民間信仰が復活している。内モンゴルのホルチン地方のシャマニズムの信仰が、在来の世界観を持ちながら復興現象を見せ、人々の日常生活に生き、シャマンが依頼者の請求に応じて自分の役割を果たして人々に好まれている。しかも時代的特徴、つまり変容の姿をも見せている。本研究は今現在におけるホルチン地方のシャマニズムのあり方、つまり復興と変容に着目して、モンゴル人のシャマニズムの信仰体系、おもにシャマンの活動をめぐる諸現象、社会の反応などを分析しながらホルチン地方のシャマニズムの復興と変容の特徴を明らかにすることを目的としている。そのため、ホルチン地方のシャマニズムを復興と変容という二つの内容に分けて述べることにした。今回は復興現象を対象にした。また、論文に用いる資料としては文献資料と筆者が2002年2月、2003年8月、9月に現地調査を行って得た資料を用いた

Prey abundance 2012

Invertebrate prey was sampled via sweep netting in July 2012. These data show the total number of invertebrate prey per sweep net sample at three sites on simulated invasion and control plots. These data were used to evaluate the amount of available prey between plots

Juveniles 2012

The number of juvenile spiders (Dictyna, Aculepeira) observed across three sites on simulated invasion and control plots during 2012. These data were used to calculate recruitment (= # juveniles present in August 2012 / # reproductive females June 2012)

Spider Mechanisms

Potential mechanisms (web size, prey captures, and reproduction) leading to web spider community reassembly following Centaurea stoebe invasion. These mechanisms were experimentally evaluated in three focal web spider species (Dictyna, Aculepeira, Tetragnatha) over two summers (2011-2012) across three sites by comparing responses on simulated invasion and control plots

Spider Abundance

Spider abundances for the three studied species (Dictyna, Aculepeira, and Tetragnatha) across three sites on simulated invasion and control plots. Spider abundance was observed three times each year (June, July, August) over the two-year study (2011-2012)

Prevalence of ICD-9 discharge diagnoses that represent all respiratory diseases (gray) and asthma (white).

<p>Odds ratios of asthma in drug dependent patients compared to low risk drug use: inhalational heroin (OR 7, 95% CI 4.7–10.4, p<0.001), cocaine (OR 1.7, 95% CI 0.8–3.7, p = 0.20) and injection heroin (OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.3–4.9, p = 0.68).</p

Medical Diagnoses Associated with Substance Dependence among Inpatients at a Large Urban Hospital

<div><p>Background</p><p>There are limited data on reasons for hospital admission among patients dependent on substances other than alcohol. We compared primary discharge diagnoses for heroin- or cocaine-dependent patients to non-dependent patients.</p><p>Material and Methods</p><p>We evaluated a cohort of patients admitted to a general medicine service at a public teaching hospital during July 2005-June 2008. Through bedside interviews, we identified patients who had substance-use disorders. We categorized patients by substance used, route of administration, and dependent or non-dependent use. We grouped diagnostic codes (i.e., ICD-9) using Healthcare Utilization Project categories. We excluded HIV-infected patients.</p><p>Results</p><p>Of 11,397 patients, 341 (3.0%) were dependent on inhalational heroin, 260 (2.3%) on non-injection cocaine, and 106 (0.9%) on injection heroin. Compared to non-dependent patients, inhalational heroin-dependent patients were over three-fold more likely to have been admitted for respiratory diseases (28% vs. 8%, p<0.01); this association was strongest for asthma exacerbation (OR=7.0; 95% CI, 4.7 to 70.4, p<0.01). Of the 225 admissions for an asthma exacerbation, 44 (19.6%) had co-occurrent heroin-dependence. The most frequent diagnostic category among cocaine-dependent patients was circulatory, which was similar to non-dependent patients (22% vs. 21%, p=0.92).</p><p>Discussion</p><p>There is a strong association between heroin dependence and hospital admission for an asthma exacerbation. Provision of specialized substance-use treatment for inhalational heroin users will be necessary to reduce the frequency of exacerbations and repeat hospital admissions.</p></div

Prevalence of ICD-9 groups among patients with low risk and dependent drug use.

<p>Statistical testing performed using the low risk category as the comparator group.</p><p>^a p<0.05 higher prevalence among low risk patients.</p><p>^b p< 0.01 higher prevalence among dependent patients.</p><p>^c p<0.05 higher prevalence among dependent patients</p><p>Prevalence of ICD-9 groups among patients with low risk and dependent drug use.</p