Factors Influencing Attitude, Safety Behavior, and Knowledge regarding Household Waste Management in Guinea: A Cross-Sectional Study

Waste indiscriminate disposal is recognized as an important cause of environmental pollution and is associated with health problems. Safe management and disposal of household waste are an important problem to the capital city of Guinea (Conakry). The objective of this study was to identify socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with practice, knowledge, and safety behavior of family members regarding household waste management and to produce a remedial action plan. I found that no education background, income, and female individuals were independently associated with indiscriminate waste disposal. Unplanned residential area was an additional factor associated with indiscriminate waste disposal. I also found that the community residents had poor knowledge and unsafe behavior in relation to waste management. The promotion of environmental information and public education and implementation of community action programs on disease prevention and health promotion will enhance environmental friendliness and safety of the community

Un Cas de Lupus Erythemateux Dissemine (LED) Revele par une Anemie Chronique au Service d’hematologie Clinique du CHU de Yopougon

The authors report one case of systemic lupus erythematosus revealed by chronic anemia. This was a 29-year-old patient with long-term fever, chronic skin and joint lesions with isolated hypochrome microcytic haemolytic anemia on the hemogram. The diagnosis of SLE was made three years after the onset of symptomatology based on seven of the American Rheumatology Association's (ARA) criteria out of 11, including positive immunological status (antinuclear antibodies and native DNA). This observation shows the interest of evoking SLE, while looking for signs in a young woman with multiple and varied symptoms with signs of skin, kidney, osteoarticular and hematological disorders.Les auteurs rapportent un cas de lupus érythémateux disséminé révélé par une anémie chronique. IL s’agissait d’une patiente de 29 ans présentant une fièvre au long cours, des lésions cutanées et articulaires d’évolution chronique avec à l’hémogramme une anémie hémolytique isolée hypochrome microcytaire. Le diagnostic de LED a été retenu trois années après le début de la symptomatologie devant sept critères sur 11 de L’American Rheumatology Association (ARA) dont le bilan immunologique positif (anticorps antinucléaires et DNA natif). Cette observation montre l’intérêt d’évoquer le LED, tout en recherchant les signes chez une femme jeune présentant une symptomatologie multiple et variée avec les signes d’atteintes cutanée, rénale, ostéo-articulaire et hématologique

A step forward for understanding the morbidity burden in Guinea: a national descriptive study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Little evidence on the burden of disease has been reported about Guinea. This study was conducted to demonstrate the morbidity burden in Guinea and provide basic evidence for setting health priorities.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective descriptive study was designed to present the morbidity burden of Guinea. Morbidity data were extracted from the National Health Statistics Report of Guinea of 2008. The data are collected based on a pyramid of facilities which includes two national hospitals (teaching hospitals), seven regional hospitals, 26 prefectural hospitals, 8 communal medical centers, 390 health centers, and 628 health posts. Morbidity rates were calculated to measure the burden of non-fatal diseases. The contributions of the 10 leading diseases were presented by sex and age group.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In 2008, a total of 3,936,599 cases occurred. The morbidity rate for males was higher than for females, 461 versus 332 per 1,000 population. Malaria, respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, helminthiases, and malnutrition ranked in the first 5 places and accounted for 74% of the total burden, respectively having a rate of 148, 64, 33, 32, and 14 per 1,000 population. The elderly aged 65+ had the highest morbidity rate (611 per 1,000 population) followed by working-age population (458 per 1,000 population) and children (396 per 1,000 population) while the working-age population aged 25-64 contributed the largest part (39%) to total cases. The sex- and age-specific spectrum of morbidity burden showed a similar profile except for small variations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Guinea has its unique morbidity burden. The ten leading causes of morbidity burden, especially for malaria, respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, helminthiases, and malnutrition, need to be prioritized in Guinea.</p

Factors Influencing Attitude, Safety Behavior, and Knowledge regarding Household Waste Management in Guinea: A Cross-Sectional Study

Waste indiscriminate disposal is recognized as an important cause of environmental pollution and is associated with health problems. Safe management and disposal of household waste are an important problem to the capital city of Guinea (Conakry). The objective of this study was to identify socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with practice, knowledge, and safety behavior of family members regarding household waste management and to produce a remedial action plan. I found that no education background, income, and female individuals were independently associated with indiscriminate waste disposal. Unplanned residential area was an additional factor associated with indiscriminate waste disposal. I also found that the community residents had poor knowledge and unsafe behavior in relation to waste management. The promotion of environmental information and public education and implementation of community action programs on disease prevention and health promotion will enhance environmental friendliness and safety of the community

Modélisation de la formation des particules de suies issues des procédés de combustion

Pour mieux contrôler l’émission des particules de suies et minimiser leurs impacts sur l’environnement et la santé publique, il est crucial de mieux comprendre leurs mécanismes de formation, en particulier dans les processus de combustion des hydrocarbures. La première étape de formation de ces matières carbonées est la formation de leurs précurseurs appelés HAP (Hydrocarbures Aromatiques Polycycliques), suivie de l’étape de nucleation des suies. La première partie de ce travail de recherche est focalisée sur le développement d’un nouveau schéma cinétique détaillé, décrivant avec précision non seulement l’auto-inflammation et la combustion basse et haute températures des carburants liquides de transport et ceux du laboratoire, mais aussi la formation des HAP jusqu’au coronène car ces HAP sont suspectés d’être les principaux précurseurs de suies. Dans la deuxième partie de ce travail, un modèle sectionnel de suies est utilisé avec le présent schéma cinétique afin d’investiguer les mécanismes de formation des particules de suies en reproduisant les tendances des données expérimentales (fractions volumiques de suies, diamètres des particules). Ce modèle de suies décrit la nucleation, la condensation, la croissance en surface, la coagulation et l’oxydation des particules de suies. Le couple “schéma cinétique-modèle sectionnel de suies” a été validé sur les flammes prémélangées laminaires de methane, d’éthylène et de n-butane à différentes richesses. Les dimérisations homomoléculaire et hétéromoléculaire des HAP de taille modérée (du pyrène au coronène) ont été considérées pour la modélisation de la nucleation des particules de suies.To better control soot particles emission and minimize their health and environmental effects, it is crucial to better understand their formation mechanisms in particularly combustion processes. The first step of these particulates matter formation is their precursors PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) formation, followed by the nucleation process which links the gas-phase (PAH chemistry) and solid-phase (particles). In the first part of this work, we developed a new detailed chemical kinetic mechanism describing accurately both low and high-temperature ignition and combustion of a wide range of liquid transportation and laboratory fuels as well as the formation of PAH up to coronene, suspected to be major soot precursors. In the second part of this work, a sectional soot model is used with the developed kinetic mechanism in order to investigate soot particles nucleation mechanisms in reproducing experimental data tendencies (soot volume fractions and particles diameters). This couple of kinetic and soot models is run on the detailed kinetic solver Cantera in order to solve both the gas and disperse solid phases in steady laminar flame conditions. The soot model used with the developed detailed kinetic mechanism is validated over premixed laminar methane, ethylene and n-butane flames at various equivalence ratios. Homomolecular and Heteromolecular dimerizations of modest size of PAHs from pyrene to coronene (mass of monomer ranging from 200 to 300 amu) have been considered for particle nucleation modeling

A wide range kinetic modeling study of PAH formation from liquid transportation fuels combustion

International audienceA new detailed chemical kinetic mechanism was herein developed to describe accurately the combustion of liquid transportation fuels (gasoline, jet-A1 and diesel fuel) as well as laboratory fuels (single components) over an extended range of equivalence ratios, temperatures, pressures and dilution levels. This mechanism is able to simultaneously reproduce PAH mole fraction profiles, ignition delay times and flame speeds for a variety of fuels. Three surrogate mixtures of n-decane, iso-octane and n-propylbenzene in different amounts were formulated to represent the above-mentioned commercial fuels based on their derived cetane numbers and threshold sooting indexes. Based on this mechanism, the impacts of fuel composition (ethylene vs. jet-A1 fuel) and reaction progress (height above the burner) on the respective importance of benzene and naphthalene formation pathways were characterized. In addition to HACA mechanism, naphthalene was found to be formed mainly from phenyl+vinylacetylene and benzyl+propargyl pathways for jet A-1 flames. A path involving dibenzofuran oxidation was also found to play a key role in naphthalene production in jet-A1 flame, highlighting the significant contribution of oxygenated compounds to PAH production

A Wide Range Kinetic Modeling Study of PAH Formation from Liquid Transportation Fuels Combustion

International audienc

Spatial cluster detection of air pollution exposure inequities across the United States.

Air quality is known to be a key factor in affecting the wellbeing and quality of life of the general populous and there is a large body of knowledge indicating that certain underrepresented groups may be overexposed to air pollution. Therefore, a more precise understanding of air pollution exposure as a driving cause of health disparities between and among ethnic and racial groups is necessary. Utilizing 52,613 urban census tracts across the United States, this study investigates age, racial, educational attainment and income differences in exposure to benzene pollution in 1999 as a case. The study examines spatial clustering patterns of these inequities using logistic regression modeling and spatial autocorrelation methods such as the Global Moran's I index and the Anselin Local Moran's I index. Results show that the age groups of 0 to 14 and those over 60 years old, individuals with less than 12 years of education, racial minorities including Blacks, American Indians, Asians, some other races, and those with low income were exposed to higher levels of benzene pollution in some census tracts. Clustering analyses stratified by age, education, and race revealed a clear case of disparities in spatial distribution of exposure to benzene pollution across the entire United States. For example, people aged less than 4 years from the western south and the Pacific coastal areas exhibit statistically significant clusters. The findings confirmed that there are geographical-location based disproportionate pattern of exposures to benzene air pollution by various socio-demographic factors across the United States and this type of disproportionate exposure pattern can be effectively detected by a spatial autocorrelation based cluster analysis method. It is suggested that there is a clear and present need for programs and services that will reduce inequities and ultimately improve environmental conditions for all underrepresented groups in the United States