Integrative Investment Appraisal of a Lignocellulosic Biomass-to-Ethanol Industry

While theoretically more efficient than starch-based ethanol production systems, conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol is not without major challenges. A multi-region, multi-period, mixed integer mathematical programming model encompassing alternative feedstocks, feedstock production, delivery, and processing is developed. The model is used to identify key cost components and potential bottlenecks, and to reveal opportunities for reducing costs and prioritizing research. The research objective was to determine for specific regions in Oklahoma the most economical source of lignocellulosic biomass, timing of harvest and storage, inventory management, biorefinery size, and biorefinery location, as well as the breakeven price of ethanol, for a gasification-fermentation process. Given base assumptions, gasification-fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol may be more economical than fermentation of corn grain. However, relative to conventional fermentation processes, gasification-fermentation technology is in its infancy. It remains to be seen if the technology will be technically feasible on a commercial scale.biomass, biorefinery location, ethanol, integrative investment appraisal, logistics, mixed integer programming, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Analysis of Ore Hand-Crushed Size Distribution for Grinding Process in the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mines Production: A Case Study of Nholi Mine, Bahi District

In many parts of the world, artisanal and small-scale gold mines (ASGM) employed numbers of people compared to large-scale mines. The ASGM has been played a crucial role in poverty alleviation and rural development, particularly in developing countries. The mined ore is crushed and ground for beneficiation of gold. The grinding process involved the size reduction of blasted materials to acquire minerals of interest. This paper presents the size distribution of hand-crushed for blasted materials using sieve analysis and digital image processing. The sieve test results for hand-crushed blasted material of three muck-piles were ranged between 17 mm and 36 mm that is equivalent to 20% and 80% passings respectively, with an average of 26 mm. The digital image processing results were about 19.8 mm for 20% passing and 58 mm for 80% passing, with an average of 36.06 mm. The hand-crushed provided a wide range of material distribution than the required size in the grinding unit and increased oversize by 18%. The hand-crushed of blasted materials provides different sizes distribution leading to increase the residence time and power consumption of the grinding units

Prevalence and determinants of malnutrition among under-five children in Lusaka urban, Zambia

Background: Malnutrition is a severe and persisting cause of morbidity and mortality among under-five children in Zambia. We assessed malnutrition and its determinants among under-five children in Lusaka urban, Zambia.  Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Chawama, Kabwata, Chilenje and Mtendere urban clinics in Lusaka. A simple random sample of 384 under-five children were selected between February and March 2015. A structured interview schedule was used to collect data on demographic characteristics, determinants of malnutrition and anthropometric measurements. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was carried out using IBM® SPSS® Statistics for Windows Version 20.0 to identify determinants of malnutrition while adjusting for confounders.  Results: Of the 384 under-five children, most (51.8%) of them were male and the mean (SD) age was 13.83±10.17 months. The zH/A; zW/H; and zW/A was 68.5% and 31.5%; 95.6% and 4.4%; and 86.2% and 13.8% for normal and stunted; normal and wasted; and normal and underweight respectively. Majority (77.1%) of the children had MUAC > 12.5 cm, 16.9% had 11.5 – 12.5 cm and 6.0% had < 11.5 cm. Mother’s good nutritional practices (OR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.27 – 0.95) and MUAC > 12.5 cm (OR 0.10, 95% CI: 0.01 – 0.94; OR 0.01, 0.00 – 0.10; and OR 0.4, 0.01 – 0.19) were statistically significantly associated with stunting, wasting and underweight respectively.  Conclusion: We established varied levels of stunting, wasting and underweight and mother’s nutritional practices and MUAC predicted these levels. More information, education and communication messages to the mothers and caretakers with regard to nutritional practices are needed so that under-nutrition can be improved, to ensure healthy living for mothers, care takers and under-five children.   &nbsp

Bridging the divide? Integrating stakeholder values into energy system models

Delivering just energy transitions in sub-Saharan Africa requires careful planning and consideration of diverse objectives. Recently in Energy Research and Social Science, Baker et al. provide a useful method for eliciting stakeholder preferences in Ghana; however, they do not take the next step and show how this evidence may be integrated into quantitative energy models

Status of cassava mosaic disease and whitefly population in Zambia

Cassava mosaic disease is the most important disease affecting cassava in Zambia. A study was conducted through a survey to determine the status of cassava mosaic disease incidence, severity and whitefly  abundance in farmers’ fields in six provinces: Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Luapula, Eastern and Western between March and May 2014. The study reveals that cassava mosaic disease incidence was highest in Lusaka (70.0%) and Eastern (69.2%) and lowest in Luapula (45.1%) and Northern (48.5%) provinces. Disease symptom severity was moderate to severe in Lusaka (3.48) and Eastern (3.14) and low in the rest of the provinces. Adult whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) populations were highest in Western Province (2.71) and lowest in Luapula Province (0.02). Polymerase chain reaction results using specific primers for African cassava mosaic virus and East African cassava mosaic virus detected single infections of African cassava mosaic virus and East African cassava mosaic virus in 67.9 and 6.8% of the positive reactions, respectively. Dual infections of African cassava mosaic virus and East African cassava mosaic virus were detected in 25.6% of the samples tested. Cassava brown streak virus was not detected in any of the samples and no symptoms suggestive of cassava brown streak disease were observed in the surveyed fields.Key words: Disease, incidence, severity, whitefly

Unhomeliness, unending phobias and liminality in Senait Mehari's Heart of Fire

CITATION: Tembo, N. M. 2017. Unhomeliness, unending phobias and liminality in Senait Mehari's Heart of Fire. Literator, 38(1), a1292, doi:10.4102/lit.v38i1.1292.The original publication is available at https://literator.org.zaIn Senait Mehari’s Heart of Fire, the legacy of childhood maltreatment is reproduced in the relationship between the father, Ghebrehiwet, and the daughter, Senait. A former victim of atrocity, Ghebrehiwet is a broken man with an identity that makes him transfer his traumatised childhood and his dissatisfaction with Eritrea’s political system to his family members. Because of these psychosocial issues, he gives his three daughters away to the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) to train and fight as child soldiers. Drawing on trauma studies, postcolonial theories as well as current research on child soldier narratives, this article examines Mehari’s depiction of her experiences with her father and, later, with fellow soldiers during the Second Eritrean Civil War. Specifically, it examines the concepts of unhomeliness and liminality, with reference to Mehari’s depiction of her anxiety in the tension-filled space of her parental home and the contingent ‘homes’ of the various ELF camps where she stayed as a child soldier. To that end, the article considers Mehari’s unending phobias as a recurring motif in Heart of Fire.Ontheemtheid, oneindige fobies en liminaliteit in Senait Mehari se Heart of Fire. In Senait Mehari se Heart of Fire word die nalatenskap van mishandeling in die kinderjare gereproduseer in die verhouding tussen die vader, Ghebrehiwet, en die dogter, Senait. Ghebrehiwet, ’n voormalige slagoffer van wreedhede, is ’n gebroke man met ‘n identiteit wat tot gevolg het dat hy sy eie getraumatiseerde kinderjare en sy ontevredenheid met Eritrea se politieke sisteem op sy familielede projekteer. As gevolg van sy psigososiale kwessies, gee hy drie van sy dogters weg aan die Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) om opgelei te word en te veg as kindersoldate. Gebaseer op traumastudies, postkoloniale teorieë asook huidige navorsing oor kindersoldaatverhale, kyk die artikel na Mehari se uitbeelding van haar ervaringe met haar vader en later met haar mede-soldate gedurende die Tweede Eritrese Burgeroorlog. Meer spesifiek ondersoek dit die konsepte van ontheemdheid en liminaliteit, met verwysing na Mehari se uitbeelding van haar angs in die gespanne omgewing van haar ouerhuis en die opeenvolgende ‘huise’ van die verskeie ELF kampe waar sy as ’n kindersoldaat vertoef het. Met hierdie doel voor oë beskou die artikel Mehari se oneindige fobies as ’n herhalende motief in Heart of Fire.https://literator.org.za/index.php/literator/article/view/1292Publisher's versio

Testing methods for new pit latrine designs in rural and peri-urban areas of Malawi where conventional testing is difficult to employ

There is a trend towards participation of users in the design of appropriate sanitation facilities for low-income countries. However, testing the safety and durability of these technologies for rural and peri-urban communities is a challenge in low-income countries due to the lack of resources and access to conventional tests. This paper highlights testing methods used for pit latrine designs developed through participatory design approaches in Malawi. Two designs were tested with devised and/or conventional methods: (i) a corbelled pit latrine targeted for rural areas and (ii) an improved transitional pit latrine targeted for peri-urban areas. Devised testing methods proved to be useful and easy to implement by masons in the rural and peri-urban areas of Malawi. Novel pit latrine designs in Malawi require robust and innovative approaches to address the limited access to conventional tests. Both the conventional and devised testing methods demonstrated that the two designs have a satisfactory life-span and can support the users' load. The findings of this paper can be a model for the scale-up of integration of community ideas for participatory pit latrine design testing based in low-income countries where conventional testing is difficult to employ