The needs of health promoters on a health promotion programme for families with adolescents orphaned by HIV and AIDS

The South African communities has shown to have a challenge in accessing health services especially in rural areas; hence the national strategic objective 1.7 aimed at strengthening community systems to expand access to services using the community-based care programmes (NSP 2012–2016). The programmes enhance access to health services whilst promoting health and educating the community to improve health knowledge and work towards attaining a healthy living (NSP 2012–2016). However, the health promoters from the rural Hammanskraal region in the North West Province of South Africa often found themselves rendering the health promotion services in their communities with limited resources. This study aimed at exploring and describing the challenges faced by health promoters in implementing health promotion programmes for families with adolescents orphaned by HIV and AIDS. The study followed a qualitative design. Data was collected using focus group interviews. Participants were purposely selected by the social worker and the health promotion coordinator working at Hammanskraal. The process of data analysis was adapted from the eight steps of Tesch method of data analysis where categories, sub-categories and themes were isolated. The following categories emerged as the needs of health promoters on health promotion programmes for families with adolescents orphaned by HIV and AIDS, (1) financial needs, (2) resources, (3) basic life needs, (4) educational needs and (5) health promoter’s needs. It is therefore recommended that equal distribution of resources: including medicine, equipment and finances, should be maintained in order to ensure non-interrupted services.The authors’ would like to acknowledge the University of Pretoria, Nursing Department for presenting the learning opportunity for academic development. We acknowledge the Sunrise Hospice Centre and the North West Department of Health for permitting us to conduct the study in their region. To the study participants, this study would not be successfull without their participation.http://www.curationis.org.zaam2013ay201

Première injection de lixiviat dans un digesteur anaérobique suivi par méthode géophysique.

3rd International Workshop on Geoelectrical MonitoringGELMON 2015, Vienna, AUT, 24-/11/2015 - 26/11/2015International audienceAnaerobic digestion (AD) has a high growing potential worldwide due to its combined environmental benefits such as reducing greenhouse gas, producing renewable energy, organic amendment and fertilizer. In France, 400 plants were recorded in 2015 which mainly handle agricultural residues using both liquid and solid state processes. The successful and efficient degradation of organic matter in AD needs balanced physical-chemical conditions for microbial development. Moisture content in the media, particularly, was found to be of great importance. Nevertheless, no information is available on the hydrodynamics of the circulation of the leachate through cattle manure or other agricultural residues. Moreover, agricultural residues and mixtures are particularly porous and heterogeneous and no data was found on the efficiency of those systems to humidify homogeneously such a substrate. The hydrodynamic flow characteristics and transfer time of the leachate are essential to design the optimal liquid injection system that will permit to reach uniform moisture content. Already applied in landfills for in-situ characterization of leachates flow through municipal solid waste (MSW), ERT was proven to give reliable results. The results led to the enhancement of the leachate injection system design and enriched the knowledge of MSW behavior. The non-intrusive, non-destructive and 3 dimensional response of the ERT method seems adapted to the study of the leachate infiltration through agricultural effluents in a SSAD plant. We present the first results of the use of 3D time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography performed during a leachate injection in a waste deposit cell in France (20 m3 of leachate was injected during 10 h). 72 electrodes and a Syscal PRO resistivity meter was used. For the inversion, the apparent resistivity have been interpreted taking into account (i) the boundary condition of the waste deposit cell (insulating boundary around the waste deposit cell) and (ii) the effects of temperature (indeed between the surface and the bottom of the waste deposit cell , we measured the variation of temperature in the range of +/-25 °C). The result highlighted the conductive character of this porous media with a resistivity included between 0.5 ohm.m and 10 ohm.m depending on the saturation state; we will show that the infiltration is clearly located by electrical resistivity tomography and that this media is very heterogeneous with complex infiltration shape. The first results suggest the interest of the 3D electrical resistivity tomography to study injection leachate injection in a SSAD plant

Evaluation of Petrifilm™ Select E. coli Count Plate medium to discriminate antimicrobial resistant Escherichia coli

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Screening and enumeration of antimicrobial resistant <it>Escherichia coli </it>directly from samples is needed to identify emerging resistant clones and obtain quantitative data for risk assessment. Aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of 3M™ Petrifilm™ Select <it>E. coli </it>Count Plate (SEC plate) supplemented with antimicrobials to discriminate antimicrobial-resistant and non-resistant <it>E. coli</it>.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>A range of <it>E. coli </it>isolates were tested by agar dilution method comparing the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for eight antimicrobials obtained by Mueller-Hinton II agar, MacConkey agar and SEC plates. Kappa statistics was used to assess the levels of agreement when classifying strains as resistant, intermediate or susceptible.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SEC plate showed that 74% of all strains agreed within ± 1 log₂dilution when comparing MICs with Mueller-Hinton II media. High agreement levels were found for gentamicin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol and cefotaxime, resulting in a kappa value of 0.9 and 100% agreement within ± 1 log₂dilution. Significant variances were observed for oxytetracycline and sulphamethoxazole. Further tests showed that the observed discrepancy in classification of susceptibility to oxytetracycline by the two media could be overcome when a plate-dependent breakpoint of 64 mg/L was used for SEC plates. For sulphamethoxazole, SEC plates provided unacceptably high MICs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>SEC plates showed good agreement with Mueller-Hinton II agar in MIC studies and can be used to screen and discriminate resistant <it>E. coli </it>for ampicillin, cephalothin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, cefotaxime and gentamicin using CLSI standardized breakpoints, but not for sulphamethoxazole. SEC plates can also be used to discriminate oxytetracycline-resistant <it>E. coli </it>if a plate-dependent breakpoint value of 64 mg/L is used.</p

Contrasting Diversity Patterns of Crenarchaeal, Bacterial and Fungal Soil Communities in an Alpine Landscape

International audienceBackground: The advent of molecular techniques in microbial ecology has aroused interest in gaining an understanding about the spatial distribution of regional pools of soil microbes and the main drivers responsible of these spatial patterns. Here, we assessed the distribution of crenarcheal, bacterial and fungal communities in an alpine landscape displaying high turnover in plant species over short distances. Our aim is to determine the relative contribution of plant species composition, environmental conditions, and geographic isolation on microbial community distribution. Methodology/Principal Findings: Eleven types of habitats that best represent the landscape heterogeneity were investigated. Crenarchaeal, bacterial and fungal communities were described by means of Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism. Relationships between microbial beta diversity patterns were examined by using Bray-Curtis dissimilarities and Principal Coordinate Analyses. Distance-based redundancy analyses and variation partitioning were used to estimate the relative contributions of different drivers on microbial beta diversity. Microbial communities tended to be habitat- specific and did not display significant spatial autocorrelation. Microbial beta diversity correlated with soil pH. Fungal beta- diversity was mainly related to soil organic matter. Though the effect of plant species composition was significant for all microbial groups, it was much stronger for Fungi. In contrast, geographic distances did not have any effect on microbial beta diversity. Conclusions/Significance: Microbial communities exhibit non-random spatial patterns of diversity in alpine landscapes. Crenarcheal, bacterial and fungal community turnover is high and associated with plant species composition through different set of soil variables, but is not caused by geographical isolation

Biomethanation potential of biological and other wastes

Anaerobic technology has been traditionally applied for the treatment of carbon rich wastewater and organic residues. Anaerobic processes can be fully integrated in the biobased economy concept for resource recovery. After a brief introduction about applications of anaerobic processes to industrial wastewater treatment, agriculture feedstock and organic fraction of municipal solid waste, the position of anaerobic processes in biorefinery concepts is presented. Integration of anaerobic digestion with these processes can help in the maximisation of the economic value of the biomass used, while reducing the waste streams produced and mitigating greenhouse gases emissions. Besides the integration of biogas in the existing full-scale bioethanol and biodiesel production processes, the potential applications of biogas in the second generation lignocellulosic, algae and syngas-based biorefinery platforms are discussed.(undefined

Anaerobic digestion and gasification of seaweed

The potential of algal biomass as a source of liquid and gaseous biofuels is a highly topical theme, with over 70 years of sometimes intensive research and considerable financial investment. A wide range of unit operations can be combined to produce algal biofuel, but as yet there is no successful commercial system producing such biofuel. This suggests that there are major technical and engineering difficulties to be resolved before economically viable algal biofuel production can be achieved. Both gasification and anaerobic digestion have been suggested as promising methods for exploiting bioenergy from biomass, and two major projects have been funded in the UK on the gasification and anaerobic digestion of seaweed, MacroBioCrude and SeaGas. This chapter discusses the use of gasification and anaerobic digestion of seaweed for the production of biofuel

Evolution de la composition chimique des eaux de drainage dans un système d'épuration du lisier par le sol

Malaysia - Penang [Pinang], Shopping centerColorVolume 7, Page

Perceptions of health promoters about health promotion programmes for families with adolescents orphaned as a result of AIDS in the rural Hammanskraal region in South Africa

South African communities are still greatly affected by the high rate of infection with HIV or who are living with AIDS, mirrored in the 2008 overall national HIV prevalence of 29.3%(UNAIDS 2010:10). In addressing the challenge, the health system is dependent on community care level workers such as caregivers to render health promotion and education in the homes and communities. The caregivers based in the communities are the ones with first-hand information on what is needed for the success of health promotion programmes. This study, aimed at exploring the challenges faced by the health promoters, described their perceptions regarding a health promotion programme for families with adolescents orphaned as a result of AIDS. Data were collected on the purposively selected participants at the rural Hammanskraal region in South Africa and the research question: ‘What is your perception regarding health promotion programmes for families with adolescents orphaned as a result of AIDS’ was asked and discussed by participants in a focus group interview. Data were analysed using the adapted Tesch method to organize and isolate the main categories, sub-categories and themes. The following main categories were isolated: attitudes of adolescents, effectiveness of home visits, need for health education and limited resources. Based on the findings, it was therefore recommended that health care planners assist in the improvement of health promotion and education by using the community and national media, providing information material and providing access to the internet in order to allow more people, including young people, to access the information. Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskappe word steeds grootliks beïnvloed deur die hoë vlak van MIV en vigs, soos weerspieël in die algehele nasionale MIV-syfer in 2008 van 29.3% (UNAIDS 2010:10). In die aanspreek van hierdie uitdaging is die gesondheidstelsel afhanklik van gemeenskapsorgwerkers om gesondheidsbevordering en -opleiding aan huise en gemeenskappe te voorsien. Die versorgers wat in die gemeenskap werk, het eerstehandse inligting oor wat nodig is om die sukses van programme vir gesondheidsbevordering te verseker. Hierdie studie, wat ten doel het om die uitdagings van gesondheidspromotors te verken, beskryf hul persepsie ten opsigte van ’ngesondheidsbevorderingsprogram vir families met adolessente wat wees gelaat is as gevolg van vigs. Data is op die doelbewus geselekteerde deelnemers in die landelike Hammanskraal-streek in Suid-Afrika ingesamel en die volgende navorsingvraag is in ’nfokusgroep-onderhoud gevra en bespreek: ‘Wat is jou persepsie oor die gesondheidsbevorderingsprogram vir families met adolessente wat ouerloos gelaat is as gevolg van MIV en vigs?’ Die data is met behulp van die aangepaste Tesch-metode geanaliseer om die hoof- en sub-kategorieë, asook die temas te organiseer en isoleer. Die volgende hoof-kategorieë is uitgesonder: die houdings van adolessente, die doeltreffendheid van huisbesoeke, die behoefte aan gesondheidsopvoeding en beperkte hulpbronne. Gebaseer op hierdie bevindinge is die aanbeveling dat die gesondheidsorgbeplanners bydra tot die verbetering van gesondheidsbevordering en -opvoeding deur die gebruik van gemeenskaps- en nasionale media, die beskikbaarstelling van inligtingsmateriaal en die voorsiening van internet om meer mense, insluitende jongmense, die geleentheid te bied om toegang tot die inligting te verkry

Managing sulphur content of pig diet to control further sulphides production during pig slurry anaerobic storage

International audienceThe mixing of different raw materials during formulation strategies of pig feeding influences sulphurs food intake and further sulphur excretion by the animals. Increased amount of sulphur in manure can result in toxicity and odour problems during storage as well as potential inhibition problems in case of anaerobic digestion treatment. The objective of this study was to determine the behaviour of different sulphur feed contents on pig excretion via faeces and urine, to evaluate the speciation of sulphur forms excreted and to determine further behaviour of sulphur in pig slurry during anaerobic storage. The sulphurs content of 76 different raw materials usually used to formulate pig feeding diets was measured and classified. Total sulphurs content varied between 0.5 to 10 gS.kg-1 of dry material. For most of these raw materials, total sulphur content was correlated with sulphur amino acid composition. Then, two experiments were conducted with finishing castrated male pigs (n=10; n=20) randomized and individually housed in metabolic cages which allowed precise control for feed alimentation and excretion collection. Ten experimental diets based on wheat and on soybean meal were compared. They differed by the incorporation of different raw materials with different total S content (wheat malt, beets pulp or rapeseed meal). Total crude protein content for all formulations tested varied between 16.5 and 20 %. Trials were realised during 20 days with 10 days dedicated for new feed adaptation followed by 10 days when urine and faeces were individually collected. At the end of the experimental procedure, the feed, faeces and urine collected for each studied pig were analysed for total solids, volatile solids, total sulphur and sulphate. Feed sulphur content varied between 1.6 and 4.1 g.kg-1 of total solids. For all experiments, sulphur retention by animals was close to 25 % of the total ingested S whereas 75 % was excreted. Sulphurs were excreted as 100% sulphate speciation form in urine and 50% sulphate in faeces. With this dataset, sulphurs concentrations as sulphates in fresh pig slurries were determined and ranged between 0.5 and 1.7 gS.kg-1 depending on the feed formulation. Behaviour of sulphate content of fresh pig slurry was studied with spiking raw pig slurry with different amounts of sulphate (0 to 2 gS.kg-1) and volatile fatty acids (acetic, propionic and butyric acids). Kinetics of sulphate consumption and sulphide apparition were measured. In anaerobic storage condition of pig's slurries, added sulphate was consumed within 3 weeks by a first order kinetics reaction to form solely sulphides. These results show that sulphides content in stored pig slurry and its associated problems could be partially managed by sulphur diet control