Ending open defecation in rural Tanzania: which factors facilitate latrine adoption?

Diarrheal diseases account for 7% of deaths in children under five years of age in Tanzania. Improving sanitation is an essential step towards reducing these deaths. This secondary analysis examined rural Tanzanian households sanitation behaviors and attitudes in order to identify barriers and drivers to latrine adoption. The analysis was conducted using results from a cross-sectional study of 1000 households in five rural districts of Tanzania. Motivating factors, perceptions, and constraints surrounding open defecation and latrine adoption were assessed using behavioral change theory. Results showed a significant association between use of improved sanitation and satisfaction with current sanitation facility (OR: 5.91; CI: 2.95-11.85; p = 0.008). Livestock-keeping was strongly associated with practicing open defecation (OR: 0.22; CI 0.063-0.75; p < 0.001). Of the 93 total households that practiced open defecation, 79 (85%) were dissatisfied with the practice, 62 (67%) had plans to build a latrine and 17 (18%) had started saving for a latrine. Among households that planned to build a latrine, health was the primary reason stated (60%). The inability to pay for upgrading sanitation infrastructure was commonly reported among the households. Future efforts should consider methods to reduce costs and ease payments for households to upgrade sanitation infrastructure. Messages to increase demand for latrine adoption in rural Tanzania should integrate themes of privacy, safety, prestige and health. Findings indicate a need for lower cost sanitation options and financing strategies to increase household ability to adopt sanitation facilities

Are the Adverse Human Effects of Air Pollution Underestimated in the Literature? Implications for science, medicine and public policy

Researchers have not addressed the question “Are the adverse human effects of air pollution underestimated in the literature?” and to date we lack an answer to it. This scan is a non-scientific review of diseases causally linked to air pollution and reported infrequently in the peer reviewed literature. I think a prospective study of the true estimate of mortality and morbidity and harm of air pollution would confirm current statistics upon which policy decisions are based are underestimated

Geophysical Study at Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park, Manchester, Tennessee

The Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park covers over 800 acres within Manchester, Tennessee, and is owned and managed by the Tennessee Division of State Parks. The central archaeological site within the park boundary is The Old Stone Fort mounds that enclose about 50 acres on a plateau above the convergence of the Big Duck and the Little Duck Rivers. The hilltop enclosure dates to the Middle Woodland Period, and radiocarbon dates obtained at the site range from the first to the fifth century A. D. Because of its size and apparent complexity, previous investigations of the site have been quite limited in areal exposure. Many questions remain as to the overall structure of the site, including the relationship of built and natural features, the presence of any structures or other anthropogenic features, and the occurrence of presence of any domestic remains. This research project utilizes detailed digital topographic survey, geographical information system (GIS) analysis, geophysical survey, limited re-excavation of previously investigated portions of the site, and manual coring to locate and characterize archaeological deposits within the enclosure and mounds. Magnetometer, resistance, electromagnetic susceptibility, conductivity, and ground penetrating radar techniques were used during the investigations. Geophysical data, using these instruments, were collected over the same area in many cases. All together 20,000 m2 were examined during the project. Results indicate potential archaeological features and deposits within the plateau interior. Analysis suggests the presence of several geophysical anomalies potentially associated with prehistoric use of the site, especially within the Eastern Gateway complex. One such anomaly, or complex of anomalies, represents a possible structure. Historic archaeological deposits are also indicated by the geophysical data. Excavations at the site were limited to minimize impact. In a re-excavated trench, a lens of black shale within the stone mound construction may indicate a building stage not previously observed at Old Stone Fort. A second excavation confirmed a ditch feature detected in the geophysical survey. Archaeological deposits located during the survey are interpreted as evidence of sustained use of the ceremonial site during the Middle Woodland Period by local corporate groups to maintain and intensify membership for individuals who were settled in nucleated villages throughout most of the year

The French and Indian Wars: New France\u27s Situational Indian Policies During the Fox and Natchez Conflicts, 1701-1732

This research examines the often-glorified relationship between New France and the American Indians with which that empire came into contact in North America, focusing primarily on the conflicting policies seen during the Fox Wars and the Natchez Wars. Many recent histories of New France, including Richard White\u27s seminal study The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires and Republics, 1650-1815, focus primarily on the lands surrounding the Great Lakes. These histories champion a French Indian policy that was dominated by the fur trade and illustrated by the outbreak of the Fox Wars in 1712. However, New France\u27s Indian policy was not always dictated by the vast and powerful fur trade. Once the French reached the Gulf of Mexico and began settling in the Deep South, priorities changed, and an often-overlooked chapter of colonial French history began. Much of the primary research on the Natchez Indians was performed by looking exhaustively though the letters, decrees and memoirs written in The Mississippi Provincial Archives: French Dominion Volumes II, III and IV. Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz\u27s L\u27Histoire de la Louisiane also proved to be an invaluable primary resource during the process. When dealing with the Upper Country, much of my research focused on the primary source smorgasbord presented online by the Wisconsin Historical Collections and the Michigan Pioneers and Historical Collections

Transboundary Planning in the European Atlantic: Good Practice Guide

Outcome of a European project of transboundary maritime planning in the European Atlantic region

ECONOMICS OF VARIABLE SWINE GROWTH

This paper addresses the economic impacts of swine growth variability. Different economic penalties are determined to be associated with over-finishing versus under-finishing an animal. Marketing decisions based on the pen average are determined to be insignificantly less than optimal for a case study data set of 350 swine. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to determine the impact of increased growth and price variability.Livestock Production/Industries,