The Impact of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene on Key Health and Social Outcomes: Review of Evidence

This evidence paper looks at 10 areas identified collaboratively with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on which WASH can plausibly have a strong impact: diarrhea, nutrition, complementary food hygiene, female psychosocial stress, violence, maternal and newborn health, menstrual hygiene management, school attendance, oral vaccine performance, and neglected tropical diseases. Together, these areas cover the most significant sector outcomes associated with the distinct life course phases that UNICEF seeks to help to address through its WASH activities

Over-indebtedness and health in Switzerland: A cross-sectional study comparing over-indebted individuals and the general population

Background Previous international studies have shown that over-indebtedness is associated with poor health. However, in Switzerland research addressing over-indebtedness is widely lacking, strongly needed and particularly important because it is evidently a rising but still commonly tabooed, socially “undesired” and highly stigmatized phenomenon that is rarely discussed and largely ignored and unexplored. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among over-indebted adults seeking advice from one of the four official debt advisory centers in the Canton of Zurich. The survey finally included 219 respondents participating voluntarily and anonymously. This sample was then linked with a comparable subsample of the nationally representative Swiss Health Survey of 2017, namely 1,997 respondents of the same age from the Canton of Zurich. For reasons of comparability identical health questions and measures were taken from the Swiss Health Survey and used in the over-indebtedness survey. The pooled or combined dataset covered a total of 2,216 adult individuals. Results Remarkably high prevalence rates and relative risks of poor self-rated health, severe musculoskeletal and sleep disorders and moderate to severe depression were observed among over-indebted individuals compared to the general population. More than 50% of the over-indebted individuals had poor general health or moderate to severe depression compared to the general population with 14% and 7%, respectively. And far above one third of the over-indebted but ‘only’ between 6% and 8% of the general population showed severe musculoskeletal disorders and sleep disorders. Even after adjustment for various control variables and covariates, over-indebtedness increased the odds ratios for poor health outcomes consistently and dramatically, i.e. by a factor of 8 and more (aOR = 8.5–11.6). Conclusions Over-indebtedness in Switzerland has particularly negative effects on various aspects of the health of the persons concerned, irrespective of their demographic characteristics and their social and employment status

Over-indebtedness, mastery and mental health: a cross-sectional study among over-indebted adults in Switzerland

Objectives: The aim is to investigate whether and why over-indebted individuals in German-speaking Switzerland have poorer mental health than the general population. Methods: A cross-sectional study among over-indebted people in the canton of Zurich was conducted in 2019. The study population (n = 219) was compared to the cantonal subsample of the general adult population selected from the nationally representative sample of the Swiss Health Survey 2017 (n = 1,997). Bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to examine associations between over-indebtedness, mastery and health outcomes like mental stress and depression. Results: Over-indebted people have poorer mental health and weaker mastery than the general population. Low mastery is the strongest predictor of poor mental health (beta coefficient = 0.58/-0.62 for mental stress/depression respectively) among the over-indebted, followed by the perception of one's health being affected by over-indebtedness (beta coefficient = -0.19/0.15). The amount of debt, anticipated time until repayment of debt and duration of indebtedness had no predictive effects. Conclusion: Surprisingly, traditional debt parameters cannot explain the poor mental health of the over-indebted, in contrast to a strong sense of mastery, which was identified as a highly protective factor

Visual preference for social stimuli in individuals with autism or neurodevelopmental disorders : an eye-tracking study

Background Recent research has identified differences in relative attention to competing social versus non-social video stimuli in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Whether attentional allocation is influenced by the potential threat of stimuli has yet to be investigated. This is manipulated in the current study by the extent to which the stimuli are moving towards or moving past the viewer. Furthermore, little is known about whether such differences exist across other neurodevelopmental disorders. This study aims to determine if adolescents with ASD demonstrate differences in attentional allocation to competing pairs of social and non-social video stimuli, where the actor or object either moves towards or moves past the viewer, in comparison to individuals without ASD, and to determine if individuals with three genetic syndromes associated with differing social phenotypes demonstrate differences in attentional allocation to the same stimuli. Methods In study 1, adolescents with ASD and control participants were presented with social and non-social video stimuli in two formats (moving towards or moving past the viewer) whilst their eye movements were recorded. This paradigm was then employed with groups of individuals with fragile X, Cornelia de Lange, and Rubinstein-Taybi syndromes who were matched with one another on chronological age, global adaptive behaviour, and verbal adaptive behaviour (study 2). Results Adolescents with ASD demonstrated reduced looking-time to social versus non-social videos only when stimuli were moving towards them. Individuals in the three genetic syndrome groups showed similar looking-time but differences in fixation latency for social stimuli moving towards them. Across both studies, we observed within- and between-group differences in attention to social stimuli that were moving towards versus moving past the viewer. Conclusions Taken together, these results provide strong evidence to suggest differential visual attention to competing social versus non-social video stimuli in populations with clinically relevant, genetically mediated differences in socio-behavioural phenotypes

Domestic leguminous plants in the feed for sows and piglets

Intresset för alternativa proteinfoder ökar mer och mer i och med den pågående klimatdebatten. Eftersom sojabönan inte kan odlas i Sverige medför det istället att den importeras vilket har börjat ifrågasättas. Inhemsk trindsäd är därför ett bra alternativ till sojabönor och nu när den ekologiska produktionen snart övergår till helt ekologiskt foder vill man öka användandet och odlingen av dessa grödor. Den trindsäd som tas upp i denna text är ärt, åkerböna och lupin. De är alla utmärkta kvävefixerare och är även anpassade för det nordiska klimatet men en nackdel är att de kräver en lång växtsäsong. Trindsäd innehåller ofta mer eller mindre av olika antinutritionella substanser som kan hämma näringsupptaget och påverka tillväxt och reproduktionsförmåga. De vanligaste antinutritionella substanserna är tanniner, trypsininhibitorer, lektiner, vicin och alkaloider. Till suggor bör inte mer än 30 % ärter ingå i fodret och åkerbönor bör inte ingå alls eller endast i små mängder. Till unga smågrisar bör inte inblandningen av ärter överstiga 15 % och till de lite äldre kan 30 % ärter ingå i fodret utan att ge några negativa effekter. I stora mängder har värmebehandlade åkerbönor däremot inte haft några negativa effekter på tillväxt om metionin tillsatts. Lupin bör inte ingå i mer än 10 % av fodret då negativa effekter har setts i form av ett minskat foderintag. Det behövs mer forskning inom området för att kunna dra säkrare slutsatser gällande rekommenderade inblandningsnivåer

Moist crimped barley inoculated with yeast and lactic acid bacteria

En stor del av energikostnaderna inom lantbruket går åt till att torka spannmål. Ett alternativ till torkning och ett sätt att minska kostnaderna är att lagra in och använda fuktig spannmål. Problemet med det kan vara att fuktig spannmål är en gynnsam miljö för skadliga mikroorganismer och kan ge stora problem om något går fel under fermenteringssprocessen och om lagringen inte blir stabil. Tidigare forskning med jästen Wickerhamomyces. Anomalus har visat på positiva egenskaper som bland annat hämmande av skadliga mikroorganismer och ökad tillgänglighet av fosfor. Syftet med denna studie var därför att utvärdera hur fuktig spannmål ympat med W. anomalus och mjölksyrabakterier påverkar smältbarheten av råprotein, kalcium och fosfor hos växande grisar samt att utvärdera hur jästen och mjölksyrabakterierna påverkar foderhygienen. Totalt ingick 6 kastrerade hangrisar (30±4) kg som genom operation försågs med en PVTC- fistel. Försöket var upplagt enligt en change-over design och pågick under sex perioder som innefattade fyra foderbehandlingar baserat på korn och premix; torkad (T), fuktig (F), fuktig ympad med W. anomalus (W) och fuktig ympad med W. anomalus och mjölksyrabakterier (WM). Resultaten visade att mögel kunde främst ses i foder T samt F i endast första perioden. Jäst kunde i princip ses i alla foder dock var innehållet lägre i de tre sista perioderna för foder W och WM. Enterobacteriaceae detekterades endast i foder T under hela försöket. Uppmätt pH var lägst i foder WM och högst i foder F. Ileal skenbar smältbarhet (AID), total skenbar smältbarhet (TTD) och standardiserad ileal smältbarhet (SID) visade inga signifikanta skillnader mellan T, F, W och WM på varken organisk substans, råprotein, kalcium eller fosfor. Försöket visade att det går utmärkt att utfodra grisar med fuktigt spannmål och ur hälsosynpunkt är de ympade fodren att föredra.A large proportion of the energy costs in agriculture are used for high-temperature drying. An alternative method to high-temperature drying and a way to reduce costs is to store and use moist crimped grain. One problem with storing high moisture grain is that the environment is favorable for microorganisms and a malfunctioning airtight storage can lead to spoilage of fungi and mould. Earlier research with the yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus have shown positive properties including inhibition of harmful microorganisms and increased availability of phosphorus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate moist crimped grain inoculated with W. anomalus and lactic acid bacteria on the digestibility of crude protein, calcium and phosphorus in growing pigs and to evaluate the effect of yeast and lactic acid bacteria on feed hygiene. Six castrated male pigs (30 ± 4) kg were surgically fitted with a PVTC – cannula. The experiment were arranged in a change-over design with six periods and four feed treatments based on barley and premix, dried (T), moist (F), moist inoculated with W. anomalus (W) and moist inoculated with W. anomalus and lactic acid bacteria (WM). The results showed mould in T during all periods and in F in the first period. Yeast was detected in every treatment, however, yeast was lower in the last three periods of W and WM. There were only Enterobacteriaceae in T throughout the experiment. Measured pH were lowest in WM and highest in F. Apparent ileal digestibility (AID), total tract digestibility (TTD) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) showed no significant differences between T, F, W, and WM on organic substance, crude protein, calcium, and phosphorus. The experiment showed that it is possible to feed pigs with high moisture grain and the inoculated feed treatments are preferred with regarding to feed hygiene

Persistence of self-injurious behaviour in autism spectrum disorder over 3 years: a prospective cohort study of risk markers

BACKGROUND: There are few studies documenting the persistence of self-injury in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and consequently limited data on behavioural and demographic characteristics associated with persistence. In this longitudinal study, we investigated self-injury in a cohort of individuals with ASD over 3 years to identify behavioural and demographic characteristics associated with persistence. METHODS: Carers of 67 individuals with ASD (Median age of individuals with ASD in years = 13.5, Interquartile Range = 10.00–17.00), completed questionnaires relating to the presence and topography of self-injury at T(1) and three years later at T(2). Analyses were conducted to evaluate the persistence of self-injury and to evaluate the behavioural and demographic characteristics associated with persistence of self-injury. RESULTS: At T(2) self-injurious behaviour had persisted in 77.8 % of individuals. Behavioural correlates of being non-verbal, having lower ability and higher levels of overactivity, impulsivity and repetitive behaviour, were associated with self-injury at both time points. Risk markers of impulsivity (p = 0.021) and deficits in social interaction (p = 0.026) at T(1) were associated with the persistence of self-injury over 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: Impulsivity and deficits in social interaction are associated with persistent self-injury in ASD and thus may act as behavioural risk markers. The identification of these risk markers evidences a role for behaviour dysregulation in the development and maintenance of self-injury. The findings have clinical implications for proactive intervention; these behavioural characteristics may be utilised to identify ‘at risk’ individuals for whom self-injury is likely to be persistent and therefore those individuals for whom early intervention may be most warranted

Three-dimensional stratigraphic complexity within mixed Eolian-Fluvial successions: implications for reservoir connectivity

On-going exploration of conventional hydrocarbon plays is increasingly focused towards the development of geologically complex reservoirs for which stratigraphic heterogeneity is difficult to predict. Many such current reservoirs, and an increasing proportion of likely future ones, are characterized by sedimentary bodies that accumulated as mixed eolian-fluvial systems that competed and interacted synchronously. Well-known reservoir examples include the Permian Unayzah Formation of Saudi Arabia, the Permian Rotliegend Group of the North Sea, the Triassic Ormskirk Sandstone of the East Irish Sea, the Jurassic Norphlet Sandstone of the Gulf of Mexico, and the Cretaceous Agrio Formation, Argentina. These mixed depositional systems typically exhibit highly variable lateral and vertical facies configurations that preserve complex juxtapositions of architectural elements composed of stratal units with markedly variable reservoir properties. Such stratigraphic partitioning is intrinsically difficult to predict from limited subsurface data. As such, there exists a requirement for more sophisticated geological models to better account for reservoir architecture and connectivity. This work uses outcropping case-study examples of eolian-fluvial interactions from the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group of the UK and the Permo-Pennsylvanian Cutler Group of southeast Utah, USA, to develop a suite of predictive models that depict common styles of stratigraphic complexity within eolian-fluvial systems. Studied successions accumulated in response to a variety of system interactions, deposits of which are preserved at a range of spatial scales from 100–104 m: (i) short-lived and localized fluvial reworking of eolian dune deposits in response to flash flood events; (ii) eolian reworking of fluvial deposits via winnowing; (iii) the fluvial exploitation and possible damming of open interdune corridors; (iv) the flooding of isolated (spatially enclosed) interdune hollows in response to an elevated water table. Identified types of interactions are characterized within a spatial scheme whereby occurrences can be used as a predictor of relative position within the larger-scale zone of transition between coeval eolian dune-field and fluvial systems. Application of this spatial scheme allows for prediction of the type of eolian-fluvial interactions expected for a range of paleogeographic settings, thereby serving as a tool for ranking exploration targets within larger prospect areas