Supporting Worth Mapping with Sentence Completion

Expectations for design and evaluation approaches are set by the development practices within which they are used. Worth Centred Development (WCD) seeks to both shape and fit such practices. We report a study that combined two WCD approaches. Sentence completion gathered credible quantitative data on user values, which were used to identify relevant values and aversions of two player groups for an online gambling site. These values provided human value elements for a complementary WCD approach of worth mapping. Initial worth maps were extended in three workshops, which focused on outcomes and user experiences that could be better addressed in the current product and associated marketing materials. We describe how worth maps were prepared for, and presented in, workshops, and how product owners and associated business roles evaluated the combination of WCD approaches. Based on our experiences, we offer practical advice on this combinination

Motivating Factors, Barriers, and Success Factors among Agri-based Micro- and Small-scale Women Entrepreneurs in Isabela, Philippines

In recent years, a number of women have started agribusiness enterprises in Isabela, Philippines, such as the production and retailing of dominant agricultural products like rice and corn, livestock and poultry raising, and the processing of root crops into native delicacies. This study aims to examine the motivating factors, start-up barriers, and success factors among micro- and small-scale women entrepreneurs in selected areas in Isabela, Philippines. A survey was conducted among 46 women entrepreneurs whose businesses were based in the cities of Ilagan and Cauayan and the town of Roxas. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and chi-square analysis were employed to analyze the data. In terms of their personal entrepreneurial competency (PEC) profile, the women entrepreneurs were found to be moderate (i.e., scoring 16–18 out of a possible 25) in terms of opportunity-seeking, demand for quality and efficiency, systematic planning and monitoring, persuasion and networking and self-confidence and weak in the area of goal-setting. Women entrepreneurs were motivated to establish a business by the following factors: achievement, competence, affiliation factor, and job/financial security. On the other hand, the women entrepreneurs faced common start-up problems like lack of training education, unavailability of low-interest loans for capital, and career-family conflict. Meanwhile, two success factors were found to be associated to performance (i.e., micro vs. small-scale): if the entrepreneur had finished a business degree and if their business was the only source of family income. The study recommended that organizations should conduct action-oriented trainings to develop the PECs of Isabela women entrepreneurs. Future studies should consider having a larger sample size

Pelatihan dan Pemahaman untuk Menembus Pasar Modern Bagi Kelompok USAha Jamur di Parongpong Cimahi

Tujuan kegiatan Pelatihan dan Pemahaman untuk Menembus Pasar Modern bagi Kelompok Usaha Jamur di Parongpong Cimahi adalah peningkatan pengetahuan para petani jamur dan pengolah jamur tentang tuntutan dan mekanisme untuk memenuhi kualifikasi dari pasar modern khususnya di Yogya group, termasuk peningkatan pengetahuan sortir produk, kemasan produk untuk pengiriman, informasi mengenai kebutuhan pasar mengenai jamur dan produk olahan jamur, dan peningkatan pengetahuan dan pemahaman tentang pengelolaan keuangan secara sederhana.Pada bulan Mei 2014 bekerjasama dengan Yogya Supermarket diselenggarakan pertemuan dan diskusi mengenai syarat, mekanisme, dan kriteria agar dapat menjadi pemasok, harga , syarat pembayaran serta kualitas produk serta dilakukan pula peragaan bagaimana caranya mengemas jamur merang untuk dapat diterima di supermarket. Pada bulan Juli 2014 diselenggarakan pelatihan manajemen keuangan sederhana untuk para petani dan pengusaha produk olahan jamur, namun ternyata peserta yang datang ke pelatihan merupakan pengusaha dari berbagai jenis USAha. Karena itu ada permintaan dari Koperasi Mitra Sejahtera untuk memberikan pelatihan lebih lanjut mengenai pengelolaan keuangan untuk berbagai pengusaha , bukan hanya untuk petani jamur dan Perusahaan pengolah jamur. Selain itu ada pula permintaan untuk dibantu dalam proses pembudidayaan bibit jamur.Pelaksanaan kegiatan tersebut dinilai berhasil dengan hadirnya peserta sesuai target serta besarnya antusias peserta. Bagi para peserta, kegiatan yang dilakukan memberikan manfaat yang besar karena mereka menjadi memahami tuntutan pasar modern mengenai kualitas produk jamur merang maupun kripik jamur. Kesempatan terbuka namun hambatannya adalah masalah tingginya kualitas yang diminta pasar modern serta pemasok harus dapat menjual secara kredit. Harga jual ke supermarket Yogya adalah Rp 15.000/kg dengan syarat bahwa jamur merang yang sesuai standar sudah dikemas rapih, diterima di tempat dan pemasok bersedia dibayar 2 minggu kemudian. Kendala yang tidak mudah diatasi adalah bahwa produk jamur merang yang dihasilkan besarnya tidak sama, sehingga akan banyak produk yang tidak dapat dijual, sehingga sementara ini masih lebih baik untuk dijual secara borongan kepada pengumpul dengan harga Rp 8.500-Rp 10.000/kg dibayar tunai atau 1-3 hari kemudian. Para peserta pelatihan manajemen keuangan juga berpendapat bahwa mereka mendapatkan pencerahan bahwa apa yang telah mereka lakukan selama ini keliru dan bila tidak diperbaiki maka USAha mereka tidak dapat berkembang dengan efisien dan efektif serta sulit mendapatkan kredit. Namun untuk melakukan manajemen keuangan sederhana perlu dilakukan pelatihan dan pendampingan yang berkelanjutan.Pelaksanaan kegiatan pengabdian dapat berjalan dengan baik karena adanya dukungan yang baik dari Seksi Pengembangan Sosial Ekonomi (PSE) Paroki St. Ignatius Cimahi dan Koperasi Kredit Mitra Sejahtera (KKMS) yang telah menyediakan tempat pelatihan dan mensosialisasikan kegiatan pengabdian ini

Predictors of anemia in preschool children: Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) project.

Background: A lack of information on the etiology of anemia has hampered the design and monitoring of anemia-control efforts.Objective: We aimed to evaluate predictors of anemia in preschool children (PSC) (age range: 6-59 mo) by country and infection-burden category.Design: Cross-sectional data from 16 surveys (n = 29,293) from the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) project were analyzed separately and pooled by category of infection burden. We assessed relations between anemia (hemoglobin concentration <110 g/L) and severe anemia (hemoglobin concentration <70 g/L) and individual-level (age, anthropometric measures, micronutrient deficiencies, malaria, and inflammation) and household-level predictors; we also examined the proportion of anemia with concomitant iron deficiency (defined as an inflammation-adjusted ferritin concentration <12 μg/L). Countries were grouped into 4 categories on the basis of risk and burden of infectious disease, and a pooled multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted for each group.Results: Iron deficiency, malaria, breastfeeding, stunting, underweight, inflammation, low socioeconomic status, and poor sanitation were each associated with anemia in >50% of surveys. Associations between breastfeeding and anemia were attenuated by controlling for child age, which was negatively associated with anemia. The most consistent predictors of severe anemia were malaria, poor sanitation, and underweight. In multivariable pooled models, child age, iron deficiency, and stunting independently predicted anemia and severe anemia. Inflammation was generally associated with anemia in the high- and very high-infection groups but not in the low- and medium-infection groups. In PSC with anemia, 50%, 30%, 55%, and 58% of children had concomitant iron deficiency in low-, medium-, high-, and very high-infection categories, respectively.Conclusions: Although causal inference is limited by cross-sectional survey data, results suggest anemia-control programs should address both iron deficiency and infections. The relative importance of factors that are associated with anemia varies by setting, and thus, country-specific data are needed to guide programs

The Importance of Mineralogical Knowledge in the Sustainability of Artisanal Gold Mining: A Mid-South Peru Case

Mineralogy and gold processing techniques from several mining areas of the Nazca-Ocoña gold belt, Mid-South Peru, were investigated to assess the efficiency of gold extraction methods in relation to their mineralogy. The deposits from this belt are intrusion gold related to mineralization in quartz veins. Native gold occurs as micrometric grains encapsulated in pyrite and in minor amounts in other sulfides and quartz. Electrum is found mainly in fractures of pyrite and attains up to 35 wt. % Ag. In addition to these occurrences, gold tellurides also occur and they are abundant in San Luis. Gold processing is carried out by amalgamation with mercury and/or cyanidation. The comparison of the gold grade in the mineralizations and in the residual tailings indicates that a significant amount of gold is not recovered using the mercury amalgamation process and also, in the case of the gold recovery by cyanidation, except when cement was added to the cyanide solution. This was due to an increase in the pH that favours the dissolution of the gold matrix. In the cyanidation process carried out in tailings previously treated with mercury, part of the mercury retained in them is released to the atmosphere or to the cyanidation fluid

Consumer Preferences for Purple Yam (Dioscorea alata L.) Powder Brands: Implications for a Product Developed by the University of the Philippines Los Baños

The study compares the attributes of three brands of purple yam (Dioscorea alata L.) powder, namely, Giron Powdered Purple Yam, FST Foods Purple Yam “Ubi” Powder, and Bohol’s Tru Ubi Powder, and the resulting ubi halaya, a local pudding made of purple yam, made from these brands. Store checks, focus group discussions (FGDs), product and home placement tests, and a consumer survey for the local market were used as data-gathering tools. Frequency counts, mean ratings, and standard deviation were used to analyze consumer awareness, consumption behavior, and product attribute importance ratings of respondents. Kruskal-Wallis test was also employed to find out if there were significant differences in the mean ratings for all attributes across brands. The results of the study show that consumers preferred the attributes of the FST Foods Purple Yam “Ubi” Powder and the halaya made using the brand. The product can thus be considered ready for commercialization by potential investors. However, it is recommended that a detailed set of product use instructions should be printed in its packaging to come up with halaya that has better taste, aroma, and consistency.

Obtención de vidrio a partir de residuos de la minería del estaño en Bolivia

Manufacturing of glass from tin mining tailings in Bolivia Tailings from mining activities in Bolivia represent an environmental problem. In the vicinity of the tin mines of Llallagua,Potosí department, there are large dumps and tailings. We present a study of the use of these wastes as raw materials for the manufacture of glass. This procedure aims to contribute to environmental remediation of mining areas through the vitrification, a process which offers an alternative for stabilization of hazardous waste. In addition, the marketing of the obtained product would provide an additional income to the mining areas. For this study three samples of mining waste, with grain size between sand and silt, were used. The chemical composition of these raw materials, determined by X-ray fluorescence, is granitic, with high contents of heavy metals. On the basis of its composition, glass were made from silica glass by adding CaCO3 and Na2CO3. The thermal cycle has been determined from TDA. Tg values of glass range from 626º to 709 °C. Leaching tests of the obtained glasses confirm their capacity to retain heavy metals

An association between electronic nicotine delivery systems use and a history of stroke using the 2016 behavioral risk factor surveillance system

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are growing in use and many of the health implications with these devices remain unknown. This study aims to assess, using a survey representative of the USA general population, if an association exists between a history of ENDS use and a history of stroke. This cross-sectional study was a secondary data analysis using the 2016 behavioral risk factor surveillance system survey. The main exposure variable of the study was a self-reported history of ENDS use. The main outcome was a self-reported history of stroke. Covariates included sex, race, traditional cigarette use, smokeless tobacco use, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, myocardial infarction, and coronary artery disease. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analyses were done. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Of the 486,303 total behavioral risk factor surveillance system survey participants, 465,594 met the inclusion criteria for this study of ENDS use and stroke. This study shows that current ENDS use was positively associated with a history of stroke. AOR of some daily ENDS use with stroke was 1.28 (95% CI: 1.02-1.61) and AOR of current daily ENDS use with stroke was 1.62 (95% CI: 1.18-2.31). The majority (55.9%) of current daily ENDS users reported former traditional cigarette smoking. Female sex, non-white ethnicity, elderly age, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and traditional cigarette use characteristics were all also associated with increased odds of reporting a stroke. This study found a statistically significant and positive association between ENDS use and a history of stroke. Further research is warranted to investigate the reproducibility and temporality of this association. Nevertheless, this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge about the potential cardiovascular concerns related to ENDS use and the need for large cohort studies.Peer reviewe

Season of conception in rural gambia affects DNA methylation at putative human metastable epialleles.

Throughout most of the mammalian genome, genetically regulated developmental programming establishes diverse yet predictable epigenetic states across differentiated cells and tissues. At metastable epialleles (MEs), conversely, epigenotype is established stochastically in the early embryo then maintained in differentiated lineages, resulting in dramatic and systemic interindividual variation in epigenetic regulation. In the mouse, maternal nutrition affects this process, with permanent phenotypic consequences for the offspring. MEs have not previously been identified in humans. Here, using an innovative 2-tissue parallel epigenomic screen, we identified putative MEs in the human genome. In autopsy samples, we showed that DNA methylation at these loci is highly correlated across tissues representing all 3 embryonic germ layer lineages. Monozygotic twin pairs exhibited substantial discordance in DNA methylation at these loci, suggesting that their epigenetic state is established stochastically. We then tested for persistent epigenetic effects of periconceptional nutrition in rural Gambians, who experience dramatic seasonal fluctuations in nutritional status. DNA methylation at MEs was elevated in individuals conceived during the nutritionally challenged rainy season, providing the first evidence of a permanent, systemic effect of periconceptional environment on human epigenotype. At MEs, epigenetic regulation in internal organs and tissues varies among individuals and can be deduced from peripheral blood DNA. MEs should therefore facilitate an improved understanding of the role of interindividual epigenetic variation in human disease