Joint Impact Assessment of CTA's support to FANRPAN (2003-2013)

CTA’s support with partnerships since 2004 and valued at 932,958 Euros has enabled FANRPAN to raise its profile, increase awareness among a wider audience of its activities and projects, and improve the frequency and quality of its communication and advocacy products to policy-makers, Network members and FANR stakeholders. CTA’s support has largely been directed towards supporting FANRPAN’s communication and advocacy efforts, which are important aspects of the work of a policy research and knowledge network. CTA’s funding has indirectly supported and contributed towards organisational change and growth

Effect of Occlusion on Trichophyton mentagrophytes Infections in Guinea Pigs

The effect of occlusion and griseofulvin on the duration and severity of acute dermatophytosis was assessed in guinea pigs. Sixty guinea pigs given standard Trichophyton mentagrophytes infections were divided into 5 groups: (A) control, (B) intermittent wet occlusion, (C) continuous-wet occlusion, (D) griseofulvin, (E) griseofulvin-continuous-wet occlusion. Lesions were largest in the control group, smallest in the griseofulvin-continuous-occlusion group, and of intermediate area in the other groups. The degree of inflammation and alopecia was not affected by occlusion, but was markedly reduced or eliminated with griseofulvin. Healing of the lesions occurred more rapidly in the griseofulvin-continuous-occlusion group than in any other group. This study suggests that either occlusion of the inoculated site or oral griseofulvin markedly reduces the expected area of the fungal lesion, and occlusion together with griseofulvin shortens the duration of the lesion

Relationships of Marmosa formosa

18 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 16-17).The holotype and only known specimen of Marmosa formosa Shamel, a nominal species currently synonymized with Gracilinanus agilis Burmeister, is strikingly unlike any other known didelphid marsupial. Phylogenetic analyses based on nonmolecular characters and IRBP sequences suggest that formosa is either the sister-taxon of Thylamys (including Lestodelphys) or Monodelphis. Because neither alternative is strongly supported by the data at hand, and because including formosa in Thylamys or in Monodelphis would compromise the diagnosability of those taxa, a new genus--Chacodelphys--is proposed to contain it. Currently known only from northern Argentina, Chacodelphys formosa may be widely distributed in the Chaco and other adjacent Neotropical biomes

Missed nursing care in newborn units: a cross-sectional direct observational study

Background: Improved hospital care is needed to reduce newborn mortality in low/middle-income countries (LMIC). Nurses are essential to the delivery of safe and effective care, but nurse shortages and high patient workloads may result in missed care. We aimed to examine nursing care delivered to sick newborns and identify missed care using direct observational methods. Methods: A cross-sectional study using directobservational methods for 216 newborns admitted in six health facilities in Nairobi, Kenya, was used to determine which tasks were completed. We report the frequency of tasks done and develop a nursing care index (NCI), an unweighted summary score of nursing tasks done for each baby, to explore how task completion is related to organisational and newborn characteristics. Results: Nursing tasks most commonly completed were handing over between shifts (97%), checking and where necessary changing diapers (96%). Tasks with lowest completion rates included nursing review of newborns (38%) and assessment of babies on phototherapy (15%). Overall the mean NCI was 60% (95% CI 58% to 62%), at least 80% of tasks were completed for only 14% of babies. Private sector facilities had a median ratio of babies to nurses of 3, with a maximum of 7 babies per nurse. In the public sector, the median ratio was 19 babies and a maximum exceeding 25 babies per nurse. In exploratory multivariable analyses, ratios of ≥12 babies per nurse were associated with a 24-point reduction in the mean NCI compared with ratios of ≤3 babies per nurse. Conclusion: A significant proportion of nursing care is missed with potentially serious effects on patient safety and outcomes in this LMIC setting. Given that nurses caring for fewer babies on average performed more of the expected tasks, addressing nursing is key to ensuring delivery of essential aspects of care as part of improving quality and safety

Mejora de las propiedades del concreto con adición de residuos de maíz calcinado

El objetivo principal de la investigación es evaluar el comportamiento mecánico y físico del concreto, adicionando residuos de maíz calcinado en función al peso del cemento en distintos en porcentajes (5%,10% y 15%). Para el respectivo desarrollo de la investigación se realizó una investigación Cuantitativa-Experimental, que consistió en recolectar residuos de maíz posteriormente ser calcinado a una temperatura de 400 Cº para luego elaborar concreto estructural de 140 kg/cm2, 175 kg/cm2 y 210 kg/cm2. El agregado fino y grueso provienen de la cantera Rubén y el residuo de maíz del centro poblado San Luis , la Huaca 3 era Etapa, provincia del Santa del departamento de Ancash , El diseño de mezcla se realizó según los parámetros establecidos por el método ACI 211, los agregados fueron evaluados según la NTP, se realizaron ensayos de resistencia a la compresión a los 7 , 14 y 28 días de tal manera que se pudo evaluar si el residuos de maíz calcinado mejora la resistencia a la compresión del concreto convencional .De acuerdo a los resultados de los ensayos realizados , se comprobó que el concreto con residuos de maíz calcinado al 5% mejora la resistencia a la compresión con respecto al concreto patrón y manteniendo la trabajabilidad del diseño de mezcla por lo tanto el residuo de maíz calcinado es un aditivo amigable que puede ser incorporando a la mezcla de concreto para mejorar la resistencia a la compresión del concreto.Tesi

Potential degradation of mamar functions in ecosystem services Production: the cases of Benlutu Village, West Timor

Mamar is a traditional agroforestry in West Timor which has many benefits for the people of this region. This paper aims to identify the potential degradation of Mamar functions in the production of ecosystem services in Benlutu Village which is one of the oldest Mamars in West Timor. This paper was compiled from the results of research at the end of 2020 and the results of a desk review of relevant writings in 2022. The method in this research was in-depth interviews and field observations covering changes in land cover in Benlutu Village. in 2000, 2010, 2020; identify soil damage for biomass production; and Significant Value Index. The results of the study indicate that there is a conflict of interest in the management of Benlutu Mamar which has the potential to reduce the production of ecosystem services on a large scale; For soil damage, one parameter was found that was classified as damaged, namely electrical conductivity. Based on IVI calculation data, Areca catechu as a plant with cultural characteristics is still dominant with a poles rate of 61.35%. It was concluded that there is a potential for degradation of Mamar's function in the production of large ecosystem services

Targeting HIV Interventions for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Southern Africa: Use of the PLACE Methodology in Hwange District, Zimbabwe

This paper addresses the issue of how to target interventions to girls 15-19 and young women 20-24 in a resource poor setting of Hwange District, Zimbabwe. The Priorities for Local AIDS Control efforts (PLACE) methodology was used to understand where these young people socialize and also to understand whether age disparate relationships were a common occurrence. Findings indicated prevention efforts for those 15-19 would need to focus on “everyday” sites as these are the places where the majority of girls socialized. However the girls 15-19 with the riskiest sexual behaviors were found at venues affiliated with alcohol. Prevention efforts for those 20-24 would also need to largely focus on venues affiliated with alcohol. Women at such sites generally reported more risky behaviors than women in other types of venues. Reporting of a partner five or more years older was common across age groups and across venues. Tackling HIV in Zimbabwe will take a multifaceted approach targeted towards the places girls 15-19 and young women 20-24 are meeting new partners

Participatory evaluation of groundnut planting methods for pre-harvest aflatoxin management in Eastern Province of Zambia

Aflatoxin contamination remains a major challenge for smallholder groundnut producers in Southern Africa. This is compounded by the stringent aflatoxin regulatory regimes in the lucrative international markets that continue to deny groundnuts produced in this region the access to markets. Participatory on-farm experiments were carried in 2016 and 2017 in Chinkhombe (Katete) and Kalichero (Chipata), and on-station trials at Mount Makulu Central Research Station (Chilanga) to evaluate the efficacy of groundnut planting methods: planting in double rows, single rows, tied ridges and on flatbeds, for pre-harvest aflatoxin management. Planting on flatbeds (no ridges), a popular planting method in most parts of Zambia was designated as the baseline. Significantly low (p < 0.05) levels of aflatoxin, (10.3 ± 3.1 mg/kg) were recorded in the groundnuts planted on tied ridges, and less than 22% of these had aflatoxin levels above the Zambia regulatory limit of 10 mg/kg, compared to more than 40% in other methods. Except for double rows, significantly higher pod yield, 1193 kg/ha, was recorded in groundnuts planted on tied ridges compared to other pre-harvest management options. A reduction of 37 and 81% in aflatoxin contamination was observed in groundnuts planted on single rows and tied ridges, respectively compared to an increase of 39.2% in double rows above 54.3 ± 10.9 mg/kg recorded in flatbeds. In addition, tied ridging was observed to improve plant vigour, lower disease incidence, insect pest and weed infestation. It is clear that the evaluation of these practices on-farm enabled more farmers to be more aware of the effects of these methods and get motivated to adopt them. It is thus imperative that participatory on-farm evaluations of existing aflatoxin management options are carried out as they are an essential step in influencing adoption and uptake of preharvest management control methods among smallholder farmers