Biogas from manure – a new technology to close the nutrient and energy circuit on-farm

The Biodynamic Research Institute in Järna developed a two-phase on-farm biogas plant. The plant digests manure of dairy cattle and organic residues originating from the farm and the surrounding food processing units containing 17.7-19.6 % total solids. A new technology for continuously filling and discharging the hydrolysis reactor was developed and implemented. The output of the hydrolysis reactor is separated into a solid and liquid fraction. The solid fraction is composted. The liquid fraction is further digested in a methane reactor and the effluent used as liquid fertiliser. Initial results show that anaerobic digestion followed by aerobic composting of the solid fraction improves the nutrient balance of the farm compared to mere aerobic composting. Composted solid fraction and effluent together contain about 70.8 % of total input nitrogen and 93.3 % of input NH4. The manure that was merely aerobic digested contained about 51.3 % of total input nitrogen and 3.9 % of input NH4. Additionally anaerobic digestion improves the energy balance of the farm producing up to 269 l biogas kg-1 volatile solids or 1.7 kWh heat kg-1 volatile solids

Sensory and nutritional qualities of frankfurter sausages with sweet potato as extender

This study investigated the effects of three varieties of sweet potatoes: orange, purple and white-fleshed sweet potato purees on the sensory, nutritional and oxidation rate of frankfurter sausages. The study was conducted at University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale. The products formulations took place at the Meat processing unit of UDS, while chemical and microbiological analyses were carried out at laboratories of University for Development Studies, Nyankpala Campus. A complete randomized design was used. Spices were randomly assigned to the minced meat and each treatment was replicated three times. The sweet potato purees were added to 2kg of meat at 0%, 10%, and 15% each. Sensory attributes of products did not differ significantly (P>0.05) when puree was incorporated in frankfurter sausages except overall liking which was insignificantly higher (P<0.05) on the first day of production. The peroxide value of TO was significantly (P<0.05) higher throughout the period of storage than the other formulations. The peroxide value of the products ranged from 4.0 to 4.8meq/kg. There were significant differences (P<0.05) in pH and moisture. Among products, OFP1 10% had the lowest value whiles OFP2 15% had the highest pH value. Except for crude fat content all proximate parameters taken into accounts were significantly affected (p <0.05) among various formulations. The protein content ranged from 18.52-20.78% whiles ash and fat ranged from 5.15-6.80% and 15.62-17.50%, respectively. There was a significant reduction in protein content as sweet potato inclusion increased from (0%, 10% and 15%). The moisture content of sweet potato frankfurter sausage ranged from 56.15-66.45%. The inclusion level of 15% was found to have higher values to 10% inclusion level. However, significant differences (P<0.01) were observed among treatments for all minerals studied. Iron and zinc contents among formulations were all significantly different (P<0.01) from each other. The sweet potato puree did not negatively affect the sensory and nutritional qualities of frankfurter sausages

Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of E. coli isolates from cow milk, milk products and handlers in the tamale metropolis of Ghana

This study was carried out in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana to determine the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli in pasteurized cow milk, cow milk products and hands of cow milk sellers. The conventional method and the disk diffusion method were used for the isolation and antibiotic susceptibility testing of Escherichia coli, respectively. The overall prevalence of Escherichia coli was 42.7% (128/300). Pasteurized milk and raw ‘wagashie’ were the most commonly contaminated (78.0%) source, followed by ‘brukina’ (54.0%), fried ‘wagashie’ (26.0%), left hand (12.0%) and right hand (8.0%). The prevalence of Escherichia coli in pasteurized milk and raw ‘wagashie’ was significantly higher (p = 0.003) than that of ‘brukina’, fried ‘wagashie’, left hand and right hand. Screening of 102 Escherichia coli isolates for their susceptible to antibiotics revealed that 49.0% were susceptible, 31.0% were resistant and 20.0% were intermediate to the various antibiotics post testing. Resistance to ampicillin (65.7%) was the highest, followed by erythromycin (61.8%). The Escherichia coli isolates were generally susceptible to ciprofloxacin (88.2%) and gentamicin (71.6%). The Escherichia coli isolates also exhibited 40 antibiotic resistance patterns with the pattern E (erythromycin) being the commonest. Twenty-nine 29 (28.4%) were resistant to three different classes of antibiotics, 20 (19.6%) were resistant to four different classes of antibiotics, 5 (4.9%) were resistant to five different classes of antibiotics and 1 (1.0%) was resistant to six different classes of antibiotics. The study revealed that milk, its products and handlers in the Tamale metropolis were contaminated with Escherichia coli which are resistant to a number of antibiotics.Keywords: Antibiotics, Escherichia coli, hands, milk, milk products, seller

De/Motivations in Housing Microfinance Delivery in Ghana

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to explore the de/motivation variables in the delivery of housing microfinance (HMF) in the low-income housing market in Ghana. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The paper relied on a survey of 125 respondents of microfinance institutions (MFIs) to understand the interactions and effects of these variables on HMF delivery in Ghana. Descriptive and bivariate statistical methods were used to analyse the data. FINDINGS: The findings revealed that both internal and external variables motivate MFIs to engage in the low-income housing market. These variables are: MFIs desire for expansion, the potential size of the low-income housing market, the market potential for MFIs growth, the availability of local resources, unique features and products of the market, low-income housing offering an opportunity for leveraging resources and the preference for homeownership than rental among individuals in the low-income segment of the population. However, variables such as capital lock-up in HMF delivery, high-interest rates in the country, high cost and land prices, high cost and price of building materials, lack of sufficient collaterals and the different interest rates required on HMF loans also served as demotivation in the low-income housing market in Ghana. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The paper findings are limited in context to Ghana. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The paper, although limited to Ghana, contributes to the much-needed body of knowledge on low-income housing finance in developing countries. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper is the first of its kind in using empirical data to explore the motivational and demotivational variables in the delivery of HMF in a developing country context such as Ghana

Current situation on data exchange in agriculture in the EU27 & Switzerland

AgriXchange network for data exchange in agriculture -hankkeen julkaisuvokKV

Warmth and competence perceptions of key protagonists are associated with containment measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from 35 countries

It is crucial to understand why people comply with measures to contain viruses and their effects during pandemics. We provide evidence from 35 countries (Ntotal = 12,553) from 6 continents during the COVID-19 pandemic (between 2021 and 2022) obtained via cross-sectional surveys that the social perception of key protagonists on two basic dimensions—warmth and competence—plays a crucial role in shaping pandemic-related behaviors. Firstly, when asked in an open question format, heads of state, physicians, and protest movements were universally identified as key protagonists across countries. Secondly, multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses revealed that warmth and competence perceptions of these and other protagonists differed significantly within and between countries. Thirdly, internal meta-analyses showed that warmth and competence perceptions of heads of state, physicians, and protest movements were associated with support and opposition intentions, containment and prevention behaviors, as well as vaccination uptake. Our results have important implications for designing effective interventions to motivate desirable health outcomes and coping with future health crises and other global challenges.publishedVersio

Treatment outcomes in multidrug resistant tuberculosis-human immunodeficiency virus Co-infected patients on anti-retroviral therapy at Sizwe Tropical Disease Hospital Johannesburg, South Africa

BACKGROUND: Multidrug resistant-tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a threat to global tuberculosis control which is worsened by human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) co-infection. There is however paucity of data on the effects of antiretroviral treatment (ART) before or after starting MDR-TB treatment. This study determined predictors of mortality and treatment failure among HIV co-infected MDR-TB patients on ART. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review of 1200 HIV co-infected MDR-TB patients admitted at Sizwe Tropical Disease Hospital, Johannesburg from 2007 to 2010 was performed. Chi-square test was used to determine treatment outcomes in HIV co-infected MDR-TB patients on ART. Multivariable logistic regression and Poisson models were used to determine predictors of mortality and treatment failure respectively. RESULTS: Mortality was higher (21.8 % vs. 15.4 %) among patients who started ART before initiating MDR-TB treatment compared with patients initiated on ART after commencing MDR-TB treatment (p = 0.013). Factors significantly associated with mortality included: the use of ART before starting MDR-TB treatment (OR 1.65, 95 % CI 1.02–2.73), severely-underweight (OR 3.71, 95 % CI 1.89–7.29) and underweight (OR 2.35, 95 % CI 1.30–4.26), cavities on chest x-rays at baseline (OR 1.76, 95 % CI 1.08–2.94), presence of other opportunistic infections (OR 1.80, 95 % CI 1.10–2.94) and presence of other co-morbidities (OR 2.26, 95 % CI 1.20–4.21). Factors predicting failure were severe anaemia (IRR (OR 4.72, 95 % CI 1.47–15), other co-morbidities (OR 2.39, 95 % CI 1.05–5.43) and modified individualised regimen at baseline (OR 2.15, 95 % CI 0.98–4.71). CONCLUSIONS: High mortality among patients already on ART before initiating MDR-TB treatment is a worrisome development. Management of adverse-events, opportunistic infections and co-morbidities in these patients is important if the protective benefits of being on ART are to be maximized. There is the need to intensify intervention programmes targeted at early identification of MDR-TB, treatment initiation, drug monitoring and increasing adherence among HIV co-infected MDR-TB patients

Measuring performance on the Healthcare Access and Quality Index for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational locations: A systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

Background A key component of achieving universal health coverage is ensuring that all populations have access to quality health care. Examining where gains have occurred or progress has faltered across and within countries is crucial to guiding decisions and strategies for future improvement. We used the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016) to assess personal health-care access and quality with the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index for 195 countries and territories, as well as subnational locations in seven countries, from 1990 to 2016. Methods Drawing from established methods and updated estimates from GBD 2016, we used 32 causes from which death should not occur in the presence of effective care to approximate personal health-care access and quality by location and over time. To better isolate potential effects of personal health-care access and quality from underlying risk factor patterns, we risk-standardised cause-specific deaths due to non-cancers by location-year, replacing the local joint exposure of environmental and behavioural risks with the global level of exposure. Supported by the expansion of cancer registry data in GBD 2016, we used mortality-to-incidence ratios for cancers instead of risk-standardised death rates to provide a stronger signal of the effects of personal health care and access on cancer survival. We transformed each cause to a scale of 0–100, with 0 as the first percentile (worst) observed between 1990 and 2016, and 100 as the 99th percentile (best); we set these thresholds at the country level, and then applied them to subnational locations. We applied a principal components analysis to construct the HAQ Index using all scaled cause values, providing an overall score of 0–100 of personal health-care access and quality by location over time. We then compared HAQ Index levels and trends by quintiles on the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary measure of overall development. As derived from the broader GBD study and other data sources, we examined relationships between national HAQ Index scores and potential correlates of performance, such as total health spending per capita. Findings In 2016, HAQ Index performance spanned from a high of 97·1 (95% UI 95·8–98·1) in Iceland, followed by 96·6 (94·9–97·9) in Norway and 96·1 (94·5–97·3) in the Netherlands, to values as low as 18·6 (13·1–24·4) in the Central African Republic, 19·0 (14·3–23·7) in Somalia, and 23·4 (20·2–26·8) in Guinea-Bissau. The pace of progress achieved between 1990 and 2016 varied, with markedly faster improvements occurring between 2000 and 2016 for many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia, whereas several countries in Latin America and elsewhere saw progress stagnate after experiencing considerable advances in the HAQ Index between 1990 and 2000. Striking subnational disparities emerged in personal health-care access and quality, with China and India having particularly large gaps between locations with the highest and lowest scores in 2016. In China, performance ranged from 91·5 (89·1–93·6) in Beijing to 48·0 (43·4–53·2) in Tibet (a 43·5-point difference), while India saw a 30·8-point disparity, from 64·8 (59·6–68·8) in Goa to 34·0 (30·3–38·1) in Assam. Japan recorded the smallest range in subnational HAQ performance in 2016 (a 4·8-point difference), whereas differences between subnational locations with the highest and lowest HAQ Index values were more than two times as high for the USA and three times as high for England. State-level gaps in the HAQ Index in Mexico somewhat narrowed from 1990 to 2016 (from a 20·9-point to 17·0-point difference), whereas in Brazil, disparities slightly increased across states during this time (a 17·2-point to 20·4-point difference). Performance on the HAQ Index showed strong linkages to overall development, with high and high-middle SDI countries generally having higher scores and faster gains for non-communicable diseases. Nonetheless, countries across the development spectrum saw substantial gains in some key health service areas from 2000 to 2016, most notably vaccine-preventable diseases. Overall, national performance on the HAQ Index was positively associated with higher levels of total health spending per capita, as well as health systems inputs, but these relationships were quite heterogeneous, particularly among low-to-middle SDI countries. Interpretation GBD 2016 provides a more detailed understanding of past success and current challenges in improving personal health-care access and quality worldwide. Despite substantial gains since 2000, many low-SDI and middle- SDI countries face considerable challenges unless heightened policy action and investments focus on advancing access to and quality of health care across key health services, especially non-communicable diseases. Stagnating or minimal improvements experienced by several low-middle to high-middle SDI countries could reflect the complexities of re-orienting both primary and secondary health-care services beyond the more limited foci of the Millennium Development Goals. Alongside initiatives to strengthen public health programmes, the pursuit of universal health coverage hinges upon improving both access and quality worldwide, and thus requires adopting a more comprehensive view—and subsequent provision—of quality health care for all populations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio