Action to protect the independence and integrity of global health research

Storeng KT, Abimbola S, Balabanova D, et al. Action to protect the independence and integrity of global health research. BMJ GLOBAL HEALTH. 2019;4(3): e001746

Gendered intra-household contributions to low-input dairy in Senegal

A.S. Leaflet R3078201

Using Formative Research to Design a Behavior Change Strategy to Increase the Use of Improved Cookstoves in Peri-Urban Kampala, Uganda

Household air pollution from cooking with biomass fuels negatively impacts maternal and child health and the environment, and contributes to the global burden of disease. In Uganda, nearly 20,000 young children die of household air pollution-related pneumonia every year. Qualitative research was used to identify behavioral determinants related to the acquisition and use of improved cookstoves in peri-urban Uganda. Results were used to design a behavior change strategy for the introduction of a locally-fabricated top-lit updraft gasifier (TLUD) stove in Wakiso district. A theoretical framework—opportunity, ability, and motivation—was used to guide the research and behavior change strategy development. Participants consistently cited financial considerations as the most influential factor related to improved cookstove acquisition and use. In contrast, participants did not prioritize the potential health benefits of improved cookstoves. The theoretical framework, research methodology, and behavior change strategy design process can be useful for program planners and researchers interested in identifying behavioral determinants and designing and evaluating improved cookstove interventions

Prediction of live body weight using various body measurements in Ugandan village pigs

A study to develop body weight prediction equations based on various body measurements was conducted in rural Kamuli district, Uganda. Body weight (kg) and body measurement data (cm) were collected from 411 pigs between 15 and 127 kg from both local and exotic (mainly crossbreds) pigs. Five body measurements; body length, heart girth, height, body width and flank-to-flank were taken from each pig. Prediction models were developed by regressing weight on pig body measurements. The models were developed for pigs categorized as 0.05) and quadratic terms also did not improve accuracy and were not included in any prediction models. These results suggest that live weight could be accurately estimated using two or more pig body measurements. It was concluded that this weight estimation tool would empower Ugandan small scale pig farmers by providing them with an accurate estimate for the animal’s live weight and giving them better bargaining power when selling their pigs

Methods to Support End User Design of Arrangement-Level Musical Decision Making

This thesis is concerned with the study of methods and models to support the design of systems that perform music autonomously, by non-programming end users. Specifically, we address the design of musical agents, which are the central decision making components of such systems and which typically make musical decisions on the time scale of a few seconds. We use the term arrangement-level musical decision making to refer to the activity performed by musical agents. We develop and characterise three separate systems for designing musical agents. The first two are prototypes based on partially observable Markov decision processes and programming by example (PBE), respectively. In each case, we demonstrate the potential of the system but identify significant challenges to making it widely applicable. The third system is called the Agent Designer Toolkit (ADTK) and it is the main contribution of this work. It involves combining PBE with a mechanism whereby a musician can embed musical knowledge into an agent. We show that the ADTK can be used to create agents that convincingly emulate styles of arrangement-level musical decision making in a wide variety of musical contexts, both mainstream and experimental, while requiring only small numbers of examples. The ADTK defines a novel class of constraint-based models of musical decision making. To use these models in performance, a new method was developed, based on binary decision diagrams, for computing musical decisions subject to real-time constraints. The ADTK requires no expertise in conventional computer programming and it can be seamlessly embedded in popular music production software. While we identify certain usability issues with the prototype version, we show the promise of a number of strategies for mitigating them, such as that of providing presets. In addition to its use in music performance, we show the potential of the ADTK for other creative uses such as the generation of new musical ideas