Efficient System Design and Sustainable Finance for China's Village Electrification Program: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ma, S.; Yin, H.; Kline, D. M.

2006-08-01

This paper describes a joint effort of the Institute for Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IEE), and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to support China's rural electrification program. This project developed a design tool that provides guidelines both for off-grid renewable energy system designs and for cost-based tariff and finance schemes to support them. This tool was developed to capitalize on lessons learned from the Township Electrification Program that preceded the Village Electrification Program. We describe the methods used to develop the analysis, some indicative results, and the planned use of the tool in themore » Village Electrification Program.« less

The power of light: socio-economic and environmental implications of a rural electrification program in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borges da Silveira Bezerra, Paula; Ludovique Callegari, Camila; Ribas, Aline; Lucena, André F. P.; Portugal-Pereira, Joana; Koberle, Alexandre; Szklo, Alexandre; Schaeffer, Roberto

2017-09-01

Universal access to electricity is deemed critical for improving living standards and indispensable for eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development. In 2003, the ‘Luz para Todos’ (LpT—Light for All) program was launched aiming to universalize access to electricity in Brazil. The program focused on rural and isolated areas, also targeting to bring development to those regions along with electrification. This paper evaluates the results of the LpT program in improving socio-economic development in the poorest regions of Brazil. After an initial qualitative analysis, an empirical quantitative assessment of the influence of increased electrification rates on the components of the Human Development Index (HDI) is performed. The empirical results of this study showed that electrification had a positive influence on all dimensions of the HDI, with the education component having the strongest effect. Although complementary policies were needed to achieve this, results show that electricity access is a major requirement to improve quality of life.

Key factors for the implementation of successful, stand-alone village electrification schemes in Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Campos, Teodoro

The hypothesis of this work is that there are social, financial, technical, managerial institutional and political key factors that may either support or prevent the success of small stand alone energy systems in rural areas. This research work aims at contributing to the identification of such factors and study their relevance to the performance and sustainability of stand alone energy systems in rural areas; to meet its purpose, a wide range of literature was reviewed including rural electrification programmes and projects, research and development projects on access to electricity in rural areas, impact studies and others, and a field research survey was done the Andes and Upper Jungle regions in Peru. Nineteen possible critical factors were identified, thirteen with relevance at the local context (the community or village), and six with relevance at the national (or wider) context. From literature review it was found that the possible local critical factors were relevant only to four categories of factors instead of the six considered initially (i.e. social, financial, technological and managerial): the other two categories, political and institutional were found to be more relevant to the national context, therefore those were included in the group of possible critical factors of wider context. A series of questionnaires were designed to collect field data information, which was later used to analyse and establish the relation of each identified factor with the success of the systems studied. The survey research was implemented in 14 villages, 7 with small diesel sets and 7 with small hydropower schemes, all spread in the Andes and Upper Jungle of Peru, which were carefully selected to be representative of regions with isolated stand alone systems and with different socioeconomic background. Out of the 13 possible critical factors of local context, it was found that only 3 are really critical, the others are important but not critical; one of them (technical assistance) was found to be closely linked to national capacity, therefore for practical reasons both are considered as one critical factor or wider context. Although more research study is needed to establish a more clearer result on the factors of wider context (national context), it was found that out of the 6 factors of wider context only one appears to be critical, the other 5 are important but not critical. Therefore the summary of critical factors is as follows: a) Critical Factors of Local Context o Management o Local capacity b) Critical Factors of National Context o Technical Support/national capacity On the local factors, management appears to be the most critical of all factors, because with good management, most of the other factors can be overcome. It was also found that "The small enterprise model" tested by Practical Action on small scale hydropower schemes is proving to be successful and other organisations are starting to use it in different contexts. Therefore future research is recommended on this particular management model in order to be useful for rural electrification programmes based on decentralised energy generation systems.

Indonesia solar home systems project for rural electrification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanghvi, A.P.

1997-12-01

This paper presents, from a financing aspect the broad issues involved in a plan to provide solar home systems (SHS) to provide rural electrification in several areas of rural Indonesia. The paper discusses the approaches being used to provide funding, develop awareness of the technology, and assure the success of the project. The plan involves the use of grant money to help with some of the initial costs of such systems, and thereby to encourage local financing on a terms rather than cash basis. There are needs for market development, and development of a business structure in the country tomore » support this type of technology. Provided this plan can succeed, it may serve as a model for further efforts.« less

Patronage power: Rural electrification, river development, and Lyndon Johnson (1937--1939)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dusek, Paul-Michael Mays

Few historians document Lyndon Johnson's efforts to construct a state-wide political machine at the local level early in his congressional career. The literature glorifies Johnson for hydroelectric river development and rural electrification. This thesis acknowledges the transformative nature of rural electrification in Central Texas through the efforts of Johnson but, more importantly, reveals how extensively Johnson sought to capitalize on the tail-end of the New Deal to utilize government-funded relief projects to establish a state-wide political machine. An analysis of the correspondence between Johnson, his local political operators, members of his state-wide network, and rural constituents reveals another layer to the complexity of Johnson and further exposes his ambitious, calculating nature. Johnson used rural electrification to first create a community of supporters in his congressional district then used rural electrification and multipurpose river development programs to cultivate political contacts across the state of Texas. This thesis explores the first time that Lyndon Johnson used patronage to develop a political community as a publicly elected official. Johnson pushed for constant expansion of operations to ensure a steady supply of new jobs while displaying a cavalier attitude about specific regulations regarding the allocation of funds. His machine manipulated and massaged congressional appropriations restrictions and utilized multiple congressional revenue streams to stretch finances further and lower overhead costs to increase the scope of operations thus further improving the lives of his constituents. Johnson also used this movement to efficiently and effectively construct a foundation for his political machine. This thesis also clarifies an early moment in Johnson's beliefs about civil rights. Instead of standing on principle, Johnson relied on extortion and threats to fight racism at this early juncture in his political career because of his own personal ambition. Burning ambition—his own personal sense of political self-preservation—trumped Johnson's early beliefs about civil rights. Therefore because of his personal ambition he kept his opinions about civil rights silent while his operators utilized "out of sight, out of mind" policies towards race relations when necessary. While building this political community Johnson pledged electricity for votes. He had two goals: (1) create a market for LCRA-generated power to prevent private utilities from acquiring the power, and (2) create a political machine. Initially growth occurred slowly but Johnson used modern forms of communications and propaganda to construct a community; including radio, newsprint, theater, and public events and affairs. Johnson also laid the foundations for this community through the creation of shared community space and the promotion of a shared community-mindset. Johnson prioritized the creation of these community spaces over the construction of transmission lines and engaged in deceit when necessary—Arthur Stehling committed forgery—while pursuing Johnson's plans for the formation of this political machine through the conception of a new, common community. Johnson pushed for optimal growth and utilized every opportunity for publicity. These new structures signified the changes occurring across the landscape and for the first time the people of Central Texas began to feel the relief of the New Deal—five years after President Roosevelt initiated relief efforts. Subsequently, the people of Central Texas supported Johnson in his political endeavors. Secondly, this thesis explores the geographical expansion of multipurpose river development and rural electrification operations in Central Texas. Expansion was priority number one because this increased Johnson's political clout in Central Texas. Johnson expanded his control by infiltrating or manipulating newly forming rural electric cooperatives. His operators side-stepped or rewrote local laws when necessary to aid development. Finally, Johnson heavily influenced decisions pertaining to personnel during his expansion of territory and consolidation of control. Ambition and opportunism created numerous occasions for patronage, publicity, and unbridled expansion. Within the LCRA, Johnson shifted focus from dam construction to development of rural electric cooperatives. Johnson's promotional efforts made the congressman the target of various groups seeking support for river development within their respective communities. At times, Johnson used heavy-handed tactics to achieve desired results. Finally, Johnson and his operators continued to marginalize members of the Karnes cooperative until personally ordered to stop by the National Director of the Rural Electrification Administration. Johnson's involvement in determining the location of a cooperative headquarters in Karnes County to cultivate the support of local political players demonstrates how ambition, expansion of name-recognition, and the cultivation of political power at the local level to build a state-wide machine define Johnson's early involvement in rural electrification and multipurpose river development in late 1930s Central Texas. Therefore, this thesis builds upon traditional interpretations of Johnson's participation in rural electrification and properly places his involvement into a more complete context. This thesis also breaks up the neat compartmentalization that previously occurred to create a more comprehensive outlook. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

To amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, and for other purposes.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Rep. Gibson, Christopher P. [R-NY-20

2012-06-05

House - 06/27/2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Lighting the World: the first application of an open source, spatial electrification tool (OnSSET) on Sub-Saharan Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mentis, Dimitrios; Howells, Mark; Rogner, Holger; Korkovelos, Alexandros; Arderne, Christopher; Zepeda, Eduardo; Siyal, Shahid; Taliotis, Costantinos; Bazilian, Morgan; de Roo, Ad; Tanvez, Yann; Oudalov, Alexandre; Scholtz, Ernst

2017-08-01

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Agenda 2030, which comprises a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by 169 targets. ‘Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030’ is the seventh goal (SDG7). While access to energy refers to more than electricity, the latter is the central focus of this work. According to the World Bank’s 2015 Global Tracking Framework, roughly 15% of the world’s population (or 1.1 billion people) lack access to electricity, and many more rely on poor quality electricity services. The majority of those without access (87%) reside in rural areas. This paper presents results of a geographic information systems approach coupled with open access data. We present least-cost electrification strategies on a country-by-country basis for Sub-Saharan Africa. The electrification options include grid extension, mini-grid and stand-alone systems for rural, peri-urban, and urban contexts across the economy. At low levels of electricity demand there is a strong penetration of standalone technologies. However, higher electricity demand levels move the favourable electrification option from stand-alone systems to mini grid and to grid extensions.

Information Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

IT infrastructure necessary to become global IT powers but are hampered by the significant economic disparity between the rural and urban areas of...analogous to the plight of rural residents of the 1930’s when rural electrification was being discussed as part of the New Deal. A disjointed national...slides entitled Promoting Broadband Deployment in Rural America. Available at: 34 <http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/speeches/2005/ KY_01122005_files

Chile rural electrification cooperation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flowers, L.

1997-12-01

The author describes a joint program to use renewables for rural electrification projects in Chile. The initial focus was in a limited part of the country, involving wind mapping, pilot project planning, training, and development of methodologies for comparative evaluations of resources. To this point three wind hybrid systems have been installed in one region, as a part of the regional private utility, and three additional projects are being designed. Additional resource assessment and training is ongoing. The author points out the difficulties in working with utilities, the importance of signed documentation, and the need to look at these programsmore » as long term because of the time involved in introducing such new technologies.« less

Realities of sustainable development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Annan, R.H.

1997-12-01

The author gives a brief overview of rural electrification projects which have been developed worldwide based on different forms of renewable energy sources. Rural electrification provides hope to the 1.3 billion people who are still unserved by the power grid, and as a consequence are severely disadvantaged in todays economy in most facits of daily life and health. He recommends a more concerted effort to consolidate the experiences gained from present programs in order to present a more organized program by the time of the 2002 UNCED conference. His recommendation is that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory serve as amore » secretariat, to gather and formalize the information which has been learned to this point in time.« less

US/Brazil joint pilot project objectives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-12-01

This paper describes a joint US/Brazil pilot project for rural electrification, whose major goals are: to establish technical, institutional, and economic confidence in using renewable energy (PV and wind) to meet the needs of the citizens of rural Brazil; to establish on-going institutional, individual and business relationships necessary to implement sustainable programs and commitments; to lay the groundwork for larger scale rural electrification through the use of distributed renewable technologies. The projects have supported low power home lighting systems, lighting and refrigeration for schools and medical centers, and water pumping systems. This is viewed as a long term project, wheremore » much of the equipment will come from the US, but Brazil will be responsible for program management, and sharing data gained from the program. The paper describes in detail the Brazilian program which was instituted to support this phased project.« less

Assessments of Wind-Energy Potential in Selected Sites from Three Geopolitical Zones in Nigeria: Implications for Renewable/Sustainable Rural Electrification

PubMed Central

Okeniyi, Joshua Olusegun; Ohunakin, Olayinka Soledayo; Okeniyi, Elizabeth Toyin

2015-01-01

Electricity generation in rural communities is an acute problem militating against socioeconomic well-being of the populace in these communities in developing countries, including Nigeria. In this paper, assessments of wind-energy potential in selected sites from three major geopolitical zones of Nigeria were investigated. For this, daily wind-speed data from Katsina in northern, Warri in southwestern and Calabar in southeastern Nigeria were analysed using the Gumbel and the Weibull probability distributions for assessing wind-energy potential as a renewable/sustainable solution for the country's rural-electrification problems. Results showed that the wind-speed models identified Katsina with higher wind-speed class than both Warri and Calabar that were otherwise identified as low wind-speed sites. However, econometrics of electricity power simulation at different hub heights of low wind-speed turbine systems showed that the cost of electric-power generation in the three study sites was converging to affordable cost per kWh of electric energy from the wind resource at each site. These power simulations identified cost/kWh of electricity generation at Kaduna as €0.0507, at Warri as €0.0774, and at Calabar as €0.0819. These bare positive implications on renewable/sustainable rural electrification in the study sites even as requisite options for promoting utilization of this viable wind-resource energy in the remote communities in the environs of the study sites were suggested. PMID:25879063

Assessments of wind-energy potential in selected sites from three geopolitical zones in Nigeria: implications for renewable/sustainable rural electrification.

PubMed

Okeniyi, Joshua Olusegun; Ohunakin, Olayinka Soledayo; Okeniyi, Elizabeth Toyin

2015-01-01

Electricity generation in rural communities is an acute problem militating against socioeconomic well-being of the populace in these communities in developing countries, including Nigeria. In this paper, assessments of wind-energy potential in selected sites from three major geopolitical zones of Nigeria were investigated. For this, daily wind-speed data from Katsina in northern, Warri in southwestern and Calabar in southeastern Nigeria were analysed using the Gumbel and the Weibull probability distributions for assessing wind-energy potential as a renewable/sustainable solution for the country's rural-electrification problems. Results showed that the wind-speed models identified Katsina with higher wind-speed class than both Warri and Calabar that were otherwise identified as low wind-speed sites. However, econometrics of electricity power simulation at different hub heights of low wind-speed turbine systems showed that the cost of electric-power generation in the three study sites was converging to affordable cost per kWh of electric energy from the wind resource at each site. These power simulations identified cost/kWh of electricity generation at Kaduna as €0.0507, at Warri as €0.0774, and at Calabar as €0.0819. These bare positive implications on renewable/sustainable rural electrification in the study sites even as requisite options for promoting utilization of this viable wind-resource energy in the remote communities in the environs of the study sites were suggested.

77 FR 54558 - Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-05

... Part 1744-C, Advance and Disbursement of Funds-- Telecommunications. OMB Control Number: 0572-0023... manages the Telecommunications loan program in accordance with the Rural Electrification Act (RE Act) of... Credit Programs and Non-Tax Receivables. In addition, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002...

"Electric Power for Rural Growth: How Electricity Affects Rural Life in Developing Countries," by Douglas F. Barnes. [Book Review].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lodwick, Dora G.; McIntosh, William A., Ed.

1989-01-01

Reviews a book assessing the effects of central grid rural electrification on the social and economic development of 192 communities in India and Colombia. The study examines the impact on agricultural productivity (through increased irrigation), the quality of life of women and children, business activities, and regional inequities. (SV)

77 FR 40324 - Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-09

... compromising RUS loan security, and to reduce the cost to borrowers, in terms of time, expenses and paperwork... make loans in the several United States and Territories of the United States for rural electrification... subordinating loans made by the national Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, the Federal Financing...

77 FR 7115 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-10

... the interest of protecting loan security and accomplishing the statutory objective of a sound program... (RUS) to make loans in the several States and Territories of the United States for rural electrification and the furnishing and improving of electric energy to persons in rural areas. These loans are for...

Linking the open source, spatial electrification tool (ONSSET) and the open source energy modelling system (OSeMOSYS), with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mentis, Dimitrios; Howells, Mark; Rogner, Holger; Korkovelos, Alexandros; Arderne, Christopher; Siyal, Shahid; Zepeda, Eduardo; Taliotis, Constantinos; Bazilian, Morgan; de Roo, Ad; Tanvez, Yann; Oudalov, Alexandre; Scholtz, Ernst

2017-04-01

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Agenda 2030, which comprises a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by 169 targets. "Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030" is the seventh goal (SDG7). While access to energy refers to more than electricity, the latter is the central focus of this work. According to the World Bank's 2015 Global Tracking Framework, roughly 15% of world population (or 1.1 billion people) lack access to electricity, and many more rely on poor quality electricity services. The majority of those without access (87%) reside in rural areas. This paper presents results of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach coupled with open access data and linked to the Electricity Model Base for Africa (TEMBA), a model that represents each continental African country's electricity supply system. We present least-cost electrification strategies on a country-by-country basis for Sub-Saharan Africa. The electrification options include grid extension, mini-grid and stand-alone systems for rural, peri-urban, and urban contexts across the economy. At low levels of electricity demand there is a strong penetration of standalone technologies. However, higher electricity demand levels move the favourable electrification option from stand-alone systems to mini grid and to grid extensions.

Sustainability Challenge of Micro Hydro Power Development in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Didik, H.; Bambang, P. N.; Asep, S.; Purwanto, Y. A.

2018-05-01

Rural electrification using renewable energy is the best choice for many locations that far away from national grid. Many renewable energy project have been built for rural electrification such as micro hydro power plant (MHPP) and solar photovoltaic (SPV). Sustainability still the main challenge of off-grid renewable energy development for off-grid rural electrification in Indonesia. The objective of this paper is to review sustainability of micro hydro power development in Indonesia. The research method was done by field observation, interview with MHPP management, and reviewing some research about MHPP in Indonesia. Sustainability issues include various aspects that can be classified into 5 dimensions: technical, economic, socio-cultural, institutional, and environmental. In technical factors that lead to sustainability problem are: improper MHPP design and construction, improper operation and maintenance, availability of spare parts and expertise. In the economic dimension are generally related to: low electricity tariff and utilization of MHPP for productive use. In the social dimension are: the growth of consumer’s load exceeding the capacity, reduced number of consumers, lack of external institutional support. In the institutional side, it is generally related to the ability of human resources in managing, operating and maintaining of MHPP. Environmental factors that lead the sustainability problems of MHPP are: scarcity of water discharge, conflict of water resources, land conversion over the watershed, and natural disasters.

Simulation of hybrid wind/solar systems for typical areas of Brazil and Cuba

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Villar Ale, J.A.; Garcia, F.H.

Brazil and Cuba share a common history of serious problems related to the electrification of their isolated communities. Both countries have renewable resources of energy that allow, for instance, the use of photovoltaic and wind systems. These systems can be used in an integrated way, known as hybrid systems, achieving better reliability and economy. This work presents a simplified methodology for the design of such systems to be applied to the electrification of rural areas in both countries.

Education in Rural Peru: Exploring the Role of Household Electrification in School Enrollment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulkarni, Veena S.; Barnes, Douglas F.

2017-01-01

This study employs Peru's National Survey of Rural Household Energy Use data to investigate the correlation between household access to electricity and enrollment of children age 6-18 after taking into account individual-child and household level characteristics. Results indicate that children residing in households with access to electricity…

Wind Energy Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conservation and Renewable Energy Inquiry and Referral Service (DOE), Silver Spring, MD.

During the 1920s and 1930s, millions of wind energy systems were used on farms and other locations far from utility lines. However, with passage of the Rural Electrification Act in 1939, cheap electricity was brought to rural areas. After that, the use of wind machines dramatically declined. Recently, the rapid rise in fuel prices has led to a…

7 CFR 1703.101 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... this subpart, RUS will not favor or mandate the use of one particular technology over another. (d... electric loan under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. Telecommunications and Electric borrowers are...

7 CFR 1703.101 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... this subpart, RUS will not favor or mandate the use of one particular technology over another. (d... electric loan under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. Telecommunications and Electric borrowers are...

7 CFR 1703.101 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... this subpart, RUS will not favor or mandate the use of one particular technology over another. (d... electric loan under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. Telecommunications and Electric borrowers are...

7 CFR 1703.101 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... this subpart, RUS will not favor or mandate the use of one particular technology over another. (d... electric loan under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. Telecommunications and Electric borrowers are...

Solarising tropical Africa’s rural homes to sustainably overcome energy poverty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanyarusoke, K. E.

2017-11-01

At less than 30% electrification, Tropical Africa is the most energy-poor electrified region of the world. At home level, the annual per-capita electric energy consumption ranges between 0 and 150 kWh in rural areas, where 83% of the population reside. This is well below the 250 kWh recommended by the International Energy Agency (IEA) as the threshold for exiting rural ‘Energy Poverty’. Some governments have tried to extend the grid to such areas but these efforts have not yielded much. The approaches of rural electrification - as is being done now have therefore failed - and they may not be able to electrify every home in the countries concerned. An alternative approach promoting stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) and other solar powered heat and mass transfer systems at home level is proposed. An example of the approach in a village home in rural Uganda, East Africa is given. It is estimated that the combined unit energy cost over the systems’ lifespan would be just about US 3 cents. Health, Education, and Sustainability in all its forms would be greatly improved. The main recommendation is for policy makers to adopt this approach for rural homes while sparing grid supply only for commercial and industrial activities.

Rural Electrification and Level of Living: Evaluation of Impact.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, J. Michael; Saunders, John

Utilizing an ex-post-facto experimental design, all occupied households located within the rural area of Canton San Carlos in Costa Rica (La Fortuna) were studied in August of 1972 for purposes of testing the hypothesis that electricity use is positively associated with level of living. Interviews with 452 heads of households (when possible)…

How development programs can affect fertility: the case of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Robey, B

1988-09-01

Improving living standards and increasing productivity in developing countries may result in fertility reduction. In Bangladesh, government policy stresses rural development and fertility reduction. Programs that raise women's status reduce fertility. Educational level is inversely correlated to childbearing. Women aged 25-29 with a Secondary School Certificate have 2.4 children, versus 4.0 for those with no education. Employment also decreases fertility. Thus, improving the educational and employment status of women could have major effects on fertility. Studying the Bangladesh Rural Social Services program revealed that community organization efforts and self-help programs for economic and social improvement also decrease fertility. Rural electrification programs, which have been emphasized in development planning, contribute to changing attitudes and behavior of residents of these regions. In addition to electrification, improved transportation and communications should enhance the spread of information to rural areas. Agricultural development programs, such as the Comilla development program, have not affected fertility. This is attributed to the concentration of benefits to a few farms, with the majority becoming poorer. Unless agricultural development benefits are widely distributed, there will probably be little effect on fertility. Thus, the development programs most likely to affect fertility are those which emphasize female education and employment, open rural areas to information and ideas, and are open to a whole community.

Rural energy and development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stern, R.

1997-12-01

The author discusses the worldwide problem and need for rural electrification to support development. He points out that rural areas will pay high rates to receive such services, but cannot afford the capital cost for conventional services. The author looks at this problem from the point of energy choices, subsides, initial costs, financing, investors, local involvement, and governmental actions. In particular he is concerned with ways to make better use of biofuels, to promote sustainable harvesting, and to encourage development of more modern fuels.

A multi-scalar investigation of development and health in Ethiopia: household electrification in a agriculturally dependent and climate sensitive country

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grace, K.; Brown, M. E.; Bakhtsiyarava, M.

2017-12-01

In poor countries, household electricity status is often used as a measure of household resources. Often, the primary use of the variable is to sort the poorest households - those without electricity - from the better-off households - those with electricity. Expanding electrification is also part of a suite of goals developed by health and development and reflected in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and now the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, this measure is also used in a macro-level description of a country to describe a country's process of urbanization or development. As countries, electrify and expand access to electrification to the poorest households and communities, understanding the role and impact of electrification on the health and development of these communities is necessary. In other words, moving beyond the binomial categorization of a household as electrified or not electrified and instead investigating the ways that electrification impacts communities, households and individuals is a necessary component of understanding contemporary patterns of health and development in the world's poorest countries. The goal of this research is to examine the linkages between health and development using multi-scalar, remotely-sensed measures of electrification in Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in the world. For this study we use spatially referenced Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data for Ethiopia from 2000 and 2005. In addition to measures of electrification gathered from the DHS, we also use time-varying satellite based measure of electrification collected by the US Department of Defense. Also, because many rural Ethiopians are dependent on small-scale, rainfed agriculture and therefore highly vulnerable to climate shocks and food insecurity, any investigation of health and development must also consider the local food production context. To support the analysis and provide information on broader measures of food insecurity and wellbeing, we also use livelihood zone data from the Famine Early Warning Systems (FEWS NET), as well as remotely sensed based estimates of rainfall and temperature.

Energy paths and political commitments: Their roles in environmental inequality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, Corinne

Decentralized renewable energy procurement has gained traction in recent years for its potential to alleviate rural energy poverty and environmental degradation in developing countries. Hence, this study investigates if deploying renewable energy can mitigate rural energy poverty in developing countries as often claimed. Because any energy regime cannot be initiated or sustained without the conviction of local political leaders, the study also evaluates the extent to which government investments in the development of renewable energy technologies and the energy sector, affect the environmental quality (i.e. greenhouse gas emissions) of developing countries. Energetic theory and environmental inequality constitute the key conceptual premises guiding this study. Ordinary least squares regression is utilized to analyze the relationship between key variables. The results reveal that as of 2010, use of renewable energy can indeed support rural electrification. Higher GNI per capita and use of conventional fuels are also positively related to rural electrification, all else equal. As for environmental degradation in 2005 and 2008, R&D; investments actually tend to increase GHG emissions; procuring energy from either renewable or non-renewable sources is however, found to be environmentally detrimental, net of all other variables. Finally, some evidence is found for the role of aid funds and multilateral debt in abating GHG emissions.

Automation in Animal Housing and Production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intensive, controlled environment animal production began modestly in the mid-20th century as poultry were brought indoors. While mankind had utilized structures to provide shelter for their animals for centuries, the availability of relatively inexpensive energy and the electrification of rural are...

7 CFR 1700.28 - Electric Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Electric Program. 1700.28 Section 1700.28 Agriculture... GENERAL INFORMATION Agency Organization and Functions § 1700.28 Electric Program. RUS, through the Electric Program, makes loans and loan guarantees for rural electrification and the furnishing of electric...

7 CFR 1700.28 - Electric Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Electric Program. 1700.28 Section 1700.28 Agriculture... GENERAL INFORMATION Agency Organization and Functions § 1700.28 Electric Program. RUS, through the Electric Program, makes loans and loan guarantees for rural electrification and the furnishing of electric...

7 CFR 1700.28 - Electric Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Electric Program. 1700.28 Section 1700.28 Agriculture... GENERAL INFORMATION Agency Organization and Functions § 1700.28 Electric Program. RUS, through the Electric Program, makes loans and loan guarantees for rural electrification and the furnishing of electric...

(Findings of the Costa Rica power sector efficiency study)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Waddle, D.B.

To present findings of the Costa Rica Power Sector Efficiency Study to the Instituto Costarricense de Electridad, and to the Ministry of Energy, Natural Resources and Mining. To discuss the progress and plans for the Central American Rural Electrification Project with US Agency for International Development (USAID)/Regional Office Central American Program (ROCAP). I traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica to present the findings of the Costa Rica Power Sector Efficiency Study to our counterparts in the utility and the Ministry of Energy. Discussions were held with line level managers at Instituto Costarricensede Electricidad (ICE) and Ministry of Energy Mines andmore » Natural Resources (MIRENEM), as well as a plan of action set for the final stage of the project. Discussions were held for a one day period with both the bilateral Agency for International Development (AID) and the regional AID mission regarding the need for a similar study in Guatemala and matters directly pertaining to the Central American Rural Electrification Study (CARES) project.« less

Lighting up the World The first global application of the open source, spatial electrification toolkit (ONSSET)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mentis, Dimitrios; Howells, Mark; Rogner, Holger; Korkovelos, Alexandros; Siyal, Shahid; Broad, Oliver; Zepeda, Eduardo; Bazilian, Morgan

2016-04-01

In September 2015, the international community has adopted a new set of targets, following and expanding on the millennium development goals (MDGs), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all is one of the 17 set goals that each country should work towards realizing. According to the latest Global Tracking Framework, 15% of the global population live without access to electricity. The majority of those (87%) reside in rural areas. Countries can reach universal access through various electrification options, depending on different levels of energy intensity and local characteristics of the studied areas, such as renewable resources availability, spatially differentiated costs of diesel-fuelled electricity generation, distance from power network and major cities, population density and others, data which are usually inadequate in national databases. This general paucity of reliable energy-related information in developing countries calls for the utilization of geospatial data. This paper presents a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based electrification analysis for all countries that have not yet reached full access to electricity (Sub-Saharan Africa, Developing Asia, Latin America and Middle East). The cost optimal mix of electrification options ranges from grid extensions to mini-grid and stand-alone applications and is identified for all relevant countries. It is illustrated how this mix is influenced by scrolling through various electrification levels and different oil prices. Such an analysis helps direct donors and investors and inform multinational actions with regards to investments related to energy access.

Structural feasibility of parallel-laminated veneer crossarms

Treesearch

John Youngquist; Frank Brey; Joseph Jung

1977-01-01

Experimentally and commercially produced laminated M-19 crossarms were tested by standard Rural Electrification Administration (REA) crossarm tests. The laminated crossarms, produced by laminating veneer and by laminating solid-sawn dimension stock, generally performed satisfactorily according to REA specified standards. Materials tested are described and results on...

Energy poverty: Electrification and well-being

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahul Sharma, Karnamadakala; Chan, Gabriel

2016-11-01

Energy access entails a range of metrics that need to be monitored to guide planning and implementation of electricity provision in developing nations. A study based on an extensive household survey carried out in rural India demonstrates that electricity supply duration is the best predictor for satisfaction with electricity service.

SEWAGE OFF-GAS-DRIVEN FUEL CELLS TO STIMULATE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION

EPA Science Inventory

Literature reviews confirmed the feasibility of the system relying on methane to supply the fuel cell and the waste heat from the subsequent fuel cell operation driving the decomposition process. A batch bioreactor and a proton exchange fuel cell at the lab scale are used to c...

Renewable energy and rural development activities experience in Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barua, D.C.

1997-12-01

The per capita per year fuel consumption in Bangladesh is only 56 kg oil equivalent. The supply of electricity by Bangladesh power development board (BPDB) and Dhaka electricity supply authority (DESA) is mainly confined to cities and towns. Rural Electrification Board (REB) distributes electricity to the rural people through cooperatives. The rural cooperatives cover only 10% of the total population. Only about 15% of the total population is directly connected to the electricity. In order to meet the increasing energy demand for development of agriculture and industry and for the generation of better employment opportunities, it will be necessary tomore » harness all the available alternative sources of energy immediately.« less

26 CFR 1.522-1 - Tax treatment of farmers' cooperative marketing and purchasing associations exempt under section...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... subject to taxation, are not applicable to dividends received from a cooperative association subject to... (including any cooperative or nonprofit corporation engaged in rural electrification) exempt from taxation... A advances to W 45 cents per unit for the products so delivered and allocates to him a retain...

SELCO: A model for solar rural electrification in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hande, H. Harish

1999-11-01

The following thesis presents the concept of a Rural Energy Service Company in India, known as SELCO. The model is being set up as a sustainable proposition for the implementation of solar photovoltaics as a viable alternative to provide reliable home lighting in the rural areas of India. The SELCO approach has already achieved noteworthy social and commercial results. Institutional, policy and operational problems have long plagued the rural electrification programs in India, resulting in thousands of villages without access to electricity. SELCO is a solar energy service company operating in Southern India since 1995, focusing on the enormous untapped market for home lighting where thousands of households have no access to electricity and severe power shortages face those already connected to the electric grid. The Company has installed nearly 2,000 solar home lighting systems. From a modest two employees company in 1995, it has grown to 35 in 1997 and from one office to eight. The hypothesis to be tested in this study is that in rural India, in a market not subsidized by the government, a solar service company with available loans from local banks and cooperatives and with sales, installation, and maintenance personnel in the villages can be successful in introducing photovoltaic systems to provide basic amenities such as lighting and water pumping for the improvement of the quality of life, public health, and the environment. The initial success of SELCO lends considerable evidence to the acceptance of the hypothesis. To accomplish its mission, SELCO works with commercial, retail, and rural development banks with large rural branch networks to stimulate loans to SELCO's customers based on a standard set of attractive financing terms. SELCO through its successful model has convinced the policy makers that a way to increase rural families' access to consumer financing for solar home lighting systems is through the existing financial network available in the country. Private investments, loans, and conditional grants totaling approximately US$ 650,000 have provided the working capital to date. A successful SELCO project would serve as a model for the world. The project would serve as a model not only for the Indian Government, the State Electricity Boards, and other Indian companies, but for the bulk of the world's utilities that are finding it difficult to electrify the vast majority of their rural service territories.

SIGAR Quarterly Report to the United States Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-30

electricity from sources such as mini-hydro turbines in streams, solar panels with battery storage, and wind turbines , but these are still a negligible...power, solar PV [photo-voltaic units], and wind turbines , is the most promising option for feasible, sustainable decentralized rural electrification...informed SIGAR that the installation of a third power-generating turbine at Kajaki Dam should be complete in September 2016—security conditions permitting

Quality Assurance Framework Implementation Guide for Isolated Community Power Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Esterly, Sean R.; Baring-Gould, Edward I.; Burman, Kari A.

This implementation guide is a companion document to the 'Quality Assurance Framework for Mini-Grids' technical report. This document is intended to be used by one of the many stakeholder groups that take part in the implementation of isolated power systems. Although the QAF could be applied to a single system, it was designed primarily to be used within the context of a larger national or regional rural electrification program in which many individual systems are being installed. This guide includes a detailed overview of the Quality Assurance Framework and provides guidance focused on the implementation of the Framework from themore » perspective of the different stakeholders that are commonly involved in expanding energy development within specific communities or regions. For the successful long-term implementation of a specific rural electrification program using mini-grid systems, six key stakeholders have been identified that are typically engaged, each with a different set of priorities 1. Regulatory agency 2. Governmental ministry 3. System developers 4. Mini-utility 5. Investors 6. Customers/consumers. This document is broken into two distinct sections. The first focuses on the administrative processes in the development and operation of community-based mini-grid programs, while the second focuses on the process around the installation of the mini-grid project itself.« less

Renewable Energy for Rural Health Clinics (Energia Removable para Centros de Salud Rurales)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jimenez, A. C.; Olson, K.

This guide provides a broad understanding of the technical, social, and organizational aspects of health clinic electrification, especially through the use of renewable energy sources. It is intended to be used primarily by decision makers within governments or private agencies to accurately assess their health clinic's needs, select appropriate and cost-effective technologies to meet those needs, and to put into place effective infrastructure to install and maintain the hardware. This is the first in a series of rural applications guidebooks that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Village Power Program is commissioning to couple commercial renewable systems with rural applications.more » The guidebooks are complemented by NREL's Village Power Program's development activities, international pilot projects, and visiting professionals program. For more information on the NREL Village Power Program, visit the Renewables for Sustainable Village Power web site at http://www.rsvp.nrel .gov/rsvp/.« less

An Introduction to the Industrial Applications of Microcontrollers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carelse, Xavier F.

A microcontroller is sometimes described as a “computer on a chip” because it contains all the features of a full computer including central processor, in-built clock circuitry, ROM, RAM, input and output ports with special features'such as serial communication, analogue-to-digital conversion and, more recently, signal processing. The smallest microcontroller has only eight pins but some having 68 pins are also being marketed. In the last five years, the prices of microcontrollers have dropped by 80% and are now one of the most cost-effective components in industry. Being software-driven, microcontrollers greatly simplify the design of sophisticated instrumentation and control circuitry. They are able to effect precise calculations sometimes needed for feedback in control systems and now form the basis of all intelligent embedded systems such as those required in television and VCR remote controls, microwave ovens, washing machines, etc. More than ten times as many microcontrollers than microprocessors are manufactured and sold in the world in spite of the high profile that the latter enjoys because of the personal computer market. In Zimbabwe, extensive research is being carried out to use microcontrollers to aid the cost recovery of domestic and commercial solar installations as part of the rural electrification programme.

Agencies Need Better Guidance for Choosing among Contracts, Grants, and Cooperative Agreements.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-04

given case may require reference to a range of materials . By en- acting specific authorizing language and providing various sources to help an agency...to: --Inventory recipients’ training materials , get them well-edited, and ready for the agency’s approval, production and distribution. [service... materials to those that do. REA indicated in its Federal Register announcement that under Section 11 of the Rural Electrification Act and under the

Are Rural Development Programmes Socially Inclusive? Social Inclusion, Civic Engagement, Participation, and Social Capital: Exploring the Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shortall, Sally

2008-01-01

Considerable importance is attached to social exclusion/inclusion in recent EU rural development programmes. At the national/regional operation of these programmes groups of people who are not participating are often identified as "socially excluded groups". This article contends that rural development programmes are misinterpreting the…

The marginalization of "small is beautiful": Micro-hydroelectricity, common property, and the politics of rural electricity provision in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greacen, Christopher Edmund

This study analyzes forces that constrain sustainable deployment of cost-effective renewable energy in a developing country. By many economic and social measures, community micro-hydro is a superior electrification option for remote mountainous communities in Thailand. Yet despite a 20 year government program, only 59 projects were built and of these less than half remain operating. By comparison, the national grid has extended to over 69,000 villages. Based on microeconomic, engineering, social barriers, common pool resource, and political economic theories, this study investigates first, why so few micro-hydro projects were built, and second, why so few remain operating. Drawing on historical information, site visits, interviews, surveys, and data logging, this study shows that the marginal status of micro-hydro arises from multiple linked factors spanning from village experiences to geopolitical concerns. The dominance of the parastatal rural electrification utility, the PEA, and its singular focus on grid extension are crucial in explaining why so few projects were built. Buffered from financial consequences by domestic and international subsidies, grid expansion proceeded without consideration of alternatives. High costs borne by villagers for micro-hydro discouraged village choice. PEA remains catalytic in explaining why few systems remain operating: grid expansion plans favor villages with existing loads and most villages abandon micro-hydro generators when the grid arrives. Village experiences are fundamental: most projects suffer blackouts, brownouts, and equipment failures due to poor equipment and collective over-consumption. Over-consumption is linked to mismatch between tariffs and generator technical characteristics. Opportunities to resolve problems languished as limited state support focused on building projects and immediate repairs rather than fundamentals. Despite frustrations, many remain proud of "their power plant". Interconnecting and selling electricity to PEA offers a mutually beneficial opportunity for the Thai public and for villagers, but one thus far thwarted by bureaucratic challenges. Explanations of renewable energy dissemination in countries with strong state involvement in rural electrification should borrow approaches from political economy concerning the ways in which politics and constellations of other factors eclipse rational economic behavior. At the village level, common pool resource theory reveals causal linkages between appliance use, equipment limitations, power quality, and equipment failures.

Prospect and policy of palm oil mill effluents for future electricity in east kalimantan (utilization of pome as renewable energy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aipassa, M. I.; Kristiningrum, R.; Tarukan, V. Y.

2018-04-01

East Kalimantan economy for four decades was mainly based on natural resources extraction and dominated by primary sectorwith the six highest GDP in 2013. But, the contribution of oil and gas were decreasing production due to the absence of new wells.One of the mission was create natural resources and renewable energy based economic people oriented. The Goverment of EK Province chose a strategy of socio-economic transformation based on renewable natural resources. This strategy has been applied in the regional development plan by mainstreaming climate change issues. Data related to energy source and its potential, remote rural electrification, bioenergy feedstock, etc including from the Palm Oil company was collected and subsequently analized in line with the EK Governor Letter. Currently (2014) available of Biogas-Pome as bioenergy feedstock is 162 million m3year-1, where as currently utilized is only 22 millionm3year-1. Power demand supply status in January 2015 indicated as available capacity is 467 MW where the peak demand is 444 MW. About 22% of households without electricity are difficult to be electrified without breakthrough efforts. About 215 thousand households are un-electrified, with more power need about 150 MW in total capacity. As business opportunity, high demand for rural electrification, particularly in Kutai Kartanegera, Kutai Timur, Kutai Barat, Berau and Paser.

Does basic energy access generate socioeconomic benefits? A field experiment with off-grid solar power in India.

PubMed

Aklin, Michaël; Bayer, Patrick; Harish, S P; Urpelainen, Johannes

2017-05-01

This article assesses the socioeconomic effects of solar microgrids. The lack of access to electricity is a major obstacle to the socioeconomic development of more than a billion people. Off-grid solar technologies hold potential as an affordable and clean solution to satisfy basic electricity needs. We conducted a randomized field experiment in India to estimate the causal effect of off-grid solar power on electricity access and broader socioeconomic development of 1281 rural households. Within a year, electrification rates in the treatment group increased by 29 to 36 percentage points. Daily hours of access to electricity increased only by 0.99 to 1.42 hours, and the confidence intervals are wide. Kerosene expenditure on the black market decreased by 47 to 49 rupees per month. Despite these strong electrification and expenditure effects, we found no systematic evidence for changes in savings, spending, business creation, time spent working or studying, or other broader indicators of socioeconomic development.

Does basic energy access generate socioeconomic benefits? A field experiment with off-grid solar power in India

PubMed Central

Aklin, Michaël; Bayer, Patrick; Harish, S. P.; Urpelainen, Johannes

2017-01-01

This article assesses the socioeconomic effects of solar microgrids. The lack of access to electricity is a major obstacle to the socioeconomic development of more than a billion people. Off-grid solar technologies hold potential as an affordable and clean solution to satisfy basic electricity needs. We conducted a randomized field experiment in India to estimate the causal effect of off-grid solar power on electricity access and broader socioeconomic development of 1281 rural households. Within a year, electrification rates in the treatment group increased by 29 to 36 percentage points. Daily hours of access to electricity increased only by 0.99 to 1.42 hours, and the confidence intervals are wide. Kerosene expenditure on the black market decreased by 47 to 49 rupees per month. Despite these strong electrification and expenditure effects, we found no systematic evidence for changes in savings, spending, business creation, time spent working or studying, or other broader indicators of socioeconomic development. PMID:28560328

Photovoltaic pilot projects in the European community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treble, F. C.; Grassi, G.; Schnell, W.

The paper presents proposals received for the construction of photovoltaic pilot plants as part of the Commission of the European Communities' second 4-year solar energy R and D program. The proposed plants range from 30 to 300 kWp and cover a variety of applications including rural electrification, water pumping, desalination, dairy farming, factories, hospitals, schools and vacation centers. Fifteen projects will be accepted with a total generating capacity of 1 MWp, with preference given to those projects involving the development of new techniques, components and systems.

India-Japan Strategic Cooperation and Implications for U.S. Strategy in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. In a 2015 ex post facto evaluation of Japan’s ODA Rural Electrification Project, project evaluator Keishi...rights are observed and extended. Implicit in the rebalance was a hedge against a China acting to challenge the existing post –World War II rules-based...during the last 45 years of the 20th century. In the immediate post –World War II era, India provided urgent supplies of food and other equipment to

Options for rural electrification in Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vera, J.G.

1992-09-01

This paper summarizes a study which examined 19 commercially available options for electrifying remote communities in Mexico. Characteristics of a typical community are defined and, using 7 of the technologies, power systems are designed capable of supporting this community. The performance of these systems is evaluated with respect to their ability to satisfy 11 technical design objectives, 5 socioeconomic objectives, and their impact on the environment. A photovoltaic- diesel generator hybrid system with wind generator option is recommended for the typical community.

Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steigelmann, W.; Asmon, I.

1981-01-01

The first year of cost-competitiveness, the market potential, and the environment in which PV systems would be marketed and employed were examined. Market elements specific to Mexico addressed include: (1) useful applications and estimates of the potential market for PV systems; (2) power requirements and load profiles for applications compatible with PV usage; (3) operating and cost characteristics of power systems that compete against PV; (4) national development goals in rural electrification and rural services, technology programs and government policies that influence the demand for PV in Mexico; (5) financing mechanisms and capital available for PV acquisition; (6) channels for distribution, installation and maintenance of PV systems; and (7) appropriate methods for conducting business in Mexico.

Battery charging stations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bergey, M.

1997-12-01

This paper discusses the concept of battery charging stations (BCSs), designed to service rural owners of battery power sources. Many such power sources now are transported to urban areas for recharging. A BCS provides the opportunity to locate these facilities closer to the user, is often powered by renewable sources, or hybrid systems, takes advantage of economies of scale, and has the potential to provide lower cost of service, better service, and better cost recovery than other rural electrification programs. Typical systems discussed can service 200 to 1200 people, and consist of stations powered by photovoltaics, wind/PV, wind/diesel, or dieselmore » only. Examples of installed systems are presented, followed by cost figures, economic analysis, and typical system design and performance numbers.« less

Market assessment of photovoltaic power systems for agricultural applications in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steigelmann, W.; Asmon, I.

1981-07-01

The first year of cost-competitiveness, the market potential, and the environment in which PV systems would be marketed and employed were examined. Market elements specific to Mexico addressed include: (1) useful applications and estimates of the potential market for PV systems; (2) power requirements and load profiles for applications compatible with PV usage; (3) operating and cost characteristics of power systems that compete against PV; (4) national development goals in rural electrification and rural services, technology programs and government policies that influence the demand for PV in Mexico; (5) financing mechanisms and capital available for PV acquisition; (6) channels for distribution, installation and maintenance of PV systems; and (7) appropriate methods for conducting business in Mexico.

Electrification Futures Study Modeling Approach | Energy Analysis | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Electrification Futures Study Modeling Approach Electrification Futures Study Modeling Approach To quantitatively answer the research questions of the Electrification Futures Study, researchers will use multiple accounting for infrastructure inertia through stock turnover. Load Modeling The Electrification Futures Study

The Chilean Rural Practitioner Programme: a multidimensional strategy to attract and retain doctors in rural areas

PubMed Central

Peña, Sebastian; Ramirez, Jorge; Becerra, Carlos; Carabantes, Jorge

2010-01-01

Abstract Developing countries currently face internal and external migration of their health workforce and interventions are needed to attract and retain health professionals in rural areas. Evidence of multidimensional interventions, however, is scarce. This study explores a long-standing strategy to attract and retain doctors to rural areas in Chile: the Rural Practitioner Programme. The main objective is to describe the programme, characterize its multidimensional set of incentives and appraise preliminary programme outcomes. Retrospective national data were employed to examine recruitment, retention and incentives provided to extend the length of stay and motivate non-clinical work. The programme has successfully recruited a large number of applicants, with acceptance rates close to 100%. Retention rates are nearly 100% (drop-outs are exceptional), but only 58% of participants stay for the maximum period. Areas with greater work difficulty are attracting the best-ranked applicants, but incentives to engage in community projects, management responsibilities, continuous medical education and research have achieved mixed results. Rural doctors are satisfied with their experience and 70% plan to practise as specialists in a referral hospital. The programme has successfully matched the interests of physicians in specialization with the country’s need for rural doctors. However, a gap might be forming between the demand for certain specialties and what the programme can offer. There is a need to conciliate both parties, which will require a more refined strategy than before. This should be grounded in robust knowledge based on programme outcomes and evidence of the interests and motivations of health professionals. PMID:20461139

Stakeholder views of rural community-based medical education: a narrative review of the international literature.

PubMed

Somporn, Praphun; Ash, Julie; Walters, Lucie

2018-03-30

Rural community-based medical education (RCBME), in which medical student learning activities take place within a rural community, requires students, clinical teachers, patients, community members and representatives of health and government sectors to actively contribute to the educational process. Therefore, academics seeking to develop RCBME need to understand the rural context, and the views and needs of local stakeholders. The aim of this review is to examine stakeholder experiences of RCBME programmes internationally. This narrative literature review of original research articles published after 1970 utilises Worley's symbiosis model of medical education as an analysis framework. This model proposes that students experience RCBME through their intersection with multiple clinical, social and institutional relationships. This model seeks to provide a framework for considering the intersecting relationships in which RCBME programmes are situated. Thirty RCBME programmes are described in 52 articles, representing a wide range of rural clinical placements. One-year longitudinal integrated clerkships for penultimate-year students in Anglosphere countries were most common. Such RCBME enables students to engage in work-integrated learning in a feasible manner that is acceptable to many rural clinicians and patients. Academic results are not compromised, and a few papers demonstrate quality improvement for rural health services engaged in RCBME. These programmes have delivered some rural medical workforce outcomes to communities and governments. Medical students also provide social capital to rural communities. However, these programmes have significant financial cost and risk student social and educational isolation. Rural community-based medical education programmes are seen as academically acceptable and can facilitate symbiotic relationships among students, rural clinicians, patients and community stakeholders. These relationships can influence students' clinical competency and professional identity, increase graduates' interest in rural careers, and potentially improve rural health service stability. Formal prospective stakeholder consultations should be published in the literature. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Implementing family physician programme in rural Iran: exploring the role of an existing primary health care network.

PubMed

Takian, Amirhossein; Doshmangir, Leila; Rashidian, Arash

2013-10-01

The primary health care (PHC) network contributed considerably to improving health outcomes in rural Iran. However, the health system suffers from inadequate responses to ever-increasing demands. In 2005, a reform comprised of a family physician (FP) programme and universal health insurance was implemented in all rural areas and cities with a population of <20 000. We explored the role of the pre-existing PHC network on the implementation of FP programme in rural Iran. We conducted a qualitative study involving 71 semi-structured interviews at national, provincial and local levels, and three focus group discussions at local level, plus a purposeful content analysis of documents of various types. We used a mixed inductive/deductive framework approach for data analysis. We identified seven main aspects related to the existing primary health network, which contributed to the implementation of FP programme: 'a respected and functioning PHC network', 'accessibility and geographical coverage', 'efficient hierarchy', 'the only possible host', 'a remedy for chronic challenges in the rural PHC', 'FP as the gatekeeper?' and 'the role of the private sector'. The existence of a functioning PHC was pivotal in driving policy makers' decision to implement FP programme. Implementing a new policy depends on its hosting context. In regards to FP programme and rural insurance in Iran, the existing PHC network proved to be a fundamental asset in facilitating the implementation of FP programme in rural areas.

Programme impact on current contraception in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Latif, M A

1994-03-01

"This paper analyses the impact of three credit programmes--the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), the Bangladesh Rural Development Board's Rural Development-12 (BRDB RD-12), and the Grameen Bank (GB), on current rate of contraception. These programmes are targeted to alleviate poverty by providing group-based credit to the rural poor in creating self employment opportunities. With small credits, these programmes combine family planning activities in terms of consciousness raising, awareness building and motivation. Sample survey data are used to analyse the problem of impact evaluation. The analyses show that the BRAC and the GB programmes have [a] significantly positive impact on the current rate of contraception, while the BRDB RD-12 programme does not have any such impact. It is also found that education, both of female[s] and male[s] separately, and child survivorship have independently positive impact[s] on current contraception." excerpt

High tension electricity burns: a case report.

PubMed

Asuquo, M E; Okpokam, O; Mwagbara, V

2006-06-01

Recently in some areas there has been an upsurge in rural electrification. Though electricity is desirable, it is one of the most potentially dangerous commodities in the society. We present this report highlighting the need for prevention as high tension electricity injury though uncommon is reputed for significant morbidity and mortality. A case report of a 30 year old female trader with high tension electricity burns in a rural community seen in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar. Successful management of 10% burn involving multiple sites. Patient's husband was electrocuted in the incident. High tension burns are reputed for significant morbidity and mortality hence the need for prevention. Strategies recommended should include safety of electrical installations, protective apparels for electricity workers as well as health education for consumers.

Pathways to achieve universal household access to modern energy by 2030

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pachauri, Shonali; van Ruijven, Bas J.; Nagai, Yu; Riahi, Keywan; van Vuuren, Detlef P.; Brew-Hammond, Abeeku; Nakicenovic, Nebojsa

2013-06-01

A lack of access to modern energy impacts health and welfare and impedes development for billions of people. Growing concern about these impacts has mobilized the international community to set new targets for universal modern energy access. However, analyses exploring pathways to achieve these targets and quantifying the potential costs and benefits are limited. Here, we use two modelling frameworks to analyse investments and consequences of achieving total rural electrification and universal access to clean-combusting cooking fuels and stoves by 2030. Our analysis indicates that these targets can be achieved with additional investment of US200565-86 billion per year until 2030 combined with dedicated policies. Only a combination of policies that lowers costs for modern cooking fuels and stoves, along with more rapid electrification, can enable the realization of these goals. Our results demonstrate the critical importance of accounting for varying demands and affordability across heterogeneous household groups in both analysis and policy setting. While the investments required are significant, improved access to modern cooking fuels alone can avert between 0.6 and 1.8 million premature deaths annually in 2030 and enhance wellbeing substantially.

Solar energy alternatives for the United States Embassy and for rural development projects within the Republic of Upper Volta

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kern, E.C. Jr.

1978-03-07

This report is organized in three sections/: solar cooling options for the new Embassy office building, electrification of Fada N' Gourma using solar photovolatic versus conventional energy systems and an overview of the potential for village solar photovoltaic energy utilization in Upper Volta. The analysis indicates that the least-cost alternative for cooling the new offices is to modify existing plans, which call for standard electric room air conditioning units, and to incorporate energy conservation measures in the building construction and operation.

Developing sustainable social programmes for rural ethnic seniors: perspectives of community stakeholders.

PubMed

Winterton, Rachel; Hulme Chambers, Alana

2017-05-01

This qualitative study explores barriers to delivering sustainable rural community programmes to increase social participation among Australian ethnic seniors. In 2013, in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 stakeholders across eight rural/regional organisations that had received state government funding to provide social participation initiatives for ethnic seniors. Within interviews, participants were asked to outline factors that had enhanced or hindered their capacity to deliver the funded projects, and their plans for sustainability. Data were analysed thematically in accordance with Shediac-Rizkallah and Bone's (1998) tripartite programme sustainability framework (project design and implementation, organisational setting and broader community environment). Findings indicate that in the context of resource and staffing constraints and a lack of ethnic critical mass, programme sustainability reflected the increased capacity of rural ethnic seniors to integrate into existing community groups and maintain their own groups and activities. However, this is dependent on the ability of mainstream government, health and social care services to cater for diverse cultural needs and preferences, the ability of rural organisations to support ethnic seniors to manage their own cultural groups and activities, and the capacity of funding bodies, rural community and policy structures to maintain cultural sensitivity while compensating for the rural premium. In addition to identifying some key learnings for rural governments, health and community organisations, this research highlights the precarious nature of rural programme sustainability for ethnic seniors in the context of wider community, organisational and policy constraints. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Women's participation in rural credit programmes in Bangladesh and their demand for formal health care: is there a positive impact?

PubMed

Nanda, P

1999-08-01

Within the overall aim of poverty alleviation, development efforts have included credit and self-employment programmes. In Bangladesh, the major beneficiaries of such group-based credit programmes are rural women who use the loans to initiate small informal income-generating activities. This paper explores the benefits of women's participation in credit programmes on their own health seeking. Using data from a sample of 1798 households from rural Bangladesh, conducted in 1991-1992 through repeated random sampling of 87 districts covered by Grameen Bank, Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) and Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB), this paper addresses the question: does women's participation in credit programmes significantly affect their use of formal health care? A non-unitary household preference model is suggested to test the hypothesis that women's empowerment through participation in these programmes results in greater control of resources for their own demand for formal health care. The analysis controls for endogeneity due to self-selection and other unobserved village level factors through the use of a weighted two stage instrumental variable approach with village level fixed effects. The findings indicate a positive impact of women's participation in credit programmes on their demand for formal health care. The policy simulations on the results of this study highlight the importance of credit programmes as a health intervention in addition to being a mechanism for women's economic empowerment.

Driving rural energy access: a second-life application for electric-vehicle batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrose, Hanjiro; Gershenson, Dimitry; Gershenson, Alexander; Kammen, Daniel

2014-09-01

Building rural energy infrastructure in developing countries remains a significant financial, policy and technological challenge. The growth of the electric vehicle (EV) industry will rapidly expand the resource of partially degraded, ‘retired’, but still usable batteries in 2016 and beyond. These batteries can become the storage hubs for community-scale grids in the developing world. We model the resource and performance potential and the technological and economic aspects of the utilization of retired EV batteries in rural and decentralized mini- and micro-grids. We develop and explore four economic scenarios across three battery chemistries to examine the impacts on transport and recycling logistics. We find that EVs sold through 2020 will produce 120-549 GWh in retired storage potential by 2028. Outlining two use scenarios for decentralized systems, we discuss the possible impacts on global electrification rates. We find that used EV batteries can provide a cost-effective and lower environmental impact alternative to existing lead-acid storage systems in these applications.

Decentralized nursing education in Northern Norway: towards a sustainable recruitment and retention model in rural Arctic healthcare services

PubMed Central

Norbye, Bente; Skaalvik, Mari Wolff

2013-01-01

Introduction Decentralized nursing education (DNE) was established at Tromsø University College in 1990 and has since become a part of the bachelor programme in nursing at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The objective of the study was to investigate whether and to what degree the first DNE programme established in Norway has contributed to recruitment and retention of registered nurses (RNs) in rural healthcare services. Methods The quantitative survey took place in 2012. A questionnaire was distributed to 315 former students who had graduated from the DNE programme from 1994 to 2011. Results The primary finding of this study is that the DNE successfully recruits students from rural areas of Northern Norway. Nearly, 87.5% have their first employment in community healthcare services. They continued to work in the rural areas and 85% still worked as nurses in 2012. The DNE programme has been successful regarding recruitment and retention of RNs to community healthcare services. Fifty-six percent have attended a variety of postgraduate programmes. Conclusion The DNE programme demonstrates itself as a successful study model regarding recruitment and retention of RNs to rural and remote areas. PMID:24286063

Decentralized nursing education in Northern Norway: towards a sustainable recruitment and retention model in rural Arctic healthcare services.

PubMed

Norbye, Bente; Skaalvik, Mari Wolff

2013-01-01

Decentralized nursing education (DNE) was established at Tromsø University College in 1990 and has since become a part of the bachelor programme in nursing at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The objective of the study was to investigate whether and to what degree the first DNE programme established in Norway has contributed to recruitment and retention of registered nurses (RNs) in rural healthcare services. The quantitative survey took place in 2012. A questionnaire was distributed to 315 former students who had graduated from the DNE programme from 1994 to 2011. The primary finding of this study is that the DNE successfully recruits students from rural areas of Northern Norway. Nearly, 87.5% have their first employment in community healthcare services. They continued to work in the rural areas and 85% still worked as nurses in 2012. The DNE programme has been successful regarding recruitment and retention of RNs to community healthcare services. Fifty-six percent have attended a variety of postgraduate programmes. The DNE programme demonstrates itself as a successful study model regarding recruitment and retention of RNs to rural and remote areas.

Electricity and Empire in 1920s Palestine under British Rule.

PubMed

Shamir, Ronen

2016-12-01

This article examines some techno-political aspects of the early years of electrification in British-ruled 1920s Palestine. It emphasizes the importance of local technical, topographical and hydrological forms of knowledge for understanding the dynamics of electrification. Situating the analysis in a general colonial context of electrification, the study shows that British colonial rulers lagged behind both German firms and local entrepreneurs in understanding the specific conditions pertaining to electrification in Palestine. Subsequently, the study shows that the British had limited control of the actual electrification process and its declared/professed developmental purposes, thereby complicating assumptions about electrification as a tool of the Empire/tool of empire. Finding some similarities between the cases of electrifying Palestine and India, the article's findings may shed further light on the importance of micro-politics of knowledge for understanding the trajectory of electrification in the colonies.

Economic challenges of hybrid microgrid: An analysis and approaches for rural electrification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habibullah, Mohammad; Mahmud, Khizir; Koçar, Günnur; Islam, A. K. M. Sadrul; Salehin, Sayedus

2017-06-01

This paper focuses on the integration of three renewable resources: biogas, wind energy and solar energy, utilizing solar PV panels, a biogas generator, and a wind turbine, respectively, to analyze the technical and economic challenges of a hybrid micro-gird. The integration of these sources has been analyzed and optimized based on realistic data for a real location. Different combinations of these sources have been analyzed to find out the optimized combination based on the efficiency and the minimum cost of electricity (COE). Wind and solar energy are considered as the primary sources of power generation during off-peak hours, and any excess power is used to charge a battery bank. During peak hours, biogas generators produce power to support the additional demand. A business strategy to implement the integrated optimized system in rural areas is discussed.

Development of the hard and soft constraints based optimisation model for unit sizing of the hybrid renewable energy system designed for microgrid applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundaramoorthy, Kumaravel

2017-02-01

The hybrid energy systems (HESs) based electricity generation system has become a more attractive solution for rural electrification nowadays. Economically feasible and technically reliable HESs are solidly based on an optimisation stage. This article discusses about the optimal unit sizing model with the objective function to minimise the total cost of the HES. Three typical rural sites from southern part of India have been selected for the application of the developed optimisation methodology. Feasibility studies and sensitivity analysis on the optimal HES are discussed elaborately in this article. A comparison has been carried out with the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable optimisation model for three sites. The optimal HES is found with less total net present rate and rate of energy compared with the existing method

Ahmad Pesaran Honored with DOE Assistant Secretary's 2017 EERE Outstanding

Science.gov Websites

lithium-ion battery performance for electric vehicles. No stranger to inspiring colleagues, providing Michelbacher (INL, VTO Battery and Electrification), Steven Boyd (DOE, VTO Battery and Electrification), Brian Cunningham (DOE, VTO Battery and Electrification), Samuel Gillard (DOE, VTO Battery and Electrification

Does Pukawakawa (the regional-rural programme at the University of Auckland) influence workforce choice?

PubMed

Matthews, Christina; Bagg, Warwick; Yielder, Jill; Mogol, Vernon; Poole, Phillippa

2015-02-20

Relative shortages of rural doctors persist. In 2008 the University of Auckland medical programme introduced a Year 5 regional and rural immersion programme, Pukawakawa, based in Northland, New Zealand (NZ). This study evaluates the early workforce outcomes of graduates of this programme. During 2013 we surveyed Auckland medical graduates who were in the 2008-2011 Pukawakawa cohorts. Questions were asked regarding recent and current place of work, future intentions for place of work, and career preference with reasons why. Qualitative analysis was undertaken to analyse free text responses about experiences of Pukawakawa on this choice. Of the 72 Pukawakawa participants, 45 completed the survey, for a response rate of 63%. In 2013, 62% were working in rural or regional areas, with 31% in the Northland DHB. The great majority intend to work rurally or regionally, with 35.6% intending to return to Northland DHB. Of the respondents, 68% listed general practice in their top three future career intentions. In the early postgraduate years, medical graduates who participated in Pukawakawa are very likely to be working in rural and regional areas. These graduates also show an intention to work in general practice and rural medicine.

Study on Role of Radio for Rural Education in Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jumani, Nabi Bux

2009-01-01

It was found that the majority of the listeners possessed radio sets and was getting benefit from the educational programmes of radio. The programmes were informative and motivating. The strategies of radio for rural education were appreciable because these infused mobility, widened horizon of rural people and focused attention on the goals and…

Organic or Orchestrated: The Nature of Leadership in Rural Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Amanda

2007-01-01

Over the last decade, rural leadership policies and programmes have attracted substantial support from all tiers of government. These policies are promulgated as a support mechanism for enhancing the internal capacity of rural communities to adjust to changes in the social and political-economic landscape. Leadership training programmes have been…

Using Community Radio in a Rural Women's Post-Literacy Programme in Nepal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagaoka, Chizuko; Karki, Manohar

2014-01-01

This paper examines the literacy and post-literacy needs of rural women in Nepal, describes a pilot study in using community radio to supplement a classroom-based post-literacy programme for these women, analyses the findings of this intervention and considers the implications for similar programmes in other settings.

The electrification of spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akishin, A. I.; Novikov, L. S.

1985-01-01

Physical and applied aspects of the electrification of space vehicles and natural celestial objects are discussed, the factors resulting in electrification of spacecraft are analyzed, and methods of investigating various phenomena associated with this electrification and ways of protecting spacecraft against the influence of static electricity are described. The booklet is intended for the general reader interested in present day questions of space technology.

Rural-origin health professional students’ perceptions of a support programme offered by Umthombo Youth Development Foundation

PubMed Central

Gumede, Dumisani M.; Campbell, Laura M.; MacGregor, Richard G.

2017-01-01

Background Staffing of rural healthcare facilities is a challenge, with literature supporting the selection and training of rural-origin students. The Umthombo Youth Development Foundation (UYDF) scholarship scheme supports rural students to train as healthcare professionals and offers a unique support programme. This programme has not been evaluated, and this study sought UYDF-supported students’ perceptions of the programme. Aim The aim of the study was to assess students’ perceptions of the UYDF support programme. Methods This was an observational descriptive study. Participants were students supported by UYDF and data were collected by a questionnaire with a Likert scale to assess perceptions of various aspects of the support programme. Results Students’ perceptions about the UYDF support programme were generally positive, with initial orientation and information sharing perceived as useful. Some respondents did not perceive value in holding discussions around English proficiency. The support required appeared to diminish with increasing years of study. Conclusion A comprehensive, proactive compulsory support system that provides both academic and social support was perceived as useful by the UYDF students. Further research is required around aspects such as encouraging English proficiency. In future, the support programme could prioritise students in the early years of their study. PMID:28828873

Electrification Futures Study: End-Use Electric Technology Cost and Performance Projections through 2050

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vimmerstedt, Laura J.; Jadun, Paige; McMillan, Colin A.

This report provides projected cost and performance assumptions for electric technologies considered in the Electrification Futures Study, a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the effects of widespread electrification of end-use service demands in all major economic sectors - transportation, residential and commercial buildings, and industry - for the contiguous United States through 2050. Using extensive literature searches and expert assessment, the authors identify slow, moderate, and rapid technology advancement sensitivities on technology cost and performance, and they offer a comparative analysis of levelized cost metrics as a reference indicator of total costs. The identification and characterization of these end-use servicemore » demand technologies is fundamental to the Electrification Futures Study. This report, the larger Electrification Futures Study, and the associated data and methodologies may be useful to planners and analysts in evaluating the potential role of electrification in an uncertain future. The report could be broadly applicable for other analysts and researchers who wish to assess electrification and electric technologies.« less

Attraction, recruitment and distribution of health professionals in rural and remote Australia: early results of the Rural Health Professionals Program.

PubMed

Morell, Anna L; Kiem, Sandra; Millsteed, Melanie A; Pollice, Almerinda

2014-03-06

Australians living in rural and remote communities experience relatively poor health status in comparison to the wider Australian population (Med J Aust 185:37-38, 2006). This can be attributed in part to issues of access to health services arising from difficulties in recruiting and retaining health professionals in these areas. The Rural Health Professionals Program is an initiative designed to increase the number of allied health and nursing professionals in rural and remote Australia by providing case managed recruitment and retention support services. This paper reports on early analysis of available programme data to build knowledge of factors related to the recruitment and distribution of health professionals in rural and remote Australia. Administrative programme data were collected monthly from 349 health professionals over the first 13 months of programme operation. These data were collated and quantitative analysis was conducted using SPSS software. Sixty-nine percent of recruits were women, and recruits had a mean age of 32.85 (SD = 10.92). Sixty percent of recruits were domestically trained, and the top two professions recruited were nurses (29%) and physiotherapists (21%). Eighty-seven percent were recruited to regional areas, with the remaining 13% recruited to remote areas. Among reasons for interest in the programme, financial support factors were most commonly cited by recruits (51%). Recruitment to a remote location was associated with being domestically trained, having previously lived in a rural or remote location, being a nurse (as opposed to an allied health professional) and older age. The findings provide early support for a case managed recruitment programme to improve distribution of health professionals, and some directions for future marketing and promotion of the programme. It is recommended that an outcome evaluation be conducted to determine the impact of the programme on recruitment and distribution outcomes. The findings herein begin to address gaps in the literature relating to the effectiveness of interventions to improve the distribution of health professionals. While this provides some preliminary indication that case managed recruitment and retention programmes have capacity to improve distribution, further research and evaluation is required to confirm the impact of the programme on retention.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Utroska, D.

Vandalism on a controversial power line led the owners to turn over a 176-mile portion of the line to the Rural Electrification Administration and make it a Federal facility. This allows the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other Federal agencies to help identify and apprehend the vandals. The 436-mile direct-current T-line connects a mine-mouth coal-fired generating station in North Dakota with central-Minnesota consumers. Protest against the project led to the toppling of 14 towers. Replacement and security costs became too great for the co-owners - the United Power Authority and the Cooperative Power Authority - to bear alone. (DCK)

Philippines: Small-scale renewable energy update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-12-01

This paper gives an overview of the application of small scale renewable energy sources in the Philippines. Sources looked at include solar, biomass, micro-hydroelectric, mini-hydroelectric, wind, mini-geothermal, and hybrid. A small power utilities group is being spun off the major utility, to provide a structure for developing rural electrification programs. In some instances, private companies have stepped forward, avoiding what is perceived as overwhelming beaurocracy, and installed systems with private financing. The paper provides information on survey work which has been done on resources, and the status of cooperative programs to develop renewable systems in the nation.

Rural-urban migration and socioeconomic development in Ghana: some discussions.

PubMed

Twumasi-ankrah, K

1995-01-01

This article presents a discussion of rural-urban migration as a source of social and behavioral change in Ghana. It explores the extent to which the urban social environment in Ghana generates conflicts for migrants with a different value orientation and the degree of influence of the urban social environment on migrants' behavior. The first part of the discussion focuses on the nature of Ghana's urbanization process, the motivation and characteristics of rural-urban migrants, and the nature of the social interaction between migrants and the social urban environment. Migrants contribute directly and indirectly to rural development in many ways. Some urban migrants achieve economic and material wealth and, through their attachment to voluntary tribal associations, assist local community development. Government can augment this process of migrant investment in rural life by identifying these actions as patriotic efforts and awarding citizenship medals or challenge grants. Governments need to review their citizenship laws carefully in light of the "brain drain" issues in the new world order and maximize the flow of resources, technical skills, and ideas from international migrants. A high-quality rural labor force can be enticed to live in rural areas by offering higher salaries and benefits, low income tax rates, better housing, and rural electrification and sanitation. Private firms should be offered incentives to locate in rural areas and increase employment opportunities for rural labor. Career advancement of development planners should be tied to program success or some form of public accountability for careful allocation of resources in rural areas. Fertility policies should be sensitive to urban subgroups. Urban and rural social differences are minor and do not impede urban assimilation, but unemployment and underemployment are problems for many.

Rural Adult Education and the Health Transformation of Pastoral Women of Northern Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usman, Lantana M.

2009-01-01

Recently, politics of education in Nigeria have shifted from urban to rural literacy, which led to the development of programmes such as the nomadic women's adult education programme. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the programme's implementation strategies, and the extent to which the health educational…

Optimization of PV/WIND/DIESEL Hybrid Power System in HOMER for Rural Electrification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Q.; Jaszczur, M.; Abdulateef, J.

2016-09-01

A large proportion of the world's population lives in remote rural areas that are geographically isolated and sparsely populated. The present study is based on modeling, computer simulation and optimization of hybrid power generation system in the rural area in Muqdadiyah district of Diyala state, Iraq. Two renewable resources, namely, solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine (WT) are considered. The HOMER software is used to study and design the proposed hybrid energy system model. Based on simulation results, it has been found that renewable energy sources perhaps replace the conventional energy sources and would be a feasible solution for the generation of electric power at remote locations with a reasonable investment. The hybrid power system solution to electrify the selected area resulted in a least-cost combination of the hybrid power system that can meet the demand in a dependable manner at a cost about (0.321/kWh). If the wind resources in the study area at the lower stage, it's not economically viable for a wind turbine to generate the electricity.

Mexico's conditional cash transfer programme increases cesarean section rates among the rural poor.

PubMed

Barber, Sarah L

2010-08-01

Caesarean section rates are increasing in Mexico and Latin America. This study evaluates the impact of a large-scale, conditional cash transfer programme in Mexico on caesarean section rates. The programme provides cash transfers to participating low income, rural households in Mexico conditional on accepting health care and nutrition supplements. The primary analyses uses retrospective reports from 979 women in poor rural communities participating in an effectiveness study and randomly assigned to incorporation into the programme in 1998 or 1999 across seven Mexican states. Using multivariate and instrumental variable analyses, we estimate the impact of the programme on caesarean sections and predict the adjusted mean rates by clinical setting. Programme participation is measured by beneficiary status, programme months and cash transfers. More than two-thirds of poor rural women delivered in a health facility. Beneficiary status is associated with a 5.1 percentage point increase in caesarean rates; this impact increases to 7.5 percentage points for beneficiaries enrolled in the programme for >or=6 months before delivery. Beneficiaries had significantly higher caesarean delivery rates in social security facilities (24.0 compared with 5.6% among non-beneficiaries) and in other government facilities (19.3 compared with 9.5%). The Oportunidades conditional cash transfer programme is associated with higher caesarean section rates in social security and government health facilities. This effect appears to be driven by the increases in disposable income from the cash transfer. These findings are relevant to other countries implementing conditional cash transfer programmes and health care requirements.

Individual, household, programme and community effects on childhood malnutrition in rural India.

PubMed

Rajaram, S; Zottarelli, Lisa K; Sunil, T S

2007-04-01

The children living in rural areas of India disproportionately suffer from malnutrition compared with their urban counterparts. The present article analyses the individual, household, community and programme factors on nutritional status of children in rural India. Additionally, we consider the random variances at village and state levels after introducing various observed individual-, household- and programme-level characteristics in the model. A multilevel model is conducted using data from the National Family and Health Survey 2. The results show that maternal characteristics, such as socio-economic and behavioural factors, are more influential in determining childhood nutritional status than the prevalence of programme factors. Also, it was found that individual factors show evidence of state- and village-level clustering of malnutrition.

Designing to Promote Access, Quality, and Student Support in an Advanced Certificate Programme for Rural Teachers in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fresen, Jill W.; Hendrikz, Johan

2009-01-01

This paper reports on the re-design of the Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) programme, which is offered by the University of Pretoria through distance education (DE) to teachers in rural South Africa. In 2007, a team re-designed the programme with the goal of promoting access, quality, and student support. The team included an independent…

An Evaluation System for the Contact Electrification of a Single Microparticle Using Microelectromechanical-Based Actuated Tweezers.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Daichi

2018-06-05

The image quality of laser and multi-function printers that make use of electrophotography depends on the amount of surface charge generated by contact electrification on the toner particles. However, because it has been impossible to experimentally evaluate such amounts under controlled contact conditions using macroscopic measurements, theoretical elucidation of the contact electrification mechanism has not progressed sufficiently. In the present study, we have developed a system to experimentally evaluate the contact electrification of a single particle using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanotweezers (microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based actuated tweezers). This system performs, in succession, (i) a contact test that makes use of the nanotweezers and three piezoelectric stages, and (ii) an image force measurement using the AFM cantilever. Using this system, contact electrification was evaluated under controlled conditions, such as the contact number and the indentation depth. In addition, differences in contact electrification due to the amount of external surface additives were investigated. The results reveal that a coating with external additives leads to a decrease in the amount of contact electrification due to a reduction in the contact area with the substrate.

Supervision, support and mentoring interventions for health practitioners in rural and remote contexts: an integrative review and thematic synthesis of the literature to identify mechanisms for successful outcomes.

PubMed

Moran, Anna M; Coyle, Julia; Pope, Rod; Boxall, Dianne; Nancarrow, Susan A; Young, Jennifer

2014-02-13

To identify mechanisms for the successful implementation of support strategies for health-care practitioners in rural and remote contexts. This is an integrative review and thematic synthesis of the empirical literature that examines support interventions for health-care practitioners in rural and remote contexts. This review includes 43 papers that evaluated support strategies for the rural and remote health workforce. Interventions were predominantly training and education programmes with limited evaluations of supervision and mentoring interventions. The mechanisms associated with successful outcomes included: access to appropriate and adequate training, skills and knowledge for the support intervention; accessible and adequate resources; active involvement of stakeholders in programme design, implementation and evaluation; a needs analysis prior to the intervention; external support, organisation, facilitation and/or coordination of the programme; marketing of the programme; organisational commitment; appropriate mode of delivery; leadership; and regular feedback and evaluation of the programme. Through a synthesis of the literature, this research has identified a number of mechanisms that are associated with successful support interventions for health-care practitioners in rural and remote contexts. This research utilised a methodology developed for studying complex interventions in response to the perceived limitations of traditional systematic reviews. This synthesis of the evidence will provide decision-makers at all levels with a collection of mechanisms that can assist the development and implementation of support strategies for staff in rural and remote contexts.

Supervision, support and mentoring interventions for health practitioners in rural and remote contexts: an integrative review and thematic synthesis of the literature to identify mechanisms for successful outcomes

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Objective To identify mechanisms for the successful implementation of support strategies for health-care practitioners in rural and remote contexts. Design This is an integrative review and thematic synthesis of the empirical literature that examines support interventions for health-care practitioners in rural and remote contexts. Results This review includes 43 papers that evaluated support strategies for the rural and remote health workforce. Interventions were predominantly training and education programmes with limited evaluations of supervision and mentoring interventions. The mechanisms associated with successful outcomes included: access to appropriate and adequate training, skills and knowledge for the support intervention; accessible and adequate resources; active involvement of stakeholders in programme design, implementation and evaluation; a needs analysis prior to the intervention; external support, organisation, facilitation and/or coordination of the programme; marketing of the programme; organisational commitment; appropriate mode of delivery; leadership; and regular feedback and evaluation of the programme. Conclusion Through a synthesis of the literature, this research has identified a number of mechanisms that are associated with successful support interventions for health-care practitioners in rural and remote contexts. This research utilised a methodology developed for studying complex interventions in response to the perceived limitations of traditional systematic reviews. This synthesis of the evidence will provide decision-makers at all levels with a collection of mechanisms that can assist the development and implementation of support strategies for staff in rural and remote contexts. PMID:24521004

Cost of microbial larviciding for malaria control in rural Tanzania.

PubMed

Rahman, Rifat; Lesser, Adriane; Mboera, Leonard; Kramer, Randall

2016-11-01

Microbial larviciding may be a potential supplement to conventional malaria vector control measures, but scant information on its relative implementation costs and effectiveness, especially in rural areas, is an impediment to expanding its uptake. We perform a costing analysis of a seasonal microbial larviciding programme in rural Tanzania. We evaluated the financial and economic costs from the perspective of the public provider of a 3-month, community-based larviciding intervention implemented in twelve villages in the Mvomero District of Tanzania in 2012-2013. Cost data were collected from financial reports and invoices and through discussion with programme administrators. Sensitivity analysis explored the robustness of our results to varying key parameters. Over the 2-year study period, approximately 6873 breeding sites were treated with larvicide. The average annual economic costs of the larviciding intervention in rural Tanzania are estimated at 2014 US$ 1.44 per person protected per year (pppy), US$ 6.18 per household and US$ 4481.88 per village, with the larvicide and staffing accounting for 14% and 58% of total costs, respectively. We found the costs pppy of implementing a seasonal larviciding programme in rural Tanzania to be comparable to the costs of other larviciding programmes in urban Tanzania and rural Kenya. Further research should evaluate the cost-effectiveness of larviciding relative to, and in combination with, other vector control strategies in rural settings. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Market definition study of photovoltaic power for remote villages in developing countries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ragsdale, C.; Quashie, P.

1980-01-01

The potential market of photovoltaic systems in remote village applications in developing countries is assessed. It is indicated that photovoltaic technology is cost-competitive with diesel generators in many remote village applications. The major barriers to development of this market are the limited financial resources on the part of developing countries, and lack of awareness of photovoltaics as a viable option in rural electrification. A comprehensive information, education and demonstration program should be established as soon as possible to convince the potential customer countries and the various financial institutions of the viability of photovoltaics as an electricity option for developing countries.

The effectiveness of suicide prevention programmes: urban and gender disparity in age-specific suicide rates in a Taiwanese population.

PubMed

Lung, F-W; Liao, S-C; Wu, C-Y; Lee, M-B

2017-06-01

The effectiveness of suicide prevention programmes is an important issue worldwide today. The impact of urbanization and gender is controversial in suicide rates. Hence, this study adjusted on potential risk factors and secular changes for suicide rates in gender and rural/urban areas. Observational study. A Suicide Prevention Center was established by the Executive Yuan in Taiwan in 2005 and tried to carry out suicidal intervention in the community in every city and town. There were two phases, including the first phase of the programme from 2005 to 2008, and the second phase of the programme from 2009 to 2013. The crude suicide rates data from the period of 1991-2013, which recruited nine urban and 14 rural areas in Taiwan, were extracted from the Taiwanese national mortality data file. The suicide rates in two areas of Taiwan (Taipei city and Yilan County) were further used to compare the differences between urban and rural areas. The results show that unemployment increased the suicide rate in men aged 45-64 years and in women older than 65 years of age in Taiwan. High divorce and unemployment rates resulted in increased suicide rates in men in the city, whereas emotional distress was the main cause of suicides in men in rural areas. The main method of suicide was jumping from a high building for both sexes in the city, whereas drowning was the most common method of suicide for men in rural areas. Following the intervention programme, suicide behaviour began to decrease in all urban and rural areas of Taiwan. This study showed the cumulative effect of the intervention programme in decreasing the suicide rate in Taiwan. Moreover, the gender-specific suicidal rate and disparity in suicidal methods in urban and rural areas should be considered in further preventive strategies in Taiwan. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost Effectiveness of Research and Development Related to Railroad Electrification in the United States

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-12-01

The object of this report is to determine the impact of research and development on railroad electrification in the United States. It is presumed that electrification is economically viable and that a prior commitment has been made to electrifying th...

Electrification Futures Study Technology Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jadun, Paige; McMillan, Colin; Steinberg, Daniel

This data supplements the "Electrification Futures Study: End-Use Electric Technology Cost and Performance Projections through 2050" report. The data included here consist of the cost and performance estimates for electric end-use technologies developed for the three sensitivity cases in the Electrification Futures Study: Slow Advancement, Moderate Advancement, and Rapid Advancement.

Electrification: Connecting the Pieces in the Broader View

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gearhart, Chris C

Presented at the SELECT Annual Meeting on September 26, 2017, this PowerPoint presentation gives an overview of connectivity and automation and how these new technologies will impact society in both known and unknown ways. Electrification challenges and opportunities are also outlined as without electrification, connectivity and automation will just magnify the negative health, climate and economic problems of the current transportation systems. Electrification can provide benefits while mitigating the negative consequences. And with careful connection of all of the pieces from materials up through controls, a sustainable transportation eco-system is attainable.

Encouragers and discouragers affecting medical graduates' choice of regional and rural practice locations.

PubMed

McKillop, Ann; Webster, Craig; Bennett, Win; O'Connor, Barbara; Bagg, Warwick

2017-12-01

Access to health care as near to where people live as possible is desirable. However, not enough medical graduates choose to work in rural and regional areas, especially in general practice. The career decisions of recent medical graduates are known to be affected by a variety of professional, societal and personal factors. Internationally, medical programmes have exposed students to regional and rural experiences partly to encourage them to seek employment in these areas after graduation. As such, the Pūkawakawa Programme is a year-long regional and rural experience for selected Year 5 students from the University of Auckland‘s Medical Programme in New Zealand in partnership with the Northland District Health Board and two Primary Health Organisations. A lack of clarity about the drivers of rural and regional career decisions underpinned this study, which aimed to explore the barriers and encouragers for students of the programme to return as resident medical officers to the regional hospital where they had gained clinical experience. A mixed-method, descriptive design was used, including a short survey, followed by participation in a focus-group discussion or a one-on-one interview. Survey data were summarised in tabular form and inductive, thematic analysis was applied to transcripts of focus groups and interviews. Nineteen doctors in their first or second year following graduation participated: 15 who had returned to the hospital where they had clinical experience in the programme and four who were employed elsewhere. 'A match of personal goals and intended career intentions' was the reason most frequently selected for junior doctors’ choice of early career employment. Other frequently selected reasons were lifestyle, friends and family close by, and the reputation and experience of the Pūkawakawa Programme. Qualitative data revealed that the learning experience, the unique design of the curriculum and associated support from clinicians were identified as important factors in encouraging students to work in regional and rural environments. However, discouraging factors included separation from friends and families, geographical isolation and the lack of opportunities for partners to find work. This study has confirmed the value of the Pūkawakawa Programme as an important contributor to the regional and rural workforce of the Northland District, New Zealand. The value of an academic‑clinical partnership has been shown to support a regional and rural clinical learning environment. Evidence is provided of one way of having overcome barriers to building regional and rural workforce capacity in this district.

How should we train physicians for remote and rural practice? What the present incumbents say.

PubMed

Wilson, P; McHardy, K C

2004-08-01

To obtain the views of the current remote and rural consultant physicians with regards to their opinion on components of an ideal training programme for an aspirant remote and rural physician. A questionnaire was designed to elicit information in three main areas: experience and training prior to appointment, current pattern of service provision and opinions on components of an ideal training programme for remote and rural physicians. Five Scottish rural hospitals in Shetland, Wick, Stornoway, Fort William and Oban. Thirteen consultant physicians based in the five rural hospitals chosen. The response rate to the questionnaire was 85%. All had previous experience in acute general medicine, and most in one of a variety of subspecialties. Each physician had developed interests and skills in other branches of medicine following appointment in order to meet local service needs. Most felt that there was a need for expansion of consultant numbers in the future, 45% citing the European Working Time Directive as the major reason. There was an encouraging degree of commonality between the current consultants as to what they felt should be included in a training programme for remote and rural physicians. There are challenges in meeting training needs for consultant physicians intending to work in a remote setting. Development of broader-based training than offered by most current dual training programmes is essential. Only imaginative approaches to training will produce physicians who are fit for purpose.

Technical Study of a Standalone Photovoltaic–Wind Energy Based Hybrid Power Supply Systems for Island Electrification in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Samrat, Nahidul Hoque; Ahmad, Norhafizan; Choudhury, Imtiaz Ahmed; Taha, Zahari

2015-01-01

Energy is one of the most important factors in the socioeconomic development of a country. In a developing country like Malaysia, the development of islands is mostly related to the availability of electric power. Power generated by renewable energy sources has recently become one of the most promising solutions for the electrification of islands and remote rural areas. But high dependency on weather conditions and the unpredictable nature of these renewable energy sources are the main drawbacks. To overcome this weakness, different green energy sources and power electronic converters need to be integrated with each other. This study presents a battery storage hybrid standalone photovoltaic-wind energy power supply system. In the proposed standalone hybrid system, a DC-DC buck-boost bidirectional converter controller is used to accumulates the surplus hybrid power in the battery bank and supplies this power to the load during the hybrid power shortage by maintaining the constant dc-link voltage. A three-phase voltage source inverter complex vector control scheme is used to control the load side voltage in terms of the voltage amplitude and frequency. Based on the simulation results obtained from MATLAB/Simulink, it has been found that the overall hybrid framework is capable of working under variable weather and load conditions. PMID:26121032

Technical Study of a Standalone Photovoltaic-Wind Energy Based Hybrid Power Supply Systems for Island Electrification in Malaysia.

PubMed

Samrat, Nahidul Hoque; Ahmad, Norhafizan; Choudhury, Imtiaz Ahmed; Taha, Zahari

2015-01-01

Energy is one of the most important factors in the socioeconomic development of a country. In a developing country like Malaysia, the development of islands is mostly related to the availability of electric power. Power generated by renewable energy sources has recently become one of the most promising solutions for the electrification of islands and remote rural areas. But high dependency on weather conditions and the unpredictable nature of these renewable energy sources are the main drawbacks. To overcome this weakness, different green energy sources and power electronic converters need to be integrated with each other. This study presents a battery storage hybrid standalone photovoltaic-wind energy power supply system. In the proposed standalone hybrid system, a DC-DC buck-boost bidirectional converter controller is used to accumulates the surplus hybrid power in the battery bank and supplies this power to the load during the hybrid power shortage by maintaining the constant dc-link voltage. A three-phase voltage source inverter complex vector control scheme is used to control the load side voltage in terms of the voltage amplitude and frequency. Based on the simulation results obtained from MATLAB/Simulink, it has been found that the overall hybrid framework is capable of working under variable weather and load conditions.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Truck Stop Electrification Site Data

Science.gov Websites

Collection Methods Tools Printable Version Share this resource Send a link to Alternative Fuels Data Center: Truck Stop Electrification Site Data Collection Methods to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Truck Stop Electrification Site Data Collection Methods on Facebook Tweet about

Electrification Futures Study: A Technical Evaluation of the Impacts of an

Science.gov Websites

Technical Evaluation of the Impacts of an Electrified U.S. Energy System Electrification Futures Study: A Technical Evaluation of the Impacts of an Electrified U.S. Energy System Illustration showing various impacts of widespread electrification in the United States. In addition to NREL, the research team

Alternative Fuels Data Center: New Mexico Utility Sparks Change with Fleet

Science.gov Websites

Electrification New Mexico Utility Sparks Change with Fleet Electrification to someone by E -mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: New Mexico Utility Sparks Change with Fleet Electrification on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: New Mexico Utility Sparks Change with Fleet

The use of a modified pairwise comparison method in evaluating critical success factors for community-based rural homestay programmes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daud, Shahidah Md; Ramli, Razamin; Kasim, Maznah Mat; Kayat, Kalsom; Razak, Rafidah Abd

2014-12-01

Tourism industry has become the highlighted sector which has amazingly increased the national income level. Despite the tourism industry being one of the highest income generating sectors, Homestay Programme as a Community-Based Tourism (CBT) product in Malaysia does not absorbed much of the incoming wealth. Homestay Programme refers to a programme in a community where a tourist stays together with a host family and experiences the everyday way of life of the family in both direct and indirect manner. There are over 100 Homestay Programme currently being registered with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Malaysia which mostly are located in rural areas, but only a few excel and enjoying the fruit of the booming industry. Hence, this article seeks to identify the critical success factors for a Community-Based Rural Homestay Programme in Malaysia. A modified pairwise method is utilized to further evaluate the identified success factors in a more meaningful way. The findings will help Homestay Programme function as a community development tool that manages tourism resources. Thus, help the community in improving local economy and creating job opportunities.

Determinants of Rural-Urban Variability in the Implementation of Educational Decentralisation Programmes in Developing Countries: The Nigeria Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ikoya, Peter O.; Ikoya, Oluremi V.

2005-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify some determinants of rural-urban disparity in the implementation of decentralised educational management programmes in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: The study examines how political leadership's disposition to decentralised educational management, allocation of funds and physical…

DC grid for home applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elangovan, D.; Archana, R.; Jayadeep, V. J.; Nithin, M.; Arunkumar, G.

2017-11-01

More than fifty percent Indian population do not have access to electricity in daily lives. The distance between the power generating stations and the distribution centers forms one of the main reasons for lack of electrification in rural and remote areas. Here lies the importance of decentralization of power generation through renewable energy resources. In the present world, electricity is predominantly powered by alternating current, but most day to day devices like LED lamps, computers and electrical vehicles, all run on DC power. By directly supplying DC to these loads, the number of power conversion stages was reduced, and overall system efficiency increases. Replacing existing AC network with DC is a humongous task, but with power electronic techniques, this project intends to implement DC grid at a household level in remote and rural areas. Proposed work was designed and simulated successfully for various loads amounting to 250 W through appropriate power electronic convertors. Maximum utilization of the renewable sources for domestic and commercial application was achieved with the proposed DC topology.

Electrification of buildings and industry in the United States: Drivers, barriers, prospects, and policy approaches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deason, Jeff; Wei, Max; Leventis, Greg

The report offers several use cases and case studies of electrification in buildings and industry: air source heat pumps for space heating, zero net energy buildings, electric water heaters and demand response, electric arc furnaces, and electric boilers. Finally, the report suggests several areas for further research to better understand and advance beneficial electrification.

In eHealth in India today, the nature of work, the challenges and the finances: an interview-based study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background India is a country with vast unmet medical needs. eHealth has the potential to improve the quality of health care and reach the unreached. We have sought to understand the kinds of eHealth programmes being offered in India today, the challenges they face and the nature of their financing. Methods We have adopted an interview-based methodology. The 30 interviews represent 28 organizations, and include designers, implementers, evaluators and technology providers for eHealth programmes. Results A range of programmes is being run, including point-of-care in rural and urban areas, treatment compliance, data collection and disease surveillance, and distant medical education. Most programmes provide point-of-care to patients or other beneficiaries in rural areas. Technology is not a limiting factor but the unavailability of suitable health personnel is a major challenge, especially in rural areas. We have identified a few factors that help this situation. Financial sustainability is also a concern for most programmes, which have rarely been scaled up. There are recent for-profit efforts in urban areas, but no reliable business model has been identified yet. Government facilities have not been very effective in eHealth on their own, but collaborations between the government and non-profit (in particular) and for-profit organisations have led to impactful programmes. Conclusions It is unlikely that eHealth will have widespread and sustainable impact without government involvement, especially in rural areas. Nevertheless, programmes run solely by the government are unlikely to be the most effective. PMID:24387627

Investigating the Differential Effectiveness of a Teacher Professional Development Programme for Rural and Urban Classrooms in Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soebari, Titien; Aldridge, Jill M.

2016-01-01

This article reports on the differential effectiveness of a teacher professional development programme for teachers in urban and rural schools in Indonesia. The study employed an embedded mixed methods design that involved the concurrent collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative component involved a pre-post design in…

Therapeutic Responses to "At Risk" Disengaged Early School Leavers in a Rural Alternative Education Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fish, Tim

2017-01-01

The identification of disengaged early school leavers as young people "at risk" can lead to a deficit-based framing of how educational institutions respond to them. A rural secondary school in Victoria, Australia established an alternative education programme to cater for local disengaged young people. A critical ethnographic study was…

An Evaluation of an Interdisciplinary Rural School Mental Health Programme in Appalachia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albright, Abby; Michael, Kurt; Massey, Cameron; Sale, Rafaella; Kirk, Alex; Egan, Theresa

2013-01-01

School mental health (SMH) programmes serve as a necessary niche within rural communities and aim to bring accessible care to youth who may otherwise go without mental health services. The following study evaluated the impact of mental health treatment provided by the Assessment, Support, and Counseling (ASC) Center, an SMH health initiative…

Functional Impacts of Adult Literacy Programme on Rural Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbah, Blessing Akaraka

2015-01-01

This study assessed the functional impacts of adult literacy programme among rural women participants in Ishielu Local Government Area (LGA) of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. The population of the study was made up of 115 adult instructors and 2,408 adult learners giving a total of 2,623. The sample…

What Makes the Difference? An Analysis of a Reading Intervention Programme Implemented in Rural Schools in Cambodia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Courtney, Jane; Gravelle, Maggie

2014-01-01

This article compares the existing single-strategy approach towards the teaching of early literacy in schools in rural Cambodia with a multiple-strategy approach introduced as part of a reading intervention programme. Classroom observations, questionnaires and in-depth interviews with teachers were used to explore teachers' practices and…

Assessment of Wind Home System's Potential in Coastal Areas of Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Memon, Mujeebudin; Harijan, Khanji; Uqaili, Mohammad Aslam

2007-10-01

About 50 and 90 percent of the total population of rural coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces respectively have no access to electricity and meet lighting requirements through kerosene and LPG. The population density in rural coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces is about 100-150 and 10-50 persons per km2 respectively. Extension of existing centralized grid system to rural areas with very low population density and small-scattered loads is economically and technically unfeasible. In this situation, decentralized renewable electricity especially wind power appears to be one of the viable option. This paper presents the assessment of potential of wind home systems (WHS) for rural electrification in coastal areas of Pakistan using the wind speed data recorded by Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD) and power curve of a reference wind turbine. Pakistan has 1050 km long coastline, of which, 250 km is falling in Sindh and 800 km in Balochistan. A 150 Wp wind turbine could generate about 345 kWh and 250 kWh of electricity per year in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan respectively, which would be sufficient for meeting the electricity demand of a rural household. The average theoretical potential of WHS in the coastal area of Sindh and Balochistan is about 2245 and 1800 FLH respectively. The total installed capacity and technical potential of WHS in the coastal area of the country has been estimated as 63.75 MW and 135 GWh/year respectively.

Cost-effectiveness of community health workers in tuberculosis control in Bangladesh.

PubMed Central

Islam, Md Akramul; Wakai, Susumu; Ishikawa, Nobukatsu; Chowdhury, A. M. R.; Vaughan, J. Patrick

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cost-effectiveness of the tuberculosis (TB) programme run by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), which uses community health workers (CHWs), with that of the government TB programme which does not use CHWs. METHODS: TB control statistics and cost data for July 1996 - June 1997 were collected from both government and BRAC thanas (subdistricts) in rural Bangladesh. To measure the cost per patient cured, total costs were divided by the total number of patients cured. FINDINGS: In the BRAC and government areas, respectively, a total of 186 and 185 TB patients were identified over one year, with cure rates among sputum-positive patients of 84% and 82%. However, the cost per patient cured was US$ 64 in the BRAC area compared to US$ 96 in the government area. CONCLUSION: The government programme was 50% more expensive for similar outcomes. Although both the BRAC and government TB control programmes appeared to achieve satisfactory cure rates using DOTS (a five-point strategy), the involvement of CHWs was found to be more cost-effective in rural Bangladesh. With the same budget, the BRAC programme could cure three TB patients for every two in the government programme. PMID:12132000

Effect of School Electrification on Learning Outcomes: A Subnational Level Analysis of Students' Pass Rate in English and Mathematics in Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adamba, Clement

2018-01-01

The paper used district level students' pass rate in a nationally conducted basic education certification examination to assess the effect of school electrification on learning outcomes. The results show that school electrification in addition to the traditional school-level inputs, such as class size, pupil-teacher ratio, ratio of core textbook…

Transport in Rayleigh-stable experimental Taylor-Couette flow and granular electrification in a shaking experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nordsiek, Freja

This dissertation consists of two projects: Rayleigh-stable Taylor-Couette flow and granular electrification. Taylor-Couette flow is the fluid flow in the gap between two cylinders rotating at different rates. Azimuthal velocity profiles, dye visualization, and inner cylinder torques were measured on two geometrically similar Taylor-Couettes with axial boundaries attached to the outer cylinder, the Maryland and Twente T3C experiments. This was done in the Rayleigh stable regime, where the specific angular momentum increases radially, which is relevant to astrophysical and geophysical flows and in particular, stellar and planetary accretion disks. The flow substantially deviates from laminar Taylor-Couette flow beginning at moderate Reynolds number. Angular momentum is primarily transported to the axial boundaries instead of the outer cylinder due to Ekman pumping when the inner cylinder is rotating faster than the outer cylinder. A phase diagram was constructed from the transitions identified from torque measurements taken over four decades of the Reynolds number. Flow angular velocities larger and smaller than both cylinders were found. Together, these results indicate that experimental Taylor-Couette with axial boundaries attached to the outer cylinder is an imperfect model for accretion disk flows. Thunderstorms, thunder-snow, volcanic ash clouds, and dust storms all display lightning, which results from electrification of droplets and particles in the atmosphere. While lightning is fairly well understood (plasma discharge), the mechanisms that result in million-volt differences across the storm are not. A novel granular electrification experiment was upgraded and used to study some of these mechanisms in the lab. The relative importance of collective interactions between particles versus particle properties (material, size, etc.) on collisional electrification was investigated. While particle properties have an order of magnitude effect on the strength of macroscopic electrification, all particle types electrified with dynamics that suggest a major role for collective interactions in electrification. Moreover, mixing two types of particles together does not lead to increased electrification except for specific combinations of particles which clump, which further points towards the importance of collective phenomena. These results help us better understand the mechanisms of electrification and lightning generation in certain atmospheric systems.

Expanding access to off-grid rural electrification in Africa: An analysis of community-based micro-grids in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirubi, Charles Gathu

Community micro-grids have played a central role in increasing access to off-grid rural electrification (RE) in many regions of the developing world, notably South Asia. However, the promise of community micro-grids in sub-Sahara Africa remains largely unexplored. My study explores the potential and limits of community micro-grids as options for increasing access to off-grid RE in sub-Sahara Africa. Contextualized in five community micro-grids in rural Kenya, my study is framed through theories of collective action and combines qualitative and quantitative methods, including household surveys, electronic data logging and regression analysis. The main contribution of my research is demonstrating the circumstances under which community micro-grids can contribute to rural development and the conditions under which individuals are likely to initiate and participate in such projects collectively. With regard to rural development, I demonstrate that access to electricity enables the use of electric equipment and tools by small and micro-enterprises, resulting in significant improvement in productivity per worker (100--200% depending on the task at hand) and a corresponding growth in income levels in the order of 20--70%, depending on the product made. Access to electricity simultaneously enables and improves delivery of social and business services from a wide range of village-level infrastructure (e.g. schools, markets, water pumps) while improving the productivity of agricultural activities. Moreover, when local electricity users have an ability to charge and enforce cost-reflective tariffs and electricity consumption is closely linked to productive uses that generate incomes, cost recovery is feasible. By their nature---a new technology delivering highly valued services by the elites and other members, limited local experience and expertise, high capital costs---community micro-grids are good candidates for elite-domination. Even so, elite control does not necessarily lead to elite capture. Experiences from different micro-grid settings illustrate the manner in which a coincidence of interest between the elites and the rest of members and access to external support can create incentives and mechanisms to enable community-wide access to scarce services, hence mitigating elite capture. Moreover, access to external support was found to increase the likelihood of participation for the relatively poor households. The policy-relevant message from this research is two-fold. In rural areas with suitable sites for micro-hydro power, the potential for community micro-grids appear considerable to the extent that this option would seem to represent "the road not taken" as far as policies and initiatives aimed at expanding RE are concerned in Kenya and other African countries with comparable settings. However, local participatory initiatives not complimented by external technical assistance run a considerable risk of locking rural households into relatively more costly and poor-quality services. By taking advantage of existing and/or building a dense network of local organizations, including micro-finance agencies, the government and development partners can make available to local communities the necessary support---financial, technical or regulatory---essential for efficient design of micro-grids in addition to facilitating equitable distribution of electricity benefits.

Placing Elementary Music Education: A Case Study of a Canadian Rural Music Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brook, Julia

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to explore how one rural elementary music programme deepens students' sense of place. Place-based educational research has explored the implementation of such programme in the areas of social studies and visual arts, however, more research is needed to examine how music education can deepen students' sense of…

A Tangled Weave: Tracing Outcomes of Education in Rural Women's Lives in North India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghose, Malini; Mullick, Disha

2015-01-01

This paper is based on the findings of a research study which traced 56 rural women learners 15 years after they had participated in an empowerment and education programme in North India. It attempts to understand, from the perspectives of women from marginalised communities, the ways in which participating in the programme had been empowering for…

A new method of power load prediction in electrification railway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dun, Xiaohong

2018-04-01

Aiming at the character of electrification railway, the paper mainly studies the problem of load prediction in electrification railway. After the preprocessing of data, and the similar days are separated on the basis of its statistical characteristics. Meanwhile the accuracy of different methods is analyzed. The paper provides a new thought of prediction and a new method of accuracy of judgment for the load prediction of power system.

Charging of multiple interacting particles by contact electrification.

PubMed

Soh, Siowling; Liu, Helena; Cademartiri, Rebecca; Yoon, Hyo Jae; Whitesides, George M

2014-09-24

Many processes involve the movement of a disordered collection of small particles (e.g., powders, grain, dust, and granular foods). These particles move chaotically, interact randomly among themselves, and gain electrical charge by contact electrification. Understanding the mechanisms of contact electrification of multiple interacting particles has been challenging, in part due to the complex movement and interactions of the particles. To examine the processes contributing to contact electrification at the level of single particles, a system was constructed in which an array of millimeter-sized polymeric beads of different materials were agitated on a dish. The dish was filled almost completely with beads, such that beads did not exchange positions. At the same time, during agitation, there was sufficient space for collisions with neighboring beads. The charge of the beads was measured individually after agitation. Results of systematic variations in the organization and composition of the interacting beads showed that three mechanisms determined the steady-state charge of the beads: (i) contact electrification (charging of beads of different materials), (ii) contact de-electrification (discharging of beads of the same charge polarity to the atmosphere), and (iii) a long-range influence across beads not in contact with one another (occurring, plausibly, by diffusion of charge from a bead with a higher charge to a bead with a lower charge of the same polarity).

The role of rural nurse managers in supporting new graduate nurses in rural practice.

PubMed

Lea, Jackie; Cruickshank, Mary

2017-04-01

To investigate the nature and timing of support available to new graduate nurses within a rural transition to practice programme. For new graduates in rural practice successful transition is complicated by the unique role of the rural nurse, staff ratios and resources within rural environments. Little is known about the support needs of graduates working in rural health services, or who is best placed to provide support during their transition. This was a qualitative case study, using individual interviews with new graduate nurses at 3, 6 and 9 months milestones during a 12-month rural transition to practice programme plus interviews with experienced rural nurses who were employed in rural health agencies where the new graduate nurses were employed. Graduates in rural health services rely on nurse unit managers and nurse managers for feedback, support and debriefing, provision of emotional support, advocacy, openness, encouragement and protection from organisational requests and demands during the transition to rural nursing practice. Nurse managers play an important role in rural health services in the provision of support for new graduate nurses. As clinical leaders rural nurse managers and nurse unit managers, have an important role in facilitating the successful entry and retention of new graduate nurses into the rural nursing workforce. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characterization of Convective Systems in Africa in Terms of their Vertical Structure, Electrification and Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadesse, A.; Anagnostou, E. N.

2007-05-01

Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) are cloud systems that occur from an ensemble of thunder storms and result in a precipitation that covers a huge contiguous area. They are long-lived storm system having dimensions much larger than an individual storm. Storm systems associated with MCSs over the Africa are tracked for the period July to December 2004 and their properties at different stages of their life are investigated in terms of the vertical reflectivity profile, electrification and dynamics of clouds. The research is facilitated by remote sensing data, which include instantaneous vertical reflectivity fields derived from the TRMM precipitation radar (PR), coincident 1/2-hourly observations of long-range lightning accumulation and Global IR fields. Results show a strong indication of the magnitude and intensity of electrification of a thunderstorm with the stage of its life. More vigorous dynamic conditions with intense electrification are observed during the growing stage of the storm and more or less stable situation uniform distribution of electrification has been distributed to most of the pixels in the storm during its maturity stage and less rainfall and electrification during its decaying stage was a general observation during the period. The vertical reflectivity has been found to be strongly related to the electrification and the stage of the convective life cycle in such away that the reflectivity decrease as the storm matures and decays. A good correlation is observed between the strength of vertical profile of reflectivity, which is a proxy for the ice concentration, and lightning activity.

Renewable energy for rural electrification in developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgenstern, Joy

The environmental destruction caused by traditional methods of generating electricity and the environmental benefits of using renewable energy technologies are well-known. In additional to the environmental benefits, small, decentralized renewable energy systems are often the most economical way to electrify the rural areas of developing countries, where most of the world's unelectrified population lives. However, diffusion of these systems is proceeding very slowly and many of these projects have failed. This dissertation examines the hypothesis that an important determinant of the success of these projects is the extent to which they are compatible with the social and cultural attributes of the communities in which they are located. The hypothesis was examined by evaluating sixteen solar, wind and hybrid electrification projects in Mexico, using a procedure which rates projects according to criteria which reflect technical, economic and financial, environmental, and sociocultural factors deemed necessary to achieve success. Reasons for poor ratings within these criteria were then used to determine six preconditions for project success. The evaluation indicates that most of the wind and hybrid projects visited had low success ratings because of technical problems. The solar home system projects experienced few technical problems, yet many were unsuccessful. Most of the projects were unsustainable due to lack of financial resources, insufficient financial mechanisms, poor user training. In none of the communities were the projects economically viable, nor were they compatible with the needs of the users. The future success of even the most successful projects seen is doubtful because of the lack of provision for any maintenance by trained technicians and the scarcity of financial resources. A direct relationship between failure at the sociocultural criteria and overall project failure was not found. In most cases, failure at particular criteria could be attributed to the project developers' inability to fulfill social and cultural aspects of the preconditions for success, thus establishing an indirect but causal relationship between sociocultural attributes of communities and project success.

Effectiveness of a health promotion programme for farmers and fishermen with type-2 diabetes in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chen, Mei-Yen; Huang, Wei-Chao; Peng, Yun-Shing; Guo, Jing-Song; Chen, Chia-Pei; Jong, Ming-Chung; Lin, Hui-Chuan

2011-09-01

This paper is a report of a study examining the diabetes control and foot self-care capability in farmers and fishermen following introduction of a multi-stage, multi-disciplinary team and community-based small group health promotion programme. Improving the control of diabetes is a critical issue in Taiwan because mortality rates are increasing dramatically, particularly in rural populations. A quasi-experimental research design was deployed from January to December 2009. A total of 387 participants living in nine rural districts with previous diagnoses of type-2 diabetes were randomly selected. Three hundred and twenty-three completed the 3-stage programme, including health assessment, health promotion education and individually tailored telephone counselling and evaluation over a 1-year period. Most of the participants were fishermen or farmers who had <6 years of education (79%) and were elders (68·9 ± 9·5 years). Most of the physiological variables and foot self-care capabilities showed statistically significant improvement after the programme. Furthermore, 37 participants with severe high risk of diabetic foot accepted additional referral treatments, and their peripheral nerve and vascular functions improved. The research outcomes support the value of community-based health promotion programmes in rural areas, incorporating a multidisciplinary health team and culturally competent materials to help the elder rural inhabitants with diabetes enjoy better health and quality of life. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Electrification Futures Study: End-Use Electric Technology Cost and Performance Projections through 2050

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jadun, Paige; McMillan, Colin; Steinberg, Daniel

This report is the first in a series of Electrification Futures Study (EFS) publications. The EFS is a multiyear research project to explore widespread electrification in the future energy system of the United States. More specifically, the EFS is designed to examine electric technology advancement and adoption for end uses in all major economic sectors as well as electricity consumption growth and load profiles, future power system infrastructure development and operations, and the economic and environmental implications of widespread electrification. Because of the expansive scope and the multiyear duration of the study, research findings and supporting data will be publishedmore » as a series of reports, with each report released on its own timeframe.« less

Evaluating a Pregnancy and STI Prevention Programme in Rural, At-Risk, Middle School Girls in the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Julie C.; Lynne-Landsman, Sarah D.; Graber, Julia A.; Johnson, Kelly J.

2016-01-01

Objective: Young people in urban areas are often the focus of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention programmes because of their high risk of unwanted pregnancy and contracting an STI. Young people in rural areas are far less studied but also have a high risk of similar outcomes. This study evaluates Giving Our Girls…

Building resilience in regional youth: Impacts of a universal mental health promotion programme.

PubMed

McAllister, Margaret; Knight, Bruce Allen; Hasking, Penelope; Withyman, Cathie; Dawkins, Jessica

2018-06-01

Mental health is a leading health issue facing young people today, particularly those living in rural and regional areas. Although public policy supports schools-based health promotion, there is limited evidence of the efficacy of such programmes and the elements that enhance successful implementation in rural and regional areas. A study was designed to evaluate a mental health promotion programme, delivered collaboratively by nurses, guidance officers, and teachers, to 850 young people from 23 rural and regional high schools in Queensland, Australia. The study aims were to determine what effect the intervention had on young peoples' resilience, coping, and self-efficacy, and to understand the implications of delivering the programme in the regional Queensland school setting. Students completed self-report measures of self-efficacy, resilience, and coping strategies pre- and postprogramme, as well as at 8-week follow-up. We found that after programme completion there was a significant increase in self-efficacy and in the number of positive coping strategies used by the participating young people. Qualitative data indicated that participants benefited from the collaboration between health and education sectors; that is, nurses, guidance officers, and teachers delivered the programme together in ways that were perceived to be respectful of young people and effectively discussion-based, and engaging. © 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Photovoltaics as a renewable energy technology in Bangladesh and its potential for increasing welfare, gender equity, and environmental sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdhury, Sarwat

Situated in the northeast corner of the South Asian sub-continent, Bangladesh is a developing country with high population density, low life expectancy, low rate of literacy and extremely low access to modern energy sources. Lack of access to electrification remains a major constraint to the country's economic development. In this context, as in other countries, Bangladeshi development practitioners have tended to pursue outputs that rely on new technologies as a means to leapfrog to higher levels of development. However, independent analysis of such efforts, in terms of achieving sustainable development outcomes, remains lacking. The full potential of renewable energy technologies in Bangladesh has yet to attract widespread recognition from policy makers. In this thesis, I review solar PV technology since it has already been attempted as a rural off-grid electrification option in Bangladesh. I argue that the applications of technology should follow, and not precede, considerations for human well-being. It is also important to have a more holistic perspective on human welfare, which should include the basic dimensions of choice and opportunities, and not just income levels. The Government of Bangladesh and its development partners need to expand support to renewable energy technologies and so redirect the focus of policy formulation and implementation to sustainable human development. I emphasize that people-centered public policy has a key role to play in the introduction of a technology such as the solar photovoltaics pioneered by Grameen Shakti, a not-for-profit company in Bangladesh. While equity in terms of a fair distribution of wealth and income may continue to be an illusion, innovations such as solar PV are indeed promising with respect to opening up opportunities and possible benefits for women, the environment and---more generally---human well-being. This thesis is based on work in rural areas complementary to various professional responsibilities that I held in Bangladesh between 1999 and 2001. I examined mainly solar photovoltaic energy projects through interviews, as well as formal and informal exchanges with rural and urban Bangladeshis, observation and a review of documents. In this thesis, I present findings, discuss their implications and offer general recommendations for improving the present practice.

Effects of a dietary self-management programme for community-dwelling older adults: a quasi-experimental design.

PubMed

Chen, Su-Hui; Huang, Yu-Ping; Shao, Jung-Hua

2017-09-01

Nutritional health plays a crucial role in determining successful ageing and differs by different living area. Although nutritional interventions have long been advocated, little research has directly assessed the effectiveness of nutritional interventions on community-dwelling older adults in urban and rural areas and compared intervention effects on these two populations. To examine the effectiveness of a 12-week dietary self-management programme for salt-, fluid-, fat- and cholesterol-intake behaviours of community-dwelling older adults and to compare these effects in rural- and urban-dwelling older adults. For this quasi-experimental two-group study, older adults (≥65 years old) were recruited from two randomly selected public health centres in a rural north-eastern county and a northern city of Taiwan from January through December 2011. Outcomes included nutritional status, nutritional self-efficacy and health locus of control. Data were collected at baseline and 12 weeks later. To compare changes in outcome variables over time between the control (usual care) and intervention (nutritional programme) groups and between the urban- and rural-dwelling participants in the experimental group, we used generalised estimating equation analysis. Of the 129 participants, 120 completed this study (58 in the intervention group and 62 in the control group). After 12 weeks, the intervention group had significantly better nutritional status and higher internal health locus of control than the control group. Moreover, older rural participants who received the intervention tended towards higher nutritional self-efficacy and internal health locus of control than their urban counterparts. Our research findings support the positive effect of our nutritional self-management programme for community-dwelling older adults. The knowledge gained from this study can help stakeholders recognise the need for healthcare policy to establish effective strategies and sustainable intervention programmes for this population, especially those living in rural areas. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Correlating the electrification of volcanic plumes with ashfall textures at Sakurajima Volcano, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Cassandra M.; Van Eaton, Alexa R.; Charbonnier, Sylvain; McNutt, Stephen R.; Behnke, Sonja A.; Thomas, Ronald J.; Edens, Harald E.; Thompson, Glenn

2018-06-01

Volcanic lightning detection has become a useful resource for monitoring remote, under-instrumented volcanoes. Previous studies have shown that the behavior of volcanic plume electrification responds to changes in the eruptive processes and products. However, there has not yet been a study to quantify the links between ash textures and plume electrification during an actively monitored eruption. In this study, we examine a sequence of vulcanian eruptions from Sakurajima Volcano in Japan to compare ash textural properties (grain size, shape, componentry, and groundmass crystallinity) to plume electrification using a lightning mapping array and other monitoring data. We show that the presence of the continual radio frequency (CRF) signal is more likely to occur during eruptions that produce large seismic amplitudes (>7 μm) and glass-rich volcanic ash with more equant particle shapes. We show that CRF is generated during energetic, impulsive eruptions, where charge buildup is enhanced by secondary fragmentation (milling) as particles travel out of the conduit and into the gas-thrust region of the plume. We show that the CRF signal is influenced by a different electrification process than later volcanic lightning. By using volcanic CRF and lightning to better understand the eruptive event and its products these key observations will help the monitoring community better utilize volcanic electrification as a method for monitoring and understanding ongoing explosive eruptions.

The impact of Mexico's conditional cash transfer programme, Oportunidades, on birthweight.

PubMed

Barber, Sarah L; Gertler, Paul J

2008-11-01

To evaluate the impact of Oportunidades, a large-scale, conditional cash transfer programme in Mexico, on birthweight. The programme provides cash transfers to low-income, rural households in Mexico, conditional on accepting nutritional supplements health education, and health care. The primary analyses used retrospective reports from 840 women in poor rural communities participating in an effectiveness study and randomly assigned to incorporation into the programme in 1998 or 1999 across seven Mexican states. Pregnant women in participating households received nutrition supplements and health care, and accepted cash transfers. Using multivariate and instrumental variable analyses, we estimated the impact of the programme on birthweight in grams and low birthweight (<2500 g), receipt of any pre-natal care, and number of pre-natal visits. Oportunidades beneficiary status was associated with 127.3 g higher birthweight among participating women and a 4.6 percentage point reduction in low birthweight. The Oportunidades conditional cash transfer programme improved birthweight outcomes. This finding is relevant to countries implementing conditional cash transfer programmes.

Photovoltaic power generation; Proceedings of the EC Contractors' Meeting, Hamburg, West Germany, July 12, 13, 1983

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palz, W.

Several operational examples of photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems in Europe are described. The systems include: a 300 kW power plant in Pellworm, West Germany; the Tremiti desalination plant in Tremiti, Italy; and the Kythnos PV power plant in Kythnos, Greece. Consideration is also given to a PV-powered swimming pool heating system in Chevretogne, Belgium; a rural electrification program using PV power plants in French Guyana; a solar-wind project on Terschelling Island, the Netherlands; and a PV power plant for hydrogen production and water pumping in Hoboken, Belgium. A 30-kW power station in Marchwood, England and the Nice airport survey and control system are also cited as examples of successful PV power generation systems.

Village microgrids: The Chile project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baring-Gould, E.I.

1997-12-01

This paper describes a village application in Chile. The objective was to demonstrate the technical, economic and institutional viability of renewable energy for rural electrification, as well as to allow local partners to gain experience with hybrid/renewable technology, resource assessment, system siting and operation. A micro-grid system is viewed as a small village system, up to 1200 kWh/day load with a 50 kW peak load. It can consist of components of wind, photovoltaic, batteries, and conventional generators. It is usually associated with a single generator source, and uses batteries to cover light day time loads. This paper looks at themore » experiences learned from this project with regard to all of the facets of planning and installing this project.« less

Bolivia renewable energy development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Smith, P.

1997-12-01

The author summarizes changes which have occurred in Bolivia in the past year which have had an impact on renewable energy source development. Political changes have included the privatization of power generation and power distribution, and resulted in a new role for state level government and participation by the individual. A National Rural Electrification Plan was adopted in 1996, which stresses the use of GIS analysis and emphasizes factors such as off grid, economic index, population density, maintenance risk, and local organizational structure. The USAID program has chosen to stress economic development, environmental programs, and health over village power programs.more » The national renewables program has adopted a new development direction, with state projects, geothermal projects, and private sector involvement stressed.« less

Navajo Electrification Demonstraiton Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larry Ahasteen, Project Manager

2006-07-17

This is a final technical report required by DOE for the Navajo Electrification Demonstration Program, This report covers the electric line extension project for Navajo families that currently without electric power.

NGO facilitation of a government community-based maternal and neonatal health programme in rural India: improvements in equity.

PubMed

Baqui, Abdullah H; Rosecrans, Amanda M; Williams, Emma K; Agrawal, Praween K; Ahmed, Saifuddin; Darmstadt, Gary L; Kumar, Vishwajeet; Kiran, Usha; Panwar, Dharmendra; Ahuja, Ramesh C; Srivastava, Vinod K; Black, Robert E; Santosham, Mathuram

2008-07-01

Socio-economic disparities in health have been well documented around the world. This study examines whether NGO facilitation of the government's community-based health programme improved the equity of maternal and newborn health in rural Uttar Pradesh, India. A quasi-experimental study design included one intervention district and one comparison district of rural Uttar Pradesh. A household survey conducted between January and June 2003 established baseline rates of programme coverage, maternal and newborn care practices, and health care utilization during 2001-02. An endline household survey was conducted after 30 months of programme implementation between January and March 2006 to measure the same indicators during 2004-05. The changes in the indicators from baseline to endline in the intervention and comparison districts were calculated by socio-economic quintiles, and concentration indices were constructed to measure the equity of programme indicators. The equity of programme coverage and antenatal and newborn care practices improved from baseline to endline in the intervention district while showing little change in the comparison district. Equity in health care utilization for mothers and newborns also showed some improvements in the intervention district, but notable socio-economic differentials remained, with the poor demonstrating less ability to access health services. NGO facilitation of government programmes is a feasible strategy to improve equity of maternal and neonatal health programmes. Improvements in equity were most pronounced for household practices, and inequities were still apparent in health care utilization. Furthermore, overall programme coverage remained low, limiting the ability to address equity. Programmes need to identify and address barriers to universal coverage and care utilization, particularly in the poorest segments of the population.

'Living the rural experience-preparation for practice': The future proofing of sustainable rural midwifery practice through midwifery education.

PubMed

Kensington, Mary; Rankin, Jean; Gilkison, Andrea; Daellenbach, Rea; Crowther, Susan; Deery, Ruth; Davies, Lorna

2018-06-05

Rural practice presents unique challenges and skill requirements for midwives. New Zealand and Scotland face similar challenges in sustaining a rural midwifery workforce. This paper draws from an international multi-centre study exploring rural midwifery to focus on the education needs of student midwives within pre-registration midwifery programmes in order to determine appropriate preparation for rural practice. The mixed-methods study was conducted with 222 midwives working in rural areas in New Zealand (n = 145) and Scotland (n = 77). Midwives' views were gathered through an anonymous online survey and online discussion forums. Descriptive analysis was used for quantitative data and thematic analysis was conducted with qualitative data. 'Future proofing rural midwifery practice' using education was identified as the overarching central theme in ensuring the sustainability of rural midwives, with two associated principle themes emerging (i) 'preparation for rural practice' and (ii) 'living the experience and seeing the reality'. The majority of participants agreed that pre-registration midwifery programmes should include a rural placement for students and rural-specific education with educational input from rural midwives. This study provides insight into how best to prepare midwives for rural practice within pre-registration midwifery education, in order to meet the needs of midwives and families in the rural context. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

FY2017 Electrification Annual Progress Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

During fiscal year 2017 (FY 2017), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) funded early stage research & development (R&D) projects that address Batteries and Electrification of the U.S. transportation sector. The VTO Electrification Sub-Program is composed of Electric Drive Technologies, and Grid Integration activities. The Electric Drive Technologies group conducts R&D projects that advance Electric Motors and Power Electronics technologies. The Grid and Charging Infrastructure group conducts R&D projects that advance Grid Modernization and Electric Vehicle Charging technologies. This document presents a brief overview of the Electrification Sub-Program and progress reports for its R&D projects. Eachmore » of the progress reports provide a project overview and highlights of the technical results that were accomplished in FY 2017.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steinberg, Daniel; Bielen, Dave; Eichman, Josh

Electrification of end-use services in the transportation, buildings, and industrial sectors coupled with decarbonization of electricity generation has been identified as one of the key pathways to achieving a low-carbon future in the United States. By lowering the carbon intensity of the electricity generation and substituting electricity for higher-emissions fossil fuels in end-use sectors, significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions can be achieved. This report describes a preliminary analysis that examines the potential impacts of widespread electrification on the U.S. energy sector. We develop a set of exploratory scenarios under which electrification is aggressively pursued across all end-use sectors andmore » examine the impacts of achieving these electrification levels on electricity load patterns, total fossil energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, and the evolution of the U.S. power system.« less

The Impact of ICT in Learning through Distance Education Programmes at Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU): Roles of ICT in Learning through Distance Education Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mpofu, John; Chimhenga, Sylod; Mafa, Onias

2013-01-01

Zimbabwe Distance Open University is enrols students from both urban and rural settings. The majority of students living and working in rural areas have limited or no access to computers and electricity as a result the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the learning process is very limited. Though government has realized the…

An integrative review of rural and remote nursing graduate programmes and experiences of nursing graduates.

PubMed

Fowler, Amanda C; Twigg, Diane; Jacob, Elisabeth; Nattabi, Barbara

2018-03-01

To examine international studies that specifically focus on transition to practice for graduate registered nurses in rural and remote areas. Supportive graduate nursing programmes are essential for enabling nursing graduates' transition to practice and reducing attrition rates. Literature examining support measures for nursing graduates within metropolitan areas is abundant. However, there is a paucity of evidence on effective graduate programmes for rural and remote-based nursing graduates. A systematic approach was used to identify robust research within appropriate electronic databases. Eligible articles were critically reviewed using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool critical appraisal tool. Eligible articles were thematically analysed using the Braun and Clark approach. Eight articles met the selection criteria for inclusion. Findings revealed that while most graduate nurses survived the transition process, they often felt overwhelmed and abandoned with intense feelings of frustration. Many suffered transition shock and did not feel ready for the role. Socialisation of graduates to the clinical environment was lacking. Support offered in many graduate programmes was ad hoc and unstructured. Senior staff were inadequately supported in their roles as preceptors to assist with the transition. Critical support measures recommended included both debrief sessions and regular one-on-one support. Graduate programmes need to be structured yet flexible to accommodate the needs of rural and remote nurse graduates. Graduates need to be transitioned into practice with decremental support processes for both workloads and education. Preceptors require education on how to mentor before they can provide the appropriate support for graduates. Without these measures in place, a decrease in transition shock may not be possible. Graduate programmes need to be structured yet flexible, including assistance with both clinical skills and socialisation. Senior staff require education before they can adequately support new graduates. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leboeuf, C.; Taylor, R.W.; Corbus, D.

A cooperative renewable energy project is underway between the U.S. Department of Energy (through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL), and the Federal Republic of Brazil (through the Centro de Pesquisas de Energia Eletrica, CEPEL). The objectives of this joint US/Brazilian program are to establish technical, institutional, and economic confidence in using renewable energy systems to meet the needs of the people of rural Brazil, to build ongoing partnerships beneficial to both countries, and to demonstrate the potential for large-scale rural electrification through the use of renewable energy systems. Phase 1 of this program resulted in the deployment of moremore » than 700 photovoltaic (PV) electric lighting systems in the Brazilian states of Pernambuco and Ceara. Phase 2 of the program extends the pilot project into six additional Brazilian states and demonstrates a wider variety of stand-alone end uses, including the use of wind electric power generation for selected sites and applications. Additionally, Phase 2 also includes the development of two hybrid village power systems, including one comprising PV, wind, battery, and diesel power sources. This paper focuses on this hybrid system, which is located in the Amazon River delta.« less

Airport emissions quantification: Impacts of electrification. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geba, V.

1998-07-01

Four airports were assessed to demonstrate that electrification of economically viable air- and land-side vehicles and equipment can significantly reduce total airport emissions. Assessments were made using the FAA`s Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System and EPRI Airport Electrification Project data. Development and implementation of cost-effective airport emissions reduction strategies can be complex, requiring successful collaboration of local, state, and federal regulatory agencies with airport authorities. The methodology developed in this study helps to simplify this task. The objectives of this study were: to develop a methodology to quantify annual emissions at US airports from all sources--aircraft, vehicles, and infrastructure; andmore » to demonstrate that electrification of economically viable air- and land-side vehicles and equipment can significantly reduce total airport emissions on-site, even when allowing for emissions from the generation of electricity.« less

"Women's autonomy and pregnancy care in rural India: a contextual analysis".

PubMed

Mistry, Ritesh; Galal, Osman; Lu, Michael

2009-09-01

Studies in low-income countries have shown that women's autonomy (i.e. the freedom of women to exercise their judgment in order to act for their own interests) influences a number of reproductive and child health outcomes, including the use of pregnancy care services. However, studies have not examined the full spectrum of pregnancy care services needed for safe motherhood and have not accounted for community context. This study analyzed data on women and their villages from the cross-sectional population-based National Family Health Survey-2 (1998-1999) of rural India to investigate whether women's autonomy (measured in the 3 dimensions of decision-making autonomy, permission to go out, and financial autonomy) was associated with the use of adequate prenatal, delivery and postnatal care. The findings indicate women's autonomy was associated with greater use of pregnancy care services, particularly prenatal and postnatal care. The effect of women's autonomy on pregnancy care use varied according to the region of India examined (North, East and South) such that it was most consistently associated with pregnancy care use in south India, which also had the highest level of self-reported women's autonomy. The results regarding village level factors suggest that public investment in rural economic development, primary health care access, social cohesion and basic infrastructure such as electrification and paved roads were associated with pregnancy care use. Improvements in women's autonomy and these village factors may improve healthier child bearing in rural India.

Changes in fuelwood use and selection following electrification in the Bushbuckridge lowveld, South Africa.

PubMed

Madubansi, M; Shackleton, C M

2007-06-01

Fuelwood is the primary energy source for domestic purposes throughout the developing world, in both urban and rural environments. Due to the detrimental impacts of biomass use on human and environmental health, many governments have sought to reduce its use through provision of potentially cleaner energies, of which electricity is the dominant form. Yet there are surprisingly few studies of changes in fuelwood use following the introduction of electricity, especially in rural areas of Africa. This paper reports on a longitudinal study of fuelwood use, using identical approaches, in five rural villages in the Bushbuckridge region of South Africa, spanning the period over which electricity became widely available. Almost a decade after the introduction of electricity, over 90% of households still used fuelwood for thermal purposes, especially cooking, and the mean household consumption rates over the 11-year period had not changed, even with a policy of 6 kWh per month of free electricity. The proportion of households purchasing fuelwood had increased, probably in response to a number of factors, including (i) increased fuelwood scarcity in the local environment as reflected by increased fuelwood collection times, changes in fuelwood species preferences, and ranking of scarcity by local collectors, and (ii) increases in the price of fuelwood well below that of other fuels and the prevailing inflation rate. Overall, there was an increase in the number of species harvested over the 11-year period. The implications of these findings for rural energy provision are discussed.

The value of the WIRHE Scholarship Programme in training health professionals for rural areas: Views of participants

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Introduction Rural hospitals in South Africa, as elsewhere, face enduring shortages of, and challenges in attracting and retaining, suitably qualified staff. The Wits Initiative for Rural Health Education (WIRHE), based at the University of the Witwatersrand but covering three universities, is a rural scholarship programme established to find local solutions to these challenges in the North West and Mpumalanga provinces. The purpose of this evaluation was to ascertain whether the WIRHE project was achieving its objectives. Methods This article draws from an evaluation commissioned by the Swiss-South African Cooperative Initiative, a major funder of the programme when WIRHE was launched in 2003. Qualitative interviews were conducted either as face-to-face meetings or telephonically with 21 WIRHE students and graduates. Content analysis was undertaken to identify common themes. Results There was a consistency in the findings as the students and graduates reported similar experiences. Many of the participants were overwhelmed by their initial challenges of having to adapt to a different language, an institutional culture and resources that they previously did not have access to. The participants acknowledged the role of WIRHE staff in facilitating the transition from home to university and, in particular, the value of the financial and academic support. The geographic distance to Wits presented a challenge for the Pretoria- and Sefako Makgatho-based students. The holiday work affirmed clinical advantages for WIRHE students and heightened students’ interest in becoming healthcare workers. Conclusion WIRHE’s key success factors are the financial, academic and emotional support offered to students. WIRHE achieved its objectives based on a principled strategic approach and an understanding that students from rural backgrounds are more likely to return to rural areas. The study supports the value of structured support programmes for students of rural origin as they pursue their studies. PMID:29041799

Attitude towards working in rural areas: a cross-sectional survey of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students in Shaanxi, China.

PubMed

Liu, Jinlin; Zhang, Kun; Mao, Ying

2018-05-02

Attracting and recruiting health workers to work in rural areas is still a great challenge in China. The rural-oriented tuition-waived medical education (RTME) programme has been initiated and implemented in China since 2010. This study aimed to examine the attitudes of rural-oriented tuition-waived medical students (RTMSs) in Shaanxi towards working in rural areas and the related influencing factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 among 232 RTMSs in two medical universities from the first group of students enrolled in the RTME programme in Shaanxi. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used for the data analyses. Of the 230 valid responses, 92.6% expressed their intentions of breaking the contract for working in rural township hospitals for 6 years after their graduation under the RTME programme. After the contract expired, only 1.3% intended to remain in the rural areas, 66.5% had no intention of remaining, and 32.2% were unsure. The factors related to a positive attitude among the RTMSs towards working in rural areas (no intention of breaking the contract) included being female, having a mother educated at the level of primary school or below, having a good understanding of the policy, having a good cognition of the value of rural medical work, and being satisfied with the policy. The factors related to a positive attitude of the RTMSs towards remaining in rural areas included being female, having a rural origin, having no regular family monthly income, having a father whose occupation was farmer, having a mother educated at the level of postsecondary or above, having the RTMSs be the final arbiter of the policy choice, having a good understanding of the policy, having a good cognition of the value of rural medical work, and being satisfied with the educational scheme. Related policy makers and health workforce managers may benefit from the findings of this study. Appropriate strategies should be implemented to stimulate the RTMSs' intrinsic motivation and improve their willingness to work in rural areas and to better achieve the objectives of RTME policy. Meanwhile, measures to increase the retention of RTMSs should also be advanced.

Laboratory studies of aerosol electrification and experimental evidence for electrical breakdown at different scales.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alois, Stefano; Merrison, Jonathan; Iversen, Jens Jacob; Sesterhenn, Joern

2017-04-01

Contact electrification between different particles size/material can lead to electric field generation high enough to produce electrical breakdown. Experimental studies of solid aerosol contact electrification (Alois et al., 2016) has shown various electrical breakdown phenomena; these range from field emission at the contact site (nm-scale) limiting particle surface charge concentration, to visible electrical discharges (cm-scale) observed both with the use of an electrometer and high-speed camera. In these experiments micron-size particles are injected into a low-pressure chamber, where they are deviated by an applied electric field. A laser Doppler velocimeter allows the simultaneous determination of particle size and charge of single grains. Results have shown an almost constant surface charge concentration, which is likely to be due to charge limitation by field emission at the contact site between particle and injector. In a second measurement technique, the electrically isolated injector tube (i.e. a Faraday cage) is connected to an oscilloscope and synchronised to a high speed camera filming the injection. Here the electrification of a large cloud of particles can be quantified and discharging effects studied. This study advances our understanding on the physical processes leading to electrification and electrical breakdown mechanisms.

Breakdown Characteristics and Streaming Electrification Characteristics of Flame Retardant Silicone Oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arazoe, Satoshi; Yasuda, Koji; Okabe, Shigemitsu; Ueta, Genyo; Yanabu, Satoru

We have investigated the performance of the silicone oil as alternative oil to the mineral oil that is used as an insulation medium of the oil immersed transformer. There are various methods of evaluating the performance, we especially investigated the breakdown characteristics and the streaming electrification characteristics. In the breakdown characteristics, the insulation performance under the influence of changing the temperature, and the electrode shape was investigated. Moreover, the insulation performance in the composite insulation system that was composed of the insulation oil and the oil immersed insulator was investigated. From these results, we found that in the oil gap model, the breakdown voltage of silicone oil was lower than that of mineral oil by 15%. In contrast, in the composite insulation system, breakdown voltage of combination with silicone oil is higher than that of combination with mineral oil. In the streaming electrification characteristics, the difference of the amount of electrification under the influence of changing the kinds of solid insulators and the temperature was investigated. As a result, we found that silicone oil has the maximum of the amount of electrification at a high temperature compared with mineral oil.

Heterogeneity in the effect of public health insurance on catastrophic out-of-pocket health expenditures: the case of Mexico.

PubMed

Grogger, Jeffrey; Arnold, Tamara; León, Ana Sofía; Ome, Alejandro

2015-06-01

Low- and middle-income countries increasingly provide broad-based public health coverage to their residents. One of the goals of such programmes is to reduce the extent to which beneficiaries incur catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditures on health care. A recent field experiment showed that on average Mexico's new public insurance programme reduced such expenditures in rural areas. Our reanalysis of that data, augmented with administrative data on health infrastructure, shows that this effect depends strongly on the type of health facility to which the beneficiary has access. A second analysis, based on data from Mexico's National Household Income and Expenditure Surveys (abbreviated ENIGH for its name in Spanish), substantiates those findings. It shows that catastrophic expenditures have fallen sharply for rural households with access to well-staffed facilities, but that they have fallen little if at all for rural households with access to poorly staffed facilities. Our analysis of the ENIGH also shows that Mexico's public health insurance programme has sharply reduced catastrophic spending among urban households. Considering that most Mexicans live either in urban areas or in rural areas with access to well-staffed facilities, our results show that the public health insurance programme has been largely successful in achieving one of its key goals. At the same time, our results show how difficult it can be to provide effective protection against catastrophic health expenditures for residents of remote rural areas. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2014; all rights reserved.

Greenhouse gas implications of fleet electrification based on big data-informed individual travel patterns.

PubMed

Cai, Hua; Xu, Ming

2013-08-20

Environmental implications of fleet electrification highly depend on the adoption and utilization of electric vehicles at the individual level. Past research has been constrained by using aggregated data to assume all vehicles with the same travel pattern as the aggregated average. This neglects the inherent heterogeneity of individual travel behaviors and may lead to unrealistic estimation of environmental impacts of fleet electrification. Using "big data" mining techniques, this research examines real-time vehicle trajectory data for 10,375 taxis in Beijing in one week to characterize the travel patterns of individual taxis. We then evaluate the impact of adopting plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) in the taxi fleet on life cycle greenhouse gas emissions based on the characterized individual travel patterns. The results indicate that 1) the largest gasoline displacement (1.1 million gallons per year) can be achieved by adopting PHEVs with modest electric range (approximately 80 miles) with current battery cost, limited public charging infrastructure, and no government subsidy; 2) reducing battery cost has the largest impact on increasing the electrification rate of vehicle mileage traveled (VMT), thus increasing gasoline displacement, followed by diversified charging opportunities; 3) government subsidies can be more effective to increase the VMT electrification rate and gasoline displacement if targeted to PHEVs with modest electric ranges (80 to 120 miles); and 4) while taxi fleet electrification can increase greenhouse gas emissions by up to 115 kiloton CO2-eq per year with the current grid in Beijing, emission reduction of up to 36.5 kiloton CO2-eq per year can be achieved if the fuel cycle emission factor of electricity can be reduced to 168.7 g/km. Although the results are based on a specific public fleet, this study demonstrates the benefit of using large-scale individual-based trajectory data (big data) to better understand environmental implications of fleet electrification and inform better decision making.

Electrification Opportunities in the Transportation Sector and Impact of Residential Charging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muratori, Matteo

This presentation provides an overview of electrification opportunities in the transportation sector and present results of a study assessing the impact of residential charging on residential power demand and electric power distribution infrastructure.

The electrification of Nova Scotia, 1884--1973: Technological modernization as a response to regional disparity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Lionel Bradley

This dissertation investigates local attempts to use technology as a force for regional rehabilitation in the economically-depressed Maritime region of Canada. At the time of Confederation in 1867, the Maritime province of Nova Scotia was prosperous, progressive, and cultured. By the end of the 1910s, the province had entered a long period of economic and social decline. Recent historiography has shown that, far from passively accepting their fate, Nova Scotians and other Maritimers, actively resisted marginalization with political, cultural, or social action. The thesis expands upon that literature by exploring technology-based strategies of provincial rehabilitation using Thomas P. Hughes's systems perspective and David E. Nye's semiotic approach. In doing so, it applies methods from the social constructivist school of the history of technology to the larger concerns of Maritime Canadian historiography. In large part, the North American culture of technology determined the ways in which Nova Scotians applied technological solutions to provincial concerns. Technology has long been central to the Western idea of progress. As the "high technology" of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, electricity reinforced that view: its ephemeral nature and silent efficiency led people to endow it with transformative, even mystical, powers. As a result, Nova Scotians, adopted a program of electrical modernization in the late 1910s as a remedy for regional disparity. The Nova Scotia government's first step was the creation of an Ontario-style hydroelectric commission designed to bring order to the province's fragmented and inefficient electrical network. Over the next few decades, the Nova Scotia Power Commission implemented rural electrification, home modernization, and regional system-building models that had already proven successful in Ontario and the United States. The system-building philosophies behind these programs were adapted to local conditions and disseminated throughout the province by politicians, engineers, businesspeople, and social reformers. Although electrical modernization failed to address the structural reasons for the province's decline, Nova Scotians continued to include it in their provincial rehabilitation plans until the 1960s. In sum, the electrification of Nova Scotia was not merely a technical event, but was shaped by the province's aspiration to regain its prior position in Confederation.

Sino-American cooperation for rural electrification in China

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wallace, W.L.; Tsuo, Y.S.; Taylor, R.

1997-12-01

This paper discusses primarily two different renewable energy programs which are in progress in China. One is in Gansu province, based on a solar home system project. This project is stressing a sustainable market development, provision of small lighting systems for residential and small schools, and water pumping and telecommunications support. It seeks involvement of 600 households as a minimum over 18 months. The second project is a very aggressive renewable energy project in Inner Mongolia, where there are excellent wind and solar resources, and where there are already 110,000 small wind turbines installed, in addition to more than 9more » hybrid power systems for villages. These programs have major involvement from the Chinese government and industry, with some guidance and support from the USA.« less

ABLE project: Development of an advanced lead-acid storage system for autonomous PV installations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemaire-Potteau, Elisabeth; Vallvé, Xavier; Pavlov, Detchko; Papazov, G.; Borg, Nico Van der; Sarrau, Jean-François

In the advanced battery for low-cost renewable energy (ABLE) project, the partners have developed an advanced storage system for small and medium-size PV systems. It is composed of an innovative valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery, optimised for reliability and manufacturing cost, and an integrated regulator, for optimal battery management and anti-fraudulent use. The ABLE battery performances are comparable to flooded tubular batteries, which are the reference in medium-size PV systems. The ABLE regulator has several innovative features regarding energy management and modular series/parallel association. The storage system has been validated by indoor, outdoor and field tests, and it is expected that this concept could be a major improvement for large-scale implementation of PV within the framework of national rural electrification schemes.

Improving chronic lung disease management in rural and remote Australia: the Breathe Easy Walk Easy programme.

PubMed

Johnston, Catherine L; Maxwell, Lyndal J; Boyle, Eileen; Maguire, Graeme P; Alison, Jennifer A

2013-01-01

To evaluate the impact of a chronic lung disease management training programme, Breathe Easy Walk Easy (BEWE), for rural and remote health-care practitioners. Quasi-experimental, before and after repeated measures design. Health-care practitioners (n = 33) from various professional backgrounds who attended the BEWE training workshop were eligible to participate. Breathe Easy Walk Easy, an interactive educational programme, consisted of a training workshop, access to online resources, provision of community awareness-raising materials and ongoing telephone/email support. Participant confidence, knowledge and attitudes were assessed via anonymous questionnaire before, immediately after and at 3 and 12 months following the BEWE workshop. At 12 months, local provision of pulmonary rehabilitation services and patient outcome data (6-min walk test results before and after pulmonary rehabilitation) were also recorded. Measured knowledge (score out of 19) improved significantly after the workshop (mean difference 7.6 correct answers, 95% confidence interval: 5.8-9.3). Participants' self-rated confidence and knowledge also increased. At 12-month follow up, three locally run pulmonary rehabilitation programmes had been established. For completing patients, there was a significant increase in 6-min walk distance following rehabilitation of 48 m (95% confidence interval: 18-70 m). The BEWE programme increased rural and remote health-care practitioner knowledge and confidence in delivering management for people living with chronic lung disease and facilitated the establishment of effective pulmonary rehabilitation programmes in regional and remote Australian settings where access to such programmes is limited. © 2012 The Authors. Respirology © 2012 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

Changing the restaurant food environment to improve cardiovascular health in a rural community: implementation and evaluation of the Heart of New Ulm restaurant programme.

PubMed

Lindberg, Rebecca; Sidebottom, Abbey C; McCool, Brigitte; Pereira, Raquel F; Sillah, Arthur; Boucher, Jackie L

2018-04-01

The goals of the present study were to: (i) describe the implementation of a programme to improve the restaurant food environment in a rural community; and (ii) describe how practices changed in community restaurants. The intervention included a baseline assessment of all community restaurants (n 32) and a report on how they could increase the availability and promotion of healthful options. The assessment focused on sixteen healthy practices (HP) derived from the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Restaurants. Restaurants were invited to participate at gold, silver or bronze levels based on the number of HP attained. Participating restaurants received dietitian consultation, staff training and promotion of the restaurant. All community restaurants were reassessed 1·5 years after baseline. The restaurant programme was part of the Heart of New Ulm Project, a community-based CVD prevention programme in a rural community. All community restaurants (n 32) were included in the study. Over one-third (38 %) of community restaurants participated in the programme. At baseline, 22 % achieved at least a bronze level. This increased to 38 % at follow-up with most of the improvement among participating restaurants that were independently owned. Across all restaurants in the community, the HP showing the most improvement included availability of non-fried vegetables (63-84 %), fruits (41-53 %), smaller portions and whole grains. Findings demonstrate successes and challenges of improving healthful food availability and promotion in a community-wide restaurant programme.

EMF Monitoring on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor : Post-Electrification Measurement and Analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-10-01

This survey of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radiation (EMR) due to the electrification infrastructure and operations of Amtrak Acela trains on the Northeast Corridor from New Haven, CT, to Boston, MA, was performed by Electric Research & Manageme...

Air Quality Impacts of Electrifying Vehicles and Equipment Across the United States.

PubMed

Nopmongcol, Uarporn; Grant, John; Knipping, Eladio; Alexander, Mark; Schurhoff, Rob; Young, David; Jung, Jaegun; Shah, Tejas; Yarwood, Greg

2017-03-07

U.S.-wide air quality impacts of electrifying vehicles and off-road equipment are estimated for 2030 using 3-D photochemical air quality model and detailed emissions inventories. Electrification reduces tailpipe emissions and emissions from petroleum refining, transport, and storage, but increases electricity demand. The Electrification Case assumes approximately 17% of light duty and 8% of heavy duty vehicle miles traveled and from 17% to 79% of various off-road equipment types considered good candidates for electrification is powered by electricity. The Electrification Case raises electricity demand by 5% over the 2030 Base Case but nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emissions decrease by 209 thousand tons (3%) overall. Emissions of other criteria pollutants also decrease. Air quality benefits of electrification are modest, mostly less than 1 ppb for ozone and 0.5 μg m -3 for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), but widespread. The largest reductions for ozone and PM occur in urban areas due to lower mobile source emissions. Electrifying off-road equipment yields more benefits than electrifying on-road vehicles. Reduced crude oil imports and associated marine vessel emissions cause additional benefits in port cities. Changes in other gas and PM emissions, as well as impacts on acid and nutrient deposition, are discussed.

Contact electrification of insulating materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacks, Daniel J.; Mohan Sankaran, R.

2011-11-01

The electrostatic charge that is generated when two materials are contacted or rubbed and then separated is a well-known physical process that has been studied for more than 2500 years. Contact electrification occurs in many contexts, both natural and technological. For example, in dust storms the collisions between particles lead to electrostatic charging and in extreme cases, extraordinary lightning displays. In electrophotography, toner particles are intentionally charged to guide their deposition in well-defined patterns. Despite such a long history and so many important consequences, a fundamental understanding of the mechanism behind contact electrification remains elusive. An open question is what type of species are transferred between the surfaces to generate charge—experiments suggest various species ranging from electrons to ions to nanoscopic bits of material, and theoretical work suggests that non-equilibrium states may play an important role. Another open question is the contact electrification that occurs when two insulating materials with identical physical properties touch—since there is no apparent driving force, it is not clear why charge transfer occurs. A third open question involves granular systems—models and experiments have shown that a particle-size dependence for the charging often exists. In this review, we discuss the fundamental aspects of contact electrification and highlight recent research efforts aimed at understanding these open questions.

Area-Based Partnerships in Rural Poland: The Post-Accession Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furmankiewicz, Marek; Thompson, Nicola; Zielinska, Marta

2010-01-01

The paper examines the characteristics of area-based partnerships in rural Poland. It is based on the study of partnerships created after the accession to the European Union in 2004. Partnership structures have been rapidly adopted in rural Poland due to opportunities provided by the LEADER+ Pilot Programme. However, the research showed that…

Northeast Corridor Improvement Project Electrification - New Haven, CT to Boston, MA : Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-09-01

The impacts of extending electrification on the National Railroad Passenger Corporation's (Amtrak) Northeast Corridor (NEC) from New Haven, Connecticut to Boston, Massachusetts are of direct concern to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). To im...

Railroad Electrification Activity in North America--A Status Report : 1976-1978

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-01-01

In view of the increased activity and interest in railroad electrification in North America, it is appropriate to provide a continuing overview of activities of interest to the railroad industry and the U.S. Government. Major activities completed or ...

Cost-effectiveness of community screening for glaucoma in rural India: a decision analytical model.

PubMed

John, D; Parikh, R

2018-02-01

Studies in several countries have demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of population-based screening for glaucoma when targeted at high-risk groups such as older adults and with familial history of disease. This study conducts a cost-effective analysis of a hypothetical community screening and subsequent treatment programme in comparison to opportunistic case finding for glaucoma in rural India. A hypothetical screening programme for both primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure disease was built for a population aged between 40 and 69 years in rural areas of India. A decision analytical model was built to model events, costs and treatment pathways with and without a hypothetical screening programme for glaucoma for a rural-based population aged between 40 and 69 years in India. The treatment pathway included both primary open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure disease. The data on costs of screening and treatment were provided by an administrator of a tertiary eye hospital in Eastern India. The probabilities for the screening and treatment pathway were derived from published literature and a glaucoma specialist. The glaucoma prevalence rates were adapted from the Chennai Glaucoma Study findings. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio value of ₹7292.30 per quality-adjusted life-year was calculated for a community-screening programme for glaucoma in rural India. The community screening for glaucoma would treat an additional 2872 cases and prevent 2190 person-years of blindness over a 10-year period. Community screening for glaucoma in rural India appears to be cost-effective when judged by a ratio of willingness-to-pay thresholds as per WHO-CHOICE guidelines. For community screening to be cost-effective, adequate resources, such as trained medical personnel and equipment would need to be made available. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impacts of health, education, family planning and electrification programs on fertility, mortality and child schooling in East Java, Indonesia.

PubMed

Wirakartakusumah, M D

1988-06-01

This paper examines the effects of public health, family planning, education, electrification, and water supply programs on fertility, child mortality, and school enrollment decisions of rural households in East Java, Indonesia. The theoretical model assumes that parents maximize a utility function, subject to 1) a budget constraint that equates income with expenditures on children (including schooling and health inputs), and 2) a production function that relates health inputs to child survival possibilities. Public programs affect prices of contraceptives, schooling and health inputs, and environmental conditions that in turn affect child survival. Data are taken from the 1980 East Java Population Survey, the Socio-economic Survey, and the Detailed Village Census. The final sample consists of 3170 rural households with married women of childbearing age. Ordinary least squares and logit regressions of recent fertility, child mortality, and school enrollment on program and household variables yielded the following findings. 1) The presence of maternal and child health clinics reduced fertility but not mortality. 2) The presence of public health centers strongly reduced mortality but not fertility. 3) The presence of contraceptive distribution centers had no effect on fertility. 4) School attendance rates were influenced positively by the availability of primary and secondary schools. 5) Health and family planning programs had no effects on schooling. 6) The availability of public latrines reduced fertility and mortality. 7) The water supply variable did not affect the dependent variables when ordinary least squares techniques were applied but had statistically significant impact when logit methods were used. 8) Electricity supply had little effect on the dependent variables. 9) The mother's schooling had a strong positive correlation with children's schooling but no effect on fertility or mortality. 10) Household expenditures were related positively to school attendance and negatively to mortality. 11) There was little or no interaction between household variables and presence of government programs. 12) Subprovincial area measures of service availability appeared more appropriate for public health and family planning services, while village-level measures appeared more appropriate for schooling.

Power for all? Electricity and uneven development in North Carolina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Conor M.

Many towns in eastern North Carolina face a number of challenges common to the rural South, including high rates of poverty and diminishing employment opportunities. However, some residents of this region also confront a unique hardship---electricity prices that are vastly higher than those of surrounding areas. This dissertation examines the origins of pricing inequalities in the electricity market of eastern North Carolina---namely how such inequalities developed and their role in the production of racial and economic disparities in the South. This dissertation examines the evolving relations between federal and state agencies, corporations, and electric utilities, and asks why these interactions produced varying social outcomes across different places and spatial settings. The research focuses on the origins and subsequent development of electric utilities in eastern North Carolina, and examines how electricity as a material technology interacted with geographies of race and class, as well as the dictates of capital accumulation. This approach enables a rethinking of several concepts that are rarely examined by scholars of electric utilities, most notably the monopoly service territory, which I argue served as a spatial fix to accumulation problems in the industry. Further, examining the way that electric utilities developed in North Carolina during the 20th century brings to the forefront the at times contradictory relationships among systems of electricity provision, Jim Crow segregation, the Progressive Era, and the New Deal. Such a focus highlights the important role that the control of electricity provision played in shaping racial inequalities that continue to persist in the region. With most urban areas were electrified in the 1930s, the research also traces the electricity distribution lines as they moved out of cities through rural electrification programs, a shift that highlights the state as a multi-scalar and variegated actor that both aided and impeded electrification efforts by various institutional and corporate entities. Ultimately, I argue that the historical geography of electricity is a critical factor that must be considered in order to adequately understand and address the issues of inequality and poverty that continue to persist in the region.

Microgrid Utilities for Rural Electrification in East Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Nathaniel J.

Expanding access to electricity is central to development in East Africa but massive increases in investment are required to achieve universal access. Private sector participation in electrification is essential to meeting electricity access targets. Policy makers have acknowledged that grid extension in many remote rural areas is not as cost effective as decentralized alternatives such as microgrids. Microgrid companies have been unable to scale beyond pilot projects due in part to challenges in raising capital for a business model that is perceived to be risky. This thesis aims to identify and quantify the primary sources of investment risk in microgrid utilities and study ways to mitigate these risks to make these businesses more viable. Two modeling tools have been developed to this end. The Stochastic Techno-Economic Microgrid Model (STEMM) models the technical and financial performance of microgrid utilities using uncertain and dynamic inputs to permit explicit modeling of financial risk. This model is applied in an investment risk assessment and case study in Rwanda. Key findings suggest that the most important drivers of risk are fuel prices, foreign exchange rates, demand for electricity, and price elasticity of demand for electricity. The relative importance of these factors is technology dependent with demand uncertainty figuring stronger for solar and high solar penetration hybrid systems and fuel prices driving risk in diesel power and low solar penetration hybrid systems. Considering uncertainty in system sizing presents a tradeoff whereby a decrease in expected equity return decreases downside risk. High solar penetration systems are also found to be more attractive to lenders. The second modeling tool leverages electricity consumption and demographic data from four microgrids in Tanzania to forecast demand for electricity in newly electrified communities. Using statistical learning techniques, improvements in prediction performance was achieved over the historical mean baseline. I have also identified important predictors in estimating electricity consumption of newly connected customers. These include tariff structures and prices, pre- connection sources of electricity and lighting, levels of spending on electricity services and airtime, and pre-connection appliance ownership. Prior exposure to electricity, disposable income, and price are dominant factors in estimating demand.

Translating evidence into practice in low resource settings: cervical cancer screening tests are only part of the solution in rural India.

PubMed

Isaac, Rita; Finkel, Madelon; Olver, Ian; Annie, I K; Prashanth, H R; Subhashini, J; Viswanathan, P N; Trevena, Lyndal J

2012-01-01

The majority of women in rural India have poor or no access to cervical cancer screening services, although one-quarter of all cervical cancers in the world occur there. Several large trials have proven the efficacy of low-tech cervical cancer screening methods in the Indian context but none have documented the necessary components and processes of implementing this evidence in a low-resource setting. This paper discusses a feasible model of implementation of cervical cancer screening programme in low-resource settings developed through a pilot research project carried out in rural Tamilnadu, India. The programme used visual inspection of cervix after acetic acid application (VIA) as a screening tool, nurses in the primary care centres as the primary screeners and peer educators within Self-Help Women groups to raise community awareness. The uptake of screening was initially low despite the access to a screening programme. However, the programme witnessed an incremental increase in the number of women accessing screening with increasing community awareness. The investigators recommend 4 key components to programme implementation in low-resource setting: 1) Evidence-based, cost-effective test and treatment available within the reach of the community; 2) Appropriate referral pathways; 3) Skilled health workers and necessary equipment; and 4) Optimisation of health literacy, beliefs, attitudes of the community.

Thundercloud electrification models in atmospheric electricity and meteorology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, L. W.

1980-01-01

A survey is presented of presently-available theoretical models. The models are classified into three main groups: (1) convection models, (2) precipitation models, and (3) general models. The strengths and weaknesses of the models, their dimensionalities and degrees of sophistication, the nature of their inputs and outputs, and the various specific charging mechanisms treated by them, are considered. In results obtained to date, the convection models predict no significant electrification enhancement based on conductivity gradients and convection alone, with the assumed air circulation patterns. Results of the precipitation models show that the initial electrification can occur rapidly and stably through noninductive collision mechanisms involving ice, and breakdown-strength electric fields can relatively easily be achieved subsequently through the collisional-inductive mechanism. A critical difficulty of the collision mechanisms is imprecise knowledge of relaxation times versus contact times, which can easily lead to overestimates of electrification. The general model results tend to support those of the precipitation models in emphasizing the high potential effectiveness of the collisional-inductive mechanism.

Integration of net zero energy building with smart grid to improve regional electrification ratio towards sustainable development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latief, Yusuf; Berawi, Mohammed Ali; Supriadi, Leni; Bintang Koesalamwardi, Ario; Petroceany, Jade; Herzanita, Ayu

2017-12-01

Indonesia is currently encouraging its physical, social and economy development. Physical development for economic development have to be supported by energy availability. For Indonesia, 90% of electrification ratio is still become an important task that has to be completed by the Government. However, the effort to increase electrification can become an environmental problem if it’s done with BAU scenario. The by-product of electric generation is the GHG, which increasing every year since 2006 from various sectors i.e. industry, housing, commercial, transportation, and energy. Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) is an energy efficient building which can produce energy independently from clean and renewable sources. The energy that is generated by NZEB can be used for the building itself, and can be exported to the central grid. The integration of NZEB and Smart Grid can solve today’s issue on electrification ratio. Literature study will find benchmarks which can be applied in Indonesia along with possible obstacles in applying this technology.

"Should I Stay or Should I Go"?: Rural and Remote Students in First Year STEM Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Sue; Lyons, Terry; Quinn, Frances

2013-01-01

Research on the achievement of rural and remote students in science and mathematics is located within a context of falling levels of participation in physical science and mathematics courses in Australian schools, and underrepresentation of rural students in higher education. International studies such as the Programme of International Student…

Northeast Corridor Improvement Project Electrification - New Haven, CT to Boston, MA : Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report. Volume 3.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-10-01

This document is the final environmental impact statement and final environmental impact report (FEIS/R) on the proposal by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to complete the electrification of the Northeast Corridor main line by ex...

Northeast Corridor Improvement Project Electrification - New Haven, CT to Boston, MA : Final Environmental Impact Report : Supplement

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-02-01

This document is a supplement to the final environmental impact report (FEIR) published in October 1994 on the proposal by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to complete the electrification of the Northeast Corridor main line by ext...

Evaluating the Impact of an Environmental Education Programme: An Empirical Study in Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruiz-Mallen, Isabel; Barraza, Laura; Bodenhorn, Barbara; Reyes-Garcia, Victoria

2009-01-01

This study draws on information from 11 in-depth interviews, two focus groups and 72 written questionnaires to evaluate an extra-curricular environmental education programme on forestry designed for preparatory school students from a small rural community in Mexico. Specifically, the study assessed the impact of the programme on the ecological…

Solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treble, F. C.

1980-11-01

The history, state of the art, and future prospects of solar cells are reviewed. Solar cells are already competitive in a wide range of low-power applications, and during the 1980's they are expected to become cheaper to run than diesel or gasoline generators, the present mainstay of isolated communities. At this stage they will become attractive for water pumping, irrigation, and rural electrification, particularly in developing countries. With further cost reduction, they may be used to augment grid supplies in domestic, commercial, institutional, and industrial premises. Cost reduction to the stage where photovoltaics becomes economic for large-scale power generation in central stations depends on a technological breakthrough in the development of thin-film cells. DOE aims to reach this goal by 1990, so that by the end of the century about 20% of the estimated annual additions to their electrical generating capacity will be photovoltaic.

Northeast Corridor Improvement Project Electrification - New Haven, CT to Boston, MA : Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report. Volume II: Land use and Regulated Areas

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-09-01

The impacts of extending electrification on the National Railroad Passenger Corporation's (Amtrak) Northeast Corridor (NEC) from New Haven, Connecticut to Boston, Massachusetts are of direct concern to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). To im...

Northeast Corridor Improvement Project Electrification - New Haven, CT to Boston, MA : Final Environmental Statement/Report : v. 2. Technical Studies

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-10-31

This document is the final environmental impact statement and final environmental impact report (FEIS/R) on the proposal by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to complete the electrification of the Northeast Corridor main line by ex...

Context and the Gendered Status of Teachers: Women's Empowerment through Leadership of Non-Formal Schooling in Rural Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sperandio, Jill

2011-01-01

Empowering women to control and change their lives continues to be an important goal for many nations. This article examines the empowering effects of being selected and trained to lead rural schools in Bangladesh, using survey and interview data from 152 village women working with the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee education programme.…

Developing consumer involvement in rural HIV primary care programmes.

PubMed

Mamary, Edward M; Toevs, Kim; Burnworth, Karla B; Becker, Lin

2004-06-01

As part of a broader medical and psychosocial needs assessment in a rural region of northern California, USA, five focus groups were conducted to explore innovative approaches to creating a system of consumer involvement in the delivery of HIV primary care services in the region. A total of five focus groups (n = 30) were conducted with clients from three of five counties in the region with the highest number of HIV patients receiving primary care. Participants were recruited by their HIV case managers. They were adults living with HIV, who were receiving health care, and who resided in a rural mountain region of northern California. Group discussions explored ideas for new strategies and examined traditional methods of consumer involvement, considering ways they could be adapted for a rural environment. Recommendations for consumer involvement included a multi-method approach consisting of traditional written surveys, a formal advisory group, and monthly consumer led social support/informal input groups. Specific challenges discussed included winter weather conditions, transportation barriers, physical limitations, confidentiality concerns, and needs for social support and education. A multiple-method approach would ensure more comprehensive consumer involvement in the programme planning process. It is also evident that methods for incorporating consumer involvement must be adapted to the specific context and circumstances of a given programme.

Assessing Rural Sustainable Development potentialities using a Dominance-based Rough Set Approach.

PubMed

Boggia, Antonio; Rocchi, Lucia; Paolotti, Luisa; Musotti, Francesco; Greco, Salvatore

2014-11-01

Rural Development is a priority in Europe and it is supported by specific, financial programmes. At the same time, sustainability is the key word for the European Union to construct programmes and policies for all human activities. However, measuring sustainability of rural areas is not easy, due to their particular features. The improvement of knowledge on sustainability in rural areas is important to build long term policies and strategies for those territories. The objective of this study is the development of a decision support system based on the Dominance-based Rough Set Approach (DRSA), to assess the level of Rural Sustainable Development in specific areas. We used DRSA to analyze the level of sustainability of the 92 municipalities of the Region of Umbria, Italy. The results were synthesized in a final ranking, taking into account the equilibrium and the integration between development and sustainability of each municipality. DRSA showed a high potential in the context of management or planning, and for supporting Decision Makers. DRSA is able to give a ranking as well as an explanation of the main factors driving sustainable development in rural areas. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Compulsory service programmes for recruiting health workers in remote and rural areas: do they work?

PubMed Central

Mullan, Fitzhugh; Payne, Perry W; Ross, Heather

2010-01-01

Abstract Compulsory service programmes have been used worldwide as a way to deploy and retain a professional health workforce within countries. Other names for these programmes include ”obligatory”, ”mandatory”, ”required” and ”requisite.” All these different programme names refer to a country’s law or policy that governs the mandatory deployment and retention of a heath worker in the underserved and/or rural areas of the country for a certain period of time. This study identified three different types of compulsory service programmes in 70 countries. These programmes are all governed by some type of regulation, ranging from a parliamentary law to a policy within the ministry of health. Depending on the country, doctors, nurses, midwives and all types of professional allied health workers are required to participate in the programme. Some of the compliance-enforcement measures include withholding full registration until obligations are completed, withholding degree and salary, or imposing large fines. This paper aims to explain these programmes more clearly, to identify countries that have or had such programmes, to develop a typology for the different kinds and to discuss the programmes in the light of important issues that are related to policy concepts and implementation. As governments consider the cost of investment in health professionals’ education, the loss of health professionals to emigration and the lack of health workers in many geographic areas, they are using compulsory service requirements as a way to deploy and retain the health workforce. PMID:20461136

Appropriate training and retention of community doctors in rural areas: a case study from Mali.

PubMed

Van Dormael, Monique; Dugas, Sylvie; Kone, Yacouba; Coulibaly, Seydou; Sy, Mansour; Marchal, Bruno; Desplats, Dominique

2008-11-18

While attraction of doctors to rural settings is increasing in Mali, there is concern for their retention. An orientation course for young practicing rural doctors was set up in 2003 by a professional association and a NGO. The underlying assumption was that rurally relevant training would strengthen doctors' competences and self-confidence, improve job satisfaction, and consequently contribute to retention. Programme evaluation distinguished trainees' opinions, competences and behaviour. Data were collected through participant observation, group discussions, satisfaction questionnaires, a monitoring tool of learning progress, and follow up visits. Retention was assessed for all 65 trainees between 2003 and 2007. The programme consisted of four classroom modules--clinical skills, community health, practice management and communication skills--and a practicum supervised by an experienced rural doctor. Out of the 65 trained doctors between 2003 and 2007, 55 were still engaged in rural practice end of 2007, suggesting high retention for the Malian context. Participants viewed the training as crucial to face technical and social problems related to rural practice. Discussing professional experience with senior rural doctors contributed to socialisation to novel professional roles. Mechanisms underlying training effects on retention include increased self confidence, self esteem as rural doctor, and sense of belonging to a professional group sharing a common professional identity. Retention can however not be attributed solely to the training intervention, as rural doctors benefit from other incentives and support mechanisms (follow up visits, continuing training, mentoring...) affecting job satisfaction. Training increasing self confidence and self esteem of rural practitioners may contribute to retention of skilled professionals in rural areas. While reorientations of curricula in training institutions are necessary, other types of professional support are needed. This experience suggests that professional associations dedicated to strengthening quality of care can contribute significantly to rural practitioners' morale.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cowlin, S.; Heimiller, D.; Bilello, D.

Approximately 1.6 billion people worldwide do not have access to electricity, and roughly 2.4 billion people rely on traditional biomass fuels to meet their heating and cooking needs. Lack of access to and use of energy - or energy poverty - has been recognized as a barrier to reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other targeted efforts to improve health and quality of life. Reducing reliance on traditional biomass can substantially reduce indoor air pollution-related morbidity and mortality; increasing access to lighting and refrigeration can improve educational and economic opportunities. Though targeted electrification efforts have had success within Latinmore » America and East Asia (reaching electrification rates above 85%), sub-Saharan Africa has maintained electrification rates below 25% (IEA 2004).« less

Literature research of the Nutrition Improvement Programme for Rural Compulsory Education Students in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Fan; Hu, Xiaoqi; Tian, Zuyin; Zhang, Qian; Ma, Guansheng

2015-04-01

To describe the Nutrition Improvement Programme for Rural Compulsory Education Students (NIPRCES) in China and to share the experiences of developing and implementing nationwide school meal programmes with other countries. The article is based on a literature review of technical documents and reports of NIPRCES and relevant national legislation, technical reports and studies on school nutrition, minutes of meetings and national conferences, and official documents of the National Office of Student Nutrition and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. People's Republic of China. Published papers, national policies, legislation and unpublished official documents. A total of 23 million rural compulsory education students were covered by NIPRCES. In the development and implementation process of NIPRCES, fifteen ministries and national committees were involved and an efficient collaborative mechanism was established. All NIPRCES-covered schools were required to serve meals on a daily basis. By the end of June 2012, the proportions of students choosing 'school feeding', 'food package' and 'family feeding' modes were respectively 64.0 %, 32.0 % and 4.0 %. The central government subsidized school meals annually by more than $US 2.5 billion and invested $US 4.8 billion on school kitchens to support this programme. The NIPRCES is a significant movement of governmental nutritional intervention in China. Food safety, financial security, decentralization and other potential concerns should be considered and lessons can be learned from other countries. Further relevant research and a nationwide monitoring and evaluation programme are needed.

Bridging the Information Gap: Remote Sensing and Micro Hydropower Feasibility in Data-Scarce Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Marc Francois

Access to electricity remains an impediment to development in many parts of the world, particularly in rural areas with low population densities and prohibitive grid extension costs. In that context, community-scale run-of-river hydropower---micro-hydropower---is an attractive local power generation option, particularly in mountainous regions, where appropriate slope and runoff conditions occur. Despite their promise, micro hydropower programs have generally failed to have a significant impact on rural electrification in developing nations. In Nepal, despite very favorable conditions and approximately 50 years of experience, the technology supplies only 4% of the 10 million households that do not have access to the central electricity grid. These poor results point towards a major information gap between technical experts, who may lack the incentives or local knowledge needed to design appropriate systems for rural villages, and local users, who have excellent knowledge of the community but lack technical expertise to design and manage infrastructure. Both groups suffer from a limited basis for evidence-based decision making due to sparse environmental data available to support the technical components of infrastructure design. This dissertation draws on recent advances in remote sensing data, stochastic modeling techniques and open source platforms to bridge that information gap. Streamflow is a key environmental driver of hydropower production that is particularly challenging to model due to its stochastic nature and the complexity of the underlying natural processes. The first part of the dissertation addresses the general challenge of Predicting streamflow in Ungauged Basins (PUB). It first develops an algorithm to optimize the use of rain gauge observations to improve the accuracy of remote sensing precipitation measures. It then derives and validates a process-based model to estimate streamflow distribution in seasonally dry climates using the stochastic nature of rainfall, and proposes a novel geostatistical method to regionalize its parameters across the stream network. Although motivated by the needs of micro hydropower design in Nepal, these techniques represent contributions to the broader international challenge of PUB and can be applied worldwide. The economic drivers of rural electrification are then considered by presenting an econometric technique to estimate the cost function and demand curve of micro hydropower in Nepal. The empirical strategy uses topography-based instrumental variables to identify price elasticities. All developed methods are assembled in a computer tool, along with a search algorithm that uses a digital elevation model to optimize the placement of micro hydropower infrastructure. The tool---Micro Hydro [em]Power---is an open source application that can be accessed and operated on a web-browser (http://mfmul.shinyapps.io/mhpower). Its purpose is to assist local communities in the design and evaluation of micro hydropower alternatives in their locality, while using cost and demand information provided by local users to generate accurate feasibility maps at the national level, thus bridging the information gap.

The Impact of a Professional Development Programme on Primary Teachers' Classroom Practice and Pupils' Attitudes to Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Greg

2015-01-01

This study investigates the relationship, if any, between teacher participation in a targeted professional development programme and changes in participants' instructional practice and their pupils' attitudes to learning primary science. The programme took place over a 2-year period in 15 small rural schools in the West of Ireland. Data sources…

Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment (SMART) Mental Health Programme for providing innovative mental health care in rural communities in India.

PubMed

Maulik, P K; Devarapalli, S; Kallakuri, S; Praveen, D; Jha, V; Patel, A

2015-01-01

India has few mental health professionals to treat the large number of people suffering from mental disorders. Rural areas are particularly disadvantaged due to lack of trained health workers. Ways to improve care could be by training village health workers in basic mental health care, and by using innovative methods of service delivery. The ongoing Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment Mental Health Programme will assess the acceptability, feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a task-shifting mobile-based intervention using mixed methods, in rural Andhra Pradesh, India. The key components of the study are an anti-stigma campaign followed by a mobile-based mental health services intervention. The study will be done across two sites in rural areas, with intervention periods of 1 year and 3 months, respectively. The programme uses a mobile-based clinical decision support tool to be used by non-physician health workers and primary care physicians to screen, diagnose and manage individuals suffering from depression, suicidal risk and emotional stress. The key aim of the study will be to assess any changes in mental health services use among those screened positive following the intervention. A number of other outcomes will also be assessed using mixed methods, specifically focussed on reduction of stigma, increase in mental health awareness and other process indicators. This project addresses a number of objectives as outlined in the Mental Health Action Plan of World Health Organization and India's National Mental Health Programme and Policy. If successful, the next phase will involve design and conduct of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Northeast Corridor Improvement Project Electrification - New Haven, CT to Boston, MA : Final Environmental Impact and Statement/Report and 4(f) Statement v. 1

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-10-31

This document is the final environmental impact statement and final environmental impact report (FEIS/R) on the proposal by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to complete the electrification of the Northeast Corridor main line by ex...

Northeast Corridor Improvement Project Electrification - New Haven, CT to Boston, MA : Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report : v. 4. Comment Letters and Public Hearing Transcripts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-10-31

This document is the final environmental impact statement and final environmental impact report (FEIS/R) on the proposal by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to complete the electrification of the Northeast Corridor main line exten...

Photovoltaic battery charging experience in the Philippines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Navarro, S.T. Jr.

1997-12-01

With the turn of the century, people in remote areas still live without electricity. Conventional electrification will hardly reach the remaining 50% of the population of the Philippines in remote areas. With photovoltaic technology, the delivery of electricity to remote areas can be sustainable. Malalison island was chosen as a project site for electrification using photovoltaic technology. With the fragile balance of ecology and seasonal income in this island, the PV electrification proved to be a better option than conventional fossil based electrification. The Solar Battery Charging Station (SBCS) was used to suit the economic and geographical condition of themore » island. Results showed that the system can charge as many as three batteries in a day for an average fee of $0.54 per battery. Charging is measured by an ampere-hour counter to determine the exact amount of charge the battery received. The system was highly accepted by the local residents and the demand easily outgrew the system within four months. A technical, economic and social evaluation was done. A recovery period of seven years and five months is expected when competed with the conventional battery charging in the mainland. The technical, economic, institutional and social risks faced by the project were analyzed. Statistics showed that there is a potential of 920,000 households that can benefit from PV electrification in the Philippines. The data and experiences gained in this study are valuable in designing SBCS for remote unelectrified communities in the Philippines and other developing countries.« less

On the Electrification of Pyrocumulus Clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lang, Timothy J.; Rutledge, Steven A.; Dolan, Brenda; Krehbiel, Paul; Rison, William; Lindsey, Daniel T.

2013-01-01

The electrification (or lack thereof) of pyrocumulus clouds is examined for several different wildfires that occurred during 2012-2013. For example, pyrocumulus clouds above three Colorado wildfires (Hewlett Gulch, High Park, and Waldo Canyon; all occurred during summer 2012) electrified and produced small intracloud discharges whenever the smoke plumes grew to high altitudes (over 10 km above mean sea level, or MSL). This occurred during periods of rapid wildfire growth, as indicated by the shortwave infrared channel on a geostationary satellite, as well as by incident reports. In the Hewlett Gulch case, the fire growth led to increased updrafts within the plume, as inferred by multiple-Doppler radar syntheses, which led to the vertical development and subsequent electrification - a life cycle as short as 30 minutes. The lightning, detected by a three-dimensional lightning mapping network, was favored in high-altitude regions (10 km MSL) containing modest reflectivities (25 dBZ and lower), 0 dB differential reflectivity, and reduced correlation coefficient (0.6-0.7). This indicated the likely presence of ice particles (crystals and aggregates, possibly rimed) mixed with ash. Though neither multiple-Doppler nor polarimetric observations were available during the electrification of the High Park and Waldo Canyon plumes, their NEXRAD observations showed reflectivity structures consistent with Hewlett Gulch. In addition, polarimetric and multiple-Doppler scanning of unelectrified High Park plumes indicated only irregularly shaped ash, and not ice, was present (i.e., reflectivities < 25 dBZ, differential reflectivity > 5 dB, correlation < 0.4), and there was no broaching of the 10 km altitude. Based on these results, the electrification likely was caused by ice-based processes that did not involve significant amounts of graupel. Results for pyrocumulus clouds above notable 2013 wildfires that also experienced rapid growth (e.g., Black Forest, Yarnell Hill, West Fork, Tres Lagunas, etc.) will be compared against the 2012 cases, with special emphasis on polarimetric NEXRAD and available lightning measurements, in order to better understand the physical processes responsible for pyrocumulus electrification.

The potential impacts of electric vehicles on air quality in the urban areas of Barcelona and Madrid (Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soret, A.; Guevara, M.; Baldasano, J. M.

2014-12-01

This work analyses the potential air quality improvements resulting from three fleet electrification scenarios (∼13, 26 and 40%) by replacing conventional vehicles with Electric Battery Vehicles (EBVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs). This study has been performed for the cities of Barcelona and Madrid (Spain), where road transport is the primary emission source. In these urban areas, several air quality problems are present, mainly related to NO2 and particulate matter. The WRF-ARW/HERMESv2/CMAQ model system has been applied at high spatial (1 × 1 km2) and temporal (1 h) resolution. The results show that fleet electrification offers a potential for emission abatement, especially related to NOx and CO. Regarding the more ambitious scenario (∼40% fleet electrification), reductions of 11% and 17% of the total NOx emissions are observed in Barcelona and Madrid respectively. These emissions reductions involve air quality improvements in NO2 maximum hourly values up to 16%: reductions up to 30 and 35 μg m-3 in Barcelona and Madrid, respectively. Furthermore, an additional scenario has been defined considering electric generation emissions associated with EBVs and PHEVs charging from a combined-cycle power plant. These charging emissions would produce slight NO2 increases in the downwind areas of <3 μg m-3. Thus, fleet electrification would improve urban air quality even when considering emissions associated with charging electric vehicles. However, two further points should be considered. First, fleet electrification cannot be considered a unique solution, and other management strategies may be defined. This is especially important with respect to particulate matter emissions, which are not significantly reduced by fleet electrification (<5%) due to the high weight of non-exhaust emissions. Second, a significant introduction of electric vehicles (26-40%) involving all vehicle categories is required to improve urban air quality.

Using Quality of Family Life Factors to Explore Parents' Experience of Educational Provision for Children with Developmental Disabilities in Rural Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tait, Kathleen; Hussain, Rafat

2017-01-01

Australian education service provision includes the delivery of quality educational programmes to rural and remote living children. However, according to their parents, many children with developmental disabilities (such as Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorders) who are living in rural country areas in New South Wales (NSW) still do not have…

Building Institutional Capacity in Rural Northern Ireland: The Role of Partnership Governance in the LEADER II Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Mark

2004-01-01

Throughout the 1990s, Europe's rural areas increasingly embraced local action and local development solutions to face the challenge of the continued re-structuring of the agricultural industry. In parallel, in both the EU and the UK, a policy discourse has emerged which envisages a fundamental shift in support policies for rural areas from a…

The cost-effectiveness of adding fluorides to milk-products distributed by the National Food Supplement Programme (PNAC) in rural areas of Chile.

PubMed

Mariño, R; Morgan, M; Weitz, A; Villa, A

2007-06-01

This paper assesses the cost-effectiveness of a community dental caries prevention programme, targeting pre-school children living in non-fluoridated rural areas of Chile. The results of a community trial to measure the effects of using fluoridated powdered milk and milk-cereal to prevent dental caries, together with the cost of running the programmeme, were used to determine its cost-effectiveness when compared to the status-quo alternative. In the experimental community, fluoridated milk products were given to approximately 1,000 children aged between six months and six years, using the standard National Complementary Feeding Programme available in Chile. The control group received the milk products only. Dental caries status was recorded at the beginning and end of the programme in both communities using WHO criteria. The costs that would be incurred by such a programme, using a societal perspective, were identified and measured. Children who received fluoridated products had significantly lower mean levels of dental caries than those who had not. This improvement was achieved with a yearly cost of RCH (1999) $1,839.75 per child (1 US$ = RCH (1999) $527.70). On average, this programme resulted in a net societal savings of RCH (1999) $2,695.61 per diseased tooth averted after four years when compared to the control group. While the analysis has inherent limitations as a result of its reliance on a range of assumptions, the findings suggest that there are important health and economic benefits to be gained from the use of fluoridated milk products in non-fluoridated rural communities in Chile.

Parents’ Participation in the Sexuality Education of Their Children in Rural Namibia: A Situational Analysis

PubMed Central

Lukolo, Linda Ndeshipandula; van Dyk, Agnes

2015-01-01

Talking about sexuality has never been easy in most Namibians cultures and it seems that most parents feel uncomfortable and embarrassed to talk openly with their children about sexuality. They do not participate in the sexuality education of their children, because they believe they are unable to provide quality and adequate sexuality information due to their lack of knowledge about human sexuality or their perceived inability to explain what they do know. The ultimate purpose of this study was to develop, describe, implement and evaluate an educational programme to empower rural parents to participate in the sexuality education of their children. The study was designed to be qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature. It was performed in three phases. Phase 1 consisted of a situational analysis to explore and describe how parents provide sexuality education. Phase 2 consisted of the development of a conceptual framework that facilitated the development of an educational programme. In phase 3 the programme was implemented and evaluated, recommendations were made and conclusions drawn. The main findings revealed two themes: factors influencing parental participation in their children’s sexuality education, and the need for parental participation in their children’s sexuality education. This article is part of series of three article stems from a study on the topic of sexuality education empowerment programme of rural parents in Namibia. The three articles have the following titles: one: parent’s participation in sexuality education of their children: a situational analysis; two: conceptual framework developments that facilitate the development of an educational programme and three: programme implementation and evaluation. This article dealt with parent’s participation in sexuality education of their children: a situational analysis. PMID:25560329

Improving malaria knowledge and practices in rural Myanmar through a village health worker intervention: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lwin, Moh Moh; Sudhinaraset, May; San, Aung Kyaw; Aung, Tin

2014-01-04

Since 2008 the Sun Primary Health (SPH) franchise programme has networked and branded community health workers in rural Myanmar to provide high quality malaria information and treatment. The purpose of this paper is to compare the malaria knowledge level and health practices of individuals in SPH intervention areas to individuals without SPH intervention This study uses data from a cross-sectional household survey of 1,040 individuals living in eight rural townships to compare the knowledge level of individuals in SPH intervention areas to individuals without SPH intervention. This study found that the presence of a SPH provider in the community is associated with increased malaria knowledge and higher likelihood of going to trained providers for fevers. Furthermore, the study found a dose-response, where the longer the duration of the programme in a community, the greater the community knowledge level. The study suggests that community health workers might have significant impact on malaria-related mortality and morbidity in rural Myanmar.

Female involvement in intervention programmes: the EPI experience in Saradidi, Kenya.

PubMed

Odebiyi, A I; Ondolo, O

1993-01-01

The paper addressed itself to the issue of community participation in intervention programme and that if the beneficiaries are women, then the category of people to be involved in the programme should be women. In buttressing this, the nursing superintendent of an Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) programme in Saradidi, rural Kenya together with 184 mothers attending the clinic were interviewed. The majority (89%) were of the view that in Maternal and Child health (MCH) programmes, it is only ideal that women should be involved because this tend to blend with their traditional roles of child bearing and nurturing and moreover, in such matters, women would tend to relate better to other women rather than men; women would again tend to show greater willingness and commitment to help other women. This was even butressed by the fact that the majority of the mothers interviewed were prepared to participate in such programmes geared towards helping other women. The women explained that contrary to the belief that rural women are so preoccupied with survival that they hardly have time for relaxation, they do have the time to visit friends, especially in the evenings, participate in church activities and knit. A case was thus made for greater female involvement in intervention programmes where the target population is women. If maximum success is to be achieved, there is need for greater female involvement in intervention programmes geared towards improving the lot of women and children.

Community resources and reproductive behaviour in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Saha, T D

1994-03-01

Local community impact on contraceptive usage is illustrated in this logistic model of contraceptive behavior in 1986 in rural Bangladesh. Variables include an index of accessibility and availability of family planning (FP) at the "thana" level, age of respondent, respondent's educational level, desire to have a child, distance from the district, rural electrification, an index of agricultural wages and percentage of small farm households, and presence of a mosque. Community-level variables are found to be significant in separate equations and in equations with individual level variables. Contraceptive use is more likely to occur in a rural situation where there are commercial places such as market places and post offices. Contraceptive use is enhanced by "thana" closeness to district headquarters. Reduced contraceptive use is related to rural areas with many small farm households and a high agricultural wage rate. Access to FP provides a positive environment for improving motivation to use contraception and for improving use of modern methods. The degree of rural isolation negatively impacts on contraceptive use. Bangladesh is one of the few countries with a comprehensive development program at the sub-district level or "thana." Health centers and family welfare centers are established but are unevenly distributed spatially. Data for this study were obtained from the 1985 Bangladesh Contraceptive Prevalence Survey of 7681 rural women aged under 50 years, from the 1983 Agricultural Census on farm land, and from other statistical publications. Information was obtained on 120 "thanas." Contraceptive use status is measured as use, nonuse, modern use, traditional use, intention to use, and nonintention to use. The religious variable is negative, as expected, but not significant for contraceptive use and intention to use. The sign is positive for modern contraceptive use. Closer examination reveals that respondents with no education and with no household land are more frequent users of modern methods, including sterilization which incurs a religious moral and social stigma. Other data support the notion that religious beliefs are not an important factor in nonuse of contraceptives in Bangladesh. The FP index has a significant impact on use and intention to use but has a positive and insignificant effect on modern methods, which may indicate measurement error.

Selecting Electricity Generation Sources in Remote Locations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

A.N., & Chubb, T.J. (2005). Optimization of a PV with Diesel- Battery System for Remote Villages. International Solar Energy Journal , 6, 107- 118...List of Figures Page Figure 1. Electrification Rates by Region, 1970-2003 ( International , 2002) .................. 25 Figure 2. World Bank...xii List of Tables Page Table 1. Countries in 2000 with Low Electrification Rates ( International , 2002) .......... 13

Northeast Corridor Improvement Project Electrification - New Haven, CT to Boston, MA : Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report - v. 3. Response to Comments on Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-10-31

This document is the final environmental impact statement and final environmental impact report (FEIS/R) on the proposal by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to complete the electrification of the Northeast Corridor main line by ex...

Contact Electrification of Regolith Particles and Chloride Electrolysis: Synthesis of Perchlorates on Mars.

PubMed

Tennakone, K

2016-10-01

Contact electrification of chloride-impregnated martian regolith particles due to eolian agitation and moisture condensation on coalesced oppositely charged grains may lead to spontaneous electrolysis that generates hypochlorite, chlorite, chlorate, and perchlorate with a concomitant reduction of water to hydrogen. This process is not curtailed even if moisture condenses as ice because chloride ionizes on the surface of ice. Limitations dictated by potentials needed for electrolysis and breakdown electric fields enable estimation of the required regolith grain size. The estimated dimension turns out to be of the same order of magnitude as the expected median size of martian regolith, and a simple calculation yields the optimum rate of perchlorate production. Key Words: Mars oxidants-Perchlorate-Dust electrification-Electrolysis. Astrobiology 16, 811-816.

Are Rural Women Powerless When it Comes to HIV & AIDS Risk? Implications for Adult Education Programmes in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiggundu, Edith; Castle, Jane

2007-01-01

There is an urgent need for fresh approaches to HIV & AIDS education for adults and youth in South Africa, particularly for those marginalised by society, such as rural black women. In this article we explore the factors which affect awareness, condom use and HIV & AIDS risk among a group of women who attend classes in a rural Adult…

Rating maternal and neonatal health services in developing countries.

PubMed Central

Bulatao, Rodolfo A.; Ross, John A.

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess maternal and neonatal health services in 49 developing countries. METHODS: The services were rated on a scale of 0 to 100 by 10 - 25 experts in each country. The ratings covered emergency and routine services, including family planning, at health centres and district hospitals, access to these services for both rural and urban women, the likelihood that women would receive particular forms of antenatal and delivery care, and supporting elements of programmes such as policy, resources, monitoring, health promotion and training. FINDINGS: The average rating was only 56, but countries varied widely, especially in access to services in rural areas. Comparatively good ratings were reported for immunization services, aspects of antenatal care and counselling on breast feeding. Ratings were particularly weak for emergency obstetric care in rural areas, safe abortion and HIV counselling. CONCLUSION: Maternal health programme effort in developing countries is seriously deficient, particularly in rural areas. Rural women are disadvantaged in many respects, but especially regarding the treatment of emergency obstetric conditions. Both rural and urban women receive inadequate HIV counselling and testing and have quite limited access to safe abortion. Improving services requires moving beyond policy reform to strengthening implementation of services and to better staff training and health promotion. Increased financing is only part of the solution. PMID:12378290

Solar Energy a Path to India's Prosperity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra, Yogender Pal; Singh, Arashdeep; Kannojiya, Vikas; Kesari, J. P.

2018-05-01

Solar energy technology has grabbed a worldwide interest and attention these days. India also, having a huge solar influx and potential, is not falling back to feed its energy demand through non-conventional energy sources such as concentrating solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV). This work will try to add some comprehensive insight on solar energy framework, policy, outlook and socio-economic challenges of India. This includes its prominent areas of working such as grid independent and `utility-scale' power production using CSP or PV power plants, rural as well as urban electrification using PV, solar powered public transportation systems, solar power in agrarian society—water pumping, irrigation, waste management and so on and so forth. Despite the fact that, a vast legion of furtherance and advancement has been done during the last decade of solar energy maturation and proliferation, improvements could be suggested so as to augment the solar energy usage in contrast to conventional energy sources in India.

Employment-generating projects for the energy and minerals sectors of Honduras. Proyectos generadores de empleos para los sectores energetico y minero de Honduras (in EN;SP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Frank, J.A.

A mission to Honduras invited by the Government of Honduras and sponsored by the Organization of American States addressed the generation of employment in various areas of interest to the country. The mission was made up of experts from numerous countries and international agencies. In the energy sector, the mission recommended consolidating the sector under a coordinating body; carrying out projects to promote reforestation, tree farms, and rational forest utilization; encouraging industrial energy conservation; developing alternative energy sources; and promoting rural electrification and expansion of the electrical grid. In the mining sector, the mission supported promotion and technical assistance formore » small gold-leaching and placer operations, the national mineral inventory, detailed exploration of promising sites, and the development of a mining school. 13 refs., 7 tabs.« less

PV technology and success of solar electricity in Vietnam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dung, T.Q.

1997-12-31

Since 1990 the PV Technology and the Solar electricity have been strongly developed in Vietnam. The PV experts of Solarlab have studied and set up an appropriate PV Technology responding to local Market needs. It has not only stood well but has been also transferred to Mali Republic and Lao P.D.R. The PV off grid systems of Solarlab demonstrate good efficiency and low prices. Over 60 solar stations and villages have been built to provide solar lighting for about 3000 families along the country in remote, mountainous areas and islands. 400 families are using stand-alone Solar Home Systems. The Solarmore » electricity has been chosen for Rural Electrification and National Telecommunication Network in remote and mountainous regions. Many International projects in cooperation with FONDEM-France, SELF USA and Governmental PV projects have been realized by Solarlab. The experiences of maintenance, management and finance about PV development in Vietnam are also mentioned.« less

Photovoltaics as an operating energy system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, G. J.; Post, H. N.; Thomas, M. G.

In the short time since the discovery of the modern solar cell in 1954, terrestrial photovoltaic power system technology has matured in all areas, from collector reliability to system and subsystem design and operations. Today's PV systems are finding widespread use in powering loads where conventional sources are either unavailable, unreliable, or too costly. A broad range of applications is possible because of the modularity of the technology---it can be used to power loads ranging from less than a watt to several megawatts. This inherent modularity makes PV an excellent choice to play a major role in rural electrification in the developing world. The future for grid-connected photovoltaic systems is also very promising. Indications are that several of today's technologies, at higher production rates and in megawatt-sized installations, will generate electricity in the vicinity of $0.12/kWh in the near future.

An assessment of a rural health programme on child and maternal care: the Ogbomoso Community Health Care Programme (CHCP), Oyo State, Nigeria.

PubMed

Iyun, F

1989-01-01

Village health workers (VHW) in Ogbomoso have been trained by the nearby Baptist Medical Centre to accept responsibility for the health and health education of the rural populace. They assume particular care in respect of child and maternal services. This analysis is based on over 800 interviews with women to compare villages with and without VHWs, and it attempts to quantify such measures as the percentage partaking in specific services (e.g. immunization and family planning). The survey emphasizes difficulties currently faced by VHWs including competition from commercial 'quacks' as well as unenthusiasm from persons of other religions and from women who prefer not to be advised by male VHWs. Knowledge of criticism should, however, be of value in upgrading the approaches offered by the VHW programme.

Contextualising Learning through the Participatory Construction of an Environmental Education Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruiz-Mallen, Isabel; Barraza, Laura; Bodenhorn, Barbara; Ceja-Adame, Maria de la Paz; Reyes-Garcia, Victoria

2010-01-01

Strengthening links between school and community is critical for improving people's participation in environmental issues. However, Mexican education programmes are generally unrelated to rural students' life experience and are planned without considering either teachers' or students' opinions. This article describes the participatory construction…

Assessing the Food Safety Attitudes and Awareness of Managers of School Feeding Programmes in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

PubMed

Sibanyoni, J J; Tabit, F T

2017-08-01

The managers of school feeding programmes are responsible for ensuring the safety of the food which is provided to schoolchildren, but very few studies have been conducted on the food safety knowledge and awareness of these managers. The objective of this study is to evaluate the food safety attitudes and awareness of managers of the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) in schools in Mpumalanga, a province of South Africa. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted in which questionnaires were used to collect data from 300 NSNP food service managers. The majority of schools offering NSNP meals were located in informal settlements and most were found to lack basic resources such as electricity (power supplies to the food preparation facility) and potable tap water in their kitchens. No school was found to have implemented the hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) programme, and only a few staff had received food safety training. Food safety implementation is worst in informal schools in rural areas due to limited resources and infrastructure. The NSNP food service managers in some schools-especially those located in rural settlements-were found to have little knowledge and awareness of HACCP. These results indicate an urgent need to provide NSNP managers with food safety training and resources (potable water supplies, electricity, dedicated food preparation facilities), particularly in schools in rural settlements.

[The role of health education in preventive medicine strategy of the Mexican Institute of Social Security].

PubMed

Rodríguez Véliz, A M

1982-01-01

This article presents the Mexican Institute for Social Security (IMSS) created in 1943 and describes its main features, its programmes and the role played by health education inside the programmes. It ends by explaining the present situation concerning health education and the changes which are presently envisaged. During its first twenty years, the IMSS promoted preventive medicine and trained health personnel. Since 1979 it has concerned itself mainly with some 10 million peasants and marginal groups. In the frame of a national development programme, a vaccination and detection campaign were implemented and the distribution system of potable water was extended. Mexico with a population of 73 million has the dual characteristics of a developed and a developing country (70 per cent of its population is urban, 30 per cent rural). The overcrowded cities contrast with the isolated rural areas where sanitary conditions are poor and life difficult. The main causes of mortality, in 1978, were: -in the towns: car accidents, cardiovascular diseases and suicide; -in rural areas, acute respiratory infections and intestinal infections. The 1978 Alma Ata international conference on primary health care and the meeting of Ministers of health convened in 1980 by the Pan American Health Organization endorsed the IMSS programmes which emphasize prevention, promote health education and community participation. The cost of preventive measures being cheaper than treatment, 203 million pesos were saved and allocated to the expansion of programmes. Systematic immunization has resulted in a sharp decline of diphteria, polio, rabies, typhoid, pertussis and measles. Early detection of tumours of cervix uteri has saved many lives.

Comparing federal and state healthcare provider performance in villages targeted by the conditional cash transfer programme of Mexico.

PubMed

Bustamante, Arturo Vargas

2011-10-01

This study investigates household out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures (OPH) and preventive care utilization (PHU) to compare federal and state healthcare provider performance in villages targeted by conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes in poor rural areas of Mexico. Lower OPH and higher PHU are indicative of better performance in the study setting. Log-linear and probit regression models were used to compare outcomes in households from treatment and control villages reached by federal and state healthcare providers. In treatment villages, eligible households receive cash grants from the CCT programme. In control villages, eligible households do not receive cash grants from the CCT programme at the time of the survey. Families who live in treatment villages reported lower OPH (-52.5% for federal and -46.2% for state clinics) and higher PHU (21% for federal and 20% for state clinics) regardless of clinic setting. As the reduction in OPH is higher in areas reached by the federal clinics, it implies better performance from this healthcare delivery system. Additionally, federal clinic outcomes were also more homogeneous because OPH are not significantly different between treatment and control villages. Alternative measures such as drug and physician expenditures, diabetes and hypertension tests and nutritional-supplement receipt confirmed these findings. Mexico has two healthcare delivery systems that cater to identical rural populations. The better-funded and more centralized federal system is more effective at providing health care in poor rural villages of Mexico regardless of CCT participation. State clinics in villages targeted by the CCT programme, however, perform significantly better. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Truck Stop Electrification for Heavy-Duty

Science.gov Websites

-board equipment so trucks can plug into electrical outlets at the truck stop. To use dual-system electrification, trucks must be equipped with AC equipment or an inverter to convert 120-volt power, electrical equipment, and hardware to plug in to the electrical outlet. Necessary electrical equipment might include an

The Cultural Missions Programme: An Early Attempt at Community Development in Mexico.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubio, Alfredo

1978-01-01

The author reviews the "Cultural Missions Programme" of Mexico's educational reform after 1920, in which groups of teachers using Catholic missionary methods fought poverty and ignorance in rural Mexico. These mission programs embody most of the community development principles and are still needed. (MF)

Electrification of organic particles explains apparent absence of small-scale bedforms on Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pähtz, T.; Duran Vinent, O.

2017-12-01

Harper et al. (Nat. Geosci., 2017) recently reported measurements that contact electrification tends to charge Titan sand, which is mainly composed of low-density organic particles, much more readily than Earth sand. We here show that this finding has major implications for the formation of bedforms on Titan by incorporating it into a recent unified theory of sediment transport cessation across environments (https://arxiv.org/abs/1602.07079): The modified theory predicts that the cessation threshold and thus the saturation length of sediment transport on Titan increase strongly as a result of contact electrification. We then use the predicted saturation length as an input in a recent unified bedform model by Duran and co-workers to explain the apparent absence of small-scale bedforms on Titan suggested by observations.

Home-Based Learning Programmes for Mentally Handicapped People in Rural Areas of Zimbabwe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mariga, Lilian; McConkey, Roy

1987-01-01

The paper describes a community based rehabilitation program for mentally handicapped children and young adults living with their families in rural areas of Zimbabwe. Critical to the program's success are (1) partnership with existing agencies; (2) training and monitoring provided by specialist staff; and (3) provision of appropriate resource…

Developing Educational Alternatives: Some New Ways for Education in Rural Areas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, A. W.

The evolution and diversification of alternative educational programmes for rural communities are traced from the "shock-absorber" approach, aimed at a sector of society which presented a visible need, toward community education and some of the working principles behind it. The starting point for examining educational evolution is traditional…

"School for Life" in Ghana: Promoting Literate Opportunities for Rural Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherris, Arieh; Sulemana, Osama Saaka; Alhassan, Andani; Abudu, Grace; Karim, Abdul-Rahaman

2014-01-01

Sociocultural and socio-economic conditions (e.g. subsistence family farming needs) as well as the absence of nearby public schools result in Ghanaian youth, primarily from rural areas, not receiving formal schooling. Because of this, children may never learn to read and write. One solution is a complementary education programme (CEP) that…

Improving malaria knowledge and practices in rural Myanmar through a village health worker intervention: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Since 2008 the Sun Primary Health (SPH) franchise programme has networked and branded community health workers in rural Myanmar to provide high quality malaria information and treatment. The purpose of this paper is to compare the malaria knowledge level and health practices of individuals in SPH intervention areas to individuals without SPH intervention Methods This study uses data from a cross-sectional household survey of 1,040 individuals living in eight rural townships to compare the knowledge level of individuals in SPH intervention areas to individuals without SPH intervention. Results This study found that the presence of a SPH provider in the community is associated with increased malaria knowledge and higher likelihood of going to trained providers for fevers. Furthermore, the study found a dose–response, where the longer the duration of the programme in a community, the greater the community knowledge level. Conclusion The study suggests that community health workers might have significant impact on malaria-related mortality and morbidity in rural Myanmar. PMID:24386934

Comparative study of nutritional status of urban and rural Nigerian school children.

PubMed

Oninla, S O; Owa, J A; Onayade, A A; Taiwo, O

2007-02-01

Nutritional assessment in the community is essential for accurate planning and implementation of intervention programmes to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with under-nutrition. The study was, therefore, carried out to determine and compare the nutritional status of children attending urban and rural public primary schools in Ife Central Local Government Area (ICLGA) of Nigeria. The schools were stratified into urban and rural, and studied schools were selected by balloting. Information obtained on each pupil was entered into a pre-designed proforma. The weight and height were recorded for each pupil, and converted to nutritional indices (weight for age, weight for height, height for age). A total of 749 pupils (366 and 383 children from the rural and urban communities, respectively) were studied. The overall prevalent rates of underweight, wasting and stunting were 61.2, 16.8 and 27.6%, respectively. In the rural area these were 70.5, 17.8 and 35.8%, while in the urban they were 52.2, 15.9 and 19.8%, respectively. The mean nutritional indices (Weight for Age, Weight for Height and Height for Age) were found to be significantly lower among the rural pupils than urban pupils (P < 0.001 in each case). The present study shows that malnutrition (underweight, wasting and stunting) constituted major health problems among school children in Nigeria. This is particularly so in the rural areas. Therefore, prevention of malnutrition should be given a high priority in the implementation of the ongoing primary health care programmes with particular attention paid to the rural population.

Alternative Education Programmes and Middle School Dropout in Honduras

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Jeffery H.; Aguilar, Claudia R.; Alas, Mario; Castellanos, Renán Rápalo; Castro, Levi; Enamorado, Ramón; Fonseca, Esther

2014-01-01

Honduras has made steady progress in expanding post-primary school coverage in recent years, but many rural communities still do not provide a middle (lower secondary) school. As a result, Honduras has implemented a number of middle school alternative programmes designed to meet the needs of at-risk populations throughout the country. This article…

Evaluating Team Project-Work Using Triangulation: Lessons from Communities in Northern Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Gordon; Jasaw, Godfred Seidu

2014-01-01

This paper uses triangulation to assess key aspects of a team-based, participatory action research programme for undergraduates in rural communities across northern Ghana. The perceptions of the programme and its effects on the students, staff and host communities are compared, showing areas of agreement and disagreement. The successes of the…

Cultural Capital Theory: A Study of Children Enrolled in Rural and Urban Head Start Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bojczyk, Kathryn E.; Rogers-Haverback, Heather; Pae, Hye; Davis, Anna E.; Mason, Rihana S.

2015-01-01

Children from different backgrounds have disparate access to cultural capital, which may influence their academic success. The purpose of this study was to examine the links between family background, home literacy experiences, and emergent literacy skills among preschoolers enrolled in Head Start programmes. The background characteristics studied…

Evaluation of an early childhood parenting programme in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Aboud, Frances E

2007-03-01

To promote physical and mental development of children, parenting education programmes in developing countries focus on specific practices such as age-appropriate responsive stimulation and feeding. A programme delivered to groups of poor mothers of children, aged less than three years, in rural Bangladesh was evaluated using an intervention-control post-test design. Mothers (n=170) who had attended a year of educational sessions and their children were compared with those (n=159) from neighbouring villages who did not have access to such a programme. After covariates were controlled, the parenting mothers obtained higher scores on a test of child-rearing knowledge and on the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory of stimulation. The parenting mothers did not communicate differently with their children while doing a picture-talking task, and children did not show benefits in nutritional status or language comprehension. Parenting sessions offered by peer educators were informative and participatory, yet they need to include more practice, problem-solving, and peer-support if information is to be translated into behaviour.

Malaria prevalence in Bata district, Equatorial Guinea: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ncogo, Policarpo; Herrador, Zaida; Romay-Barja, Maria; García-Carrasco, Emely; Nseng, Gloria; Berzosa, Pedro; Santana-Morales, Maria A; Riloha, Matilde; Aparicio, Pilar; Valladares, Basilio; Benito, Agustín

2015-11-16

Malaria has traditionally been a leading public health problem in Equatorial Guinea. After completion, in September 2011, of the integrated set of interventions against malaria launched by the Global Fund Malaria Programme in the mainland area, the epidemiological situation of malaria remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate of malaria and associated factors based on the rapid diagnosis test (RDT) in Bata district, in order to provide evidence that will reinforce the National Malaria Control Programme. From June to August 2013, a representative cross sectional survey using a multistage, stratified, cluster-selected sample was carried out in urban zones and rural villages from Bata district. Data on socio-demographic, health status and malaria-related behaviours was collected. Malaria diagnosis was performed by RDT. Bivariate and multivariable statistical methods were employed to assess malaria prevalence and its association with different factors. Prevalence of malaria was higher in rural settings (58.9 %; CI 95 % 55.2-62.5 %) than in the sampled urban communities (33.9 %; CI 95 % 31.1-36.9 %). Presence of anaemia was also high, especially in rural sites (89.6 vs. 82.8 %, p < 0.001). The analyses show that a positive RDT result was significantly associated with age group, the most affected age range being 13 months-14 years old. Other significant covariates were ethnic group (only in urban sites), number of adults living in the house (only in rural villages) previous history of fever, anaemia (only in urban sites) and sleeping under a bed net. Moreover, those who never slept under a bed net were two times more likely to have malaria. The prevalence of malaria was high in Bata district, especially in rural villages. The National Programme to fight malaria in Equatorial Guinea should take into account the differences found between rural and urban communities and age groups to target appropriately those worst affected. The findings of this study will assist in planning and undertaking regional policy and other preventive initiatives.

Promotion of breast feeding in the community: impact of health education programme in rural communities in Nigeria.

PubMed

Davies-Adetugbo, A A

1996-03-01

Breast feeding has been recognized as a child survival strategy, while breast feeding programmes have been increasingly implemented in many communities. This study assesses the effectiveness of a breast feeding education programme launched through the primary health care programme in the rural communities of Nigeria. Late trimester pregnant women were enrolled into the study and given a questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) about breast feeding. Women in the study group (n = 126) received breast feeding counselling before and after delivery, while those in control group (n = 130) did not receive any counselling. Both groups were monitored after delivery and followed with the KAP questionnaire. The results of the study showed marked improvements in the intervention group for colostrum feeding (p = 0.0000). Moreover, 31.6% of the mothers in the intervention group practised timely initiation of breast feeding compared to 5.6% of the controls, and the prevalence of exclusive breast feeding at 4 months was 39.8% in the intervention group compared to 13.9% for the controls. Multivariate analysis showed that the intervention was a powerful and the only significant predictor of the increase in breast feeding behaviours (p = 0.0000), and that an early initiation of breast feeding is a strong predictor of exclusive breast feeding at 4 months of age. It is concluded that breast feeding promotion in rural communities is feasible and can lead to behavioural changes.

The development of peer educator-based harm reduction programmes in Northern Vietnam.

PubMed

Walsh, Nick; Gibbie, Tania M; Higgs, Peter

2008-03-01

Injecting drug use remains an important risk factor for transmission in Vietnam, with an estimated 50% of the 290 000 people living with HIV/AIDS reporting injecting drug use as a risk factor. Despite this, effective harm reduction interventions are generally lacking. This paper describes the implementation of peer-based harm reduction programmes in two rural provinces of Vietnam. Peer educators were trained in basic HIV prevention, including harm reduction. After significant preparation work with the Provincial AIDS Committees of Bac Giang and Thanh Hoa and other relevant national, provincial and local authorities, the interventions were commenced. Harm reduction interventions were delivered through outreach as well as on-site. This included needle and syringe distribution and collection. Community advocacy occurred throughout the life of the project. Local authorities and peers believed that while there was a general reduction in stigma and discrimination, legal barriers associated particularly with the carrying of injecting equipment remained. This impacted upon the ability of peer educators to work with their clients. Peer-based delivery of harm reduction intervention is acceptable. Harm reduction interventions, including needle and syringe programmes, are feasible and acceptable in these two rural Vietnamese provinces. Community acceptance and uptake of these interventions is key to successful expansion across the region. Active participation by families of drug users seems crucial. This initiative demonstrates that despite a difficult policy environment, peer-delivered needle and syringe programmes are feasible within a rural Asian environment as long as there is adequate local political and community support.

A practical framework for evaluating a culturally tailored adolescent substance abuse treatment programme in Molokai, Hawaii.

PubMed

Withy, Kelley M; Lee, Wayde; Renger, Ralph F

2007-11-01

Successful substance abuse treatment requires many changes in behavior, attitude and skills. Culturally tailored approaches to substance abuse treatment have shown initial success, but are not yet accepted as best practice models. In order to document programme effectiveness of a new culturally tailored substance abuse treatment programme on the rural island of Molokai, Hawaii, the authors worked to develop a multi-level evaluation plan to measure behavior changes occurring after participation in activities targeting identified causes of substance abuse in the population of interest. The authors compiled interview results to develop a map of identified causes of substance abuse in the community studied. Strategic planning then identified the specific activities aimed at impacting identified root causes. A literature review was performed to document the effectiveness of such activities. An evaluation plan was developed to measure programme impact on antecedent conditions contributing to substance use in this community. Prioritized causes of substance abuse in the target group included low self esteem, lack of self identity and life plan, and limited communication and conflict resolution skills. Activities targeting these conditions included cultural activities, group counseling, and individual counseling. Literature to support the benefit of addressing these factors was uncovered, and evaluation methodology was developed to measure changes in behaviors, attitudes, and practices, as a measure of programme success. While programme evaluation data is still being collected, the authors have demonstrated a sound foundation for programme activities, and designed methodology for collecting meaningful data to measure programme effectiveness at changing important root causes of substance abuse in a rural Native Hawaiian community.

Final Report - Navajo Electrification Demonstration Project - FY2004

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kenneth L. Craig, Interim General Manager

2007-03-31

The Navajo Electrification Demonstration Project (NEDP) is a multi-year projects which addresses the needs of unserved Navajo Nation residents without basic electricity services. The Navajo Nation is the United States' largest tribe, in terms of population and land. An estimated 18,000 Navajo Nation homes do not have basic grid-tied electricity--and this third year of funding, known as NEDP-3, provided 351 power line extensions to Navajo families.

Wind driven erosion and the effects of particulate electrification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merrison, J. P.; Bak, E.; Finster, K.; Gunnlaugsson, H. P.; Holstein-Rathlou, C.; Knak Jensen, S.; Nørnberg, P.; Rasmussen, K. R.

2012-09-01

Several related aspects of Aeolian activity are presently being studied in the laboratory, the most recent advances in this field will be presented. These include simulating wind driven erosion in the laboratory, quantifying erosion rates and the study of mineral change due to mechanical activation. Also advances in our understanding of the electrification of sand/dust particles is being made and how this phenomenon affects their behavior.

Analysis of alternative pathways for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions.

PubMed

Loughlin, Daniel H; Kaufman, Katherine R; Lenox, Carol S; Hubbell, Bryan J

2015-09-01

Strategies for reducing tropospheric ozone (O3) typically include modifying combustion processes to reduce the formation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and applying control devices that remove NOx from the exhaust gases of power plants, industrial sources and vehicles. For portions of the U.S., these traditional controls may not be sufficient to achieve the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. We apply the MARKet ALlocation (MARKAL) energy system model in a sensitivity analysis to explore whether additional NOx reductions can be achieved through extensive electrification of passenger vehicles, adoption of energy efficiency and conservation measures within buildings, and deployment of wind and solar power in the electric sector. Nationally and for each region of the country, we estimate the NOx implications of these measures. Energy efficiency and renewable electricity are shown to reduce NOx beyond traditional controls. Wide-spread light duty vehicle electrification produces varied results, with NOx increasing in some regions and decreasing in others. However, combining vehicle electrification with renewable electricity reduces NOx in all regions. State governments are charged with developing plans that demonstrate how air quality standards will be met and maintained. The results presented here provide an indication of the national and regional NOx reductions available beyond traditional controls via extensive adoption of energy efficiency, renewable electricity, and vehicle electrification.

Using programme theory to assess the feasibility of delivering micronutrient Sprinkles through a food-assisted maternal and child health and nutrition programme in rural Haiti.

PubMed

Loechl, Cornelia U; Menon, Purnima; Arimond, Mary; Ruel, Marie T; Pelto, Gretel; Habicht, Jean-Pierre; Michaud, Lesly

2009-01-01

This paper uses programme theory to assess, in the context of an effectiveness evaluation, the feasibility and acceptability of distributing micronutrient Sprinkles through a food-assisted maternal and child health and nutrition programme in rural Haiti. We laid out the steps related to programme delivery and household utilization of Sprinkles and used qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data on these steps. Methods included structured observations, checks of beneficiary ration cards, exit interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), individual interviews and survey data from the effectiveness evaluation. Results are as follows: (1) information on use of Sprinkles was provided before mothers first received them, as planned; (2) Sprinkles were re-packaged and distributed as planned and in the appropriate amount; (3) almost all mothers (96%) received two monthly rations of Sprinkles and received timely information on their use; (4) mothers understood instructions about use of Sprinkles and acceptance was high, and no selling of the product was reported or observed; and (5) mothers reported using Sprinkles as instructed, every day (63% in survey; 86% at exit interviews), and for the child only (99%). FGD with staff highlighted the acceptance of the intervention, with a reported 'modest' increase in workload. Within this well-established programme, it proved feasible to distribute Sprinkles and to ensure appropriate use by beneficiary mothers. Existing programme venues were suitable for distributing Sprinkles and educating mothers about their use. Use of programme theory helped to assess feasibility and acceptability of the Sprinkles intervention and provided useful information for programme replication or scale-up.

Educational Impact of a School Breakfast Programme in Rural Peru

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cueto, Santiago; Chinen, Marjorie

2008-01-01

In this paper, we present data from an evaluation of the educational impact of a school breakfast program implemented in rural schools in Peru. The results showed positive effects on school attendance and dropout rates, and a differential effect of the breakfast program on multiple-grade and full-grade schools. Particularly in multiple-grade…

Assignment Children. The BRAC Non-Formal Primary Education Programme in Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovell, Catherine H.; Fatema, Kaniz

In 1985, in response to requests from rural poor people, the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), the largest nongovernmental organization in Bangladesh, initiated a primary education program with experimental schools in 22 villages. By late 1989, the program had expanded to 2,500 schools, and another 2,000 schools were expected to open…

Effects of School-Based Point-of-Testing Counselling on Health Status Variables among Rural Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murimi, Mary W.; Chrisman, Matthew S.; Hughes, Kelly; Taylor, Chris; Kim, Yeonsoo; McAllister, Tiffany L.

2015-01-01

Objective: Rural areas may suffer from a lack of access to health care and programmes to promote behaviours such as healthy eating and physical activity. Point-of-testing counselling is a method of promoting a healthy lifestyle during an individual's most "teachable moment". Design/Setting: This longitudinal study examined the effects of…

Community Participation in Rural Ecuador's School Feeding Programme: A Health Promoting School Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torres, Irene; Simovska, Venka

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the debate concerning community participation in school-based health education and health promotion, with regard to food and nutrition. Design/methodology/approach: Based on empirical data generated over the course of one year of fieldwork in three rural communities and schools in Ecuador, the…

Training Home Economists for Rural Development. Report of a Global Study on the Development of Criteria for Establishing Training Institutions for Home Economics Staff in Rural Development. FAO Economic and Social Development Paper 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY.

In 1973 a global study aimed toward the development of criteria for establishing institutions for training home economists for rural development programs was initiated by the Home Economics and Social Programmes Services of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. As a first step, a survey was developed on the variety of roles appropriate…

Examining the predictors of academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine via two equity pathways: a retrospective observational study at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand

PubMed Central

Curtis, Elana; Wikaire, Erena; Jiang, Yannan; McMillan, Louise; Loto, Robert; Poole, Phillippa; Barrow, Mark; Bagg, Warwick; Reid, Papaarangi

2017-01-01

Objective To determine associations between admission markers of socioeconomic status, transitioning, bridging programme attendance and prior academic preparation on academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine under access pathways designed to widen participation. Findings were compared with students admitted via the general (usual) admission pathway. Design Retrospective observational study using secondary data. Setting  6-year medical programme (MBChB), University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Students are selected and admitted into Year 2 following a first year (undergraduate) or prior degree (graduate). Participants 1676 domestic students admitted into Year 2 between 2002 and 2012 via three pathways: GENERAL admission (1167), Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme—MAPAS (317) or Rural Origin Medical Preferential Entry—ROMPE (192). Of these, 1082 students completed the programme in the study period. Main outcome measures Graduated from medical programme (yes/no), academic scores in Years 2–3 (Grade Point Average (GPA), scored 0–9). Results 735/778 (95%) of GENERAL, 111/121 (92%) of ROMPE and 146/183 (80%) of MAPAS students graduated from intended programme. The graduation rate was significantly lower in the MAPAS students (p<0.0001). The average Year 2–3 GPA was 6.35 (SD 1.52) for GENERAL, which was higher than 5.82 (SD 1.65, p=0.0013) for ROMPE and 4.33 (SD 1.56, p<0.0001) for MAPAS. Multiple regression analyses identified three key predictors of better academic outcomes: bridging programme attendance, admission as an undergraduate and admission GPA/Grade Point Equivalent (GPE). Attending local urban schools and higher school deciles were also associated with a greater likelihood of graduation. All regression models have controlled for predefined baseline confounders (gender, age and year of admission). Conclusions There were varied associations between admission variables and academic outcomes across the three admission pathways. Equity-targeted admission programmes inclusive of variations in academic threshold for entry may support a widening participation agenda, however, additional academic and pastoral supports are recommended. PMID:28847768

The Scottish Government's Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services Strategic Research Progamme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Lorna; Bestwick, Charles

2013-04-01

The Strategic Research Programme focuses on the delivery of outputs and outcomes within the major policy agenda areas of climate change, land use and food security, and to impact on the 'Wealthier', 'Healthier' and 'Greener' strategic objectives of the Scottish Government. The research is delivered through two programmes: 'Environmental Change' and 'Food, Land and People'; the core strength of which is the collaboration between the Scottish Government's Main Research Providers-The James Hutton Institute, the Moredun Research Institute, Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health University of Aberdeen, Scotland's Rural College, Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland and The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh. The research actively seeks to inform and be informed by stakeholders from policy, farming, land use, water and energy supply, food production and manufacturing, non-governmental organisations, voluntary organisations, community groups and general public. This presentation will provide an overview of the programme's interdisciplinary research, through examples from across the programme's themes. Examples will exemplify impact within the Strategic Programme's priorities of supporting policy and practice, contributing to economic growth and innovation, enhancing collaborative and multidisciplinary research, growing scientific resilience and delivering scientific excellence. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Research/About/EBAR/StrategicResearch/future-research-strategy/Themes/ http://www.knowledgescotland.org/news.php?article_id=295

English at Your Fingertips: Learning Initiatives for Rural Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekaryan, Lilit; Soghomonyan, Zaruhi; Harutyunyan, Arusyak

2017-01-01

The present paper addresses the practice of a new English classroom on the model of a free e-learning programme in the context of adult education in Armenia, a country where English is taught as a second foreign language. The research reviews the results and impact of an online English language learning programme initiated for those vulnerable…

Science Teacher Training Programme in Rural Schools: An ODL Lesson from Zimbabwe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mhishi, Misheck; Bhukuvhani, Crispen Erinos; Sana, Abel Farikai

2012-01-01

This case study looked at 76 randomly selected preservice science teachers from Mbire and Guruve districts who were learning at the Mushumbi Centre in Zimbabwe and assessed their motivations for enrolling under the Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE)'s Virtual and Open Distance Learning (VODL) programme. It also looked at the challenges…

Programme for Learning Enrichment. A Van Leer Project: An Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghani, Zainal

This paper reports the evaluation of a project undertaken by the Sarawak Education Department to improve the quality of education in upper primary classes in rural Sarawak, Malaysia. The project is known officially as the Programme for Learning Enrichment, and commonly as the Van Leer Project, after the international agency which provides the main…

Establishing an Online HIV Peer Helping Programme: A Review of Process Challenges and Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Gregory E.; Corcoran, Valerie; Myles, Adam; Lundrigan, Philip; White, Robert; Greidanus, Elaine; Savage, Stephanie L.; Pope, Leslie; McDonald, James; Yetman, Gerard

2015-01-01

Background: Online peer support can be a valuable approach to helping people living with HIV, especially in regions with large rural populations and relatively centralised HIV services. Design: This paper focuses on a community-university partnership aimed at developing an online peer support programme in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and…

Rural poverty reduction through centrally sponsored schemes.

PubMed

Saxena, N C

2007-10-01

This paper discusses the evolving profile of poverty in India and reviews the national performance of selected anti-poverty programmes between 1997-1998 and 2005. For each programme, it outlines the budgetary allocation principle used for the States and districts and analyzes budgetary performance over the period. The main objective is to explore the extent to which the anti-poverty programmes are reaching their target groups effectively. Finally, it identifies the specific factors responsible for under-performance and provides a set of recommendations for policy makers and programme implementers which could help improve the outcomes of the schemes.

Corona from Ice, Thunderstorm Electrification and Lightning Suppression.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-11-01

rates of droplets highly charged by interaction with corona streamers. Laboratory and theoretical studies have been performed in an effort to explore in...CORONA FROM ICE, THUNDERSTORM ELECTRIFICATION Final AND LIGHTNING SUPPRESSION 1 Sep 77 to 31 Aug 80 6. Performing Org. Report Number 7. Author(s) 8...Contract or Grant Number J. Latham AFOSR-77-3429 O"o 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Program Element, Project, Task Physics Department

Electrification of Shaken Granular Flows as a Model of Natural Storm Charging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kara, O.; Nordsiek, F.; Lathrop, D. P.

2015-12-01

The charging of particulates in nature is widespread and observed in thunderstorms, volcanic ash clouds, thunder-snow, and dust storms. However the mechanism of charge separation at large (> 1km) scale is poorly understood. We perform simple laboratory experiments to better understand the collective phenomena involved in granular electrification. We confine granular particles in an oscillating cylindrical chamber which is enclosed and sealed by two conducting plates. The primary measurement is the voltage difference between the two plates. We find that collective effects occurring in the bulk of the material play a significant role in the electrification process. We extend that by addition of photodetection capabilities to the experimental chamber to detect electrical discharges between the particles and each other and the plates. We present measurements of electrical discharges in addition to the slower dynamics of voltage variation in the system.

A situational analysis methodology to inform comprehensive HIV prevention and treatment programming, applied in rural South Africa.

PubMed

Treves-Kagan, Sarah; Naidoo, Evasen; Gilvydis, Jennifer M; Raphela, Elsie; Barnhart, Scott; Lippman, Sheri A

2017-09-01

Successful HIV prevention programming requires engaging communities in the planning process and responding to the social environmental factors that shape health and behaviour in a specific local context. We conducted two community-based situational analyses to inform a large, comprehensive HIV prevention programme in two rural districts of North West Province South Africa in 2012. The methodology includes: initial partnership building, goal setting and background research; 1 week of field work; in-field and subsequent data analysis; and community dissemination and programmatic incorporation of results. We describe the methodology and a case study of the approach in rural South Africa; assess if the methodology generated data with sufficient saturation, breadth and utility for programming purposes; and evaluate if this process successfully engaged the community. Between the two sites, 87 men and 105 women consented to in-depth interviews; 17 focus groups were conducted; and 13 health facilities and 7 NGOs were assessed. The methodology succeeded in quickly collecting high-quality data relevant to tailoring a comprehensive HIV programme and created a strong foundation for community engagement and integration with local health services. This methodology can be an accessible tool in guiding community engagement and tailoring future combination HIV prevention and care programmes.

Prolonged persistence of residual Wuchereria bancrofti infection after cessation of diethylcarbamazine-fortified salt programme.

PubMed

Ramaiah, K D; Thiruvengadam, B; Vanamail, P; Subramanian, S; Gunasekaran, S; Nilamani, N; Das, P K

2009-08-01

A diethylcarbamazine (DEC)-fortified salt intervention programme was implemented between 1982 and 1986 in Karaikal district, Union territory of Pondicherry, south India, to control Culex transmitted bancroftian filariasis. The intervention reduced the microfilaria (Mf) rate from 4.49% to 0.08%. To eliminate the residual microfilaraemia, the health department detected and treated Mf carriers from 1987 to 2005 and mass-administered drugs in 2004 and 2005. Surveillance from 1987 to 2005 revealed persistent microfilaraemia in 0.03-0.42% of the population. In 2006, we conducted a more detailed Mf survey and a child antigenaemia (Ag) survey in 15 urban wards and 17 rural villages. These surveys showed an overall Mf rate of 0.46% in the high-risk urban areas and 0.18% in the rural areas; none of the sampled children was positive for Ag. All detected Mf carriers were >20 years old. The age of the youngest Mf carrier was 30 years in urban and 21 years in rural areas, which suggests that transmission was interrupted and there was no incidence of new Mf case after cessation of DEC salt programme. Eleven of 15 urban and 15 of 17 villages were totally free from microfilaraemia. Nevertheless, three of 15 surveyed urban localities and two of 17 villages showed >1% Mf rate. Thus, it seems that (i) post-intervention very low levels of microfilaraemia can continue as long as 20 years; (ii) 0.60-0.70% Mf rate is a safe level and at this level recrudescence of infection may not occur; (iii) there can be isolated localities with >1% Mf rate and their detection for further intervention measures could be challenging in larger control/elimination programmes and (iv) the residual infection mostly gets concentrated in the adult population, in underdeveloped urban areas and in historically highly endemic or large endemic rural areas. These groups and areas should be targeted with rigorous intervention measures such as mass drug administration to eliminate the residual infection.

Poor uptake of an online intervention in a cluster randomised controlled trial of online diabetes education for rural general practitioners.

PubMed

Paul, Christine L; Piterman, Leon; Shaw, Jonathan E; Kirby, Catherine; Forshaw, Kristy L; Robinson, Jennifer; Thepwongsa, Isaraporn; Sanson-Fisher, Robert W

2017-03-23

In Australia, rural and remote communities have high rates of diabetes-related death and hospitalisation. General practitioners (GPs) play a major role in diabetes detection and management. Education of GPs could optimise diabetes management and improve patient outcomes at a population level. The study aimed to describe the uptake of a continuing medical education intervention for rural GPs and its impact on the viability of a cluster randomised controlled trial of the effects of continuing medical education on whole-town diabetes monitoring and control. Trial design: the cluster randomised controlled trial involved towns as the unit of allocation and analysis with outcomes assessed by de-identified pathology data (not reported here). The intervention programme consisted of an online active learning module, direct electronic access to specialist advice and performance feedback. Multiple rounds of invitation were used to engage GPs with the online intervention content. Evidence-based strategies (e.g. pre-notification, rewards, incentives) were incorporated into the invitations to enrol in the programme. Recruitment to the programme was electronically monitored through the hosting software package during the study intervention period. Eleven matched pairs of towns were included in the study. There were 146 GPs in the 11 intervention towns, of whom 34 (23.3%) enrolled in the programme, and 8 (5.5%) completed the online learning module. No town had more than 10% of the resident GPs complete the learning module. There were no contacts made by GPs regarding requests for specialist advice. Consequently, the trial was discontinued. There is an ongoing need to engage primary care physicians in improving diabetes monitoring and management in rural areas. Online training options, while notionally attractive and accessible, are not likely to have high levels of uptake, even when evidence-based recruitment strategies are implemented. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, identifier: ACTRN12611000553976 . Retrospectively registered on 31 May 2011.

Going the distance: early results of a distributed medical education initiative for Royal College residencies in Canada.

PubMed

Myhre, Douglas L; Hohman, Stacey

2012-01-01

There is a shortage of specialty physicians practising in rural Canada: only 2.4% of Canadian specialist physicians practise rurally. Numerous strategies have been proposed and attempted that aim to increase the number of rural physicians. These include undergraduate and postgraduate distributed medical education opportunities. The Distributed Royal College Initiative at the University of Calgary is increasing the exposure of specialty residents to rural medicine through regional rotations and electives. An assessment of the initial impacts of this programme was made. Specialty residents were sent a voluntary survey following their regional rotation in academic year 2010-2011. The survey measured each resident's satisfaction with the experience, interest in undertaking another rotation and the impact of the rotation on potential rural practice location. The survey asked for written comments on the rotation. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. A total of 73% (29) of the 40 eligible residents completed the survey that was distributed upon completion of the rotation. In the survey, 45% of respondents indicated they would have been likely to practise in a regional community prior to the experience. This changed to 76% following the rotation. Analysis of the comments revealed strong positive characteristics of the experience across all disciplines. Specialty-based, rural distributed programmes were perceived by the residents as educationally valuable and may be crucial in helping shift attitudes towards rural practice. Specific successful characteristics of the rotations provide direction to increase their quality further. These findings need to be verified in a larger sample.

Sexually Harassing Behavior against Adolescent Girls in Rural Bangladesh: Implications for Achieving Millennium Development Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alam, Nurul; Roy, Swapan K.; Ahmed, Tahmeed

2010-01-01

This study examines the extent and type of sexually harassing behavior or intimidations unmarried adolescent girls experienced on their way to school, college or social visits and type of perpetrators in victims' view in rural Bangladesh using data of the 2004 National Nutrition Programme baseline survey. The survey collected self-reported data on…

A Holistic School-Based Nutrition Program Fails to Improve Teachers' Nutrition-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour in Rural China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Dongxu; Stewart, Donald; Chang, Chun

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of a holistic school-based nutrition programme using the health-promoting school (HPS) approach, on teachers' knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to nutrition in rural China. Design/methodology/approach: A cluster-randomised intervention trial design was employed. Two…

Undernutrition in Nigeria: dimension, causes and remedies for alleviation in a changing socio-economic environment.

PubMed

Igbedioh, S O

1993-01-01

Undernutrition in Nigeria is a long standing problem which has persisted since the 1960s and whose magnitude is on the increase. This is because food consumption, both in quality and quantity, has decreased appreciably, especially with the commencement of the structural adjustment programme (SAP) in 1986. Available studies from limited data have indicated that the introduction of economic reforms more than anything else has contributed to reduced food intake and the near collapse of nutrition oriented health delivery services. Since the economic reforms may continue into the next decade and beyond, sustainable remedies for alleviation of the problem are urgently needed. Suggested remedial programmes include increased support for the rural farmers, strengthening of the rural credit schemes that are specifically targeted at the poor, distribution of vitamin A and iron supplements in rural health centres, encouraging production of low cost weaning diets and integrating nutrition education in primary health care schemes and in educational curricula.

Beneficial effects of a woman-focused development programme on child survival: evidence from rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Bhuiya, Abbas; Chowdhury, Mushtaque

2002-11-01

This paper reports results from a prospective study of the impact of a woman-focused development programme on child survival in Matlab, a rural area of Bangladesh. The programme was targeted to households owning less than 50 decimals of land and members selling more than 100 days of labour for living in a year. Programme components included formation of women's groups for saving and credit, training on skill development, functional literacy including legal and social awareness, and technical and marketing support to projects undertaken with the loan money from the organization. A total of 13,549 children born alive during 1988-97 in the study area were included in the study. Hazards of mortality during pre- and post-intervention periods were compared among the programme participants and non-participants controlling the effects of other relevant variables. There has been a substantial reduction in mortality during the post-intervention period; however, the reduction was much greater for infants whose mothers participated in the development programme compared to infants of non-participant mothers from similar socioeconomic background. In a relative sense, there has been a 52% reduction of the pre-intervention level hazard of death of children during infancy of participant mothers compared to 31% reduction for the infants of non-participant mothers from similar socioeconomic background. There had also been a substantial reduction in hazard of death during childhood (1-4 year age group), however, the reduction was statistically similar for all groups of children irrespective of their mothers' participation in the development programmes.

Child-to-Child programme in the Philippine setting.

PubMed

Rabor, I F; Santos Ocampo, P D

1982-09-01

The Philippines is an archipelago with a growing population, largely rural, 50% of which is in the 0-14 years old age group. As noted by WHO (1978), the leading health problems are communicable diseases, malnutrition, poor environmental sanitation, malaria and schistosomiasis, rapid population growth, drug abuse and dependence. Health care delivery is hampered by insufficient number and maldistribution of personnel, health clinics and hospitals. The predominant attitude of curative rather than preventive approach to health problems shared by consumers and care givers alike, passive and meager participation if at all on the part of recipients also contribute to deficient health care delivery. Child-to-Child health programmes would be most useful in depressed areas of the country, especially in the rural setting and should be widely implemented if feasible. Data concerning the community involved will include resources, strengths and weaknesses, and degree of commitment from its members. We hope to have in the Philippines more experience in Child-to-Child programmes-health care delivery in the future.

Does Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the Context of a Rural School Mental Health Programme Have an Impact on Academic Outcomes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael, Kurt D.; Albright, Abby; Jameson, John Paul; Sale, Rafaella; Massey, Cameron; Kirk, Alex; Egan, Theresa

2013-01-01

Given the prevalence of mental health difficulties among children and adolescents, schools have become a suitable context for providing psychological services to those who may otherwise go untreated. The co-occurrence of mental health impairments and academic problems has been widely cited, and many school mental health (SMH) programmes have begun…

School Feeding and Educational Access in Rural Ghana: Is Poor Targeting and Delivery Limiting Impact?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Essuman, Ato; Bosumtwi-Sam, Cynthia

2013-01-01

In an effort to address social imbalances and equity in Ghana's education delivery and to achieve her Education for All (EFA) agenda, some pro-poor programmes have been introduced. Among these is the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) that aims among others, at providing safety nets for the poor, increasing school enrolment in addition to…

Essays on Infrastructure Design and Planning for Clean Energy Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kocaman, Ayse Selin

The International Energy Agency estimates that the number of people who do not have access to electricity is nearly 1.3 billion and a billion more have only unreliable and intermittent supply. Moreover, current supply for electricity generation mostly relies on fossil fuels, which are finite and one of the greatest threats to the environment. Rising population growth rates, depleting fuel sources, environmental issues and economic developments have increased the need for mathematical optimization to provide a formal framework that enables systematic and clear decision-making in energy operations. This thesis through its methodologies and algorithms enable tools for energy generation, transmission and distribution system design and help policy makers make cost assessments in energy infrastructure planning rapidly and accurately. In Chapter 2, we focus on local-level power distribution systems planning for rural electrification using techniques from combinatorial optimization. We describe a heuristic algorithm that provides a quick solution for the partial electrification problem where the distribution network can only connect a pre-specified number of households with low voltage lines. The algorithm demonstrates the effect of household settlement patterns on the electrification cost. We also describe the first heuristic algorithm that selects the locations and service areas of transformers without requiring candidate solutions and simultaneously builds a two-level grid network in a green-field setting. The algorithms are applied to real world rural settings in Africa, where household locations digitized from satellite imagery are prescribed. In Chapter 3 and 4, we focus on power generation and transmission using clean energy sources. Here, we imagine a country in the future where hydro and solar are the dominant sources and fossil fuels are only available in minimal form. We discuss the problem of modeling hydro and solar energy production and allocation, including long-term investments and storage, capturing the stochastic nature of hourly supply and demand data. We mathematically model two hybrid energy generation and allocation systems where time variability of energy sources and demand is balanced using the water stored in the reservoirs. In Chapter 3, we use conventional hydro power stations (incoming stream flows are stored in large dams and water release is deferred until it is needed) and in Chapter 4, we use pumped hydro stations (water is pumped from lower reservoir to upper reservoir during periods of low demand to be released for generation when demand is high). Aim of the models is to determine optimal sizing of infrastructure needed to match demand and supply in a most reliable and cost effective way. An innovative contribution of this work is the establishment of a new perspective to energy modeling by including fine-grained sources of uncertainty such as stream flow and solar radiations in hourly level as well as spatial location of supply and demand and transmission network in national level. In addition, we compare the conventional and the pumped hydro power systems in terms of reliability and cost efficiency and quantitatively show the improvement provided by including pumped hydro storage. The model will be presented with a case study of India and helps to answer whether solar energy in addition to hydro power potential in Himalaya Mountains would be enough to meet growing electricity demand if fossil fuels could be almost completely phased out from electricity generation.

Wood for energy and rural development: the Philippine experience

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Denton, F.H.

1983-01-01

The Philippine wood energy programme (dendro-thermal system) was originally developed as a source of energy independent of imported oil, and at a lower cost than oil. It has social benefits: new jobs, land distribution, rural income increment, and reforestation by tree farmers. Tree farming, its administration and organization of farmer institutions are essential to the programme, as are the development of farming techniques to produce energy, trees (growth of ipil-ipil), and an improved tree growth rate. An analysis of the economics of wood energy led to the conclusion that raw wood fuel can be cheaper than oil. In estimated costsmore » of electricity, the dendro-thermal plants can produce power at competitive rates. 36 references.« less

Alleviating poverty or reinforcing inequality? Interpreting micro-finance in practice, with illustrations from rural China.

PubMed

Hsu, Becky Yang

2014-06-01

Academic and political discussions about micro-finance have been found lacking in predictive power, because they are based on orthodox economic theory, which does not properly comprehend the social components of credit. I take a better approach, utilizing credit theory--specifically, Ingham's explication of how the nature of money as credit leads to social inequality. I also expound the perspective that morality is not separate from considerations borrowers make in micro-finance programmes on the micro level. I draw upon illustrations from my fieldwork in rural China, where a group-lending micro-finance programme was administered as part of a larger government-initiated effort across the country. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2014.

Economic aspects of rural sanitation in the United States of America*

PubMed Central

Hollis, Mark D.

1954-01-01

Although health conditions in the rural areas of the USA are comparatively good, they are inferior to those in the urban areas. An important reason for this inferiority is the fact that rural sanitation is less a social responsibility than an individual responsibility, which many rural families cannot finance. The rural culture imposes many handicaps on the rural family's health and wealth. Such handicaps may be moderated by sanitation and related social and economic measures, if the measures selected are appropriate to the local needs and resources, which may vary greatly. Although sanitation needs are common to all rural areas, the refinement and complexity of sanitation facilities and services cannot be uniform. Allowing for variable circumstances, however, the basic elements of rural sanitation in the USA can be realized within a generation. The probable net gains in farm productivity would seem to warrant support for a rural sanitation programme on economic grounds alone, if an economic market may be assumed for the increase in agricultural production. PMID:13160756

Landscapes Impacted by Light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arellano, B.; Roca, J.

2016-06-01

The gradual spread of urbanization, the phenomenon known under the term urban sprawl, has become one of the paradigms that have characterized the urban development since the second half of the twentieth century and early twenty-first century. However, there is no unanimous consensus about what means "urbanization". The plurality of forms of human settlement on the planet difficult to identify the urbanization processes. The arrival of electrification to nearly every corner of the planet is certainly the first and more meaningful indicator of artificialization of land. In this sense, the paper proposes a new methodology based on the analysis of the satellite image of nighttime lights designed to identify the highly impacted landscapes worldwide and to build an index of Land Impacted by Light per capita (LILpc) as an indicator of the level of urbanization. The used methodology allows the identification of different typologies of urbanized areas (villages, cities or metropolitan areas), as well as "rural", "rurban", "periurban" and "central" landscapes. The study identifies 186,134 illuminated contours (urbanized areas). In one hand, 404 of these contours could be consider as real "metropolitan areas"; and in the other hand, there are 161,821 contours with less than 5,000 inhabitants, which could be identify as "villages". Finally, the paper shows that 44.5 % live in rural areas, 15.5 % in rurban spaces, 26.2 % in suburban areas and only 18.4 % in central areas.

What motivates use of community-based human immunodeficiency virus testing in rural South Africa?

PubMed Central

Upadhya, Devesh; Moll, Anthony P; Brooks, Ralph P; Friedland, Gerald; Shenoi, Sheela V

2016-01-01

Despite substantial progress in implementing human immunodeficiency virus testing, challenges remain in achieving widespread uptake particularly in rural resource-limited settings. We sought to understand motivations for human immunodeficiency virus testing in a community-based human immunodeficiency virus testing programme in rural South Africa. We conducted a questionnaire survey in participants undergoing voluntary human immunodeficiency virus testing within an ongoing community-based integrated human immunodeficiency virus/TB intensive case finding programme at congregate rural settings. Participants responded to a six-item non-mutually exclusive motivations survey which included the topics of feeling ill, recent HV exposure, risky lifestyle, illness in a family member, and pregnancy. Among 2068 respondents completing the survey, 1393 (67.4%) were women, median age was 40 years (IQR 19–56), and 1235 (59.7%) were first time testers. Among all testers, 142 (6.9%) were human immunodeficiency virus-positive with median CD4 count 346 (IQR 218–542). Community-based testing for human immunodeficiency virus is acceptable and meets the needs of community members in rural South Africa. Motivations for human immunodeficiency virus testing at the community level are complex and differ according to gender, age, site of community testing, and human immunodeficiency virus status. These differences can be utilised to improve the focus and yield of community-based human immunodeficiency virus screening. PMID:26134323

A Guidebook on Grid Interconnection and Islanded Operation of Mini-Grid Power Systems Up to 200 kW

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greacen, Chris; Engel, Richard; Quetchenbach, Thomas

A Guidebook on Grid Interconnection and Islanded Operation of Mini-Grid Power Systems Up to 200 kW is intended to help meet the widespread need for guidance, standards, and procedures for interconnecting mini-grids with the central electric grid as rural electrification advances in developing countries, bringing these once separate power systems together. The guidebook aims to help owners and operators of renewable energy mini-grids understand the technical options available, safety and reliability issues, and engineering and administrative costs of different choices for grid interconnection. The guidebook is intentionally brief but includes a number of appendices that point the reader to additionalmore » resources for indepth information. Not included in the scope of the guidebook are policy concerns about “who pays for what,” how tariffs should be set, or other financial issues that are also paramount when “the little grid connects to the big grid.”« less

Development of secondary chamber for tar cracking-improvement of wood pyrolysis performance in pre-vacuum chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siahaan, S.; Homma, H.; Homma, H.

2018-02-01

Energy crisis and global warming, in other words, climate change are critical topics discussed in various parts of the world. Global warming primarily result from too much emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. To mitigate global warming, or climate change and improve electrification in rural areas, wood pyrolysis technology is developed in a laboratory scale, of which gases are directly applicable to the gas engine generator. Our laboratory has developed a prototype of wood pyrolysis plant with a pre-vacuum chamber. However, tar yield was around 40 wt% of feedstock. This research aims to reduce tar yield by secondary tar cracking. For the secondary tar cracking, a secondary pre-vacuum chamber is installed after primary pre-vacuum chamber. Gases generated in the primary pre-vacuum chamber are lead into the secondary chamber that is heated up to 1000 K. This paper reports performance of the secondary chamber for secondary tar cracking in homogeneous mode and heterogeneous mode with char.

Diesel plant retrofitting options to enhance decentralized electricity supply in Indonesia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baring-Gould, E I; Barley, C D; Drouilhet, S

1997-09-01

Over the last 20 years, the government of Indonesia has undertaken an extensive program to provide electricity to the population of that country. The electrification of rural areas has been partially achieved through the use of isolated diesel systems, which account for about 20% of the country`s generated electricity. Due to many factors related to inefficient power production with diesels, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in conjunction with PLN, the Indonesian national utility, Community Power Corporation, and Idaho Power Company, analyzed options for retrofitting existing diesel power systems. This study considered the use of different combinations of advanced diesel control,more » the addition of wind generators, photovoltaics and batteries to reduce the systems of overall cost and fuel consumption. This analysis resulted in a general methodology for retrofitting diesel power systems. This paper discusses five different retrofitting options to improve the performance of diesel power systems. The systems considered in the Indonesian analysis are cited as examples for the options discussed.« less

Understanding and improving access to prompt and effective malaria treatment and care in rural Tanzania: the ACCESS Programme.

PubMed

Hetzel, Manuel W; Iteba, Nelly; Makemba, Ahmed; Mshana, Christopher; Lengeler, Christian; Obrist, Brigit; Schulze, Alexander; Nathan, Rose; Dillip, Angel; Alba, Sandra; Mayumana, Iddy; Khatib, Rashid A; Njau, Joseph D; Mshinda, Hassan

2007-06-29

Prompt access to effective treatment is central in the fight against malaria. However, a variety of interlinked factors at household and health system level influence access to timely and appropriate treatment and care. Furthermore, access may be influenced by global and national health policies. As a consequence, many malaria episodes in highly endemic countries are not treated appropriately. The ACCESS Programme aims at understanding and improving access to prompt and effective malaria treatment and care in a rural Tanzanian setting. The programme's strategy is based on a set of integrated interventions, including social marketing for improved care seeking at community level as well as strengthening of quality of care at health facilities. This is complemented by a project that aims to improve the performance of drug stores. The interventions are accompanied by a comprehensive set of monitoring and evaluation activities measuring the programme's performance and (health) impact. Baseline data demonstrated heterogeneity in the availability of malaria treatment, unavailability of medicines and treatment providers in certain areas as well as quality problems with regard to drugs and services. The ACCESS Programme is a combination of multiple complementary interventions with a strong evaluation component. With this approach, ACCESS aims to contribute to the development of a more comprehensive access framework and to inform and support public health professionals and policy-makers in the delivery of improved health services.

Placement, support, and retention of health professionals: national, cross-sectional findings from medical and dental community service officers in South Africa.

PubMed

Hatcher, Abigail M; Onah, Michael; Kornik, Saul; Peacocke, Julia; Reid, Stephen

2014-02-26

In South Africa, community service following medical training serves as a mechanism for equitable distribution of health professionals and their professional development. Community service officers are required to contribute a year towards serving in a public health facility while receiving supervision and remuneration. Although the South African community service programme has been in effect since 1998, little is known about how placement and practical support occur, or how community service may impact future retention of health professionals. National, cross-sectional data were collected from community service officers who served during 2009 using a structured self-report questionnaire. A Supervision Satisfaction Scale (SSS) was created by summing scores of five questions rated on a three-point Likert scale (orientation, clinical advising, ongoing mentorship, accessibility of clinic leadership, and handling of community service officers' concerns). Research endpoints were guided by community service programmatic goals and analysed as dichotomous outcomes. Bivariate and multivariate logistical regressions were conducted using Stata 12. The sample population comprised 685 doctors and dentists (response rate 44%). Rural placement was more likely among unmarried, male, and black practitioners. Rates of self-reported professional development were high (470 out of 539 responses; 87%). Participants with higher scores on the SSS were more likely to report professional development. Although few participants planned to continue work in rural, underserved communities (n = 171 out of 657 responses, 25%), those serving in a rural facility during the community service year had higher intentions of continuing rural work. Those reporting professional development during the community service year were twice as likely to report intentions to remain in rural, underserved communities. Despite challenges in equitable distribution of practitioners, participant satisfaction with the compulsory community service programme appears to be high among those who responded to a 2009 questionnaire. These data offer a starting point for designing programmes and policies that better meet the health needs of the South African population through more appropriate human resource management. An emphasis on professional development and supervision is crucial if South Africa is to build practitioner skills, equitably distribute health professionals, and retain the medical workforce in rural, underserved areas.

Development of an otitis media strategy in the Pacific: key informant perspectivesThe Matthew effect in New Zealand rural hospital trauma and emergency care: why rural simulation-based education matters.

PubMed

Gutenstein, Marc; Kiuru, Sampsa

2018-06-08

We describe a phenomenon of self-reinforcing inequality between New Zealand rural hospitals and urban trauma centres. Rural doctors work in remote geographical locations, with rare exposure to managing critical injuries, and with little direct support when they do. Paradoxically, but for the same reasons, they also have little access to the intensive training resources and specialist oversight of their university hospital colleagues. In keeping with international experience, we propose that using simulation-based education for rural hospital trauma and emergency team training will mitigate this effect. Along with several different organisations in New Zealand, the University of Otago rural postgraduate programme is developing inter-professional simulation content to address this challenge and open new avenues for research.

Community health workers in rural India: analysing the opportunities and challenges Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) face in realising their multiple roles.

PubMed

Saprii, Lipekho; Richards, Esther; Kokho, Puni; Theobald, Sally

2015-12-09

Globally, there is increasing interest in community health worker's (CHW) performance; however, there are gaps in the evidence with respect to CHWs' role in community participation and empowerment. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), whose roles include social activism, are the key cadre in India's CHW programme which is designed to improve maternal and child health. In a diverse country like India, there is a need to understand how the ASHA programme operates in different underserved Indian contexts, such as rural Manipur. We undertook qualitative research to explore stakeholders' perceptions and experiences of the ASHA scheme in strengthening maternal health and uncover the opportunities and challenges ASHAs face in realising their multiple roles in rural Manipur, India. Data was collected through in-depth interviews (n = 18) and focus group discussions (n = 3 FGDs, 18 participants). Participants included ASHAs, key stakeholders and community members. They were purposively sampled based on remoteness of villages and primary health centres to capture diverse and relevant constituencies, as we believed experiences of ASHAs can be shaped by remoteness. Data were analysed using the thematic framework approach. Findings suggested that ASHAs are mostly understood as link workers. ASHA's ability to address the immediate needs of rural and marginalised communities meant that they were valued as service providers. The programme is perceived to be beneficial as it improves awareness and behaviour change towards maternal care. However, there are a number of challenges; the selection of ASHAs is influenced by power structures and poor community sensitisation of the ASHA programme presents a major risk to success and sustainability. The primary health centres which ASHAs link to are ill-equipped. Thus, ASHAs experience adverse consequences in their ability to inspire trust and credibility in the community. Small and irregular monetary incentives demotivate ASHAs. Finally, ASHAs had limited knowledge about their role as an 'activist' and how to realise this. ASHAs are valued for their contribution towards maternal health education and for their ability to provide basic biomedical care, but their role as social activists is much less visible as envisioned in the ASHA operational guideline. Access by ASHAs to fair monetary incentives commensurate with effort coupled with the poor functionality of the health system are critical elements limiting the role of ASHAs both within the health system and within communities in rural Manipur.

Benefit-Cost Analysis of Foot and Mouth Disease Control in Large Ruminants in Cambodia.

PubMed

Young, J R; Suon, S; Rast, L; Nampanya, S; Windsor, P A; Bush, R D

2016-10-01

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in Cambodia and throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion and causes significant losses to rural smallholders owning the majority of the national large ruminant population. However, due to underreporting, paucity of knowledge of FMD impacts, limited veterinary capacity and deficits of data available for analysis, the quantifiable benefits of a national FMD control programme are unknown. To address this deficit, existing literature and research data from the 'Best practice health and husbandry of cattle, Cambodia' project conducted between 2007 and 2012, were used to develop a three-phase analysis framework to: assess the impacts of the recent widespread FMD epizootic in Cambodia in 2010, conduct a value chain analysis of the large ruminant market and estimate the costs and benefits for a national large ruminant biannual FMD vaccination programme. A trader survey conducted in 2010-2011 provided cattle and buffalo value chain information and was matched to village herd structure data to calculate a total large ruminant farm-gate value of USD 1.271 billion in 2010. Monte Carlo simulation modelling that implemented a 5-year biannual vaccination programme at a cost of USD 6.3 an animal per year identified a benefit-cost ratio of 1.40 (95% CI 0.96-2.20) when accounting for recent prices of cattle and buffalo in Cambodia and based on an expected annual incidence of 0.2 (assuming one major epizootic in the 5-year vaccination programme). Given that the majority of the large ruminants are owned by rural smallholders, and mostly the poor are involved in agricultural employment, the successful implementation of an FMD control programme in Cambodia would be expected to avoid estimated losses of USD 135 million; equivalent to 10.6% of the 2010 farm-gate value and contributing to important reductions in rural poverty and food insecurity. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

"I'm on a Journey I Never Thought I'd Be On": Using Process Drama Pedagogy for the Literacy Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Trish; Sandretto, Susan

2017-01-01

This paper argues that process drama is a productive pedagogy with multiple affordances for multiliteracies. We describe an exploratory study in which two teachers from a rural New Zealand primary school used process drama pedagogy in the literacy programme. Analysis of the initial and exit teacher interviews, lesson transcripts and transcripts of…

Organization and startup of The Gambia's new community-based medical programme.

PubMed

Chávez, José A; Suárez, Lázaro V; Del Rosario, Odalis; Hechavarría, Suiberto; Quiñones, Judith

2012-01-01

The shortage of health professionals in developing countries and especially in their poorest regions imperils the vision of health for all. New training policies and strategies are needed urgently to address these shortages. The Gambia's new Community-Based Medical Programme is one such strategy. KEYWORDS Medical education, access to health care, healthcare disparities, health manpower, rural health, developing countries, The Gambia.

The effect of health insurance and health facility-upgrades on hospital deliveries in rural Nigeria: a controlled interrupted time-series study.

PubMed

Brals, Daniëlla; Aderibigbe, Sunday A; Wit, Ferdinand W; van Ophem, Johannes C M; van der List, Marijn; Osagbemi, Gordon K; Hendriks, Marleen E; Akande, Tanimola M; Boele van Hensbroek, Michael; Schultsz, Constance

2017-09-01

Access to quality obstetric care is considered essential to reducing maternal and new-born mortality. We evaluated the effect of the introduction of a multifaceted voluntary health insurance programme on hospital deliveries in rural Nigeria. We used an interrupted time-series design, including a control group. The intervention consisted of providing voluntary health insurance covering primary and secondary healthcare, including antenatal and obstetric care, combined with improving the quality of healthcare facilities. We compared changes in hospital deliveries from 1 May 2005 to 30 April 2013 between the programme area and control area in a difference-in-differences analysis with multiple time periods, adjusting for observed confounders. Data were collected through household surveys. Eligible households ( n = 1500) were selected from a stratified probability sample of enumeration areas. All deliveries during the 4-year baseline period ( n = 460) and 4-year follow-up period ( n = 380) were included. Insurance coverage increased from 0% before the insurance was introduced to 70.2% in April 2013 in the programme area. In the control area insurance coverage remained 0% between May 2005 and April 2013. Although hospital deliveries followed a common stable trend over the 4 pre-programme years ( P = 0.89), the increase in hospital deliveries during the 4-year follow-up period in the programme area was 29.3 percentage points (95% CI: 16.1 to 42.6; P < 0.001) greater than the change in the control area (intention-to-treat impact), corresponding to a relative increase in hospital deliveries of 62%. Women who did not enroll in health insurance but who could make use of the upgraded care delivered significantly more often in a hospital during the follow-up period than women living in the control area ( P = 0.04). Voluntary health insurance combined with quality healthcare services is highly effective in increasing hospital deliveries in rural Nigeria, by improving access to healthcare for insured and uninsured women in the programme area. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Increased vulnerability of rural children on antiretroviral therapy attending public health facilities in South Africa: a retrospective cohort study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background A large proportion of the 340,000 HIV-positive children in South Africa live in rural areas, yet there is little sub-Saharan data comparing rural paediatric antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme outcomes with urban facilities. We compared clinical, immunological and virological outcomes between children at seven rural and 37 urban facilities across four provinces in South Africa. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of routine data of children enrolled on ART between November 2003 and March 2008 in three settings, namely: urban residence and facility attendance (urban group); rural residence and facility attendance (rural group); and rural residents attending urban facilities (rural/urban group). Outcome measures were: death, loss to follow up (LTFU), virological suppression, and changes in CD4 percentage and weight-for-age-z (WAZ) scores. Kaplan-Meier estimates, logrank tests, multivariable Cox regression and generalized estimating equation models were used to compare outcomes between groups. Results In total, 2332 ART-naïve children were included, (1727, 228 and 377 children in the urban, rural and rural/urban groups, respectively). At presentation, rural group children were older (6.7 vs. 5.6 and 5.8 years), had lower CD4 cell percentages (10.0% vs. 12.8% and 12.7%), lower WAZ scores (-2.06 vs. -1.46 and -1.41) and higher proportions with severe underweight (26% vs.15% and 15%) compared with the urban and rural/urban groups, respectively. Mortality was significantly higher in the rural group and LTFU significantly increased in the rural/urban group. After 24 months of ART, mortality probabilities were 3.4% (CI: 2.4-4.8%), 7.7% (CI: 4.5-13.0%) and 3.1% (CI: 1.7-5.6%) p = 0.0137; LTFU probabilities were 11.5% (CI: 9.3-14.0%), 8.8% (CI: 4.5-16.9%) and 16.6% (CI: 12.4-22.6%), p = 0.0028 in the urban, rural and rural/urban groups, respectively. The rural group had an increased adjusted mortality probability, adjusted hazards ratio 2.41 (CI: 1.25-4.67) and the rural/urban group had an increased adjusted LTFU probability, aHR 2.85 (CI: 1.41-5.79). The rural/urban group had a decreased adjusted probability of virological suppression compared with the urban group at any timepoint on treatment, adjusted odds ratio 0.67 (CI: 0.48-0.93). Conclusions Rural HIV-positive children are a vulnerable group, exhibiting delayed access to ART and an increased risk of poor outcomes while on ART. Expansion of rural paediatric ART programmes, with future research exploring improvements to rural health system effectiveness, is required. PMID:21108804

Automated Identification of Initial Storm Electrification and End-of-Storm Electrification Using Electric Field Mill Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maier, Launa M.; Huddleston, Lisa L.

2017-01-01

Kennedy Space Center (KSC) operations are located in a region which experiences one of the highest lightning densities across the United States. As a result, on average, KSC loses almost 30 minutes of operational availability each day for lightning sensitive activities. KSC is investigating using existing instrumentation and automated algorithms to improve the timeliness and accuracy of lightning warnings. Additionally, the automation routines will be warning on a grid to minimize under-warnings associated with not being located in the center of the warning area and over-warnings associated with encompassing too large an area. This study discusses utilization of electric field mill data to provide improved warning times. Specifically, this paper will demonstrate improved performance of an enveloping algorithm of the electric field mill data as compared with the electric field zero crossing to identify initial storm electrification. End-of-Storm-Oscillation (EOSO) identification algorithms will also be analyzed to identify performance improvement, if any, when compared with 30 minutes after the last lightning flash.

Nutritional status of urban and rural primary school pupils in Lagos State, Nigeria.

PubMed

Ekekezie, O O; Odeyemi, K A; Ibeabuchi, N M

2012-01-01

This study was carried out in Lagos State in Ikorodu LGA (rural), a largely agrarian area producing raw materials for agro-allied industries and Ikeja LGA (urban), a highly-developed metropolis and commercial centre. Hitherto, studies showed that undernutrition had been the main form of malnutrition among Nigerian children. However with influences from urbanization, westernization and globalization in cosmopolitan Lagos, it is imperative to find out if the global epidemic of overweight and obesity has caught on. To compare the nutritional status of primary school pupils in urban and rural LGAs in Lagos State, Nigeria. This was a cross , sectional comparative study. A multistage sampling method was adopted. Data were collected from 529 pupils with an interviewer administered questionnaire. Their weight and height were recorded in pre-designed proforma and converted to nutritional indices. The prevalence rates of underweight, stunting and wasting in the rural area were 49.6%, 50.8% and 24.2% respectively; while it was 15.1%, 16.6% and 13.6% in the urban area respectively. There was overnutrition in the urban area: 15.1% were overweight and 13.2% were obese. The mean nutritional indices were significantly lower among the rural pupils than urban pupils (p<0.001) in each case. Undernutrition is still a major health problem among school children in Lagos State, Nigeria, more so in the rural area. There is an emergence of overweight and obesity in the urban area. A comprehensive programme to improve nutritional status is recommended as part of a well funded school health programme.

Examining the predictors of academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine via two equity pathways: a retrospective observational study at the University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.

PubMed

Curtis, Elana; Wikaire, Erena; Jiang, Yannan; McMillan, Louise; Loto, Robert; Poole, Phillippa; Barrow, Mark; Bagg, Warwick; Reid, Papaarangi

2017-08-27

To determine associations between admission markers of socioeconomic status, transitioning, bridging programme attendance and prior academic preparation on academic outcomes for indigenous Māori, Pacific and rural students admitted into medicine under access pathways designed to widen participation. Findings were compared with students admitted via the general (usual) admission pathway. Retrospective observational study using secondary data.  6-year medical programme (MBChB), University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Students are selected and admitted into Year 2 following a first year (undergraduate) or prior degree (graduate). 1676 domestic students admitted into Year 2 between 2002 and 2012 via three pathways: GENERAL admission (1167), Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme-MAPAS (317) or Rural Origin Medical Preferential Entry-ROMPE (192). Of these, 1082 students completed the programme in the study period. Graduated from medical programme (yes/no), academic scores in Years 2-3 (Grade Point Average (GPA), scored 0-9). 735/778 (95%) of GENERAL, 111/121 (92%) of ROMPE and 146/183 (80%) of MAPAS students graduated from intended programme. The graduation rate was significantly lower in the MAPAS students (p<0.0001). The average Year 2-3 GPA was 6.35 (SD 1.52) for GENERAL, which was higher than 5.82 (SD 1.65, p=0.0013) for ROMPE and 4.33 (SD 1.56, p<0.0001) for MAPAS. Multiple regression analyses identified three key predictors of better academic outcomes: bridging programme attendance, admission as an undergraduate and admission GPA/Grade Point Equivalent (GPE). Attending local urban schools and higher school deciles were also associated with a greater likelihood of graduation. All regression models have controlled for predefined baseline confounders (gender, age and year of admission). There were varied associations between admission variables and academic outcomes across the three admission pathways. Equity-targeted admission programmes inclusive of variations in academic threshold for entry may support a widening participation agenda, however, additional academic and pastoral supports are recommended. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Applications of Electrified Dust and Dust Devil Electrodynamics to Martian Atmospheric Electricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, R. G.; Barth, E.; Esposito, F.; Merrison, J.; Montmessin, F.; Aplin, K. L.; Borlina, C.; Berthelier, J. J.; Déprez, G.; Farrell, W. M.; Houghton, I. M. P.; Renno, N. O.; Nicoll, K. A.; Tripathi, S. N.; Zimmerman, M.

2016-11-01

Atmospheric transport and suspension of dust frequently brings electrification, which may be substantial. Electric fields of 10 kV m-1 to 100 kV m-1 have been observed at the surface beneath suspended dust in the terrestrial atmosphere, and some electrification has been observed to persist in dust at levels to 5 km, as well as in volcanic plumes. The interaction between individual particles which causes the electrification is incompletely understood, and multiple processes are thought to be acting. A variation in particle charge with particle size, and the effect of gravitational separation explains to, some extent, the charge structures observed in terrestrial dust storms. More extensive flow-based modelling demonstrates that bulk electric fields in excess of 10 kV m-1 can be obtained rapidly (in less than 10 s) from rotating dust systems (dust devils) and that terrestrial breakdown fields can be obtained. Modelled profiles of electrical conductivity in the Martian atmosphere suggest the possibility of dust electrification, and dust devils have been suggested as a mechanism of charge separation able to maintain current flow between one region of the atmosphere and another, through a global circuit. Fundamental new understanding of Martian atmospheric electricity will result from the ExoMars mission, which carries the DREAMS (Dust characterization, Risk Assessment, and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface)—MicroARES ( Atmospheric Radiation and Electricity Sensor) instrumentation to Mars in 2016 for the first in situ electrical measurements.

Applications of Electrified Dust and Dust Devil Electrodynamics to Martian Atmospheric Electricity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrison, R. G.; Barth, E.; Esposito, F.; Merrison, J.; Montmessin, F.; Aplin, K. L.; Borlina, C.; Berthelier, J J.; Deprez, G.; Farrell, William M.;

Outcomes of people with psychotic disorders in a community-based rehabilitation programme in rural India

PubMed Central

Chatterjee, Sudipto; Pillai, Aravind; Jain, Sumeet; Cohen, Alex; Patel, Vikram

2009-01-01

Background There is little evidence of the feasibility, acceptability and impact of services for the care of people with psychotic disorders in low- and middle-income countries. Aims To describe the scaling up and impact of a community-based rehabilitation programme for people with psychotic disorders in a very-low-resource setting. Methods Longitudinal study of people with psychotic disorders who had been ill for an average of 8 years in a rural Indian community. All individuals received a community-based intervention package comprising psychotropic medications, psychoeducation, adherence management, psychosocial rehabilitation and support for livelihoods. The primary outcome was change in disability scores. Results The cohort consisted of 256 people with psychotic disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychosis) of whom 236 people completed the end-point assessments (92%), with a median follow-up of 46 months. There were significant reductions (P<0.05) in the levels of disability for the cohort, the vast majority (83.5%) of whom engaged with the programme. On multivariate analyses, lower baseline disability scores, family engagement with the programme, medication adherence and being a member of a self-help group were independent determinants of good outcomes. Lack of formal education, a diagnosis of schizophrenia and dropping out of the programme were independent determinants of poor outcomes. Conclusions Community-based rehabilitation is a feasible and acceptable intervention with a beneficial impact on disability for the majority of people with psychotic disorders in low-resource settings. The impact on disability is influenced by a combination of clinical, programme and social determinants. PMID:19880934

Asian/Pacific Joint Production Programme of Materials for Neo-Literates in Rural Areas Planning Meeting (Tokyo, Japan, March 4-5, 1991). Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO, Tokyo (Japan).

This document reports on the 1991 Planning Meeting on Asian/Pacific Joint Production (AJP) Program of Materials for Neo-Literates in Rural Areas, the purpose of which was to discuss Asian Cultural Center for Unesco (ACCU) literacy programs to be carried out under regional cooperation. Opening addresses focused on the success of the cooperative…

The dimensions of land use change in rural landscapes: lessons learnt from the GB Countryside Surveys.

PubMed

Petit, Sandrine

2009-07-01

Rural landscapes are highly dynamic and their change impacts on a number of ecological processes such as the dynamics of biodiversity. Although a substantial amount of research has focused on quantifying these changes and their impact on biodiversity, most studies have focused on single dimensions of land use change. This lack of integration in land use change studies can be explained by the fact that data on the spatial, temporal, and ecological dimensions of land use are seldom available for the same geographical location. In this paper, the benefits of taking into account these three dimensions are illustrated with results derived from the Great Britain Countryside Surveys (CS), a large-scale monitoring programme designed to assess change in the extent and ecological condition of British habitats. The overview of CS results presented in this paper shows that (1) changes in land use composition will translate into a variety of spatial patterns; (2) the temporal stability of land use is often lower than can be expected; and (3) there can be large-scale shifts in the ecological condition of the land use types that form our rural landscapes. The benefits of integrated rural landscape studies are discussed in the context of other national monitoring programmes.

Daughters of the Earth: Skills-Based Literacy Programme for Women, China. Education for All: Making It Work. Innovation Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aksornkool, Namtip

Begun in the early 1990s, The Skills-Based Literacy Programme for Women aims to improve the lives of rural Chinese women by linking literacy education with skills training in agriculture and other forms of income generation. Xuan Wei County, Yunnan Province, was chosen as the seat of the project because of high female illiteracy rates and the need…

Exploring the Use of Role Play in a School-Based Programme to Reduce Teenage Pregnancy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Myra; Diamini, Nthabiseng; Khanyile, Zama; Mpanza, Lloyd; Sathiparsad, Reshma

2012-01-01

Can the use of a method such as role play help reduce sexual risk behaviour among KwaZulu-Natal learners? A study was undertaken of the use of role plays by Grade 8 learners, at eight urban and rural KwaZulu-Natal high schools, as part of a programme to reduce the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. Within the framework of Bandura's Social Cognitive…

Universalization of Primary Education in Colombia: The New School Programme. Notes, Comments... No. 191 = Colombie: L'enseignement primaire pour tous le programme "Ecole nouvelle."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colbert, Vicky; Arboleda, Jairo

For the first time, Colombia is in a position to comply with the article of her constitution which guarantees a primary education to all citizens. The country now has the technical, political and financial conditions necessary to universalize primary education, particularly in rural areas where low coverage and inefficiency of the system have…

NAVAJO ELECTRIFICATION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Terry W. Battiest

2008-06-11

The Navajo Electrification Demonstration Project (NEDP) is a multi-year project which addresses the electricity needs of the unserved and underserved Navajo Nation, the largest American Indian tribe in the United States. The program serves to cumulatively provide off-grid electricty for families living away from the electricty infrastructure, line extensions for unserved families living nearby (less than 1/2 mile away from) the electricity, and, under the current project called NEDP-4, the construction of a substation to increase the capacity and improve the quality of service into the central core region of the Navajo Nation.

Enabling fast charging - Introduction and overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michelbacher, Christopher; Ahmed, Shabbir; Bloom, Ira; Burnham, Andrew; Carlson, Barney; Dias, Fernando; Dufek, Eric J.; Jansen, Andrew N.; Keyser, Matthew; Markel, Anthony; Meintz, Andrew; Mohanpurkar, Manish; Pesaran, Ahmad; Scoffield, Don; Shirk, Matthew; Stephens, Thomas; Tanim, Tanvir; Vijayagopal, Ram; Zhang, Jiucai

2017-11-01

The pursuit of U.S. energy security and independence has taken many different forms throughout the many production and consumption sectors. For consumer transportation, a greater reliance on power train electrification has gained traction due to the inherent efficiencies of these platforms, particularly through the use of electric motors and batteries. Vehicle electrification can be generalized into three primary categories-hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and battery electric vehicles (BEVs); the latter two, PHEVs and BEVs, are often referred to as plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs).

The symbolic representation of community in social isolation and loneliness among older people: Insights for intervention from a rural Irish case study.

PubMed

Bantry-White, Eleanor; O'Sullivan, Siobhán; Kenny, Lorna; O'Connell, Cathal

2018-07-01

Social isolation and loneliness are common experiences of ageing in rural communities. Policy responses and interventions for social isolation and loneliness in later life are shaped by sociocultural understandings of place, relationships and social interaction. This study examined how representations of rural community in Ireland influenced the focus, relationships and activities within a befriending intervention designed to tackle social isolation and loneliness. Through a qualitative case study conducted in 2014, the symbolic meaning of the intervention was explored using interviews and focus groups with participants (8 befriended, 11 befrienders and 3 community workers) from one befriending programme in rural Ireland. Reflected in the programme was a representation of a rural community in decline with concern for the impact on older people. There was a valuing of the traditional community defined by geographical place, perceptions of similarity among its members, and values of solidarity and mutual support. The befriending intervention represented a commitment to intra-community solidarity and a desire by many for authentic befriending relationships that mirrored understandings of relationships within the traditional community. Identifying and alleviating social isolation and loneliness imply a set of normative values about community and the optimal social relationships within community. This paper proposes that there is a need to consider the role played by understandings of community in shaping context-sensitive interventions to counter social isolation and loneliness in later life. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Speech-language therapists supporting foundation-phase teachers with literacy and numeracy in a rural and township context.

PubMed

Wium, Anna-Marie; Louw, Brenda; Eloff, Irma

2010-12-01

Language is required for learning, but educators often find it difficult to facilitate listening and language skills while they have to adapt to a new national curriculum with an outcomes-based approach for which they have not necessarily been adequately trained. A multifaceted support programme was developed for foundation-phase educators to facilitate listening and language for literacy and numeracy, with a particular focus on language for numeracy. The aim of the research was to determine the value of this particular support programme for foundation-phase educators in two different contexts (a semi-rural and a township context). A mixed methods approach with a concurrent, equal status triangulation design was used, where qualitative data were transformed to quantitative data in order to be compared in a matrix. The results show that the participants benefited to varying degrees from the programme. The combination of workshops, practical and mentoring components proved to be an effective means of support. The results indicate a need for pre-training selection procedures as more effective support can be provided to homogeneous groups.

Improving access to services and interactions with clients in Guatemala: the value of distance learning.

PubMed

Brambila, Carlos; Lopez, Felipe; Garcia-Colindres, Julio; Donis, Marco Vinicio

2005-04-01

To develop and test a distance-learning programme to improve the quality and efficiency of family planning services in Guatemala. The setting was rural family planning services in Guatemala. The study design was quasi-experimental with one intervention and one control group and with pre- and post-intervention measures. Two staff members from each of 20 randomly selected health districts were trained as leaders of the training programme. In turn, the 40 trainers trained a total of 240 service providers, under the supervision of four health area facilitators. The results were compared with 20 randomly selected control health districts. The intervention was a distance-learning programme including 40 in-class hours followed by 120 inservice practice hours spread over a 4-month period. Distinctively, the programme used a cascade approach to training, intensive supervision, and close monitoring and evaluation. Patient flow analysis was used to determine number of contacts, waiting times, and the interaction time between service providers and clients. Consultation observations were used to assess the quality and completeness of reproductive health information and services received by clients. The intervention showed a positive impact on reducing the number of contacts before the consultation and client waiting times. More complete services and better quality services were provided at intervention clinics. Some, but not all, of the study objectives were attained. The long-term impact of the intervention is as yet unknown. Distance-learning programmes are an effective methodology for training health professionals in rural areas.

Understanding and improving access to prompt and effective malaria treatment and care in rural Tanzania: the ACCESS Programme

PubMed Central

Hetzel, Manuel W; Iteba, Nelly; Makemba, Ahmed; Mshana, Christopher; Lengeler, Christian; Obrist, Brigit; Schulze, Alexander; Nathan, Rose; Dillip, Angel; Alba, Sandra; Mayumana, Iddy; Khatib, Rashid A; Njau, Joseph D; Mshinda, Hassan

2007-01-01

Background Prompt access to effective treatment is central in the fight against malaria. However, a variety of interlinked factors at household and health system level influence access to timely and appropriate treatment and care. Furthermore, access may be influenced by global and national health policies. As a consequence, many malaria episodes in highly endemic countries are not treated appropriately. Project The ACCESS Programme aims at understanding and improving access to prompt and effective malaria treatment and care in a rural Tanzanian setting. The programme's strategy is based on a set of integrated interventions, including social marketing for improved care seeking at community level as well as strengthening of quality of care at health facilities. This is complemented by a project that aims to improve the performance of drug stores. The interventions are accompanied by a comprehensive set of monitoring and evaluation activities measuring the programme's performance and (health) impact. Baseline data demonstrated heterogeneity in the availability of malaria treatment, unavailability of medicines and treatment providers in certain areas as well as quality problems with regard to drugs and services. Conclusion The ACCESS Programme is a combination of multiple complementary interventions with a strong evaluation component. With this approach, ACCESS aims to contribute to the development of a more comprehensive access framework and to inform and support public health professionals and policy-makers in the delivery of improved health services. PMID:17603898

[Student grants in Saxony--a successful story?].

PubMed

Gurtner, S; Werner, K

2012-03-01

The lack of general practitioners in rural areas is a problem for many industrialised countries. There seems to be a promising solution among medical students. This was recognised in Saxony in 2009 and an appropriate sponsoring programme was set up. In this study we have examined the utility, the factors influencing the interest in this sponsorship and its acceptance. Answers to a written questionnaire sent to medical students in Saxony were evaluated with the help of descriptive statistics. 25 of the total of 1 055 students who received the questionnaire stated that they used the sponsorship programme. Positive influencing factors for interest were above all a higher state of knowledge, the students' background, stage of studies and type of financial support. The primary reasons for rejecting the program were, besides fear of being bound by it (74%), the wish for advanced training in a different specialty (54%) and the wish to work in a hospital (33%). By adapting the conditions of the sponsorship programme and by targetted communications, it should be possible to increase its acceptance. Thus, financial compensation for not used sponsoring could induce more advanced students to accept aid. Students from rural districts should be specifically approached since they exhibit a higher affinity for choosing to practice in rural areas. It would also be helpful to focus more on students who finance their studies themselves. In general, it can be assumed that a higher density of information would also lead to a greater interest. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Health inequalities among rural and urban population of Eastern Poland in the context of sustainable development.

PubMed

Pantyley, Viktoriya

2017-09-21

The primary goals of the study were a critical analysis of the concepts associated with health from the perspective of sustainable development, and empirical analysis of health and health- related issues among the rural and urban residents of Eastern Poland in the context of the sustainable development of the region. The study was based on the following research methods: a systemic approach, selection and analysis of the literature and statistical data, developing a special questionnaire concerning socio-economic and health inequalities among the population in the studied area, field research with an interview questionnaire conducted on randomly-selected respondents (N=1,103) in randomly selected areas of the Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie and eastern part of Mazowieckie Provinces (with the division between provincial capital cities - county capital cities - other cities - rural areas). The results of statistical surveys in the studied area with the use of chi-square test and contingence quotients indicated a correlation between the state of health and the following independent variables: age, life quality, social position and financial situation (C-Pearson's coefficient over 0,300); a statistically significant yet weak correlation was recorded for gender, household size, place of residence and amount of free time. The conducted analysis proved the existence of a huge gap between state of health of the population in urban and rural areas. In order to eliminate unfavourable differences in the state iof health among the residents of Eastern Poland, and provide equal sustainable development in urban and rural areas of the examined areas, special preventive programmes aimed at the residents of peripheral, marginalized rural areas should be implemented. In these programmes, attention should be paid to preventive measures, early diagnosis of basic civilization and social diseases, and better accessibility to medical services for the residents.

Multiple Convective Cell Identification and Tracking Algorithm for documenting time-height evolution of measured polarimetric radar and lightning properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenfeld, D.; Hu, J.; Zhang, P.; Snyder, J.; Orville, R. E.; Ryzhkov, A.; Zrnic, D.; Williams, E.; Zhang, R.

2017-12-01

A methodology to track the evolution of the hydrometeors and electrification of convective cells is presented and applied to various convective clouds from warm showers to super-cells. The input radar data are obtained from the polarimetric NEXRAD weather radars, The information on cloud electrification is obtained from Lightning Mapping Arrays (LMA). The development time and height of the hydrometeors and electrification requires tracking the evolution and lifecycle of convective cells. A new methodology for Multi-Cell Identification and Tracking (MCIT) is presented in this study. This new algorithm is applied to time series of radar volume scans. A cell is defined as a local maximum in the Vertical Integrated Liquid (VIL), and the echo area is divided between cells using a watershed algorithm. The tracking of the cells between radar volume scans is done by identifying the two cells in consecutive radar scans that have maximum common VIL. The vertical profile of the polarimetric radar properties are used for constructing the time-height cross section of the cell properties around the peak reflectivity as a function of height. The LMA sources that occur within the cell area are integrated as a function of height as well for each time step, as determined by the radar volume scans. The result of the tracking can provide insights to the evolution of storms, hydrometer types, precipitation initiation and cloud electrification under different thermodynamic, aerosol and geographic conditions. The details of the MCIT algorithm, its products and their performance for different types of storm are described in this poster.

Assessing the Future Vehicle Fleet Electrification: The Impacts on Regional and Urban Air Quality.

PubMed

Ke, Wenwei; Zhang, Shaojun; Wu, Ye; Zhao, Bin; Wang, Shuxiao; Hao, Jiming

2017-01-17

There have been significant advancements in electric vehicles (EVs) in recent years. However, the different changing patterns in emissions at upstream and on-road stages and complex atmospheric chemistry of pollutants lead to uncertainty in the air quality benefits from fleet electrification. This study considers the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region in China to investigate whether EVs can improve future air quality. The Community Multiscale Air Quality model enhanced by the two-dimensional volatility basis set module is applied to simulate the temporally, spatially, and chemically resolved changes in PM 2.5 concentrations and the changes of other pollutants from fleet electrification. A probable scenario (Scenario EV1) with 20% of private light-duty passenger vehicles and 80% of commercial passenger vehicles (e.g., taxis and buses) electrified can reduce average PM 2.5 concentrations by 0.4 to 1.1 μg m -3 during four representative months for all urban areas of YRD in 2030. The seasonal distinctions of the air quality impacts with respect to concentration reductions in key aerosol components are also identified. For example, the PM 2.5 reduction in January is mainly attributed to the nitrate reduction, whereas the secondary organic aerosol reduction is another essential contributor in August. EVs can also effectively assist in mitigating NO 2 concentrations, which would gain greater reductions for traffic-dense urban areas (e.g., Shanghai). This paper reveals that the fleet electrification in the YRD region could generally play a positive role in improving regional and urban air quality.

Factors associated with ureteral burn injury from an electrified guidewire.

PubMed

Capello, Seth A; Gordetsky, Jennifer; Erturk, Erdal; Yao, Jorge; Joseph, Jean V

2008-06-01

During ureteroscopic procedures, electrocautery is often utilized in the presence of an intra-ureteral guidewire. Inadvertent electrification of the guidewire may occur if the active electrode comes into contact with the guidewire, potentially resulting in a ureteral burn injury. This study investigates under what conditions electrification of a ureteral guidewire would result in ureteral burn injury. Porcine kidney/ureter units were tested in a saline bath using a guidewire within the ureter. The collecting system was filled with either saline or water and the guidewire was electrified with varying power and mode settings. The contact area between the wire and ureter was adjusted to 1/2 or 1/4 of the total ureteral length. The ureters were then inspected for evidence of burn injury microscopically by a pathologist in a blinded fashion. Ten kidney/ureter units were tested. Four units were filled with saline and none of these demonstrated any burn injury. Six kidney/ureter units were filled with water prior to electrification of the wire. Small amounts of burned tissue were noted in those with the full length of the ureter exposed. Moderate to severe burning was present in those with 1/2 of the ureter exposed. Ureters exposed to 120-W cutting current had more injury than those exposed to 80-W coagulation current. Inadvertent electrification of a ureteral guidewire does not necessarily result in ureteral burn injury. The presence and extent of ureteral injury depends primarily on the irrigating fluid used, as well as the amount of ureter exposed to the electrified guidewire.

Multiscale assessment of progress of electrification in Indonesia based on brightness level derived from nighttime satellite imagery.

PubMed

Ramdani, Fatwa; Setiani, Putri

2017-06-01

Availability of electricity can be used as an indicator to proximate parameters related to human well-being. Overall, the electrification process in Indonesia has been accelerating in the past two decades. Unfortunately, monitoring the country's progress on its effort to provide wider access to electricity poses challenges due to inconsistency of data provided by each national bureau, and limited availability of information. This study attempts to provide a reliable measure by employing nighttime satellite imagery to observe and to map the progress of electrification within a duration of 20 years, from 1993 to 2013. Brightness of 67,021 settlement-size points in 1993, 2003, and 2013 was assessed using data from DMSP/OLS instruments to study the electrification progress in the three service regions (Sumatera, Java-Bali, and East Indonesia) of the country's public electricity company, PLN. Observation of all service areas shows that the increase in brightness, which correspond with higher electricity development and consumption, has positive correlation with both population density (R 2  = 0.70) and urban change (R 2  = 0.79). Moreover, urban change has a stronger correlation with brightness, which is probably due to the high energy consumption in urban area per capita. This study also found that the brightness in Java-Bali region is very dominant, while the brightness in other areas has been lagging during the period of analysis. The slow development of electricity infrastructure, particularly in major parts of East Indonesia region, affects the low economic growth in some areas and formed vicious cycle.

Translating theory into practice: results of a 2-year trial for the LEAD programme.

PubMed

Shelton, D

2008-05-01

This paper presents data for 2 years of a continuing study aimed to reduce the risk of first-time involvement by minority youth with the juvenile justice system. A quasi-experimental design was used to test a 14-week expressive art curriculum (LEAD: leadership, education, achievement and development) implemented in two rural communities. A total of 70 African American youth participated in the programme over a 2-year period. Pre- and post-test differences were examined for protective factors, behavioural self-control, self-esteem and resilience measures. When compared with the after-school programme (control group), youth in the LEAD programme in both communities had more dramatic increases in post-test scores following the intervention. The combined data from year 1 and year 2 provide positive findings in support of LEAD as a prevention programme for young offenders. The placement of the programme within an African American church in year 2 improved the processes of the LEAD programme and seemed to provide a better fit with the original design of the programme, highlighting the importance of the context, in which the programme was provided.

Electromagnetic phenomena in granular flows in the laboratory and dusty plasmas in geophysics and astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lathrop, Daniel; Eiskowitz, Skylar; Rojas, Ruben

2017-11-01

In clouds of suspended particles, collisions electrify particles and the clouds produce electric potential differences over large scales. This is seen in the atmosphere as lightning in thunderstorms, thundersnow, dust storms, and volcanic ash plumes, but it is a general phenomena in granular systems. The electrification process is not well understood. To investigate the relative importance of particle material properties and collective phenomena in granular and atmospheric electrification, we used several tabletop experiments that excite particle-laden flows. Various electromagnetic phenomena ensue. Measured electric fields result from capacitive and direct charge transfer to electrodes. These results suggest that while particle properties do matter (as previous investigations have shown), macroscopic electrification of granular flows is somewhat material independent and large-scale collective phenomena play a major role. As well, our results on charge separation and Hall effects suggest a very different view of the dynamics of clouds, planetary rings, and cold accretion disks in proto-planetary systems. We gratefully acknowledge past funding from the Julian Schwinger Foundation as well as the Ph.D. work of Freja Nordsiek.

Development and operation of a mobile test facility for education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Christopher T.

The automotive industry saw a large shift towards vehicle electrification after the turn of the century. It became necessary to ensure that new and existing engineers were qualified to design and calibrate these new systems. To ensure this training, Michigan Tech received a grant to develop a curriculum based around vehicle electrification. As part of this agenda, the Michigan Tech Mobile Laboratory was developed to provide hands-on training for professional engineers and technicians in hybrid electric vehicles and vehicle electrification. The Mobile Lab has since then increased the scope of the delivered curriculum to include other automotive areas and even customizable course content to meet specific needs. This thesis outlines the development of the Mobile Laboratory and its powertrain test facilities. The focus of this thesis is to discuss the different hardware and software systems within the lab and test cells. Detailed instructions on the operation and maintenance of each of the systems are discussed. In addition, this thesis outlines the setup and operation of the necessary equipment for several of the experiments for the on and off campus courses and seminars.

Health-seeking behaviour and community perceptions of childhood undernutrition and a community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) programme in rural Bihar, India: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Burtscher, Doris; Burza, Sakib

2015-12-01

Since 2009, Médecins Sans Frontières has implemented a community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) programme in rural Biraul block, Bihar State, India that has admitted over 10 000 severely malnourished children but has struggled with poor coverage and default rates. With the aim of improving programme outcomes we undertook a qualitative study to understand community perceptions of childhood undernutrition, the CMAM programme and how these affected health-seeking behaviour. Semi-structured and narrative interviews were undertaken with families of severely malnourished children, non-undernourished children and traditional and allopathic health-care workers. Analysis of transcripts was by qualitative content analysis. Biraul, Bihar State, India, 2010. One hundred and fifty people were interviewed in individual or group discussions during fifty-eight interviews. Undernutrition was not viewed as a disease; instead, local disease concepts were identified that described the clinical spectrum of undernutrition. These concepts informed perception, so caregivers were unlikely to consult health workers if children were 'only skinny'. Hindu and Muslim priests and other traditional health practitioners were more regularly consulted and perceived as easier to access than allopathic health facilities. Senior family members and village elders had significant influence on the health-seeking behaviour of parents of severely malnourished children. The results reaffirm how health education and CMAM programmes should encompass local disease concepts, beliefs and motivations to improve awareness that undernutrition is a disease and one that can be treated. CMAM is well accepted by the community; however, programmes must do better to engage communities, including traditional healers, to enable development of a holistic approach within existing social structures.

Effectiveness of a community-based nutrition programme to improve child growth in rural Ethiopia: a cluster randomized trial.

PubMed

Kang, Yunhee; Kim, Sungtae; Sinamo, Sisay; Christian, Parul

2017-01-01

Few trials have shown that promoting complementary feeding among young children is effective in improving child linear growth in resource-challenged settings. We designed a community-based participatory nutrition promotion (CPNP) programme adapting a Positive Deviance/Hearth approach that engaged mothers in 2-week nutrition sessions using the principles of 'learning by doing' around child feeding. We aimed to test the effectiveness of the CPNP for improving child growth in rural Ethiopia. A cluster randomized trial was implemented by adding the CPNP to the existing government nutrition programmes (six clusters) vs. government programmes only (six clusters). A total of 1790 children aged 6 to 12 months (876 in the intervention and 914 in the control areas) were enrolled and assessed on anthropometry every 3 months for a year. Multi-level mixed-effect regression analysis of longitudinal outcome data (n = 1475) examined the programme impact on growth, adjusting for clustering and enrollment characteristics. Compared with children 6 to 24 months of age in the control area, those in the intervention area had a greater increase in z scores for length-for-age [difference (diff): 0.021 z score/month, 95% CI: 0.008, 0.034] and weight-for-length (diff: 0.042 z score/month, 95% CI: 0.024, 0.059). At the end of the 12-month follow-up, children in the intervention area showed an 8.1% (P = 0.02) and 6.3% (P = 0.046) lower prevalence of stunting and underweight, respectively, after controlling for differences in the prevalence at enrollment, compared with the control group. A novel CPNP programme was effective in improving child growth and reducing undernutrition in this setting. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of a community-based nutrition promotion programme on child feeding and hygiene practices among caregivers in rural Eastern Ethiopia.

PubMed

Kang, Yunhee; Suh, Youn Kyoung; Debele, Lemma; Juon, Hee-Soon; Christian, Parul

2017-06-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based participatory nutrition promotion (CPNP) programme involving a 2-week group nutrition session in improving child feeding and hygiene practices among caregivers. Cluster randomized trial. In the intervention area (six clusters), the CPNP programme was added to the context of government nutrition programmes; the control area (six clusters) received the government programme only. Child feeding practices were assessed every 3 months using a 24 h dietary recall questionnaire, and hand washing with soap was assessed every 6 months, over a period of 12 months. Feeding and hygiene measures at each visit were scored and the scores summed up for the entire follow-up period. Habro and Melka Bello districts, Ethiopia. Randomly selected mothers with a child aged 6-12 months (n 1790). A total of 1199 mothers, 629 in the control and 570 in the intervention areas, were assessed at all visits and included in the analysis. Mothers in the intervention area showed higher scores than those in the control area regarding meal frequency (difference: 1·04, 95 % CI 0·35, 1·73), composite feeding score_1 (difference: 1·25, 95 % CI 0·37, 2·13; a summing score of currently breast-feeding, meal frequency and dietary diversity) and composite feeding score_2 (difference: 1·40, 95 % CI 0·49, 2·32; a summing score of meal frequency and dietary diversity). However, there were no differences in the scores of breast-feeding, dietary diversity and hand washing between the two areas (all P>0·05). The CPNP programme was effective in improving some child feeding behaviours in rural Eastern Ethiopia.

Influence of Electrification of Droplet on Hydrophobicity Reduction of Polymer Material during a Dynamic Drop Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haji, Kenichi; Shiibara, Daiki; Arata, Yoshihiro; Sakoda, Tatsuya; Otsubo, Masahisa

The dynamic drop test was proposed as a method to evaluate hydrophobicity reduction of polymer materials. In this test, the formation change of a water channel was confirmed, and thereafter, the remained droplets and the dropped droplets on the sampled surface were repulsed each other. The distributions of electrification on the droplet and the sample surface were measured. The influence of the electrified droplet on the hydrophobicity reduction was examined. The results showed that the polarity on the sample surface changed by the dropped droplet, leading to the hydrophobicity loss.

Does Electrification Spur the Fertility Transition? Evidence From Indonesia.

PubMed

Grimm, Michael; Sparrow, Robert; Tasciotti, Luca

2015-10-01

We analyze various pathways through which access to electricity affects fertility in Indonesia, using a district difference-in-difference approach. The electrification rate increased by 65 % over the study period, and our results suggest that the subsequent effects on fertility account for about 18 % to 24 % of the overall decline in fertility. A key channel is increased exposure to television. Using in addition several waves of Demographic and Health Surveys, we find suggestive evidence that increased exposure to TV affects, in particular, fertility preferences and increases the effective use of contraception. Reduced child mortality seems to be another important pathway.

Wind energy applications guide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

anon.

2001-01-01

The brochure is an introduction to various wind power applications for locations with underdeveloped transmission systems, from remote water pumping to village electrification. It includes an introductory section on wind energy, including wind power basics and system components and then provides examples of applications, including water pumping, stand-alone systems for home and business, systems for community centers, schools, and health clinics, and examples in the industrial area. There is also a page of contacts, plus two specific example applications for a wind-diesel system for a remote station in Antarctica and one on wind-diesel village electrification in Russia.

How infrastructure and financial institutions affect rural income and poverty: evidence from Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khandker, Shahidur R; Koolwal, Gayatri B

2010-01-01

The mechanisms by which the poor benefit from economic growth remain a topic of debate in development literature. We address this issue in the context of rural Bangladesh, using a pooled dataset of three household panels between 1991-2001. Expansion of irrigation, paved roads, electricity, and access to formal and informal credit have (through different veins) led to higher rural farm and non-farm incomes, accounting for exogenous local agroclimatic endowments that explain a large part of the variation in the growth of infrastructure and credit programmes. However, this has not translated into substantial reductions in poverty for the poorest households.

Conceptions of Contraceptive Use in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Lessons for Programming

PubMed Central

Ndinda, Catherine; Ndhlovu, Tidings; Khalema, Nene Ernest

2017-01-01

Community family planning programmes in South Africa arose from the controversial apartheid history of controlling the African population while encouraging the growth of European migrant population. Post-apartheid population policies shifted away from population control to aligning policies to the global agenda that placed emphasis on the link between population and development. The focus on population and development polices in post-apartheid South Africa is on social equality, justice and peace rather than controlling sections of the population. Given the shift, this paper interrogates the conceptions of contraceptive use among rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Our primary objective is to understand the dynamics surrounding access to and use of family planning services in peri-urban and rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Using focus group data, the findings of the study suggest that different social categories interact with the family planning programmes differently. How teenagers and married women perceive the value of family planning differs. Gender differences regarding the use of condoms are also evident. The paper attempts to grapple with the non-use of condoms despite the knowledge that these prevent pregnancy and provide protection from sexually-transmitted diseases. The contribution of this paper lies in its identification of socio-cultural factors and the political economy underlying the different attitudes towards contraceptive use in rural KwaZulu-Natal. PMID:28350334

Conceptions of Contraceptive Use in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Lessons for Programming.

PubMed

Ndinda, Catherine; Ndhlovu, Tidings; Khalema, Nene Ernest

2017-03-28

Community family planning programmes in South Africa arose from the controversial apartheid history of controlling the African population while encouraging the growth of European migrant population. Post-apartheid population policies shifted away from population control to aligning policies to the global agenda that placed emphasis on the link between population and development. The focus on population and development polices in post-apartheid South Africa is on social equality, justice and peace rather than controlling sections of the population. Given the shift, this paper interrogates the conceptions of contraceptive use among rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Our primary objective is to understand the dynamics surrounding access to and use of family planning services in peri-urban and rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Using focus group data, the findings of the study suggest that different social categories interact with the family planning programmes differently. How teenagers and married women perceive the value of family planning differs. Gender differences regarding the use of condoms are also evident. The paper attempts to grapple with the non-use of condoms despite the knowledge that these prevent pregnancy and provide protection from sexually-transmitted diseases. The contribution of this paper lies in its identification of socio-cultural factors and the political economy underlying the different attitudes towards contraceptive use in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

Differences between urban and rural hedges in England revealed by a citizen science project.

PubMed

Gosling, Laura; Sparks, Tim H; Araya, Yoseph; Harvey, Martin; Ansine, Janice

2016-07-22

Hedges are both ecologically and culturally important and are a distinctive feature of the British landscape. However the overall length of hedges across Great Britain is decreasing. Current challenges in studying hedges relate to the dominance of research on rural, as opposed to urban, hedges, and their variability and geographical breadth. To help address these challenges and to educate the public on the importance of hedge habitats for wildlife, in 2010 the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) programme coordinated a hedge-focused citizen science survey. Results from 2891 surveys were analysed. Woody plant species differed significantly between urban and rural areas. Beech, Holly, Ivy, Laurel, Privet and Yew were more commonly recorded in urban hedges whereas Blackthorn, Bramble, Dog Rose, Elder and Hawthorn were recorded more often in rural hedges. Urban and rural differences were shown for some groups of invertebrates. Ants, earwigs and shieldbugs were recorded more frequently in urban hedges whereas blowflies, caterpillars, harvestmen, other beetles, spiders and weevils were recorded more frequently in rural hedges. Spiders were the most frequently recorded invertebrate across all surveys. The presence of hard surfaces adjacent to the hedge was influential on hedge structure, number and diversity of plant species, amount of food available for wildlife and invertebrate number and diversity. In urban hedges with one adjacent hard surface, the food available for wildlife was significantly reduced and in rural hedges, one adjacent hard surface affected the diversity of invertebrates. This research highlights that urban hedges may be important habitats for wildlife and that hard surfaces may have an impact on both the number and diversity of plant species and the number and diversity of invertebrates. This study demonstrates that citizen science programmes that focus on hedge surveillance can work and have the added benefit of educating the public on the importance of hedgerow habitats.

The impact of rural health system reform on hospitalization rates in the Islamic Republic of Iran: an interrupted time series.

PubMed

Rashidian, Arash; Joudaki, Hossein; Khodayari-Moez, Elham; Omranikhoo, Habib; Geraili, Bijan; Arab, Mohamad

2013-12-01

To assess the effects on hospital utilization rates of a major health system reform - a family physician programme and a social protection scheme - undertaken in rural areas of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2005. A "tracer" province that was not a patient referral hub was selected for the collection of monthly hospitalization data over a period of about 10 years, beginning two years before the rural health system reform (the "intervention") began. An interrupted time series analysis was conducted and segmented regression analysis was used to assess the immediate and gradual effects of the intervention on hospitalization rates in an intervention group composed of rural residents and a comparison group composed of urban residents primarily. Before the intervention, the hospitalization rate in the rural population was significantly lower than in the comparison group. Although there was no significant increase or decline in hospitalization rates in the intervention or comparison group before the intervention, after the intervention a significant increase in the hospitalization rate - of 4.6 hospitalizations per 100 000 insured persons per month on average - was noted in the intervention group (P < 0.001). The monthly increase in the hospitalization rate continued for over a year and stabilized thereafter. No increase in the hospitalization rate was observed in the comparison group. The primary health-care programme instituted as part of the health system reform process has increased access to hospital care in a population that formerly underutilized hospital services. It has not reduced hospitalizations or hospitalization-related expenditure.

The burden of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in rural communities in southern Nigeria.

PubMed

Isara, Alphonsus Rukevwe; Okundia, Patrick Otamere

2015-01-01

The African region of the world is experiencing a double epidemic of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus among adult residents of rural communities in southern Nigeria. A community based descriptive cross-sectional study. Adults aged 18 years and above residing in the rural communities who attended a free medical outreach programme were screened for hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Of the 845 participants, 349 (41.3%) were aged 50-69 years, 263 (31.1%) were males, and 305 (36.1%) were farmers. Overweight and obesity were found in 184 (21.8%) and 90 (10.6%) of them respectively. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 37.6% (males 43.7%, females 35.1%, p = 0.018) while that of diabetes mellitus was 4.6% (males 1.9%, females 5.8%, p = 0.012). Predictors of hypertension were age ≥ 40 years (OR = 5.04, CI: 2.99 - 8.48), overweight/obesity (OR = 1.56, CI: 1.15 - 2.13) while females are less likely to develop hypertension (OR = 0.72, CI: 0.53 - 0.98). The significant predictor of diabetes mellitus was overweight/obesity (OR = 3.53, CI: 1.78 - 6.98). The rising prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus is assuming an epidemic level in rural communities in southern Nigeria. There is an urgent need for intensive health education and community surveillance programmes targeted at rural communities in order to achieve prevention and control of these non-communicable diseases in Nigeria.

'I Have Learnt to Love the Child and Give Opportunities to Play with Peers': A Feasibility Study of the Training Programme to Support Parents of Young Children with Visual Impairment in Malawi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Paul; Gladstone, Melissa; McLinden, Michael; Douglas, Graeme; Jolley, Emma; Schmidt, Elena; Chimoyo, Josephine

2018-01-01

This is a first mixed-methods study, which created, adapted and tested the feasibility of a training programme targeted at parents, community professionals, specialist teachers and volunteers to provide advice on developmental stimulation for children with visual impairment in their homes in rural and urban settings of Malawi. The study followed…

Social impact of the 2004 Manawatu floods and the 'hollowing out' of rural New Zealand.

PubMed

Smith, Willie; Davies-Colley, Christian; Mackay, Alec; Bankoff, Greg

2011-07-01

The Manawatu floods of 2004 have had significant, long-lasting social consequences. This paper draws on findings from a series of detailed surveys of 39 farm households directly affected by the floods and 17 individuals directly involved in managing the flood recovery programme. The nature of the impact on rural families highlights how the 'hollowing out' of rural New Zealand has changed the capacity of rural communities to respond to natural hazards and increased their sense of isolation. In addition, the floods exposed the vulnerability of rural communities. This is shown to have implications for policies designed to build resilience and improve responses to adverse events, including the need to support local, community initiatives on self-reliance and mutual support. Approaches to manage better long-term flood risks should be designed within a context of ongoing rural decline that has compromised the health of both individuals and communities. © 2011 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2011.

The needs of health promoters on a health promotion programme for families with adolescents orphaned by HIV and AIDS.

PubMed

Mthobeni, Maseapo P; Peu, Mmapheko D

2013-02-01

The South African communities has shown to have a challenge in accessing health services especially in rural areas; hence the national strategic objective 1.7 aimed at strengthening community systems to expand access to services using the community-based care programmes (NSP 2012-2016). The programmes enhance access to health services whilst promoting health and educating the community to improve health knowledge and work towards attaining a healthy living (NSP 2012-2016). However, the health promoters from the rural Hammanskraal region in the North West Province of South Africa often found themselves rendering the health promotion services in their communities with limited resources. This study aimed at exploring and describing the challenges faced by health promoters in implementing health promotion programmes for families with adolescents orphaned by HIV and AIDS. The study followed a qualitative design. Data was collected using focus group interviews. Participants were purposely selected by the social worker and the health promotion coordinator working at Hammanskraal. The process of data analysis was adapted from the eight steps of Tesch method of data analysis where categories, sub-categories and themes were isolated. The following categories emerged as the needs of health promoters on health promotion programmes for families with adolescents orphaned by HIV and AIDS, (1) financial needs, (2) resources, (3) basic life needs, (4) educational needs and (5) health promoter's needs. It is therefore recommended that equal distribution of resources: including medicine, equipment and finances, should be maintained in order to ensure non-interrupted services.

Learning from recovery after Hurricane Mitch.

PubMed

Christoplos, Ian; Rodríguez, Tomás; Schipper, E Lisa F; Narvaez, Eddy Alberto; Bayres Mejia, Karla Maria; Buitrago, Rolando; Gómez, Ligia; Pérez, Francisco J

2010-04-01

This paper reviews how Nicaragua has recovered from Hurricane Mitch of October 1998. In particular, it examines how the assumptions and claims that were made during initial recovery planning have proven relevant in light of subsequent development. One must consider the response to Hurricane Mitch from the perspective of the broader trends that have driven recovery, including household, community and government initiatives and the wider economic context. Recovery efforts have not 'transformed' Nicaragua. In fact, market upheavals and livelihood changes in rural areas have had a more profound impact on poverty profiles than recovery programmes. Social protection programmes have been piloted, but patron-client ties and relations with aid providers are still more reliable sources of support in a time of crisis. Risk reduction has become more deeply integrated into the rural development discourse than was the case before the disaster, but risk reduction initiatives continue to place undue emphasis on hazard response rather than addressing vulnerability.

Eradication of schistosomiasis in Guangxi, China. Part 2: Political economy, management strategy and costs, 1953-92.

PubMed Central

Sleigh, A.; Jackson, S.; Li, X.; Huang, K.

1998-01-01

Reported are the results of a study of the political economy, management, and costs of the successful Guangxi schistosomiasis eradication programme, spanning 40 years from 1953 to 1992. For this purpose we analysed all government data and memoranda on the policy, management, technical support, finance, and the control strategy of the programme. We also interviewed many local staff involved in the programme over the 40-year period and obtained cost data from annual county-level records on seven major categories of variable costs. Schistosomiasis control in Guangxi began with one of the first examples of community participation and rapid assessment in public health history--the use of pre-franked envelopes to return disease questionnaires and suspect snails from rural areas. This approach quickly and accurately delineated the endemic area. This was Mao Zedong's "mass line", incorporating ideas and knowledge from peasants directly into services run for and by them, here the schistosomiasis control programme. Recognition by China's leaders that schistosomiasis was a great economic burden, steadfast prioritizing of the programme over 40 years, local innovative scientific study, agricultural and environmental focus on eradicating the snail hosts and boosting rural production, and mass community education and support were all key factors in the final success. Local leaders motivated programme staff and everyone involved knew the objectives. The programme was always multisectoral, with policy developed centrally, and strategy and collaboration encouraged and rewarded at the grass-roots. These features explain how a very poor autonomous region such as Guangxi finally eradicated schistosomiasis, spending less than US$ 0.50 per protected citizen per year; it is remarkable that the disease and snails were initially found across a large area of complex environments and modern drugs such as praziquantel were not available for most of the 40-year period. The lessons from Guangxi can be adapted elsewhere and should encourage other areas to control endemic schistosomiasis using methods devised to suit the local culture and geography. Images Fig. 2 PMID:9868841

Performance analysis of a bio-gasification based combined cycle power plant employing indirectly heated humid air turbine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukherjee, S., E-mail: sankha.deepp@gmail.com; Mondal, P., E-mail: mondal.pradip87@gmail.com; Ghosh, S., E-mail: sudipghosh.becollege@gmail.com

Rapid depletion of fossil fuel has forced mankind to look into alternative fuel resources. In this context, biomass based power generation employing gas turbine appears to be a popular choice. Bio-gasification based combined cycle provides a feasible solution as far as grid-independent power generation is concerned for rural electrification projects. Indirectly heated gas turbine cycles are promising alternatives as they avoid downstream gas cleaning systems. Advanced thermodynamic cycles have become an interesting area of study to improve plant efficiency. Water injected system is one of the most attractive options in this field of applications. This paper presents a theoretical modelmore » of a biomass gasification based combined cycle that employs an indirectly heated humid air turbine (HAT) in the topping cycle. Maximum overall electrical efficiency is found to be around 41%. Gas turbine specific air consumption by mass is minimum when pressure ratio is 6. The study reveals that, incorporation of the humidification process helps to improve the overall performance of the plant.« less

Nanoscale charge transfer and diffusion at the MoS2/SiO2 interface by atomic force microscopy: contact injection versus triboelectrification.

PubMed

Xu, Rui; Ye, Shili; Xu, Kunqi; Lei, Le; Hussain, Sabir; Zheng, Zhiyue; Pang, Fei; Xing, Shuya; Liu, Xinmeng; Ji, Wei; Cheng, Zhihai

2018-08-31

Understanding the process of charge generation, transfer, and diffusion between two-dimensional (2D) materials and their supporting substrates is very important for potential applications of 2D materials. Compared with the systematic studies of triboelectric charging in a bulk sample, a fundamental understanding of the triboelectrification of the 2D material/insulator system is rather limited. Here, the charge transfer and diffusion of both the SiO 2 surface and MoS 2 /SiO 2 interface through contact electrification and frictional electrification are investigated systematically in situ by scanning Kelvin probe microscopy and dual-harmonic electrostatic force microscopy. Different from the simple static charge transfer between SiO 2 and the PtSi alloy atomic force microscope (AFM) tip, the charge transfer between the tip and the MoS 2 /SiO 2 system is complicated. Triboelectric charges, generated by contact or frictional electrification with the AFM tip, are trapped at the MoS 2 /SiO 2 interface and act as floating gates. The local charge discharge processes can be obtained by monitoring the surface potential. The charge decay time (τ) of the MoS 2 /SiO 2 interface is one (or two) orders of magnitude larger than the decay time τ of the SiO 2 surface. This work facilitates an understanding of the triboelectric and de-electrification of the interface between 2D materials and substrates. In addition to the charge transfer and diffusion, we demonstrate the nanopatterns of surface and interfacial charges, which have great potential for the application of self-assembly of charged nanostructures.

The impact of a multiple intelligences teaching approach drug education programme on drug refusal skills of Nigerian pupils.

PubMed

Nwagu, Evelyn N; Ezedum, Chuks E; Nwagu, Eric K N

2015-09-01

The rising incidence of drug abuse among youths in Nigeria is a source of concern for health educators. This study was carried out on primary six pupils to determine the effect of a Multiple Intelligences Teaching Approach Drug Education Programme (MITA-DEP) on pupils' acquisition of drug refusal skills. A programme of drug education based on the Multiple Intelligences Teaching Approach (MITA) was developed. An experimental group was taught using this programme while a control group was taught using the same programme but developed based on the Traditional Teaching Approach. Pupils taught with the MITA acquired more drug refusal skills than those taught with the Traditional Teaching Approach. Urban pupils taught with the MITA acquired more skills than rural pupils. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean refusal skills of male and female pupils taught with the MITA. © The Author(s) 2014.

Evaluation of a nurse leadership development programme.

PubMed

West, Margaret; Smithgall, Lisa; Rosler, Greta; Winn, Erin

2016-03-01

The challenge for nursing leaders responsible for workforce planning is to predict the knowledge, skills and abilities required to lead future healthcare delivery systems effectively. Succession planning requires a constant, competitive pool of qualified nursing leader candidates, and retention of those interested in career growth. Formal nursing leadership education in the United States is available through graduate education and professional nursing organisation programmes, such as the Emerging Nurse Leader Institute of the American Organization of Nurse Executives. However, there is also a need for local development programmes tailored to the needs of individual organisations. Leaders at Geisinger Health System, one of the largest rural health systems in the US, identified the need for an internal professional development scheme for nurses. In 2013 the Nurses Emerging as Leaders programme was developed to prepare nurse leaders for effective leadership and successful role transition. This article describes the programme and an evaluation of its effectiveness.

Qualitative study exploring healthy eating practices and physical activity among adolescent girls in rural South Africa.

PubMed

Sedibe, Heather M; Kahn, Kathleen; Edin, Kerstin; Gitau, Tabitha; Ivarsson, Anneli; Norris, Shane A

2014-08-26

Dietary behaviours and physical activity are modifiable risk factors to address increasing levels of obesity among children and adolescents, and consequently to reduce later cardiovascular and metabolic disease. This paper explores perceptions, attitudes, barriers, and facilitators related to healthy eating and physical activity among adolescent girls in rural South Africa. A qualitative study was conducted in the rural Agincourt subdistrict, covered by a health and sociodemographic surveillance system, in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Semistructured "duo-interviews" were carried out with 11 pairs of adolescent female friends aged 16 to 19 years. Thematic content analysis was used. The majority of participants considered locally grown and traditional foods, especially fruits and vegetables, to be healthy. Their consumption was limited by availability, and these foods were often sourced from family or neighbourhood gardens. Female caregivers and school meal programmes facilitated healthy eating practices. Most participants believed in the importance of breakfast, even though for the majority, limited food within the household was a barrier to eating breakfast before going to school. The majority cited limited accessibility as a major barrier to healthy eating, and noted the increasing intake of "convenient and less healthy foods". Girls were aware of the benefits of physical activity and engaged in various physical activities within the home, community, and schools, including household chores, walking long distances to school, traditional dancing, and extramural activities such as netball and soccer. The findings show widespread knowledge about healthy eating and the benefits of consuming locally grown and traditional food items in a population that is undergoing nutrition transition. Limited access and food availability are strong barriers to healthy eating practices. School meal programmes are an important facilitator of healthy eating, and breakfast provision should be considered as an extension of the meal programme. Walking to school, cultural dance, and extramural activities can be encouraged and thus are useful facilitators for increasing physical activity among rural adolescent girls, where the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing.

Early assessment of the implementation of a national programme for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Cameroon and the effects of staff training: a survey in 70 rural health care facilities.

PubMed

Labhardt, Niklaus Daniel; Manga, Engelbert; Ndam, Mama; Balo, Jean-Richard; Bischoff, Alexandre; Stoll, Beat

2009-03-01

To assess the availability of equipment and the staff's knowledge to prevent Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) in rural healthcare facilities recently covered by the national PMTCT programme in Cameroon. In eight districts inventories of antiviral drugs and HIV test kits were made on site, using a standardised check-list. Knowledge of HIV and PMTCT was evaluated with a multiple-choice (MC) questionnaire based on typical clinical PMTCT cases. Staff participated subsequently in a 2-day training on HIV/AIDS and the Cameroon PMTCT guidelines. Immediately after training and after 7 months, retention of knowledge was tested with the same questions but in different order and layout. Sixty two peripheral nurse-led clinics and the eight district hospitals were assessed. Whereas all district hospitals presented complete equipment, only six of the peripheral clinics (10%) were equipped with both complete testing materials and a full set of drugs to provide PMTCT. Thirty six peripheral facilities (58%) possessed full equipment for HIV-testing and 8 (13%) stocked all PMTCT drugs. Of 137 nurses, 102 (74%) agreed to the two knowledge tests. Fewer than 66% knew that HIV-diagnosis requires positive results in two different types of rapid tests and only 19% chose the right recommendation on infant-feeding for HIV-positive mothers. Correct answers on drug regimens in different PMTCT settings varied from 25% to 56%. All percentages of correct answers improved greatly with training (P < 0.001) and retention remained high 7 months after training (P < 0.001). Prevent Mother-To-Child Transmission programmes in settings such as rural Cameroon need to be adapted to the special needs of peripheral nurse-led clinics. Appropriate short training may considerably improve nurses' competence in PMTCT. Other important components are regular supervision and measures to guarantee supply of equipment in rural areas.

Screening mammography uptake within Australia and Scotland in rural and urban populations.

PubMed

Leung, Janni; Macleod, Catriona; McLaughlin, Deirdre; Woods, Laura M; Henderson, Robert; Watson, Angus; Kyle, Richard G; Hubbard, Gill; Mullen, Russell; Atherton, Iain

2015-01-01

To test the hypothesis that rural populations had lower uptake of screening mammography than urban populations in the Scottish and Australian setting. Scottish data are based upon information from the Scottish Breast Screening Programme Information System describing uptake among women residing within the NHS Highland Health Board area who were invited to attend for screening during the 2008 to 2010 round (N = 27,416). Australian data were drawn from the 2010 survey of the 1946-51 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (N = 9890 women). Contrary to our hypothesis, results indicated that women living in rural areas were not less likely to attend for screening mammography compared to women living in urban areas in both Scotland (OR for rural = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.06-1.29) and Australia (OR for rural = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.01-1.31). The absence of rural-urban differences in attendance at screening mammography demonstrates that rurality is not necessarily an insurmountable barrier to screening mammography.

Use of telehealth in the management of non-critical emergencies in rural or remote emergency departments: a systematic review.

PubMed

du Toit, Marie; Malau-Aduli, Bunmi; Vangaveti, Venkat; Sabesan, Sabe; Ray, Robin A

2017-01-01

Background Telehealth has been used extensively in emergency departments to improve healthcare provision. However, its impact on the management of non-critical emergency presentations within rural and remote emergency department settings has not been adequately explored. The objective of this systematic review is to identify how telehealth has been used to assist in the management of non-critical presentations in rural and remote emergency departments and the outcomes. Methods Articles were identified through database searches of CINAHL, Cochrane, MEDLINE (OVID), Informit and SCOPUS, as well as the screening of relevant article reference and citation lists. To determine how telehealth can assist in the management of non-critical emergencies, information was extracted relating to telehealth programme model, the scope of service and participating health professionals. The outcomes of telehealth programmes were determined by analysing the uptake and usage of telehealth, the impact on altering a diagnosis or management plan as well as patient disposition including patient transfer, discharge, local hospital admission and rates of discharge against medical advice. Results Of the 2532 identified records, 15 were found to match the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Uptake and usage increased for telehealth programmes predominantly utilised by nursing staff with limited local medical support. Teleconsultation conservatively altered patient diagnosis or management in 18-66% of consultations. Although teleconsultation was associated with increased patient transfer rates, unnecessary transfers were reduced. Simultaneously, an increase in local hospital admission was noted and fewer patients were discharged home. Discharge against medical advice rates were low at 0.9-1.1%. Conclusion The most widely implemented hub-and-spoke telehealth model could be incorporated into existing referral frameworks. Telehealth programmes may assist in reducing unnecessary patient transfer and secondary overtriage, while increasing the capacity of emergency department staff to diagnose and manage patients locally, which may translate into increased local hospital admission and reduced discharge rates following teleconsultation.

Effect of public-private partnership in treatment of sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Kokku, Suresh Babu; Mahapatra, Bidhubhusan; Tucker, Saroj; Saggurti, Niranjan; Prabhakar, Parimi

2014-02-01

Providing sexually transmitted infection (STI) services to female sex workers (FSWs) in rural and resource constrained settings is a challenge. This paper describes an approach to address this challenge through a partnership with government health facilities, and examines the effect of this partnership on the utilization of STI services by FSWs in Andhra Pradesh, India. Partnerships were formed with 46 government clinics located in rural areas for providing STI treatment to FSWs in 2007. Government health facilities were supported by local and State level non-government organizations (NGOs) through provision of medicines, training of medical staff, outreach in the communities, and other coordination activities. Data from programme monitoring and behaviour tracking survey were used to examine the accessibility and acceptability in utilization of STI services from partnership clinics. The number of FSWs accessing services at the partnership clinics increased from 1627 in 2007 to over 15,000 in 2010. The average number of annual visits by FSWs to these clinics in 2010 was 3.4. In opinion surveys, the majority of FSWs accessing services at the partnership clinics expressed confidence that they would continue to receive effective services from the government facilities even if the programme terminates. The overall attitude of FSWs to visit government clinics was more positive among FSWs from partnership clinic areas compared to those from non-partnership clinic areas. The partnership mechanism between the NGO-supported HIV prevention programme and government clinic facilities appeared to be a promising opportunity to provide timely and accessible STI services for FSWs living in rural and remote areas.

Socio-cultural and behavioural factors constraining latrine adoption in rural coastal Odisha: an exploratory qualitative study.

PubMed

Routray, Parimita; Schmidt, Wolf-Peter; Boisson, Sophie; Clasen, Thomas; Jenkins, Marion W

2015-09-10

Open defecation is widely practiced in India. To improve sanitation and promote better health, the Government of India (GOI) has instituted large scale sanitation programmes supporting construction of public and institutional toilets and extending financial subsidies for poor families in rural areas for building individual household latrines. Nevertheless, many household latrines in rural India, built with government subsidies and the facilitation and support of non-government organizations (NGO), remain unused. Literature on social, cultural and behavioural aspects that constrain latrine adoption and use in rural India is limited. This paper examines defecation patterns of different groups of people in rural areas of Odisha state in India to identify causes and determinants of latrine non-use, with a special focus on government-subsidized latrine owners, and shortcomings in household sanitation infrastructure built with government subsidies. An exploratory study using qualitative methods was conducted in rural communities in Odisha state. Methods used were focus group discussions (FGDs), and observations of latrines and interviews with their owners. FGDs were held with frontline NGO sanitation program staff, and with community members, separately by caste, gender, latrine type, and age group. Data were analysed using a thematic framework and approach. Government subsidized latrines were mostly found unfinished. Many counted as complete per government standards for disbursement of financial subsidies to contracted NGOs were not accepted by their owners and termed as 'incomplete'. These latrines lacked a roof, door, adequate walls and any provision for water supply in or near the cabin, whereas rural people had elaborate processes of cleansing with water post defecation, making presence of a nearby water source important. Habits, socialising, sanitation rituals and daily routines varying with caste, gender, marital status, age and lifestyle, also hindered the adoption of latrines. Interest in constructing latrines was observed among male heads for their female members especially a newlywed daughter-in-law, reflecting concerns for their privacy, security, and convenience. This paper elaborates on these different factors. Findings show that providing infrastructure does not ensure use when there are significant and culturally engrained behavioural barriers to using latrines. Future sanitation programmes in rural India need to focus on understanding and addressing these behavioural barriers.

Dark Sky Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillier, D.

2008-06-01

Dark Sky Scotland (DSS) 2006-2008 is a nationwide programme of public and educational astronomy events. It demonstrates successful national partnerships with non-astronomy organisations and effective ways of delivering events in remote rural communities. DSS is looking for international partners for IYA2009.

Long-term glycaemic outcome of structured nurse-led diabetes care in rural Africa.

PubMed

Price, C; Shandu, D; Dedicoat, M; Wilkinson, D; Gill, G V

2011-07-01

Diabetes care delivery in rural Africa is difficult. Problems include lack of dedicated personnel, monitoring systems, laboratory support and drugs. Few structured intervention projects have been undertaken, none with long-term follow-up. To determine the long-term (4 years) glycaemic outcome of a structured nurse-led intervention programme for type 2 diabetic patients in rural Africa. Single-centre, observational cohort study. The programme was delivered in the scattered primary health clinics of Hlabisa District, in northern Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Monthly diabetic clinics were held at which empowerment-based education was delivered and regularly reinforced. Oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHAs) were titrated according to a previously validated clinical algorithm. Outcome was measured by glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1)c), as well as body mass index (BMI). Data were collected at baseline, and then 6, 18, 24 and 48 month's post-intervention. Eighty patients had data available at all time collection points. They were of mean ± SD, age 56 ± 11 years, 70% were female, BMI 31.5 ± 7.2 kg/m(2) and HbA(1)c 10.8 ± 4.2%. HbA(1)c fell significantly to 8.1 ± 2.2% at 6 months and 7.5 ± 2.0% at 18 months. By 24 months, it had risen (8.4 ± 2.3%), and at 4 years post-intervention it was 9.7 ± 4.0% (still significantly lower than baseline, P = 0.015). BMI rose significantly at 6 and 18 months, but by 48 months was not significantly different from baseline. We conclude that the intervention led to marked HbA(1)c improvements up to 18 months follow-up, but thereafter there was 'glycaemic slippage'. This may be not only due to educational 'wear-off', noted in other education-intervention programmes, but also to the expected glycaemic deterioration with time known to occur in type 2 diabetes. Nevertheless, 4-year HbA(1)c levels were still significantly lower than at baseline. The programme was also well received by staff and patients, and we believe is an appropriate and effective diabetes intervention system in rural Africa.

Kansas nurse leader residency programme: advancing leader knowledge and skills.

PubMed

Shen, Qiuhua; Peltzer, Jill; Teel, Cynthia; Pierce, Janet

2018-03-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of the Kansas Nurse Leader Residency (KNLR) programme in improving nurses' leadership knowledge and skills and its acceptability, feasibility and fidelity. The Future of Nursing Report (Institute of Medicine, 2011) calls for nurses to lead change and advance health. The 6-month KNLR programme was developed by the Kansas Action Coalition to support nurses' leadership development. Nurses (n = 36) from four nursing specialties (acute care, long-term care, public health and school health) participated in the programme. The adapted Leader Knowledge and Skill Inventory was used to assess leadership knowledge and skills. Programme acceptability, feasibility and implementation fidelity also were evaluated. The programme completion rate was 67.7% (n = 24). Programme completers had significantly improved self-assessed and mentor-assessed leadership knowledge and skills (p < .05). These post-programme gains were maintained 3 months after programme completion. The KNLR programme effectively improved leadership knowledge and skills and was positively evaluated by participants. The implementation of the KNLR programme using a hybrid format of in-person sessions and online modules was feasible across four specialty areas in both rural and urban regions. The next steps include the development of an advanced programme. Residency programmes for new nurse leaders are critical for successful transition into management positions. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Electrification pathways for Kenya-linking spatial electrification analysis and medium to long term energy planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moksnes, Nandi; Korkovelos, Alexandros; Mentis, Dimitrios; Howells, Mark

2017-09-01

In September 2015 UN announced 17 Sustainable Development goals (SDG) from which goal number 7 envisions universal access to modern energy services for all by 2030. In Kenya only about 46% of the population currently has access to electricity. This paper analyses hypothetical scenarios, and selected implications, investigating pathways that would allow the country to reach its electrification targets by 2030. Two modelling tools were used for the purposes of this study, namely OnSSET and OSeMOSYS. The tools were soft-linked in order to capture both the spatial and temporal dynamics of their nature. Two electricity demand scenarios were developed representing low and high end user consumption goals respectively. Indicatively, results show that geothermal, coal, hydro and natural gas would consist the optimal energy mix for the centralized national grid. However, in the case of the low demand scenario a high penetration of stand-alone systems is evident in the country, reaching out to approximately 47% of the electrified population. Increasing end user consumption leads to a shift in the optimal technology mix, with higher penetration of mini-grid technologies and grid extension.

Rhythm Pattern of Sole through Electrification of the Human Body When Walking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takiguchi, Kiyoaki; Wada, Takayuki; Tohyama, Shigeki

The rhythm of automatic cyclic movements such as walking is known to be generated by a rhythm generator called CPG in the spinal cord. The measurement of rhythm characteristics in walking is considered to be important for analyzing human bipedal walking and adaptive walking on irregular terrain. In particular, the soles that contact the terrain surface perform flexible movements similar to the movement of the fins of a lungfish, which is considered to be the predecessor of land animals. The sole movements are believed to be a basic movement acquired during prehistoric times. The detailed rhythm pattern of sole motion is considered to be important. We developed a method for measuring electrification without installing device on a subject's body and footwear for stabilizing the electrification of the human body. We measured the rhythm pattern of 20 subjects including 4 infants when walking by using this system and the corresponding equipment. Therefore, we confirmed the commonality of the correlative rhythm patterns of 20 subjects. Further, with regard to an individual subject, the reproducibility of a rhythm pattern with strong correlation coefficient > 0.93 ± 0.5 (mean ± SD) concerning rhythms of trials that are differently conducted on adult subjects could be confirmed.

OTEC Potential of East Nusa Tenggara Province in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widyartono, M.; Rahmadian, R.

2018-04-01

Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in the world, located between Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. Indonesia has more than 17000 islands with 70 per cent of the region is ocean. The Growth of the economic and population in Indonesia increasing the demand of the electricity annually, in 2015 alone electricity consumption in Indonesia reaching 200 TWh and will continue increasing every year. However, East Nusa Tenggara Province electrification ratio only around 58.64%, this is the second lowest ratio in Indonesia. This electrification ratio describes the level of availability of electrical energy for the community. Power Plant with renewable source placement in East Nusa Tenggara Province or smaller district need to be prioritise to cope with the low electrification ratio. Renewable sources for power plant have a good potential to work with, in example wind power, solar power, geothermal, or biomass. In addition, another renewable source that not yet known is from the ocean itself. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is one of the renewable source method from ocean. This paper will uncover the potential of OTEC in East Nusa Tenggara province so it will bring possibility to build an OTEC power plant in the future.

A school-based supplementary food programme in rural Kenya did not reduce children's intake at home.

PubMed

Gewa, Constance A; Murphy, Suzanne P; Weiss, Robert E; Neumann, Charlotte G

2013-04-01

To examine changes in energy intake along with markers of dietary quality (animal-source energy and protein intakes) among household members in the presence of supplementary school feeding in rural Kenya. A 2-year, longitudinal, randomized controlled feeding intervention study. Kyeni South Division, Embu District, Kenya. A total of 182 schoolchildren and selected household members. There was no evidence that schoolchildren who received supplementary snacks at school experienced reduced intakes at home or that intakes by other family members were increased at the expense of the schoolchild's intake. This analysis highlights a number of factors useful in planning for supplementary feeding interventions in rural Kenya and similar communities.

An Estimation of Mortality Risks among People Living with HIV in Karnataka State, India: Learnings from an Intensive HIV/AIDS Care and Support Programme

PubMed Central

Prakash, Ravi; Isac, Shajy; Washington, Reynold; Halli, Shiva S.

2016-01-01

Background In Indian context, limited attempts have been made to estimate the mortality risks among people living with HIV (PLHIV). We estimated the rates of mortality among PLHIV covered under an integrated HIV-prevention cum care and support programme implemented in Karnataka state, India, and attempted to identify the key programme components associated with the higher likelihood of their survival. Methods Retrospective programme data of 55,801 PLHIV registered with the Samastha programme implemented in Karnataka state during 2006–11 was used. Kaplan-Meier survival methods were used to estimate the ten years expected survival probabilities and Cox-proportional hazard model was used to examine the factors associated with risk of mortality among PLHIV. We also calculated mortality rates (per 1000 person-year) across selected demographic and clinical parameters. Results Of the total PLHIV registered with the programme, about nine percent died within the 5-years of programme period with an overall death rate of 38 per 1000 person-years. The mortality rate was higher among males, aged 18 and above, among illiterates, and those residing in rural areas. While the presence of co-infections such as Tuberculosis leads to higher mortality rate, adherence to ART was significantly associated with reduction in overall death rate. Cox proportional hazard model revealed that increase in CD4 cell counts and exposure to intensive care and support programme for at least two years can bring significant reduction in risk of death among PLHIV [(hazard ratio: 0.234; CI: 0.211–0.260) & (hazard ratio: 0.062; CI: 0.054–0.071), respectively] even after adjusting the effect of other socio-demographic, economic and health related confounders. Conclusion Study confirms that while residing in rural areas and presence of co-infection significantly increases the mortality risk among PLHIV, adherence to ART and improvement in CD4 counts led to significant reduction in their mortality risk. Longer exposure to the intervention contributed significantly to reduce mortality among PLHIV. PMID:27253974

Policy intervention for arsenic mitigation in drinking water in rural habitations in India: achievements and challenges.

PubMed

Shrivastava, Brajesh K

2016-10-01

This article provides updated status of the arsenic affected rural habitations in India, summarizes the policy initiatives of the Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation (Government of India), reviews the technologies for arsenic treatment and analyses the progress made by states in tackling arsenic problems in rural habitations. It also provides a list of constraints based on experiences and recommends suggested measures to tackle arsenic problems in an holistic manner. It is expected that the paper would be useful for policy formulators in states, non-government organizations, researchers of academic and scientific institutions and programme managers working in the area of arsenic mitigation in drinking water, especially in developing countries, as it provides better insights compared to other available information in India on mitigating arsenic problems in drinking water in rural areas.

The impact of rural health system reform on hospitalization rates in the Islamic Republic of Iran: an interrupted time series

PubMed Central

Rashidian, Arash; Joudaki, Hossein; Khodayari-Moez, Elham; Omranikhoo, Habib; Geraili, Bijan

2013-01-01

Abstract Objective To assess the effects on hospital utilization rates of a major health system reform – a family physician programme and a social protection scheme – undertaken in rural areas of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2005. Methods A “tracer” province that was not a patient referral hub was selected for the collection of monthly hospitalization data over a period of about 10 years, beginning two years before the rural health system reform (the “intervention”) began. An interrupted time series analysis was conducted and segmented regression analysis was used to assess the immediate and gradual effects of the intervention on hospitalization rates in an intervention group composed of rural residents and a comparison group composed of urban residents primarily. Findings Before the intervention, the hospitalization rate in the rural population was significantly lower than in the comparison group. Although there was no significant increase or decline in hospitalization rates in the intervention or comparison group before the intervention, after the intervention a significant increase in the hospitalization rate – of 4.6 hospitalizations per 100 000 insured persons per month on average – was noted in the intervention group (P < 0.001). The monthly increase in the hospitalization rate continued for over a year and stabilized thereafter. No increase in the hospitalization rate was observed in the comparison group. Conclusion The primary health-care programme instituted as part of the health system reform process has increased access to hospital care in a population that formerly underutilized hospital services. It has not reduced hospitalizations or hospitalization-related expenditure. PMID:24347733

Primary health care and immunisation in Iran.

PubMed

Nasseri, K; Sadrizadeh, B; Malek-Afzali, H; Mohammad, K; Chamsa, M; Cheraghchi-Bashi, M T; Haghgoo, M; Azmoodeh, M

1991-05-01

The Primary Health Care (PHC) network of Iran consists of a rural and an urban branch. While the rural branch presently covers a sizeable portion of the rural population, the urban PHC project is in its early stages of implementation. The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in Iran, which started as an independent and vertical project in early 1983, is being gradually integrated into the PHC network as the latter expands. Results of the second PHC programme review of Iran shows that immunisation coverage of children has improved appreciably since the first PHC review, especially for BCG which stands at 56.3%. Complete immunisation at first birthday in the rural areas with the PHC services is 44.1%, whereas for urban areas other than Teheran it is 28.1%. While the high coverage in the rural areas is attributed to the 'active' approach and vigilance of the providers of immunisation (i.e. the community health workers and the vaccinators of the mobile teams), the higher coverage in the capital city of Teheran is attributed to the involvement of private paediatricians and the generally higher social, economic, and educational status as well as higher interest of mothers. It is noticed that the results of cluster sampling for determination of immunisation coverage in large metropolitan areas of the developing world must be interpreted with much care. The reason is that in these areas extreme fluctuations in the crude birth rate are common and therefore results tend to over-represent the attributes of the segment of population with lower birth rate. It is also argued that complete immunisation might not be the best indicator for assessing the progress of the immunisation efforts. These and other findings are discussed in detail. are discussed in detail.

Space-based societal applications—Relevance in developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaskaranarayana, A.; Varadarajan, C.; Hegde, V. S.

2009-11-01

Space technology has the vast potential for addressing a variety of societal problems of the developing countries, particularly in the areas of communication, education and health sectors, land and water resources management, disaster management and weather forecasting. Both remote sensing and communication technologies can be used to achieve this goal. With its primary emphasis on application of space technology, on an end-to-end basis, towards national development, the Indian Space Programme has distinguished itself as one of the most cost-effective and development-oriented space programmes in the world. Developing nations are faced with the enormous task of carrying development-oriented education to the masses at the lower strata of their societies. One important feature of these populations is their large number and the spread over vast and remote areas of these nations, making the reaching out to them a difficult task. Satellite communication (Satcom) technology offers the unique capability of simultaneously reaching out to very large numbers, spread over vast areas, including the remote corners of the country. It is a strong tool to support development education. India has been amongst the first few nations to explore and put to use the Satcom technology for education and development-oriented services to the rural masses. Most of the developing countries have inadequate infrastructure to provide proper medical care to the rural population. Availability of specialist doctors in rural areas is a major bottleneck. Use of Satcom and information technology to connect rural clinics to urban hospitals through telemedicine systems is one of the solutions; and India has embarked upon an effective satellite-based telemedicine programme. Space technology is also useful in disaster warning and management related applications. Use of satellite systems and beacons for locating the distressed units on land, sea or air is well known to us. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is already a part of the International initiative called Satellite Aided Search and Rescue System. The programme to set up satellite-based Village Resource Centres (VRCs) across India, for providing a variety of services relevant to the rural communities, is also a unique societal application of space technology. The VRCs are envisaged as single window delivery mechanism for a variety of space-based products and services, such as tele-education; telemedicine; information on natural resources for planning and development at local level; interactive advisories on agriculture, fisheries, land and water resources management, livestock management, etc.; interactive vocational training towards alternative livelihood; e-governance; weather information; etc. This paper describes the various possibilities and potentials of Satcom and Remote Sensing technologies for societal applications. The initiatives taken by Indian Space Research Organisation in this direction are highlighted.

A tangled weave: Tracing outcomes of education in rural women's lives in North India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghose, Malini; Mullick, Disha

2015-06-01

This paper is based on the findings of a research study which traced 56 rural women learners 15 years after they had participated in an empowerment and education programme in North India. It attempts to understand, from the perspectives of women from marginalised communities, the ways in which participating in the programme had been empowering for them, or not. While most of the women were indeed able to transform several areas in their lives, this study illustrates that empowering outcomes cannot be assumed or articulated in categorical terms and that bringing about change requires the negotiation of power at various levels. The women's narratives stand in contrast to the prevalent discourses around women's literacy and empowerment, which highlight the importance of literacy only in terms of its positive impact on attaining development goals. Despite the vigorously discussed de-politicisation of the concept of empowerment, the authors show in this paper that empowerment, when informed by a critical feminist understanding, continues to provide a useful framework to analyse women's experiences related to education, as a process enabling women to understand and negotiate structures of power - which are neither static nor wholly dominating - and to find spaces to exercise agency. There are few longitudinal studies which trace the long-term impact of educational programmes on adult women, and most studies are in the nature of impact assessments of programmes. Through this paper the authors argue for the need to analyse the complexities around the relationship between women's education and empowerment.

Perspectives of rural health and human service practitioners following suicide prevention training programme in Australia: A thematic analysis.

PubMed

Jones, Martin; Ferguson, Monika; Walsh, Sandra; Martinez, Lee; Marsh, Michael; Cronin, Kathryn; Procter, Nicolas

2018-05-01

There are well-established training programmes available to support health and human services professionals working with people vulnerable to suicide. However, little is known about involving people with lived experience in the delivery of suicide prevention training with communities with increased rates of suicide. The aim of this paper was to report on a formative dialogical evaluation that explored the views of health and human services workers with regard to a suicide prevention training programme in regional (including rural and remote areas) South Australia which included meaningful involvement of a person with lived experience in the development and delivery of the training. In 2015, eight suicide prevention training workshops were conducted with health and human services workers. All 248 participants lived and worked in South Australian regional communities. We interviewed a subsample of 24 participants across eight sites. A thematic analysis of the interviews identified five themes: Coproduction is key, It is okay to ask the question, Caring for my community, I can make a difference and Learning for future training. The overall meta-theme was "Involvement of a person with lived experience in suicide prevention training supports regional communities to look out for people at risk of suicide." This paper highlights the need for suicide prevention training and other workforce development programmes to include lived experience participation as a core component in development and delivery. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pakistan mental health country profile.

PubMed

Karim, Salman; Saeed, Khalid; Rana, Mowaddat Hussain; Mubbashar, Malik Hussain; Jenkins, Rachel

2004-01-01

The Republic of Pakistan is a South East Asian country with a population of over 140.7 million. Its population is fast growing and the majority (70%) live in rural areas with a feudal or tribal value system. The economy is dependent on agriculture and 35% of the population live below the poverty line. Islam is the main religion and 'mental illnesses' are stigmatized and widely perceived to have supernatural causes. The traditional healers along with psychiatric services are the main mental health service providers. The number of trained mental health professionals is small as compared to the population demands and specialist services are virtually non-existent. Lack of data on prevalence of various mental illnesses and monitory constraints are the major hurdles in the development of mental health services. A number of innovative programmes to develop indigenous models of care like the 'Community Mental Health Programme' and 'Schools Mental Health Programme' have been developed. These programmes have been found effective in reducing stigma and increase awareness of mental illness amongst the adults and children living in rural areas. Efforts by the government and mental health professionals have led to the implementation of a 'National Mental Health Policy' and 'Mental Health Act' in 2001. These aim at integrating mental health services with the existing health services, improving mental health care delivery and safeguarding the rights of mentally ill people. A favourable political will and the help of international institutions like the World Health Organization are required to achieve these aims.

Effectiveness of an NGO primary health care programme in rural Bangladesh: evidence from the management information system.

PubMed

Mercer, Alec; Khan, Mobarak Hossain; Daulatuzzaman, Muhammad; Reid, Joanna

2004-07-01

This paper considers evidence of the effectiveness of a non-governmental organization (NGO) primary health care programme in rural Bangladesh. It is based on data from the programme's management information system reported by 27 partner NGOs from 1996-2002. The data indicate relatively high coverage has been achieved for reproductive and child health services, as well as lower infant and child mortality. On the basis of a crude indicator of socio-economic status, the programme is poverty-focused. There is good service coverage among the poorest one-third and others, and the infant and child mortality differential has been eliminated over recent years. A rapid decline in infant mortality among the poorest from 1999-2002 reflects a reduction in neonatal mortality of about 50%. Allowing for some under-reporting and possible misclassification of deaths to the stillbirths category, neonatal mortality is relatively low in the NGO areas. The lower child and maternal mortality for the NGO areas combined, compared with estimates for Bangladesh in recent years, may at least in part be due to high coverage of reproductive and child health services. Other development programmes implemented by many of the NGOs could also have contributed. Despite the limited resources available, and the lower infant and child mortality already achieved, there appears to be scope for further prevention of deaths, particularly those due to birth asphyxia, acute respiratory infection, diarrhoeal disease and accidents. Maternal mortality in the NGO areas was lower in 2000-02 than the most recent estimate for Bangladesh. Further reduction is likely to depend on improved access to qualified community midwives and essential obstetric care at government referral facilities.

Mini-Med School: promoting awareness of medicine as a career for suburban and rural high-school students.

PubMed

Shaikh, Faisal M; Babar, Mahwash; Cross, K Simon

2013-06-01

There is a global shortage of medical manpower. One approach to resolve such deficiencies is to effectively promote health careers to high-school students. Summer programmes held by medical faculties provide ideal opportunities for pre-medical students to examine the possible career opportunities in medicine. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland has recently launched a 'Mini-Medical School' (MMS) programme for suburban and rural high-school students in the South Eastern Region of Ireland. This paper illustrates the MMS project and describes the participants' reaction and evaluation of the programme and the factors influencing their desire to practise medicine in future. A total of 90 students completed the online survey (response rate 75%). Eighty-two per cent of the students indicated definitive and strong desire to study medicine after secondary school. There was no difference in interest between male and female students (P-value 0.665). The main factors influencing this interest were personal. Forty-four per cent of participants attributed this to the opportunity to help others while 30% to the intellectual challenge, whereas family, friends and other factors accounted for the rest of influential factors to study medicine. The majority agreed (60%) that the programme was quite accessible and easy to have a place. Opinions about the content of the programme focussed mainly on the interactive sessions. Forty-seven per cent liked the live patient-doctor interaction session the most, and 43% found the live video session very informative. The MMS is a highly effective platform for both the medical specialties and the high-school students. © 2012 The Authors. ANZ Journal of Surgery © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

An integration programme of poverty alleviation and development with family planning.

PubMed

1997-04-01

The State Council (the central government) recently issued a Circular for Speeding Up the Integration of Poverty Alleviation and Development with the Family Planning Programme during the Ninth Five-year Plan (1996-2000). The Circular was jointly submitted by the State Family Planning Commission and the Leading Group for Poverty Alleviation and Development. The document sets the two major tasks as solving the basic needs for food and clothing of the rural destitute and the control of over-rapid growth of China's population. Practice indicates that a close Integration Programme is the best way for impoverished farmers to alleviate poverty and become better-off. Overpopulation and low educational attainments and poor health quality of population in backward areas are the major factors retarding socioeconomic development. Therefore, it is inevitable to integrate poverty alleviation with family planning. It is a path with Chinese characteristics for a balanced population and sustainable socioeconomic development. The targets of the Integration Programme are as follows: The first is that preferential policies should be worked out to guarantee family planning acceptors, especially households with an only daughter or two daughters, are the first to be helped to eradicate poverty and become well-off. They should become good examples for other rural poor in practicing fewer but healthier births, and generating family income. The second target is that the population plans for the poor counties identified by the central government and provincial governments must be fulfilled. This should contribute to breaking the vicious circle of poverty leading to more children, in turn generating more poverty. The circular demands that more efforts should focus on the training of cadres for the Integrated Programme and on services for poor family planning acceptors. full text

The Impact of a Professional Development Programme on Primary Teachers' Classroom Practice and Pupils' Attitudes to Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Greg

2015-04-01

This study investigates the relationship, if any, between teacher participation in a targeted professional development programme and changes in participants' instructional practice and their pupils' attitudes to learning primary science. The programme took place over a 2-year period in 15 small rural schools in the West of Ireland. Data sources include teacher and pupil questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and informal classroom observations. The findings reveal that as a result of their involvement in the programme, (a) teachers' instructional practice in science lessons became more inquiry-based and they were engaging their pupils in substantially more hands-on activities in science lessons and (b) pupils developed more positive attitudes towards learning science. The findings from this study add to what is known about delivering effective professional development.

The effectiveness of oral health education conducted at a rural community market setting.

PubMed

Lawal, F B; Nasiru, W O; Taiwo, J O

2013-01-01

The workplace is one of the avenues for educating the public about their oral health in developing countries; particularly in rural communities where the workplace plays a major role in communal living. It is therefore necessary to find out if the market is appropriate for achieving the set aim of improving oral health awareness among the populace in rural communities. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of oral health education conducted in a market in a rural community by comparing the oral health practices of market women involved in the oral health education programme to those not involved in the programme. A prospective study. A rural community in South-western Nigeria. A prospective interventional study was conducted among market women in Igboora, a rural community in South-western Nigeria. The intervention was oral health education differentiating between the intervention group and the control group. Structured interviewer administered questionnaires were used to obtain information from the participants on their oral hygiene measures, fluoride use, dental attendance and the demographics of the participants. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS and p-value set at <0.05. Two hundred market women participated in the study with a mean age of 45.2 ± 17 years. The interventional group was made up of 106 market women while the control group was made up of 94 market women. There were no significant differences in the sociodemographic characteristics of women in both the intervention and control groups. Women in the intervention group engaged in more frequent cleaning of their teeth and tongue than those in the control group (p < 0.001). Market women who had participated in the oral health education subsequently visited the dentist more often than those in the control group (p = 0.010). The study showed that oral health education conducted at a market was effective in improving some oral health practices of participants. It is recommended that oral health practices be extended to major markets in our communities.

Rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) coverage in Swaziland: Toward achieving millennium development goals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mwendera, E. J.

An assessment of rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) coverage in Swaziland was conducted in 2004/2005 as part of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative (RWSSI). The initiative was developed by the African Development Bank with the aim of implementing it in the Regional Member Countries (RMCs), including Swaziland. Information on the RWSS sector programmes, costs, financial requirements and other related activities was obtained from a wide range of national documents, including sector papers and project files and progress reports. Interviews were held with staff from the central offices and field stations of Government of Swaziland (GOS) ministries and departments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), bilateral and multilateral external support agencies, and private sector individuals and firms with some connection to the sector and/or its programmes. The assessment also involved field visits to various regions in order to obtain first hand information about the various technologies and institutional structures used in the provision of water supplies and sanitation services in the rural areas of the country. The results showed that the RWSS sector has made significant progress towards meeting the national targets of providing water and sanitation to the entire rural population by the year 2022. The assessment indicated that rural water supply coverage was 56% in 2004 while sanitation coverage was 63% in the same year. The results showed that there is some decline in the incidence of water-related diseases, such as diarrhoeal diseases, probably due to improved water supply and sanitation coverage. The study also showed that, with adequate financial resources, Swaziland is likely to achieve 100% coverage of both water supply and sanitation by the year 2022. It was concluded that in achieving its own national goals Swaziland will exceed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, such achievement is subject to adequate financial resources being made available for the RWSS sector.

Screening mammography uptake within Australia and Scotland in rural and urban populations

PubMed Central

Leung, Janni; Macleod, Catriona; McLaughlin, Deirdre; Woods, Laura M.; Henderson, Robert; Watson, Angus; Kyle, Richard G.; Hubbard, Gill; Mullen, Russell; Atherton, Iain

2015-01-01

Objective To test the hypothesis that rural populations had lower uptake of screening mammography than urban populations in the Scottish and Australian setting. Method Scottish data are based upon information from the Scottish Breast Screening Programme Information System describing uptake among women residing within the NHS Highland Health Board area who were invited to attend for screening during the 2008 to 2010 round (N = 27,416). Australian data were drawn from the 2010 survey of the 1946–51 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (N = 9890 women). Results Contrary to our hypothesis, results indicated that women living in rural areas were not less likely to attend for screening mammography compared to women living in urban areas in both Scotland (OR for rural = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.06–1.29) and Australia (OR for rural = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.01–1.31). Conclusions The absence of rural–urban differences in attendance at screening mammography demonstrates that rurality is not necessarily an insurmountable barrier to screening mammography. PMID:26844118

Distributional cost-effectiveness analysis in low- and middle-income countries: illustrative example of rotavirus vaccination in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Dawkins, Bryony R; Mirelman, Andrew J; Asaria, Miqdad; Johansson, Kjell Arne; Cookson, Richard A

2018-04-01

Reducing health inequality is a major policy concern for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) on the path to universal health coverage. However, health inequality impacts are rarely quantified in cost-effectiveness analyses of health programmes. Distributional cost-effectiveness analysis (DCEA) is a method developed to analyse the expected social distributions of costs and health benefits, and the potential trade-offs that may exist between maximising total health and reducing health inequality. This is the first paper to show how DCEA can be applied in LMICs. Using the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in Ethiopia as an illustrative example, we analyse a hypothetical re-designed vaccination programme, which invests additional resources into vaccine delivery in rural areas, and compare this with the standard programme currently implemented in Ethiopia. We show that the re-designed programme has an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of US$69 per health-adjusted life year (HALY) compared with the standard programme. This is potentially cost-ineffective when compared with current estimates of health opportunity cost in Ethiopia. However, rural populations are typically less wealthy than urban populations and experience poorer lifetime health. Prioritising such populations can thus be seen as being equitable. We analyse the trade-off between cost-effectiveness and equity using the Atkinson inequality aversion parameter, ε, representing the decision maker's strength of concern for reducing health inequality. We find that the more equitable programme would be considered worthwhile by a decision maker whose inequality concern is greater than ε = 5.66, which at current levels of health inequality in Ethiopia implies that health gains are weighted at least 3.86 times more highly in the poorest compared with the richest wealth quintile group. We explore the sensitivity of this conclusion to a range of assumptions and cost-per-HALY threshold values, to illustrate how DCEA can inform the thinking of decision makers and stakeholders about health equity trade-offs.

Who is excluded and how? An analysis of community spaces for maternal and child health in Pakistan.

PubMed

Aziz, Ayesha; Khan, Fazal Ali; Wood, Geof

2015-11-25

The maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) indicators of Pakistan depict the deplorable state of the poor and rural women and children. Many MNCH programmes stress the need to engage the poor in community spaces. However, caste and class based hierarchies and gendered social norms exclude the lower caste poor women from accessing healthcare. To find pathways for improving the lives of the excluded, this study considers the social system as a whole and describes the mechanisms of exclusion in the externally created formal community spaces and their interaction with the indigenous informal spaces. The study used a qualitative case study design to identify the formal and informal community spaces in three purposively selected villages of Thatta, Rajanpur, and Ghizer districts. Community perspectives were gathered by conducting 37 focus group discussions, based on participatory rural appraisal tools, with separate groups of women and men. Relevant documents of six MNCH programmes were reviewed and 25 key informant interviews were conducted with programme staff. We found that lower caste poor tenants and nomadic peasants were excluded from formal and informal spaces. The formal community spaces formed by MNCH programmes across Pakistan included fixed, small transitory, large transitory, and emerging institutional spaces. Programme guidelines mandated selection of community notables in groups/committees and used criteria that prevented registration of nomadic groups as eligible clients. The selection criteria and adverse attitude of healthcare workers, along with inadequacy of programmatic resources to sustain outreach activities also contributed to exclusion of the lower caste poor women from formal spaces. The informal community spaces were mostly gender segregated. Infrequently, MNCH information trickled down from the better-off to the lower caste poor women through transitory interactions in the informal domestic sphere. A revision of the purpose and implementation mechanisms for MNCH programmes is mandated to transform formal health spaces into sites of equitable healthcare.

The deployment and training of teachers for remote rural schools in less-developed countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ankrah-Dove, Linda

1982-03-01

In less-developed countries schools in remote rural areas are likely to be poor in quality. One important aspect of this in certain contexts is the comparatively low quality of teachers and the high rate of teacher turnover in rural schools in these areas. It is likely that contributory factors are the ways in which posting and transfer procedures operate, inadequate preparation and support for teachers, and their own characteristics, values and interests. For purposes of analysis, two models are suggested which illuminate the policy assumptions behind different strategies used to try to remedy the situation. The rural deficit model tends to encourage the use of compulsory posting and incentives while the rural challenge model searches for better ways of preparing teachers for service in remote rural schools. From analysis of the literature, the author suggests that there are four inter-related features of contemporary teacher-education programmes which have potential and should be developed if good teachers are to be attracted to and retained in remote rural schools. These are field-based preparation, teamwork in training, community support of training and the recruitment and preparation of local teachers. A few examples of schemes employing these principles are described briefly.

Screening for chronic kidney disease in a community-based diabetes cohort in rural Guatemala: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Flood, David; Garcia, Pablo; Douglas, Kate; Hawkins, Jessica

2018-01-01

Objective Screening is a key strategy to address the rising burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in low-income and middle-income countries. However, there are few reports regarding the implementation of screening programmes in resource-limited settings. The objectives of this study are to (1) to share programmatic experiences implementing CKD screening in a rural, resource-limited setting and (2) to assess the burden of renal disease in a community-based diabetes programme in rural Guatemala. Design Cross-sectional assessment of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urine albumin. Setting Central Highlands of Guatemala. Participants We enrolled 144 adults with type 2 diabetes in a community-based CKD screening activity carried out by the sponsoring institution. Outcome measures Prevalence of renal disease and risk of CKD progression using Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes definitions and classifications. Results We found that 57% of the sample met GFR and/or albuminuria criteria suggestive of CKD. Over half of the sample had moderate or greater increased risk for CKD progression, including nearly 20% who were classified as high or very high risk. Hypertension was common in the sample (42%), and glycaemic control was suboptimal (mean haemoglobin A1c 9.4%±2.5% at programme enrolment and 8.6%±2.3% at time of CKD screening). Conclusions The high burden of renal disease in our patient sample suggests an imperative to better understand the burden and risk factors of CKD in Guatemala. The implementation details we share reveal the tension between evidence-based CKD screening versus screening that can feasibly be delivered in resource-limited global settings. PMID:29358450

Effect of public-private partnership in treatment of sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, India

PubMed Central

Kokku, Suresh Babu; Mahapatra, Bidhubhusan; Tucker, Saroj; Saggurti, Niranjan; Prabhakar, Parimi

2014-01-01

Background & objectives: Providing sexually transmitted infection (STI) services to female sex workers (FSWs) in rural and resource constrained settings is a challenge. This paper describes an approach to address this challenge through a partnership with government health facilities, and examines the effect of this partnership on the utilization of STI services by FSWs in Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods: Partnerships were formed with 46 government clinics located in rural areas for providing STI treatment to FSWs in 2007. Government health facilities were supported by local and State level non-government organizations (NGOs) through provision of medicines, training of medical staff, outreach in the communities, and other coordination activities. Data from programme monitoring and behaviour tracking survey were used to examine the accessibility and acceptability in utilization of STI services from partnership clinics. Results: The number of FSWs accessing services at the partnership clinics increased from 1627 in 2007 to over 15,000 in 2010. The average number of annual visits by FSWs to these clinics in 2010 was 3.4. In opinion surveys, the majority of FSWs accessing services at the partnership clinics expressed confidence that they would continue to receive effective services from the government facilities even if the programme terminates. The overall attitude of FSWs to visit government clinics was more positive among FSWs from partnership clinic areas compared to those from non-partnership clinic areas. Interpretation & conclusions: The partnership mechanism between the NGO-supported HIV prevention programme and government clinic facilities appeared to be a promising opportunity to provide timely and accessible STI services for FSWs living in rural and remote areas. PMID:24718405

Universal combination antiretroviral regimens to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV in rural Zambia: a two-round cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Musonda, Patrick; Lembalemba, Mwila K; Chintu, Namwinga T; Gartland, Matthew G; Mulenga, Saziso N; Bweupe, Maximillian; Turnbull, Eleanor; Stringer, Elizabeth M; Stringer, Jeffrey SA

2014-01-01

Abstract Objective To evaluate if a pilot programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was associated with changes in early childhood survival at the population level in rural Zambia. Methods Combination antiretroviral regimens were offered to pregnant and breastfeeding, HIV-infected women, irrespective of immunological status, at four rural health facilities. Twenty-four-month HIV-free survival among children born to HIV-infected mothers was determined before and after PMTCT programme implementation using community surveys. Households were randomly selected and women who had given birth in the previous 24 months were asked to participate. Mothers were tested for HIV antibodies and children born to HIV-infected mothers were tested for viral deoxyribonucleic acid. Multivariable models were used to determine factors associated with child HIV infection or death. Findings In the first survey (2008–2009), 335 of 1778 women (18.8%) tested positive for HIV. In the second (2011), 390 of 2386 (16.3%) tested positive. The 24-month HIV-free survival in HIV-exposed children was 0.66 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.63–0.76) in the first survey and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.83–0.94) in the second. Combination antiretroviral regimen use was associated with a lower risk of HIV infection or death in children (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.15–0.73). Maternal knowledge of HIV status, use of HIV tests and use of combination regimens during pregnancy increased between the surveys. Conclusion The PMTCT programme was associated with an increased HIV-free survival in children born to HIV-infected mothers. Maternal utilization of HIV testing and treatment in the community also increased. PMID:25177073

Prevalence, incidence, and epidemiological features of poliomyelitis in the Yemen Arab Republic.

PubMed

Hajar, M M; Zeid, A S; Saif, M A; Parvez, M A; Steinglass, R C; Crain, S

1983-01-01

There is a lack of reliable information on the extent of the poliomyelitis problem in developing countries, although the disease is thought to be more of a threat in urban than in rural areas. The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) began operations in Yemen in 1977, and it was considered appropriate to try to establish the prevalence of residual paralysis due to poliomyelitis in children aged 5-13 years, in order to estimate the annual incidence of clinical cases of the disease, and to determine the epidemiological features of poliomyelitis in the country. The data thus obtained would provide a basis for assessing the impact of the immunization programme on the incidence of poliomyelitis.The results of the survey showed a prevalence of lameness due to poliomyelitis of 4.0 per 1000 children. The estimated annual incidence of the disease is thus 18.6 per 100 000 of the general population, or approximately 1088 cases each year, with an estimated 163 deaths. An estimated 5000 children aged 5-13 years are lame as a result of poliomyelitis. There was no significant difference in the incidence of the disease in rural and urban areas. The median age of onset was 1.92 years in the urban setting and 1.29 years in the rural setting, with more than half of all cases occurring before the age of 2 years. Immunization efforts should therefore be directed towards infants aged under 2 years. Although a national disease notification system was established in 1976, 95% of the clinical cases discovered during the survey had not been reported. This underlines the importance of special surveys in gathering the data necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the immunization programme.

Mechanical, Thermal, and Electrical Energy Storage in a Single Working Body: Electrification and Thermal Effects upon Pressure-Induced Water Intrusion-Extrusion in Nanoporous Solids.

PubMed

Grosu, Yaroslav; Mierzwa, Michał; Eroshenko, Valentine A; Pawlus, Sebastian; Chorażewski, Mirosław; Nedelec, Jean-Marie; Grolier, Jean-Pierre E

2017-03-01

This paper presents the first experimental evidence of pronounced electrification effects upon reversible cycle of forced water intrusion-extrusion in nanoporous hydrophobic materials. Recorded generation of electricity combined with high-pressure calorimetric measurements improves the energy balance of {nanoporous solid + nonwetting liquid} systems by compensating mechanical and thermal energy hysteresis in the cycle. Revealed phenomena provide a novel way of "mechanical to electrical" and/or "thermal to electrical" energy transformation with unprecedented efficiency and additionally open a perspective to increase the efficiency of numerous energy applications based on such systems taking advantage of electricity generation during operational cycle.

Run-Curve Design for Energy Saving Operation in a Modern DC-Electrification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koseki, Takafumi; Noda, Takashi

Mechanical brakes are often used by electric trains. These brakes have a few problems like response speed, coefficient of friction, maintenance cost and so on. As a result, methods for actively using regenerative brakes are required. In this paper, we propose the useful pure electric braking, which would involve ordinary brakes by only regenerative brakes without any mechanical brakes at high speed. Benefits of our proposal include a DC-electrification system with regenerative substations that can return powers to the commercial power system and a train that can use the full regenerative braking force. We furthermore evaluate the effects on running time and energies saved by regenerative substations in the proposed method.

The Green Ocean Over the Amazon: Implications for Cloud Electrification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, E.; Blakeslee, R.; Boccippio, D.; Arnold, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

A convective regime with distinct maritime characteristics (weak updraft, low CCN, prevalent coalescence and rainout, weak mixed phase reflectivity, low glaciation temperature, and little if any lightning) is documented over the Amazon basin of the South American continent, and dubbed the "green ocean". Radar, lightning, thermodynamic and AVHRR satellite observations are examined to shed light on the roles of updraft and aerosol in providing departures from the green ocean regime toward continental behavior. Extreme case studies are identified in which the updraft control is dominant and in which the aerosol control is dominant. The tentative conclusion gives importance to both updrafts and aerosol in shaping the electrification of tropical convection.

Coverage and beliefs about temephos application for control of dengue vectors and impact of a community-based prevention intervention: secondary analysis from the Camino Verde trial in Mexico.

PubMed

Legorreta-Soberanis, José; Paredes-Solís, Sergio; Morales-Pérez, Arcadio; Nava-Aguilera, Elizabeth; de Los Santos, Felipé René Serrano; Sánchez-Gervacio, Belén Madeline; Ledogar, Robert J; Cockcroft, Anne; Andersson, Neil

2017-05-30

Temephos in domestic water containers remains a mainstay of Latin American government programmes for control of Aedes aegypti and associated illnesses, including dengue. There is little published evidence about coverage of routine temephos programmes. A cluster randomised controlled trial of community mobilisation in Mexico and Nicaragua reduced vector indices, dengue infection, and clinical dengue cases. Secondary analysis from the Mexican arm of the trial examined temephos coverage and beliefs, and the impact of the trial on these outcomes. The trial impact survey in December 2012, in 10,491 households in 45 intervention and 45 control clusters, asked about visits from the temephos programme, retention of applied temephos, and views about temephos and mosquito control. Fieldworkers noted if temephos was present in water containers. Some 42.4% of rural and 20.7% of urban households reported no temephos programme visits within the last 12 months. Overall, 42.0% reported they had temephos placed in their water containers less than 3 months previously. Fieldworkers observed temephos in at least one container in 21.1% of households. Recent temephos application and observed temephos were both significantly more common in urban households, when other household variables were taken into account; in rural areas, smaller households were more likely to have temephos present. Most households (74.4%) did not think bathing with water containing temephos carried any health risk. Half (51%) believed drinking or cooking with such water could be harmful and 17.6% were unsure. Significantly fewer households in intervention sites (16.5%) than in control sites (26.0%) (Risk Difference - 0.095, 95% confidence interval - 0.182 to -0.009) had temephos observed in their water; more households in intervention clusters (41.8%) than in control clusters (31.6%) removed the applied temephos quickly. Although fewer households in intervention sites (82.7%) compared with control sites (86.7%) (RD -0.04, 95% CI -0.067 to -0.013) agreed temephos and fumigation was the best way to avoid mosquitoes, the proportion believing this remained very high. Coverage with the government temephos programme was low, especially in rural areas. Despite an intervention encouraging non-chemical mosquito control, most households continued to believe that chemicals are the best control method. ISRCTN: 27581154 .

Processes and challenges of community mobilisation for latrine promotion under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan in rural Odisha, India.

PubMed

Routray, Parimita; Torondel, Belen; Jenkins, Marion W; Clasen, Thomas; Schmidt, Wolf-Peter

2017-05-16

Despite efforts to eradicate it, open defecation remains widely practiced in India, especially in rural areas. Between 2013 and 2014, 50 villages in one district of Odisha, India, received a sanitation programme under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA - "Clean India Campaign"), the successor of India's Total Sanitation Campaign. This paper documents the strategies and processes of NBA community mobilisation for latrine promotion in these villages and assesses the strengths and limitations of the mobilisation activities. NBA's community mobilisation activities were observed and assessed against the programme's theory of change in 10 randomly selected programme villages from start to finish. Additional data was collected through review of documents, individual interviews (n = 80) and focus group discussions (n = 26) with staff of the implementing NGOs and community members. Our study revealed the lack of a consistent implementation strategy, lack of capacities and facilitation skills of NGO staff to implement sanitation programmes, political interference, challenges in accessing government financial incentives for latrine construction, and lack of clarity on the roles and responsibilities among government and NGO staff, leading to failure in translating government policies into sustainable actions. Social divisions and village dynamics related to gender and caste further constrained the effectiveness of mobilisation activities. Meetings were often dominated by male members of upper caste households, and excluded low caste community members and views of women. Community discussions revolved largely around the government's cash incentive for latrines. Activities aimed at creating demand for sanitation and use of latrines often resonated poorly with community members. An assessment by the implementers, 1 year after community mobilisation found 19% of households had a completed latrine across the 50 villages, a marginal increase of 7 percentage points over baseline. In this setting, the Government of India's NBA programme to increase rural sanitation coverage and use is hampered by political, programmatic, logistical and socio-structural constraints. Sanitation demand generation was difficult for local implementing NGOs as village populations had lost trust in organisations due to previous indications of fraud. Agencies or organisations implementing sanitation campaigns and conducting sanitation promotions need to enhance their staff's knowledge and build capacity in order to address important social heterogeneity within villages. This trial's registration number is NCT01214785 (October 4, 2010).

``We also wanted to learn'': Narratives of change from adults literate in African languages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trudell, Joel; Cheffy, Ian

2017-10-01

This article discusses the impact of literacy programmes on those who learned to read and write in their own African languages. It draws on adult learners' reflections on the significance of literacy and numeracy in their everyday lives as evidenced in interviews conducted in 2014 and 2015 in rural sites in five African countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The research approach was influenced by the Most Significant Change (MSC) method of monitoring and evaluation, which collects and examines narratives that reveal beneficiaries' perceptions of change related to a given programme. This study emulates this approach in that it seeks to learn about perceived changes attributed to literacy acquisition from the perspectives of the beneficiaries, without imposing pre-established indicators. In the rural adult learners' view, literacy enabled lifelong learning outcomes that rivalled the results of primary schooling. Literacy programme graduates demonstrated extensive ongoing learning after they learned to read, write and calculate, consequently acquiring new literacy practices and new understandings of themselves. Even though many of those interviewed had been unable to attend school, they viewed the practices of reading and writing that they developed outside of school as equivalent to the practices of adults who had been educated in primary school.

Lessons learned in using realist evaluation to assess maternal and newborn health programming in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Adams, Alayne; Sedalia, Saroj; McNab, Shanon; Sarker, Malabika

2016-03-01

Realist evaluation furnishes valuable insight to public health practitioners and policy makers about how and why interventions work or don't work. Moving beyond binary measures of success or failure, it provides a systematic approach to understanding what goes on in the 'Black Box' and how implementation decisions in real life contexts can affect intervention effectiveness. This paper reflects on an experience in applying the tenets of realist evaluation to identify optimal implementation strategies for scale-up of Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) programmes in rural Bangladesh. Supported by UNICEF, the three MNH programmes under consideration employed different implementation models to deliver similar services and meet similar MNH goals. Programme targets included adoption of recommended antenatal, post-natal and essential newborn care practices; health systems strengthening through improved referral, accountability and administrative systems, and increased community knowledge. Drawing on focused examples from this research, seven steps for operationalizing the realist evaluation approach are offered, while emphasizing the need to iterate and innovate in terms of methods and analysis strategies. The paper concludes by reflecting on lessons learned in applying realist evaluation, and the unique insights it yields regarding implementation strategies for successful MNH programming. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Family health nursing: the education programme for the WHO Europe Scottish Pilot.

PubMed

Murray, Ian

2004-06-01

This article outlines the development of the family health nurse (FNH) programme, which was delivered by the University of Stirling in the highlands and islands of Scotland as part of a World Health Organization European pilot project. An outline of the structure of the programme and its key features is described. The concept of the FHN emerged from the WHO's initiative to develop a practitioner who has the family as the organizing focus of their practice (WHO, 2000). An insight is provided into the experience of the first students to undergo this programme, along with a brief summary of the main findings of the external evaluation of both the education programme and the implementation of the role in the remote and rural communities of the highlands and islands of Scotland. Suggestions are made that will hopefully influence the second phase of this project that the Scottish Executive are supporting in an urban setting, which is due to begin in September 2004.

Rural Development and Labour-Intensive Schemes. Impact Studies of Some Pilot Programmes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaude, J.; And Others

1987-01-01

Examines case studies of special public works programs in five countries (Burkina Faso, Burundi, Rwanda, Nepal, and United Republic of Tanzania) that included afforestation projects, anti-erosion works, and the building of reservoirs. Discusses program design, implementation, and impact. (CH)

The theatre: an effective tool for health promotion.

PubMed

Seguin, A; Rancourt, C

1996-01-01

In Africa and in North America, in both rural and urban settings, theatre can be an effective means of health promotion. Projects on women's health, care for patients with mental disorders, and AIDS prevention show the usefulness of this medium for community action programmes.

Contact electrification induced interfacial reactions and direct electrochemical nanoimprint lithography in n-type gallium arsenate wafer.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Zhang, Lin; Wang, Wei; Han, Lianhuan; Jia, Jing-Chun; Tian, Zhao-Wu; Tian, Zhong-Qun; Zhan, Dongping

2017-03-01

Although metal assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) has emerged as a versatile micro-nanofabrication method for semiconductors, the chemical mechanism remains ambiguous in terms of both thermodynamics and kinetics. Here we demonstrate an innovative phenomenon, i.e. , the contact electrification between platinum (Pt) and an n-type gallium arsenide (100) wafer (n-GaAs) can induce interfacial redox reactions. Because of their different work functions, when the Pt electrode comes into contact with n-GaAs, electrons will move from n-GaAs to Pt and form a contact electric field at the Pt/n-GaAs junction until their electron Fermi levels ( E F ) become equal. In the presence of an electrolyte, the potential of the Pt/electrolyte interface will shift due to the contact electricity and induce the spontaneous reduction of MnO 4 - anions on the Pt surface. Because the equilibrium of contact electrification is disturbed, electrons will transfer from n-GaAs to Pt through the tunneling effect. Thus, the accumulated positive holes at the n-GaAs/electrolyte interface make n-GaAs dissolve anodically along the Pt/n-GaAs/electrolyte 3-phase interface. Based on this principle, we developed a direct electrochemical nanoimprint lithography method applicable to crystalline semiconductors.

A Simple Approach to Characterize Gas-Aqueous Liquid Two-phase Flow Configuration Based on Discrete Solid-Liquid Contact Electrification

PubMed Central

Choi, Dongwhi; Lee, Donghyeon; Sung Kim, Dong

2015-01-01

In this study, we first suggest a simple approach to characterize configuration of gas-aqueous liquid two–phase flow based on discrete solid-liquid contact electrification, which is a newly defined concept as a sequential process of solid-liquid contact and successive detachment of the contact liquid from the solid surface. This approach exhibits several advantages such as simple operation, precise measurement, and cost-effectiveness. By using electric potential that is spontaneously generated by discrete solid–liquid contact electrification, the configurations of the gas-aqueous liquid two-phase flow such as size of a gas slug and flow rate are precisely characterized. According to the experimental and numerical analyses on parameters that affect electric potential, gas slugs have been verified to behave similarly to point electric charges when the measuring point of the electric potential is far enough from the gas slug. In addition, the configuration of the gas-aqueous liquid two-phase microfluidic system with multiple gas slugs is also characterized by using the presented approach. For a proof-of-concept demonstration of using the proposed approach in a self-triggered sensor, a gas slug detector with a counter system is developed to show its practicality and applicability. PMID:26462437

A Simple Approach to Characterize Gas-Aqueous Liquid Two-phase Flow Configuration Based on Discrete Solid-Liquid Contact Electrification.

PubMed

Choi, Dongwhi; Lee, Donghyeon; Kim, Dong Sung

2015-10-14

In this study, we first suggest a simple approach to characterize configuration of gas-aqueous liquid two-phase flow based on discrete solid-liquid contact electrification, which is a newly defined concept as a sequential process of solid-liquid contact and successive detachment of the contact liquid from the solid surface. This approach exhibits several advantages such as simple operation, precise measurement, and cost-effectiveness. By using electric potential that is spontaneously generated by discrete solid-liquid contact electrification, the configurations of the gas-aqueous liquid two-phase flow such as size of a gas slug and flow rate are precisely characterized. According to the experimental and numerical analyses on parameters that affect electric potential, gas slugs have been verified to behave similarly to point electric charges when the measuring point of the electric potential is far enough from the gas slug. In addition, the configuration of the gas-aqueous liquid two-phase microfluidic system with multiple gas slugs is also characterized by using the presented approach. For a proof-of-concept demonstration of using the proposed approach in a self-triggered sensor, a gas slug detector with a counter system is developed to show its practicality and applicability.

Parents’ Participation in the Sexuality Education of Their Children in Namibia: A Framework and an Educational Programme for Enhanced Action

PubMed Central

Nghipondoka- Lukolo, Linda Ndeshipandula; Charles, Kimera Lukanga

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to empower rural parents to participate in the sexuality education of their children. The study was designed to be qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature. It was performed in three phases. Phase 1 consisted of a situational analysis to explore and describe how parents provide sexuality education. Phase 2 consisted of the development of a conceptual framework that facilitated the development of an educational programme. In phase 3 the programme was implemented and evaluated, recommendations were made and conclusions drawn. The main findings revealed two themes: factors influencing parental participation in their children’s sexuality education, and the need for parental participation in their children’s sexuality education. This article is part of series of three article stems from a study on the topic of sexuality education empowerment programme of rural parents in Namibia. The three articles have the following titles one: parent’s participation in sexuality education of their children: a situational analysis; two: parent’s participation in sexuality education of their children: a conceptual framework and an educational programme to enhance action, and three: parent’s participation in sexuality education of their children: programme implementation and evaluation. The previous paper dealt with parent’s participation in sexuality education of their children: a situational analysis: the results from the in-depth interviews and focus group discussions on sexuality education with children and parents were presented. This paper focuses on describing Phase 2 and 3, namely the process of devising a conceptual framework for the development of an educational programme to empower parents to participate in the sexuality education of their children. Discussions included a description of the conceptual framework, based on the researcher’s paradigmatic assumptions, and the focus group and individual in-depth interviews results. The survey list suggested by Dickoff et al. (1968) consists of various elements which were employed in the conceptual framework, namely the context, agent, recipients, dynamics, procedure and a terminus. These elements were reflected in the “thinking map”. PMID:26573053

Evaluating process and clinical outcomes of a primary care mental health integration project in rural Rwanda: a prospective mixed-methods protocol.

PubMed

Smith, Stephanie L; Misago, Claire Nancy; Osrow, Robyn A; Franke, Molly F; Iyamuremye, Jean Damascene; Dusabeyezu, Jeanne D'Arc; Mohand, Achour A; Anatole, Manzi; Kayiteshonga, Yvonne; Raviola, Giuseppe J

2017-02-28

Integrating mental healthcare into primary care can reduce the global burden of mental disorders. Yet data on the effective implementation of real-world task-shared mental health programmes are limited. In 2012, the Rwandan Ministry of Health and the international healthcare organisation Partners in Health collaboratively adapted the Mentoring and Enhanced Supervision at Health Centers (MESH) programme, a successful programme of supported supervision based on task-sharing for HIV/AIDS care, to include care of neuropsychiatric disorders within primary care settings (MESH Mental Health). We propose 1 of the first studies in a rural low-income country to assess the implementation and clinical outcomes of a programme integrating neuropsychiatric care into a public primary care system. A mixed-methods evaluation will be conducted. First, we will conduct a quantitative outcomes evaluation using a pretest and post-test design at 4 purposively selected MESH MH participating health centres. At least 112 consecutive adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or epilepsy will be enrolled. Primary outcomes are symptoms and functioning measured at baseline, 8 weeks and 6 months using clinician-administered scales: the General Health Questionnaire and the brief WHO Disability Assessment Scale. We hypothesise that service users will experience at least a 25% improvement in symptoms and functioning from baseline after MESH MH programme participation. To understand any outcome improvements under the intervention, we will evaluate programme processes using (1) quantitative analyses of routine service utilisation data and supervision checklist data and (2) qualitative semistructured interviews with primary care nurses, service users and family members. This evaluation was approved by the Rwanda National Ethics Committee (Protocol #736/RNEC/2016) and deemed exempt by the Harvard University Institutional Review Board. Results will be submitted for peer-reviewed journal publication, presented at conferences and disseminated to communities served by the programme. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Parents' Participation in the Sexuality Education of Their Children in Namibia: A Framework and an Educational Programme for Enhanced Action.

PubMed

Nghipondoka-Lukolo, Linda Ndeshipandula; Charles, Kimera Lukanga

2015-08-18

The purpose of the study was to empower rural parents to participate in the sexuality education of their children. The study was designed to be qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature. It was performed in three phases. Phase 1 consisted of a situational analysis to explore and describe how parents provide sexuality education. Phase 2 consisted of the development of a conceptual framework that facilitated the development of an educational programme. In phase 3 the programme was implemented and evaluated, recommendations were made and conclusions drawn. The main findings revealed two themes: factors influencing parental participation in their children's sexuality education, and the need for parental participation in their children's sexuality education. This article is part of series of three article stems from a study on the topic of sexuality education empowerment programme of rural parents in Namibia. The three articles have the following titles: one: parent's participation in sexuality education of their children: a situational analysis; two: parent's participation in sexuality education of their children: a conceptual framework and an educational programme to enhance action, and three: parent's participation in sexuality education of their children: programme implementation and evaluation. The previous paper dealt with parent's participation in sexuality education of their children: a situational analysis: the results from the in-depth interviews and focus group discussions on sexuality education with children and parents were presented. This paper focuses on describing Phase 2 and 3, namely the process of devising a conceptual framework for the development of an educational programme to empower parents to participate in the sexuality education of their children. Discussions included a description of the conceptual framework, based on the researcher's paradigmatic assumptions, and the focus group and individual in-depth interviews results. The survey list suggested by Dickoff et al. (1968) consists of various elements which were employed in the conceptual framework, namely the context, agent, recipients, dynamics, procedure and a terminus. These elements were reflected in the "thinking map".

Investigating Nature on the Way to School: Responses to an educational programme by teachers and their pupils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindemann-Matthies, Petra

2006-06-01

In this study, the responses of teachers and their pupils to the educational programme “Nature on the Way to School” were investigated with the help of questionnaires. The main objectives of the programme were the promotion of opportunities for children to experience nature first-hand on the way to school, the promotion of children’s awareness of nature in their daily lives, and the promotion of interest in and tolerance of local plants and animals. More than 3000 children (8 16 years old) from 166 primary and secondary school classes in Switzerland and 117 teachers participated in the study. Children of all age groups particularly enjoyed observing nature directly. Teachers gave the programme very high ratings on average. The ratings given by the teachers and the learning gains of the pupils were positively related. Teachers from rural and urban areas carried out similar activities during the programme and regarded the programme as a success. The high satisfaction of both pupils and their teachers with the programme supports the thesis that teachers should make more use of educational approaches focusing on direct experiences in the local environment of children.

Evaluation of a social franchising and telemedicine programme and the care provided for childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia, Bihar, India.

PubMed

Mohanan, Manoj; Giardili, Soledad; Das, Veena; Rabin, Tracy L; Raj, Sunil S; Schwartz, Jeremy I; Seth, Aparna; Goldhaber-Fiebert, Jeremy D; Miller, Grant; Vera-Hernández, Marcos

2017-05-01

To evaluate the impact on the quality of the care provided for childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia in Bihar, India, of a large-scale, social franchising and telemedicine programme - the World Health Partners' Sky Program. We investigated changes associated with the programme in the knowledge and performance of health-care providers by carrying out 810 assessments in a representative sample of providers in areas where the programme was and was not implemented. Providers were assessed using hypothetical patient vignettes and the standardized patient method both before and after programme implementation, in 2011 and 2014, respectively. Differences in providers' performance between implementation and nonimplementation areas were assessed using multivariate difference-in-difference linear regression models. The programme did not significantly improve health-care providers' knowledge or performance with regard to childhood diarrhoea or pneumonia in Bihar. There was a persistent large gap between knowledge of appropriate care and the care actually delivered. Social franchising has received attention globally as a model for delivering high-quality care in rural areas in the developing world but supporting data are scarce. Our findings emphasize the need for sound empirical evidence before social franchising programmes are scaled up.

Environmental risk perception, environmental concern and propensity to participate in organic farming programmes.

PubMed

Toma, Luiza; Mathijs, Erik

2007-04-01

This paper aims to identify the factors underlying farmers' propensity to participate in organic farming programmes in a Romanian rural region that confronts non-point source pollution. For this, we employ structural equation modelling with latent variables using a specific data set collected through an agri-environmental farm survey in 2001. The model includes one 'behavioural intention' latent variable ('propensity to participate in organic farming programmes') and five 'attitude' and 'socio-economic' latent variables ('socio-demographic characteristics', 'economic characteristics', 'agri-environmental information access', 'environmental risk perception' and 'general environmental concern'). The results indicate that, overall, the model has an adequate fit to the data. All loadings are statistically significant, supporting the theoretical basis for assignment of indicators for each latent variable. The significance tests for the structural model parameters show 'environmental risk perception' as the strongest determinant of farmers' propensity to participate in organic farming programmes.

Rural water supply and related services in developing countries — Comparative analysis of several approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bajard, Y.; Draper, M.; Viens, P.

1981-05-01

The proposed paper deals with a comparative analysis of several approaches possible and actually used for a joint action of local institutions and foreign aid in the field of water supply and related services such as sanitation to villages and small rural agglomerations (market towns, etc.) in developing countries. This comparative analysis is based on examples of actual programmes in this field. The authors have participated in most of the programmes selected as examples, at various levels and in various capacities, from conception to design, implementation and/or evaluation (i.e. rural development programmes in Ivory Coast, Ghana (upper region), Benin and Ethiopia. The authors were not involved in other examples such as water supply and/or sanitation to small urban centres in Benin, Ivory Coast, etc. They have, however, witnessed them directly and have obtained, therefore, first-hand information on their organization, execution and results. Several typical examples of actual projects are briefly defined and characterized. The paper undertakes, then, to compare, in a clinical fashion, the advantages and drawbacks of the approaches taken in the various examples presented. The paper finally proposes a recommendation for a realistic approach to joint action between local/domestic and foreign financing/assistance agencies and executing bodies (consultants, contractors) in the field of rural water supply, sanitation, and more generally, health improvement. The definition of this line of approach is made in terms of logical framework, i.e. goals, purposes, outputs and inputs at the various stages of the project, up to actual evaluation of execution and impact if possible; description of practical indicators of the two types of evaluation. A particular attention is given to the problems of technological choices, in view of the constraints imposed by the natural environment, by the human and social patterns; in view also of the institutions and the economy. Another point of importance taken into consideration by the paper is the problem of information, education, and support to users for the introduction, implementation, operation and maintenance of technical developments at village level. Conclusions are drawn as to the relative advantages of this approach over the "classical" approach and its replicability.

Adult and adolescent livestock productive asset transfer programmes to improve mental health, economic stability and family and community relationships in rural South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo: a protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Kohli, Anjalee; Perrin, Nancy A; Remy, Mitima Mpanano; Alfred, Mirindi Bacikenge; Arsene, Kajabika Binkurhorhwa; Nadine, Mwinja Bufole; Heri, Banyewesize Jean; Clovis, Mitima Murhula; Glass, Nancy

2017-03-14

People living in poverty have limited access to traditional financial institutions. Microfinance programmes are designed to meet this gap and show promise in improving income, economic productivity and health. Our Congolese-US community academic research partnership developed two livestock productive asset transfer programmes, Pigs for Peace (PFP) and Rabbits for Resilience (RFR), to address the interlinked health, social and economic well-being of individuals, their families and communities. The community-based randomised controlled trials examine the effectiveness of PFP and RFR to improve health, economic stability, and family and community relationships among male and female adults and adolescents living in 10 rural, postconflict villages of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. PFP participants include adult permanent residents of rural villages; adolescent participants in RFR include male and female adolescents 10-15 years old living in the selected rural villages. Participants were randomised to intervention or delayed control group. Participants in PFP completed baseline interview prior to intervention and follow-up interview at 6, 12 and 18 months postintervention. In RFR, participants completed baseline interview prior to intervention and follow-up interview at 6, 12 and 18 months postbaseline. The primary outcome of both trials, the change in baseline mental health distress at 18 months in the intervention group (adults, adolescents) compared to control group, is used to calculate sample size. The Johns Hopkins Medical Institute Internal Review Board approved this protocol. A committee of respected Congolese educators and community members (due to lack of local ethics review board) approved the study. The findings will provide important information on the potential for community-led sustainable development initiatives to build on traditional livelihood (livestock raising, agriculture) to have a sustained health, economic and social impact on the individual, family and community. NCT02008708, NCT02008695. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Adult and adolescent livestock productive asset transfer programmes to improve mental health, economic stability and family and community relationships in rural South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo: a protocol of a randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Kohli, Anjalee; Perrin, Nancy A; Remy, Mitima Mpanano; Alfred, Mirindi Bacikenge; Arsene, Kajabika Binkurhorhwa; Nadine, Mwinja Bufole; Heri, Banyewesize Jean; Clovis, Mitima Murhula; Glass, Nancy

2017-01-01

Introduction People living in poverty have limited access to traditional financial institutions. Microfinance programmes are designed to meet this gap and show promise in improving income, economic productivity and health. Our Congolese–US community academic research partnership developed two livestock productive asset transfer programmes, Pigs for Peace (PFP) and Rabbits for Resilience (RFR), to address the interlinked health, social and economic well-being of individuals, their families and communities. The community-based randomised controlled trials examine the effectiveness of PFP and RFR to improve health, economic stability, and family and community relationships among male and female adults and adolescents living in 10 rural, postconflict villages of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods and analysis PFP participants include adult permanent residents of rural villages; adolescent participants in RFR include male and female adolescents 10–15 years old living in the selected rural villages. Participants were randomised to intervention or delayed control group. Participants in PFP completed baseline interview prior to intervention and follow-up interview at 6, 12 and 18 months postintervention. In RFR, participants completed baseline interview prior to intervention and follow-up interview at 6, 12 and 18 months postbaseline. The primary outcome of both trials, the change in baseline mental health distress at 18 months in the intervention group (adults, adolescents) compared to control group, is used to calculate sample size. Ethics and dissemination The Johns Hopkins Medical Institute Internal Review Board approved this protocol. A committee of respected Congolese educators and community members (due to lack of local ethics review board) approved the study. The findings will provide important information on the potential for community-led sustainable development initiatives to build on traditional livelihood (livestock raising, agriculture) to have a sustained health, economic and social impact on the individual, family and community. Trial registration number NCT02008708, NCT02008695. PMID:28292764

Qualitative study exploring healthy eating practices and physical activity among adolescent girls in rural South Africa

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Dietary behaviours and physical activity are modifiable risk factors to address increasing levels of obesity among children and adolescents, and consequently to reduce later cardiovascular and metabolic disease. This paper explores perceptions, attitudes, barriers, and facilitators related to healthy eating and physical activity among adolescent girls in rural South Africa. Methods A qualitative study was conducted in the rural Agincourt subdistrict, covered by a health and sociodemographic surveillance system, in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Semistructured “duo-interviews” were carried out with 11 pairs of adolescent female friends aged 16 to 19 years. Thematic content analysis was used. Results The majority of participants considered locally grown and traditional foods, especially fruits and vegetables, to be healthy. Their consumption was limited by availability, and these foods were often sourced from family or neighbourhood gardens. Female caregivers and school meal programmes facilitated healthy eating practices. Most participants believed in the importance of breakfast, even though for the majority, limited food within the household was a barrier to eating breakfast before going to school. The majority cited limited accessibility as a major barrier to healthy eating, and noted the increasing intake of “convenient and less healthy foods”. Girls were aware of the benefits of physical activity and engaged in various physical activities within the home, community, and schools, including household chores, walking long distances to school, traditional dancing, and extramural activities such as netball and soccer. Conclusions The findings show widespread knowledge about healthy eating and the benefits of consuming locally grown and traditional food items in a population that is undergoing nutrition transition. Limited access and food availability are strong barriers to healthy eating practices. School meal programmes are an important facilitator of healthy eating, and breakfast provision should be considered as an extension of the meal programme. Walking to school, cultural dance, and extramural activities can be encouraged and thus are useful facilitators for increasing physical activity among rural adolescent girls, where the prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing. PMID:25164604

Effectiveness of a girls' empowerment programme on early childbearing, marriage and school dropout among adolescent girls in rural Zambia: study protocol for a cluster randomized trial.

PubMed

Sandøy, Ingvild Fossgard; Mudenda, Mweetwa; Zulu, Joseph; Munsaka, Ecloss; Blystad, Astrid; Makasa, Mpundu C; Mæstad, Ottar; Tungodden, Bertil; Jacobs, Choolwe; Kampata, Linda; Fylkesnes, Knut; Svanemyr, Joar; Moland, Karen Marie; Banda, Richard; Musonda, Patrick

2016-12-09

Adolescent pregnancies pose a risk to the young mothers and their babies. In Zambia, 35% of young girls in rural areas have given birth by the age of 18 years. Pregnancy rates are particularly high among out-of-school girls. Poverty, low enrolment in secondary school, myths and community norms all contribute to early childbearing. This protocol describes a trial aiming to measure the effect on early childbearing rates in a rural Zambian context of (1) economic support to girls and their families, and (2) combining economic support with a community intervention to enhance knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and supportive community norms. This cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) will have three arms. The clusters are rural schools with surrounding communities. Approximately 4900 girls in grade 7 in 2016 will be recruited from 157 schools in 12 districts. In one intervention arm, participating girls and their guardians will be offered cash transfers and payment of school fees. In the second intervention arm, there will be both economic support and a community intervention. The interventions will be implemented for approximately 2 years. The final survey will be 4.5 years after recruitment. The primary outcomes will be "incidence of births within 8 months of the end of the intervention period", "incidence of births before girls' 18th birthday" and "proportion of girls who sit for the grade 9 exam". Final survey interviewers will be unaware of the intervention status of respondents. Analysis will be by intention-to-treat and adjusted for cluster design and confounders. Qualitative process evaluation will be conducted. This is the first CRCT to measure the effect of combining economic support with a community intervention to prevent adolescent childbearing in a low- or middle-income country. We have designed a programme that will be sustainable and feasible to scale up. The findings will be relevant for programmes for adolescent reproductive health in Zambia and similar contexts. ISRCTN registry: ISRCTN12727868 , (4 March 2016).

Community-based physical activity intervention using principles of social marketing: a demonstration project in Southern India.

PubMed

Subitha, L; Soudarssanane, M Bala; Murugesan, R

2013-01-01

We aimed to study the development and implementation of promotion of physical activity in a rural community by applying the principles of social marketing and to determine participation behaviour in a physical activity programme in a community setting. The intervention targeted 485 people, 20-49 years of age, residents of Periakattupalayam and Rangareddipalayam villages, Tamil Nadu. This community-based participatory research was based on the principles of 'social marketing'. Health education by one-to-one counselling, written materials and community events were used to popularize moderate intensity physical activity (brisk walking for 30 minutes on 4 days/week). We formed 30 walking groups under four coordinators, in a home-based setting with professional supervision and guidance. A log of physical activity sessions for the 10-week intervention period was maintained in the form of group attendance record. Village leaders, self-help groups and youth clubs were involved in promoting physical activity. Of the 485 subjects, 265 people (54.6%) engaged in brisk walking >4 days a week, while 156 subjects (32.2%) performed walking on 1-4 days per week during the intervention. The drop-out rate was 13.2% (64 subjects). Age, occupation and educational status were important determinants of participation and adherence to the physical activity programme. Application of social marketing techniques in an intervention to promote physical activity was successful in a rural Indian community. Studying the determinants of adoption of a physical activity programme and addressing the barriers to behaviour change are essential for designing relevant policies and effective programmes. Copyright 2012, NMJI.

The evil circle of poverty: a qualitative study of malaria and disability

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background This article discusses the link between disability and malaria in a poor rural setting. Global malaria programmes and rehabilitation programmes are organized as vertical and separate programmes, and as such they focus on prevention, cure and control, and disability respectively. When looking at specific conditions and illnesses, the impairing long-term consequences of illness incidents during childhood are not questioned. Methods The study design was ethnographic with an open, exploratory approach. Data were collected in Mangochi District in Malawi through qualitative in-depth interviews and participant observation. Results Despite a local-based health service system, people living in poor rural areas are confronted with a multitude of barriers when accessing malaria prevention and treatment. Lack of skilled health personnel and equipment add to the general burden of poverty: insufficient knowledge about health care, problems connected to accessing the health facility in time, insufficient initiatives to prevent malaria attacks, and a general lack of attention to the long term disabling effects of a malaria attack. Conclusions This study points to the importance of building malaria programmes, research and statistics that take into consideration the consequences of permanent impairment after a malaria attack, as well as the context of poverty in which they often occur. In order to do so, one needs to develop methods for detecting people whose disabilities are a direct result of not having received health services after a malaria episode. This may be done through qualitative approaches in local communities and should also be supplemented by suitable surveys in order to estimate the problem on a larger scale. PMID:22236358

The evil circle of poverty: a qualitative study of malaria and disability.

PubMed

Ingstad, Benedicte; Munthali, Alister C; Braathen, Stine H; Grut, Lisbet

2012-01-11

This article discusses the link between disability and malaria in a poor rural setting. Global malaria programmes and rehabilitation programmes are organized as vertical and separate programmes, and as such they focus on prevention, cure and control, and disability respectively. When looking at specific conditions and illnesses, the impairing long-term consequences of illness incidents during childhood are not questioned. The study design was ethnographic with an open, exploratory approach. Data were collected in Mangochi District in Malawi through qualitative in-depth interviews and participant observation. Despite a local-based health service system, people living in poor rural areas are confronted with a multitude of barriers when accessing malaria prevention and treatment. Lack of skilled health personnel and equipment add to the general burden of poverty: insufficient knowledge about health care, problems connected to accessing the health facility in time, insufficient initiatives to prevent malaria attacks, and a general lack of attention to the long term disabling effects of a malaria attack. This study points to the importance of building malaria programmes, research and statistics that take into consideration the consequences of permanent impairment after a malaria attack, as well as the context of poverty in which they often occur. In order to do so, one needs to develop methods for detecting people whose disabilities are a direct result of not having received health services after a malaria episode. This may be done through qualitative approaches in local communities and should also be supplemented by suitable surveys in order to estimate the problem on a larger scale. © 2012 Ingstad et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Analysis of Urban-Rural Land-Use Change during 1995-2006 and Its Policy Dimensional Driving Forces in Chongqing, China

PubMed Central

Long, Hualou; Wu, Xiuqin; Wang, Wenjie; Dong, Guihua

2008-01-01

This paper analyzes the urban-rural land-use change of Chongqing and its policy dimensional driving forces from 1995 to 2006, using high-resolution Landsat TM (Thematic Mapper) data of 1995, 2000 and 2006, and socio-economic data from both research institutes and government departments. The outcomes indicated that urban-rural land-use change in Chongqing can be characterized by two major trends: First, the non-agricultural land increased substantially from 1995 to 2006, thus causing agricultural land especially farmland to decrease continuously. Second, the aggregation index of urban settlements and rural settlements shows that local urban-rural development experienced a process of changing from aggregation (1995-2000) to decentralization (2000-2006). Chongqing is a special area getting immersed in many important policies, which include the establishment of the municipality directly under the Central Government, the building of Three Gorges Dam Project, the Western China Development Program and the Grain-for-Green Programme, and bring about tremendous influences on its land-use change. By analyzing Chongqing's land-use change and its policy driving forces, some implications for its new policy of ‘Urban-rural Integrated Reform’ are obtained. That is more attentions need to be paid to curbing excessive and idle rural housing and consolidating rural construction land, and to laying out a scientific land-use plan for its rural areas taking such rural land-use issues as farmland occupation and rural housing land management into accounts, so as to coordinate and balance the urban-rural development. PMID:27879729

Village Power '98

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cardinal, Julie; Flowers, Larry; Siegel, Judy

This is the fifth Village Power workshop sponsored by NREL. We have held these meetings every year since 1993, to focus, challenge, and provide a forum for interaction among practitioners working in the field of using renewable energy technologies as an economically viable pathway to electrification of rural populations throughout the world. Starting with a small group of 30 colleagues in 1993, this ''workshop'' has doubled in size every year. When the NREL staff was planning for this meeting, they were hoping for something around 400 participants. We are now looking at over 500, and we apologize for the somewhatmore » cramped accommodations. This overwhelming response, however, shows that the use of renewable energy to solve some of the world's serious problems is coming of age. This meeting, this ''conference'' (it's clearly no longer a workshop) marks a transition. A transition from the viewpoint that renewables are, and forever will be a technology of the future; to the reality that renewables have come of age. We have technologies available today, at today's prices, that can make a substantive contribution to the pressing needs of environmentally sustainable development in the world. This is a collection of all the papers presented at the Village Power '98 conference.« less

Wind turbines using self-excited three-phase induction generators: an innovative solution for voltage-frequency control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brudny, J. F.; Pusca, R.; Roisse, H.

2008-08-01

A considerable number of communities throughout the world, most of them isolated, need hybrid energy solutions either for rural electrification or for the reduction of diesel use. Despite several research projects and demonstrations which have been conducted in recent years, wind-diesel technology remains complex and much too costly. Induction generators are the most robust and common for wind energy systems but this option is a serious challenge for electrical regulation. When a wind turbine is used in an off-grid configuration, either continuously or intermittently, precise and robust regulation is difficult to attain. The voltage parameter regulation option, as was experienced at several remote sites (on islands and in the arctic for example), is a safe, reliable and relatively simple technology, but does not optimize the wave quality and creates instabilities. These difficulties are due to the fact that no theory is available to describe the system, due to the inverse nature of the problem. In order to address and solve the problem of the unstable operation of this wind turbine generator, an innovative approach is described, based on a different induction generator single phase equivalent circuit.

Techno-Economic and dynamic analysis of low velocity wind turbines for rural electrification in agricultural area of Ratchaburi Province, Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipirodjanapong, Sumate; Namboonruang, Weerapol

2017-07-01

This paper presents the analysis of potential wind speed of electrical power generating using for agriculture in Ratchaburi province, Thailand. The total area is 1,900 square kilometers. First of all, the agriculture electrical load (AEL) data was investigated from all farming districts in Ratchaburi. Subsequently, the load data was analyzed and classified by the load power and energy consumption at individual district. The wind turbine generator (WTG) at capacity rate of 200w, 500w, 1,000w, and 2,000w were adopted to implement for the AEL in each area at wind speed range of 3 to 6 m/s. This paper shows the approach based on the wind speed at individual district to determine the capacity of WTG using the capacitor factor (CF) and the cost of energy (COE) in baht per unit under different WTG value rates. Ten locations for wind station installations are practical investigated. Results show that for instance, the Damnoen Sa-duak (DN-04) one of WTG candidate site is identically significant for economic investment of installing rated WTG. The results of COE are important to determine whether a wind site is good or not.

SOLAR PASTEURIZER WITH INTEGRAL HEAT EXCHANGER FOR TREATING WATER IN RURAL AREAS

EPA Science Inventory

According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation there are currently 1.1 billion people without access to safe water on the planet. Every year more than five million people die from the lack of safe water and improper sanitation. Child...

Grassroots Empowerment of Women: Portraits of Four Villages in Sri Lanka

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeris, Laurel; Gajanayake, Jaya; Ismail, Jesima; Ebert, Seela; Peris, Amara; Wanasundara, Leelangi; Diyadawagamage, Nalika

2006-01-01

This paper describes a participatory research (PR) project encompassing a capacity-development programme and advocacy skill-building initiative for rural women. The project actively engaged four prominent women's non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Sri Lanka: Agromart Foundation, Centre for Women's Research (CENWOR), Sarvodaya Women's…

Literacy Learning in Limpopo--A Multilingual Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherian, Lily; Du Toit, Cecilia

2008-01-01

This article is a report on research conducted to support the development of a multilingual literacy learning software programme for adult learners in rural Limpopo Province, South Africa. The topic of inquiry for the research was literacy learning in a multilingual environment, with special attention paid to attitudinal and metacognitive aspects.…

Improving reproductive health in rural China through participatory planning.

PubMed

Kaufman, Joan; Liu, Yunguo; Fang, Jing

2012-01-01

China's new health reform initiative aims to provide quality accessible health care to all, including remote rural populations, by 2020. Public health insurance coverage for the rural poor has increased, but rural women have fared worse because of lower status and lack of voice in shaping the services they need. Use of prenatal care, safe delivery and reproductive tract infections (RTIs) services is inadequate and service seeking for health problems remains lower for men. We present findings from a study of gender and health equity in rural China from 2002 to 2008 and offer recommendations from over a decade of applied research on reproductive health in rural China. Three studies, conducted in poor counties between 1994 and 2008, identified problems in access and pilot tested interventions and mechanisms to increase women's participation in health planning. They were done in conjunction with a World Bank programme and the global Gender and Health Equity Network (GHEN). Reproductive health service-seeking improved and the study interventions increased local government commitment to providing such services through new health insurance mechanisms. Findings from the studies were summarised into recommendations on gender and health for inclusion in new health reform efforts.

Decentralized nursing education in northern Norway: a basis for continuing education to meet competence needs in rural Arctic healthcare services.

PubMed

Skaalvik, Mari Wolff; Gaski, Margrete; Norbye, Bente

2014-01-01

Ensuring a sufficient nursing workforce, with respect to both number and relevant professional competencies, is crucial in rural Arctic regions in Norway. This study examines the continuing education (CE) of nurses who graduated from a decentralized nursing programme between 1994 and 2011. This study aims to measure the extent to which the decentralized nursing education (DNE) in question has served as a basis for CE that is adapted to current and future community health care service needs in rural Arctic regions in northern Norway. More specifically, the study aims to investigate the frequency and scope of CE courses among the graduates of a DNE, the choice of study model and the degree of employment with respect to the relevant CE. This study is a quantitative survey providing descriptive statistics. The primary finding in this study is that 56% of the participants had engaged in CE and that they were employed in positions related to their education. The majority of students with decentralized bachelor's degrees engaged in CE that was part time and/or decentralized. More than half of the population in this study had completed CE despite no mandatory obligation in order to maintain licensure. Furthermore, 31% of the participants had completed more than one CE programme. The findings show that the participants preferred CE organized as part time and or decentralized studies.

New Ways of Delivering Marine Scientific Evidence for Policy Needs in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorrington, T.

2016-12-01

The UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for safeguarding the natural environment, supporting a world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. This includes the marine environment which makes a significant contribution to the economy of the UK through fisheries, aquaculture, transport, leisure and recreation, energy (including renewable), coastal tourism, and naval defence. The overall vision for the Defra marine programme is to therefore achieve clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas. In order to attain this it is essential that the decisions that government makes can be justified and that these decisions use the best available evidence and allow for any uncertainty. However, reductions across the budgets of departments such as Defra means that new ways of delivering evidence for policy needs must be sought. To do this we must consider marine monitoring efficiencies including the use of novel technologies, more integrated monitoring programmes, and greater collaboration with the research councils, industry, and academia. We must also seek to leverage other sources of funding from the European Union and other international partners. This presentation will address the main policy drivers (e.g. EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive) and future needs of the marine programme, the Defra Evidence Action Plan (EAP), and how we plan to use new avenues of gaining high quality marine scientific evidence in an era of declining budgets.

Relative benefits of on-plot water supply over other 'improved' sources in rural Vietnam.

PubMed

Brown, Joe; Hien, Vo Thi; McMahan, Lanakila; Jenkins, Marion W; Thie, Lauren; Liang, Kaida; Printy, Erin; Sobsey, Mark D

2013-01-01

Access to improved water sources is rapidly expanding in rural central Vietnam. We examined one NGO-led piped water supply programme to assess the drinking water quality and health impacts of piped water systems where access to 'improved' water sources is already good. This longitudinal, prospective cohort study followed 300 households in seven project areas in Da Nang province, Vietnam: 224 households who paid for an on-plot piped water connection and 76 control households from the same areas relying primarily on 'improved' water sources outside the home. The 4-month study was intended to measure the impact of the NGO-led water programmes on households' drinking water quality and health and to evaluate system performance. We found that: (i) households connected to a piped water supply had consistently better drinking water quality than those relying on other sources, including 'improved' sources and (ii) connected households experienced less diarrhoea than households without a piped water connection (adjusted longitudinal prevalence ratio: 0.57 (95% CI 0.39-0.86, P = 0.006) and households using an 'improved' source not piped to the plot: (adjusted longitudinal prevalence ratio: 0.59 (95% CI 0.39-0.91, P = 0.018). Our results suggest that on-plot water service yields benefits over other sources that are considered 'improved' by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

New Ways of Delivering Marine Scientific Evidence for Policy Needs in the UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorrington, T.

2016-02-01

The UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for safeguarding the natural environment, supporting a world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. This includes the marine environment which makes a significant contribution to the economy of the UK through fisheries, aquaculture, transport, leisure and recreation, energy (including renewable), coastal tourism, and naval defence. The overall vision for the Defra marine programme is to therefore achieve clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas. In order to attain this it is essential that the decisions that government makes can be justified and that these decisions use the best available evidence and allow for any uncertainty. However, reductions across the budgets of departments such as Defra means that new ways of delivering evidence for policy needs must be sought. To do this we must consider marine monitoring efficiencies including the use of novel technologies, more integrated monitoring programmes, and greater collaboration with the research councils, industry, and academia. We must also seek to leverage other sources of funding from the European Union and other international partners. This presentation will address the main policy drivers (e.g. EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive) and future needs of the marine programme, the Defra Evidence Action Plan (EAP), and how we plan to use new avenues of gaining high quality marine scientific evidence in an era of declining budgets.

Promoting wellbeing and improving access to mental health care through community champions in rural India: the Atmiyata intervention approach.

PubMed

Shields-Zeeman, Laura; Pathare, Soumitra; Walters, Bethany Hipple; Kapadia-Kundu, Nandita; Joag, Kaustubh

2017-01-01

There are limited accounts of community-based interventions for reducing distress or providing support for people with common mental disorders (CMDs) in low and middle-income countries. The recently implemented Atmiyata programme is one such community-based mental health intervention focused on promoting wellness and reducing distress through community volunteers in a rural area in the state of Maharashtra, India. This case study describes the content and the process of implementation of Atmiyata and how community volunteers were trained to become Atmiyata champions and mitras ( friends ). The Atmiyata programme trained Atmiyata champions to provide support and basic counselling to community members with common mental health disorders, facilitate access to mental health care and social benefits, improve community awareness of mental health issues, and to promote well-being. Challenges to implementation included logistical challenges (difficult terrain and weather conditions at the implementation site), content-related challenges (securing social welfare benefits for people with CMDs), and partnership challenges (turnover of public health workers involved in referral chain, resistance from public sector mental health specialists). The case study serves as an example for how such a model can be sustained over time at low cost. The next steps of the programme include evaluation of the impact of the Atmiyata intervention through a pre-post study and adapting the intervention for further scale-up in other settings in India.

Cardiovascular disease risk factors and socioeconomic variables in a nation undergoing epidemiologic transition.

PubMed

Rasiah, Rajah; Yusoff, Khalid; Mohammadreza, Amiri; Manikam, Rishya; Tumin, Makmor; Chandrasekaran, Sankara Kumar; Khademi, Shabnam; Bakar, Najmin Abu

2013-09-25

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) related deaths is not only the prime cause of mortality in the world, it has also continued to increase in the low and middle income countries. Hence, this study examines the relationship between CVD risk factors and socioeconomic variables in Malaysia, which is a rapidly growing middle income nation undergoing epidemiologic transition. Using data from 11,959 adults aged 30 years and above, and living in urban and rural areas between 2007 and 2010, this study attempts to examine the prevalence of CVD risk factors, and the association between these factors, and socioeconomic and demographic variables in Malaysia. The socioeconomic and demographic, and anthropometric data was obtained with blood pressure and fasting venous blood for glucose and lipids through a community-based survey. The association between CVD risk factors, and education and income was mixed. There was a negative association between smoking and hypertension, and education and income. The association between diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and being overweight with education and income was not clear. More men than women smoked in all education and income groups. The remaining consistent results show that the relationship between smoking, and education and income was obvious and inverse among Malays, others, rural women, Western Peninsular Malaysia (WPM) and Eastern Peninsular Malaysia (EPM). Urban men showed higher prevalence of being overweight than rural men in all education and income categories. Except for those with no education more rural men smoked than urban men. Also, Malay men in all education and income categories showed the highest prevalence of smoking among the ethnic groups. The association between CVD risk factors and socioeconomic variables should be considered when formulating programmes to reduce morbidity and mortality rates in low and middle income countries. While general awareness programmes should be targeted at all, specific ones should be focused on vulnerable groups, such as, men and rural inhabitants for smoking, Malays for hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, and Indians and Malays, and respondents from EPM for diabetes.

All Electric Passenger Vehicle Sales in India by 2030: Value proposition to Electric Utilities, Government, and Vehicle Owners

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abhyankar, Nikit; Gopal, Anand R.; Sheppard, Colin

In India, there is growing interest among policymakers, planners, and regulators for aggressive electrification of passenger vehicles. For example, Piyush Goyal, the Minister of State for India’s Ministry of Coal, Power, New and Renewable Energy, announced an aspirational goal of converting all vehicle sales in India to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by 2030 (Economic Times, 2016). In 2012, India has already announced the National Mission on Electric Mobility (NMEM) sets a countrywide goal of deploying 6 to 7 million hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs) by 2020 (DHI, 2012). A major policy motivation for transport electrification is to reduce India’s oilmore » import dependency. The objective of this paper is to assess the effect of full electrification of vehicle sales in India by 2030 on the key stakeholders such as BEV owners, electric utilities, and the government. Specifically, we attempt to answer the following questions: (a) How does the total vehicle ownership cost of BEVs compare with the conventional vehicles? (b) What is the additional load due BEV charging? (c) What is the impact on the power sector investments, costs, and utility revenue? (d) How can smart BEV charging help renewable energy grid integration? (e) What is the impact on the crude oil imports? (f) What is the impact on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions?« less

'A bridge to the hospice': the impact of a Community Volunteer Programme in Uganda.

PubMed

Jack, Barbara A; Kirton, J; Birakurataki, J; Merriman, A

2011-10-01

In Africa, the need for palliative care provision is escalating with an increasing number of people living with HIV/AIDS, coupled with rising cancer and AIDS-related cancer diagnoses. In Uganda there is a shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas. To address this Hospice Africa Uganda developed a Community Volunteer Programme to train volunteers to help by providing support to patients in their own homes. The aim of this qualitative study was to evaluate the impact of the Community Volunteer Programme. Sixty-four interviews, with patients (21), community volunteer workers (CVWs) (32), and the hospice clinical teams (11) were conducted, using semi-structured digitally recorded individual, group and focus group interviews, at the Hospice Africa Uganda sites. The results reported the value of the Community Volunteer Programme, including the impact on patients and families, and how the CVWs acted as a 'bridge to the hospice' in identifying patients. Developing financial challenges that are emerging which could potentially impact on the programme were reported. The Community Volunteer Programme appears to be having a positive impact on patients, families and the hospice team, and is a model worthy of consideration by other developing countries to allow the expansion of palliative care.

Co-location opportunities for renewable energy and agriculture in Northwestern India: Tradeoffs and Synergies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravi, S.; Macknick, J.; Lobell, D. B.; Field, C. B.; Ganesan, K.; Jain, R.; Elchinger, M.; Stoltenberg, B.

2014-12-01

Solar energy installations in arid and semi-arid regions of India are rapidly increasing, due to technological advances and policy support. Even though solar energy provides several benefits such as reduction of greenhouse gases, reclamation of degraded land, and improving the quality of life, the deployment of large-scale solar energy infrastructure can adversely impact land and water resources. A major challenge is how to meet the ever-expanding energy demand with limited land and water resources, in the context of increasing competition from agricultural and domestic consumption. We investigated whether water consumption for solar energy development in northwestern India could impact other water and land uses, and explored opportunities to co-locate solar infrastructures and agricultural crops to maximize the efficiency of land and water use. We considered energy inputs/outputs, water use, greenhouse gas emissions and economics of solar installations in northwestern India in comparison to Aloe vera cultivation, a widely promoted land use in the region. The life cycle analyses show that co-located systems are economically viable in some rural areas and may provide opportunities for rural electrification and stimulate economic growth. The water inputs for cleaning solar panels and dust suppression are similar to amounts required for aloe, suggesting the possibility of integrating the two systems to maximize water and land use efficiency. A life-cycle analysis of a hypothetical co-location indicated higher returns per m3 of water used than either system alone. The northwestern region of India is experiencing high population growth, creating additional demand for land and water resources. In these water limited areas, coupled solar infrastructure and agriculture could be established on marginal lands, thus minimizing the socioeconomic and environmental issues resulting from cultivation of non-food crops (e.g. Aloe) in prime agricultural lands.

Impact of a rural solar electrification project on the level and structure of women’s empowerment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burney, Jennifer; Alaofè, Halimatou; Naylor, Rosamond; Taren, Douglas

2017-09-01

Although development organizations agree that reliable access to energy and energy services—one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals—is likely to have profound and perhaps disproportionate impacts on women, few studies have directly empirically estimated the impact of energy access on women’s empowerment. This is a result of both a relative dearth of energy access evaluations in general and a lack of clarity on how to quantify gender impacts of development projects. Here we present an evaluation of the impacts of the Solar Market Garden—a distributed photovoltaic irrigation project—on the level and structure of women’s empowerment in Benin, West Africa. We use a quasi-experimental design (matched-pair villages) to estimate changes in empowerment for project beneficiaries after one year of Solar Market Garden production relative to non-beneficiaries in both treatment and comparison villages (n = 771). To create an empowerment metric, we constructed a set of general questions based on existing theories of empowerment, and then used latent variable analysis to understand the underlying structure of empowerment locally. We repeated this analysis at follow-up to understand whether the structure of empowerment had changed over time, and then measured changes in both the levels and likelihood of empowerment over time. We show that the Solar Market Garden significantly positively impacted women’s empowerment, particularly through the domain of economic independence. In addition to providing rigorous evidence for the impact of a rural renewable energy project on women’s empowerment, our work lays out a methodology that can be used in the future to benchmark the gender impacts of energy projects.

Evaluation of a social franchising and telemedicine programme and the care provided for childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia, Bihar, India

PubMed Central

Giardili, Soledad; Das, Veena; Rabin, Tracy L; Raj, Sunil S; Schwartz, Jeremy I; Seth, Aparna; Goldhaber-Fiebert, Jeremy D; Miller, Grant; Vera-Hernández, Marcos

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective To evaluate the impact on the quality of the care provided for childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia in Bihar, India, of a large-scale, social franchising and telemedicine programme – the World Health Partners’ Sky Program. Methods We investigated changes associated with the programme in the knowledge and performance of health-care providers by carrying out 810 assessments in a representative sample of providers in areas where the programme was and was not implemented. Providers were assessed using hypothetical patient vignettes and the standardized patient method both before and after programme implementation, in 2011 and 2014, respectively. Differences in providers’ performance between implementation and nonimplementation areas were assessed using multivariate difference-in-difference linear regression models. Findings The programme did not significantly improve health-care providers’ knowledge or performance with regard to childhood diarrhoea or pneumonia in Bihar. There was a persistent large gap between knowledge of appropriate care and the care actually delivered. Conclusion Social franchising has received attention globally as a model for delivering high-quality care in rural areas in the developing world but supporting data are scarce. Our findings emphasize the need for sound empirical evidence before social franchising programmes are scaled up. PMID:28479635

Public engagement in Malawi through a health-talk radio programme ' Umoyo nkukambirana': A mixed-methods evaluation.

PubMed

Nyirenda, Deborah; Makawa, Tamara Chipasula; Chapita, Greyson; Mdalla, Chisomo; Nkolokosa, Mzati; O'byrne, Thomasena; Heyderman, Robert; Desmond, Nicola

2018-02-01

Radio is an effective source of health information in many resource poor countries. In Malawi, 53% of households own radios however few radio programmes in Malawi focus on health issues in the context of medical research. An interactive health-talk radio programme ' Umoyo nkukambirana' was introduced by Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme on a national radio station. The aim was to increase awareness of health and medical research, and improve engagement between researchers, healthcare workers and the public. The content and presentation were developed through participatory community consultations. Focus Group Discussions were conducted with established Radio Listening Clubs whilst quantitative data was collected using toll free FrontlineSMS to explore national response. A total of 277 to 695 SMS (Median: 477) were received per theme. The majority of SMS were received from men (64%) and mainly from rural areas (54%). The programme improved knowledge of medical research, health and dispelled misconceptions. This study suggests that the radio may be an effective means of increasing the exposure of men to health information in resource poor settings.

Public engagement in Malawi through a health-talk radio programme ‘Umoyo nkukambirana’: A mixed-methods evaluation

PubMed Central

Nyirenda, Deborah; Makawa, Tamara Chipasula; Chapita, Greyson; Mdalla, Chisomo; Nkolokosa, Mzati; O’byrne, Thomasena; Heyderman, Robert; Desmond, Nicola

2016-01-01

Radio is an effective source of health information in many resource poor countries. In Malawi, 53% of households own radios however few radio programmes in Malawi focus on health issues in the context of medical research. An interactive health-talk radio programme ‘Umoyo nkukambirana’ was introduced by Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme on a national radio station. The aim was to increase awareness of health and medical research, and improve engagement between researchers, healthcare workers and the public. The content and presentation were developed through participatory community consultations. Focus Group Discussions were conducted with established Radio Listening Clubs whilst quantitative data was collected using toll free FrontlineSMS to explore national response. A total of 277 to 695 SMS (Median: 477) were received per theme. The majority of SMS were received from men (64%) and mainly from rural areas (54%). The programme improved knowledge of medical research, health and dispelled misconceptions. This study suggests that the radio may be an effective means of increasing the exposure of men to health information in resource poor settings. PMID:27365364

Factors behind job preferences of Peruvian medical, nursing and midwifery students: a qualitative study focused on rural deployment.

PubMed

Huicho, Luis; Molina, Cristina; Diez-Canseco, Francisco; Lema, Claudia; Miranda, J Jaime; Huayanay-Espinoza, Carlos A; Lescano, Andrés G

2015-12-02

Deployment of health workforce in rural areas is critical to reach universal health coverage. Students' perceptions towards practice in rural areas likely influence their later choice of a rural post. We aimed at exploring perceptions of students from health professions about career choice, job expectations, motivations and potential incentives to work in a rural area. In-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted among medical, nursing and midwifery students from universities of two Peruvian cities (Ica and Ayacucho). Themes for assessment and analysis included career choice, job expectations, motivations and incentives, according to a background theory a priori built for the study purpose. Preference for urban jobs was already established at this undergraduate level. Solidarity, better income expectations, professional and personal recognition, early life experience and family models influenced career choice. Students also expressed altruism, willingness to choose a rural job after graduation and potential responsiveness to incentives for practising in rural areas, which emerged more frequent from the discourse of nursing and midwifery students and from all students of rural origin. Medical students expressed expectations to work in large urban hospitals offering higher salaries. They showed higher personal, professional and family welfare expectations. Participants consistently favoured both financial and non-financial incentives. Nursing and midwifery students showed a higher disposition to work in rural areas than medical doctors, which was more evident in students of rural origin. Our results may be useful to improve targeting and selection of undergraduate students, to stimulate the inclination of students to choose a rural job upon graduation and to reorient school programmes towards the production of socially committed health professionals. Policymakers may also consider using our results when planning and implementing interventions to improve rural deployment of health professionals.

Scale-up of a decentralized HIV treatment programme in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: does rapid expansion affect patient outcomes?

PubMed Central

Mutevedzi, Portia C; Lessells, Richard J; Heller, Tom; Bärnighausen, Till; Cooke, Graham S; Newell, Marie-Louise

2010-01-01

Abstract Objective To describe the scale-up of a decentralized HIV treatment programme delivered through the primary health care system in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and to assess trends in baseline characteristics and outcomes in the study population. Methods The programme started delivery of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in October 2004. Information on all patients initiated on ART was captured in the programme database and follow-up status was updated monthly. All adult patients (≥ 16 years) who initiated ART between October 2004 and September 2008 were included and stratified into 6-month groups. Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were compared between the groups. Retention in care, mortality, loss to follow-up and virological outcomes were assessed at 12 months post-ART initiation. Findings A total of 5719 adults initiated on ART were included (67.9% female). Median baseline CD4+ lymphocyte count was 116 cells/µl (interquartile range, IQR: 53–173). There was an increase in the proportion of women who initiated ART while pregnant but no change in other baseline characteristics over time. Overall retention in care at 12 months was 84.0% (95% confidence interval, CI: 82.6–85.3); 10.9% died (95% CI: 9.8–12.0); 3.7% were lost to follow-up (95% CI: 3.0–4.4). Mortality was highest in the first 3 months after ART initiation: 30.1 deaths per 100 person–years (95% CI: 26.3–34.5). At 12 months 23.0% had a detectable viral load (> 25 copies/ml) (95% CI: 19.5–25.5). Conclusion Outcomes were not affected by rapid expansion of this decentralized HIV treatment programme. The relatively high rates of detectable viral load highlight the need for further efforts to improve the quality of services. PMID:20680124

Obstacles to local-level AIDS competence in rural Zimbabwe: putting HIV prevention in context

PubMed Central

Nhamo, Mercy; Campbell, Catherine; Gregson, Simon

2010-01-01

We explore the wider social context of an HIV-prevention programme in rural Zimbabwe. We make no comment on the programme itself, rather seeking to examine the wider community dynamics into which it was inserted, to highlight how pre-existing social dynamics may have influenced community “readiness” to derive optimal benefit from the intervention. Using the concept of “the AIDS competent community”, we analysed 44 interviews and 11 focus groups with local people. Despite high levels of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, there were several ways gender, poverty and low literacy may have undermined its perceived relevance to peoples’ lives. Lack of opportunities for dialogue in the social milieu beyond the intervention may have limited opportunities for translating factual AIDS knowledge into action plans, or sharing hidden individual experiences of HIV/AIDS-affected family members or friends, given stigma and denial. The initiative of women and young people to respond effectively to AIDS was limited in a context dominated by adult males. People spoke of HIV/AIDS in a passive and fatalistic way, expecting outsiders to solve the problem. This tendency was exacerbated given the community's previous experiences of HIV/AIDS-related NGOs, which had often regarded local people as unpaid volunteer labour rather than building their capacity to make significant decisions and play leadership roles in health programmes. Despite obstacles, however, there were many potential community strengths and resources. There were high levels of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge. Public denial of HIV/AIDS masked huge reservoirs of private support and kindness to AIDS-affected family and friends. There were many strong community organisations and clubs, potentially forming the springboard for more empowered community responses to HIV/ AIDS. HIV/AIDS programmers should pay greater attention to community readiness for interventions, especially around: (1) identifying and anticipating pre-existing obstacles to programme success and (2) mobilising the social assets that exist, even in contexts of poverty and gender inequality. PMID:21161772

Impact of an integrated nutrition and health programme on neonatal mortality in rural northern India.

PubMed

Baqui, Abdullahh; Williams, Emma K; Rosecrans, Amanda M; Agrawal, Praween K; Ahmed, Saifuddin; Darmstadt, Gary L; Kumar, Vishwajeet; Kiran, Usha; Panwar, Dharmendra; Ahuja, Ramesh C; Srivastava, Vinod K; Black, Robert E; Santosham, Manthuram

2008-10-01

To assess the impact of the newborn health component of a large-scale community-based integrated nutrition and health programme. Using a quasi-experimental design, we evaluated a programme facilitated by a nongovernmental organization that was implemented by the Indian government within existing infrastructure in two rural districts of Uttar Pradesh, northern India. Mothers who had given birth in the 2 years preceding the surveys were interviewed during the baseline (n = 14 952) and endline (n = 13 826) surveys. The primary outcome measure was reduction of neonatal mortality. In the intervention district, the frequency of home visits by community-based workers increased during both antenatal (from 16% to 56%) and postnatal (from 3% to 39%) periods, as did frequency of maternal and newborn care practices. In the comparison district, no improvement in home visits was observed and the only notable behaviour change was that women had saved money for emergency medical treatment. Neonatal mortality rates remained unchanged in both districts when only an antenatal visit was received. However, neonates who received a postnatal home visit within 28 days of birth had 34% lower neonatal mortality (35.7 deaths per 1000 live births, 95% confidence interval, CI: 29.2-42.1) than those who received no postnatal visit (53.8 deaths per 1000 live births, 95% CI: 48.9-58.8), after adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Three-quarters of the mortality reduction was seen in those who were visited within the first 3 days after birth. The effect on mortality remained statistically significant when excluding babies who died on the day of birth. The limited programme coverage did not enable an effect on neonatal mortality to be observed at the population level. A reduction in neonatal mortality rates in those receiving postnatal home visits shows potential for the programme to have an effect on neonatal deaths.

Obstacles to local-level AIDS competence in rural Zimbabwe: putting HIV prevention in context.

PubMed

Nhamo, Mercy; Campbell, Catherine; Gregson, Simon

2010-01-01

We explore the wider social context of an HIV-prevention programme in rural Zimbabwe. We make no comment on the programme itself, rather seeking to examine the wider community dynamics into which it was inserted, to highlight how pre-existing social dynamics may have influenced community "readiness" to derive optimal benefit from the intervention. Using the concept of "the AIDS competent community", we analysed 44 interviews and 11 focus groups with local people. Despite high levels of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, there were several ways gender, poverty and low literacy may have undermined its perceived relevance to peoples' lives. Lack of opportunities for dialogue in the social milieu beyond the intervention may have limited opportunities for translating factual AIDS knowledge into action plans, or sharing hidden individual experiences of HIV/AIDS-affected family members or friends, given stigma and denial. The initiative of women and young people to respond effectively to AIDS was limited in a context dominated by adult males. People spoke of HIV/AIDS in a passive and fatalistic way, expecting outsiders to solve the problem. This tendency was exacerbated given the community's previous experiences of HIV/AIDS-related NGOs, which had often regarded local people as unpaid volunteer labour rather than building their capacity to make significant decisions and play leadership roles in health programmes. Despite obstacles, however, there were many potential community strengths and resources. There were high levels of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge. Public denial of HIV/AIDS masked huge reservoirs of private support and kindness to AIDS-affected family and friends. There were many strong community organisations and clubs, potentially forming the springboard for more empowered community responses to HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS programmers should pay greater attention to community readiness for interventions, especially around: (1) identifying and anticipating pre-existing obstacles to programme success and (2) mobilising the social assets that exist, even in contexts of poverty and gender inequality.

Constructing indices of rural living standards in Northwestern Bangladesh.

PubMed

Gunnsteinsson, Snaebjorn; Labrique, Alain B; West, Keith P; Christian, Parul; Mehra, Sucheta; Shamim, Abu Ahmed; Rashid, Mahbubur; Katz, Joanne; Klemm, Rolf D W

2010-10-01

This study aimed to construct indices of living standards in rural Bangladesh that could be useful to study health outcomes or identify target populations for poverty-alleviation programmes. The indices were constructed using principal component analysis of data on household assets and house construction materials. Their robustness and use was tested and found to be internally consistent and correlated with maternal and infant health, nutritional and demographic indicators, and infant mortality. Indices derived from 9 or 10 household asset variables performed well; little was gained by adding more variables but problems emerged if fewer variables were used. A ranking of the most informative assets from this rural, South Asian context is provided. Living standards consistently and significantly improved over the six-year study period. It is concluded that simple household socioeconomic data, collected under field conditions, can be used for constructing reliable and useful indices of living standards in rural South Asian communities that can assist in the assessment of health, quality of life, and capabilities of households and their members.

The Ife South Breastfeeding Project: training community health extension workers to promote and manage breastfeeding in rural communities.

PubMed

Davies-Adetugbo, A A; Adebawa, H A

1997-01-01

Reported are the results of a project to promote exclusive breastfeeding in rural communities through the training of community health extension workers in rural Nigeria. A workshop for the trainers was organized for health workers in the study area; subsequently, these trainers ran district-level training workshops. In the study area perinatal facilities, early initiation of breastfeeding has increased compared with those in the control area (P < 0.001). Also, the trained health workers had significantly better knowledge about breastfeeding than their untrained colleagues in both the study (P < 0.001) and control areas (P < 0.001), and more often recommended timely initiation and exclusive breastfeeding than the controls (P < 0.001). A multivariate analysis showed that the training programme and the study area were the only significant variables that were predictors of breastfeeding knowledge (P < 0.001). Appropriate education of health extension workers can therefore contribute significantly to the promotion of breastfeeding in rural communities.

Treatment with phenobarbital and monitoring of epileptic patients in rural Mali.

PubMed Central

Nimaga, K.; Desplats, D.; Doumbo, O.; Farnarier, G.

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of phenobarbital treatment for epileptic patients in rural Mali. METHODS: Epileptic patients were treated at home with phenobarbital at daily dosages ranging from 50 mg for children to 200 mg for adults and their condition was monitored. Advice was given to patients, their families, and the village authorities in order to achieve compliance. An uninterrupted supply of generic phenobarbital was provided and a rural physician made two follow-up visits to each village to ensure that the drug was taken in the correct doses. The physician gave information to the population, distributed the phenobarbital in sufficient quantities to cover the periods between visits, and monitored the patients' responses to treatment. During the first year the physician visited the patients every two months. The frequency of visits was subsequently reduced to once every four months. FINDINGS: In the six months preceding treatment the average rate of seizures among patients exceeded four per month. After a year of treatment, 80.2% of the patients experienced no seizures for at least five months. A total of 15.7% of patients experienced a reduction in seizures. In many cases no further seizures occurred and there were improvements in physical health, mental health and social status. There were very few side-effects and no cases of poisoning were reported. The cost of treatment per patient per year was 7 US dollars for generic phenobarbital and 8.4 US dollars for logistics. CONCLUSION: Low doses of phenobarbital were very effective against epilepsy. However, there is an urgent need for programmes involving increased numbers of physicians in rural areas and, at the national level, for the inclusion of epilepsy treatment in the activities of health care facilities. Internationally, an epilepsy control programme providing free treatment should be developed. PMID:12163916

Influences of Electrification and Salt on Hydrophobicity of Sample Surface in Dynamic Drop Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiibara, Daiki; Arata, Yoshihiro; Haji, Kenichi; Miyake, Takuma; Sakoda, Tatsuya; Otsubo, Masahisa

Studies on the development of deterioration/ performance evaluation method for outdoor electric insulation of polymer materials are pushed forward now in the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE). The small scale test method (Dynamic drop test; DDT) which could evaluate disappearance characteristics of hydrophobicity easily was suggested. This test is to evaluate resistance of a sample to loss of hydrophobicity due to moisture and simultaneous electric stress. As factors for deterioration of hydrophobicity on a sample in DDT, various factors such as electrical influence, physical influence by water droplets and so on were considered. In this study, we investigated two kinds of factors (electrification and salt) affecting deterioration of hydrophobicity on the surface of a silicone rubber until ignition of continuous electrical discharge in DDT.

Planning a graduate programme in public health nutrition for experienced nutrition professionals.

PubMed

Fox, Ann; Beyers, Joanne

2011-08-01

Public health renewal in Canada has highlighted the need for development and expansion of the public health nutrition workforce, particularly in northern and rural communities. The purpose of the present paper is to describe the planning of a more accessible graduate programme for experienced nutrition professionals. The planning effort was challenged by a short timeframe between programme approval and implementation and required intense collaboration with stakeholders and students. The programme planning model developed by The Health Communication Unit (THCU) at the Centre for Health Promotion was used to guide the process. This six-step model was familiar to key stakeholders and involved pre-planning, conducting a situational assessment, establishing goals and objectives, developing strategies and outcome indicators, and monitoring feedback. Resource constraints, short timelines and debates around distance education options presented challenges that were overcome by conducting a thorough needs assessment, creating an advisory committee, engaging key stakeholders in the planning process, and building on existing resources. Extensive involvement of the first cohort of students in ongoing planning and evaluation was particularly helpful in informing the evolution of the programme. The THCU planning model provided a useful framework for stakeholder collaboration and for planning and implementing the new graduate programme in public health nutrition. Preliminary data suggest that graduates are benefiting from their educational experiences through career enhancement opportunities. The evaluation strategies built into the programme design will be useful in informing ongoing programme development.

Adults Who Learn: Sharing Literacy Project Experience from South-Western Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolawole, Oluwatoyin Dare

2011-01-01

The paper reports the outcome of a funded non-formal, functional adult literacy project embarked upon in the university-based "Isoya" rural development programme area in south-western Nigeria from 2005-2007. It specifically presents the approaches used in legitimising the literacy project amongst community people; and reports the…

Farmers' Knowledge Attributes Contribute to Attaining Higher Farm Technical Efficiency: A Transition Economy Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manevska-Tasevska, Gordana

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study sought to explore how farmers' knowledge attributes influence the technical efficiency of their farms. In addition, farm efficiency was compared to the actual Macedonian Rural Development Programme (RDP) (2007-2013) and instruments considered to improve Macedonian education potential were evaluated. Design/methodology/approach:…

A Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme for Pre-School Disabled Children in Guyana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Toole, Brian

1988-01-01

The paper presents a rationale for and evaluation of community-based rehabilitation (CBR). A CBR program implemented with 53 preschool disabled children in rural areas of Guyana found that the children's development improved significantly; the parents were willing to be involved; and parents' attitudes toward their children, themselves, and their…

Getting Set to Go: Upgrading Migration through an Innovative Educational Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khandelwal, Rajiv; Gilbert, Elon

2007-01-01

In the context of areas that have little prospect in the medium term of providing even minimal livelihoods locally for their overwhelming poor and increasingly migration-dependent rural populations, what does education for sustainable development (ESD) mean? Do efforts to qualitatively improve migration offer a viable strategy for reducing poverty…

Professional Education Programme for Land Management and Land Administration in Cambodia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Setha, Vung; Mund, Jan-Peter

2008-01-01

Land management and land administration are defined as a system of planning, management and administration methods and techniques that aims to integrate ecological with social, economic and legal principles in the management of land for urban and rural development purposes. The main objective is to meet changing and developing human needs, while…

Demonstrating a Situated Learning Approach for In-Service Teacher Education in Rural India: The Quality Education Programme in Rajasthan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saigal, Anju

2012-01-01

Recent educational policy in India has repositioned elementary school teachers as active, reflective practitioners, not just "deliverers" of syllabus material. This article examines innovations in teacher support in Rajasthan's government schools through the "Quality Education Program." Drawing on qualitative research of…

When Rural Meets Urban: The Transfer Problem Chinese Pre-Service Teachers Face in Teaching Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ye, Wangbei

2016-01-01

Traditional teacher education's supposed failure to prepare prospective teachers for classroom realities (the transfer problem) is a widely discussed topic in the teacher education literature. Previous studies have focused on causal relationships between teaching and such factors as pre-service teacher education programmes, contextual factors in…

Evaluating distributed medical education: what are the community's expectations?

PubMed

Lovato, Chris; Bates, Joanna; Hanlon, Neil; Snadden, David

2009-05-01

This study aimed to explore community members' perceptions of present and future impacts of the implementation of an undergraduate medical education programme in an underserved community. We conducted semi-structured interviews with eight key informants representing the health, education, business, economy, media and political sectors. A two-stage approach was used. In the first stage, the interviews were analysed to identify sector-specific impacts informants perceived as already occurring or which they hoped to see in the future. The transcripts were then re-analysed to determine any underlying themes that crossed sectors. Community leaders described impacts that were already occurring in all sectors and also described changes in the community itself. Four underlying themes emerged: an increase in pride and status; partnership development; community self-efficacy, and community development. These underlying themes appear to characterise the development of social capital in the community. The implementation of distributed undergraduate medical education programmes in rural and underserved communities may impact their host communities in ways other than the production of a rural doctor workforce. Further studies to quantify impacts in diverse sectors and to explore possible links with social capital are needed.

Evaluation of two years of mass chemotherapy against ascariasis in Hamadan, Islamic Republic of Iran.

PubMed Central

Fallah, Mohammad; Mirarab, Akbar; Jamalian, Farzad; Ghaderi, Ahmad

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the mass treatment of ascariasis in rural areas of Hamadan Province, Islamic Republic of Iran. METHODS: A control programme in rural areas of Hamadan Province, which began in November 1997, involved giving all persons a single dose of 400 mg albendazole at intervals of three months. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated by the formalin-ether concentration technique for stool examination and by the Stoll quantitative method. FINDINGS: The average rate of infection with Ascaris before treatment was 53.3%, ranging from 40% in Hamadan district to 75% in Toysercan. Two areas, Malayer and Nahavand, were excluded from the programme because the infection rates were only 13% and 4%, respectively. After two years of mass treatment the infection rate had decreased to 6%. The proportion of positive cases excreting only unfertilized eggs increased to 32%. No side-effects of mass treatment were observed. CONCLUSION: Systematic mass treatment giving high coverage proved to be very effective in the control of ascariasis, notwithstanding a lack of other preventive measures. PMID:12077616

Implementation research on community health workers' provision of maternal and child health services in rural Liberia.

PubMed

Luckow, Peter W; Kenny, Avi; White, Emily; Ballard, Madeleine; Dorr, Lorenzo; Erlandson, Kirby; Grant, Benjamin; Johnson, Alice; Lorenzen, Breanna; Mukherjee, Subarna; Ly, E John; McDaniel, Abigail; Nowine, Netus; Sathananthan, Vidiya; Sechler, Gerald A; Kraemer, John D; Siedner, Mark J; Panjabi, Rajesh

2017-02-01

To assess changes in the use of essential maternal and child health services in Konobo, Liberia, after implementation of an enhanced community health worker (CHW) programme. The Liberian Ministry of Health partnered with Last Mile Health, a nongovernmental organization, to implement a pilot CHW programme with enhanced recruitment, training, supervision and compensation. To assess changes in maternal and child health-care use, we conducted repeated cross-sectional cluster surveys before (2012) and after (2015) programme implementation. Between 2012 and 2015, 54 CHWs, seven peer supervisors and three clinical supervisors were trained to serve a population of 12 127 people in 44 communities. The regression-adjusted percentage of children receiving care from formal care providers increased by 60.1 (95% confidence interval, CI: 51.6 to 68.7) percentage points for diarrhoea, by 30.6 (95% CI: 20.5 to 40.7) for fever and by 51.2 (95% CI: 37.9 to 64.5) for acute respiratory infection. Facility-based delivery increased by 28.2 points (95% CI: 20.3 to 36.1). Facility-based delivery and formal sector care for acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea increased more in agricultural than gold-mining communities. Receipt of one-or-more antenatal care sessions at a health facility and postnatal care within 24 hours of delivery did not change significantly. We identified significant increases in uptake of child and maternal health-care services from formal providers during the pilot CHW programme in remote rural Liberia. Clinic-based services, such as postnatal care, and services in specific settings, such as mining areas, require additional interventions to achieve optimal outcomes.

Implementation research on community health workers’ provision of maternal and child health services in rural Liberia

PubMed Central

Luckow, Peter W; Kenny, Avi; White, Emily; Ballard, Madeleine; Dorr, Lorenzo; Erlandson, Kirby; Grant, Benjamin; Johnson, Alice; Lorenzen, Breanna; Mukherjee, Subarna; Ly, E John; McDaniel, Abigail; Nowine, Netus; Sathananthan, Vidiya; Sechler, Gerald A; Kraemer, John D; Siedner, Mark J

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective To assess changes in the use of essential maternal and child health services in Konobo, Liberia, after implementation of an enhanced community health worker (CHW) programme. Methods The Liberian Ministry of Health partnered with Last Mile Health, a nongovernmental organization, to implement a pilot CHW programme with enhanced recruitment, training, supervision and compensation. To assess changes in maternal and child health-care use, we conducted repeated cross-sectional cluster surveys before (2012) and after (2015) programme implementation. Findings Between 2012 and 2015, 54 CHWs, seven peer supervisors and three clinical supervisors were trained to serve a population of 12 127 people in 44 communities. The regression-adjusted percentage of children receiving care from formal care providers increased by 60.1 (95% confidence interval, CI: 51.6 to 68.7) percentage points for diarrhoea, by 30.6 (95% CI: 20.5 to 40.7) for fever and by 51.2 (95% CI: 37.9 to 64.5) for acute respiratory infection. Facility-based delivery increased by 28.2 points (95% CI: 20.3 to 36.1). Facility-based delivery and formal sector care for acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea increased more in agricultural than gold-mining communities. Receipt of one-or-more antenatal care sessions at a health facility and postnatal care within 24 hours of delivery did not change significantly. Conclusion We identified significant increases in uptake of child and maternal health-care services from formal providers during the pilot CHW programme in remote rural Liberia. Clinic-based services, such as postnatal care, and services in specific settings, such as mining areas, require additional interventions to achieve optimal outcomes. PMID:28250511

The impact of a conditional cash transfer programme on determinants of child health: evidence from Colombia.

PubMed

Lopez-Arana, Sandra; Avendano, Mauricio; van Lenthe, Frank J; Burdorf, Alex

2016-10-01

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes provide income to low-income families in return for fulfilling specific behavioural conditions. CCT have been shown to improve child health, but there are few systematic studies of their impact on multiple determinants of child health. We examined the impact of a CCT programme in Colombia on: (i) use of preventive health services; (ii) food consumption and dietary diversity; (iii) mother's knowledge, attitudes and practices about caregiving practices; (iv) maternal employment; and (v) women's empowerment. Secondary analysis of the quasi-experimental evaluation of the Familias en Accion programme. Children and families were assessed in 2002, 2003 and 2005-06. We applied a difference-in-differences approach using logistic or linear regression, separately examining effects for urban and rural areas. Colombia. Children (n 1450) and their families in thirty-one treatment municipalities were compared with children (n 1851) from sixty-five matched control municipalities. Familias en Accion was associated with a significant increase in the probability of using preventive care services (OR=1·85, 95 % CI 1·03, 3·30) and growth and development check-ups (β=1·36, 95 % CI 0·76, 1·95). It had also a positive impact on dietary diversity and food consumption. No effect was observed on maternal employment, women's empowerment, and knowledge, attitudes and practices about caregiving practices. Overall, Familias en Accion's impact was more marked in rural areas. CCT in Colombia increase contact with preventive care services and improve dietary diversity, but they are less effective in influencing mother's employment decisions, empowerment and knowledge of caregiving practices.

Impact of a cash-for-work programme on food consumption and nutrition among women and children facing food insecurity in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mascie-Taylor, C G N; Marks, M K; Goto, R; Islam, R

2010-11-01

To determine whether a cash-for-work programme during the annual food insecurity period in Bangladesh improved nutritional status in poor rural women and children. The panel study involved a random sample of 895 households from over 50,000 enrolled in a cash-for-work programme between September and December 2007 and 921 similar control households. The height, weight and mid-upper arm circumference of one woman and child aged less than 5 years from each household were measured at baseline and at the end of the study (mean time: 10 weeks). Women reported 7-day household food expenditure and consumption on both occasions. Changes in parameters were compared between the two groups. At baseline, no significant difference existed between the groups. By the study end, the difference in mean mid-upper arm circumference between women in the intervention and control groups had widened by 2.29 mm and the difference in mean weight, by 0.88 kg. Among children, the difference in means between the two groups had also widened in favour of the intervention group for: height (0.08 cm; P<0.05), weight (0.22 kg; P<0.001), mid-upper arm circumference (1.41 mm; P<0.001) and z-scores for height-for-age (0.02; P<0.001), weight-for-age (0.17; P<0.001), weight-for-height (0.23; P<0.001) and mid-upper arm circumference (0.12; P<0.001). Intervention households spent more on food and consumed more protein-rich food at the end of the study. The cash-for-work programme led to greater household food expenditure and consumption and women's and children's nutritional status improved.

Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program: its contribution in view of WHO recommendations for provision of doctors.

PubMed

Carvalho, Viviane Karoline da Silva; Marques, Carla Pintas; Silva, Everton Nunes da

2016-09-01

In order to examine whether Brazil's Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Programme (PMM) reflected World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for improved attraction, retention and recruitment of health workers in remote and rural areas, this descriptive, qualitative study drew on document analysis in order to compare the WHO recommendations published in 2010 with Brazil's Law No. 12,871/13, which instituted the PMM. Of the 16 WHO recommendations systematised here, the PMM met 37.5%. Recommendations not incorporated into the PMM include career development programmes and public recognition strategies. Although reflecting WHO recommendations and already in place elsewhere in the SUS prior to announcement of the PMM, the National Retention Grant Programme and multi-professional teams (as in the Family Health Strategy) were not implemented by the PMM. The programme contains innovative components such as a new curriculum for medical schools and compulsory medical service. On the other hand, the PMM could have invested more in personal and professional support.

Promoting health knowledge through micro-credit programmes: experience of BRAC in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hadi, A

2001-09-01

This paper aims to assess the contribution of the micro-credit programme in raising health knowledge among poor women in rural Bangladesh. Data were collected from the 1998 sample survey of 500 mothers aged 15-49 years who had at least one child aged <5 years. Findings revealed that the socio-demographic factors such as the age of the woman, land ownership of the family and occupation of husband had no association with the prevalence of maternal knowledge. The knowledge was much greater among credit forum participants than non-participants, although exposure to the media and the education of women had also played a significant role in raising the level of knowledge. Multivariate analysis suggested that the duration of credit programme participation and exposure to the media were significantly more likely to raise the health knowledge among women when the influence of demographic and socio-economic factors were controlled. The paper concludes that the micro-credit programme can be an effective tool in promoting health among poor women in Bangladesh.

Identifying behavioural determinants for interventions to increase handwashing practices among primary school children in rural Burundi and urban Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Seimetz, Elisabeth; Slekiene, Jurgita; Friedrich, Max N D; Mosler, Hans-Joachim

2017-07-14

This article presents the development of a school handwashing programme in two different sub-Saharan countries that applies the RANAS (risk, attitudes, norms, ability, and self-regulation) systematic approach to behaviour change. Interviews were conducted with 669 children enrolled in 20 primary schools in Burundi and 524 children in 20 primary schools in Zimbabwe. Regression analyses were used to assess the influence of the RANAS behavioural determinants on reported handwashing frequencies. The results revealed that, in both countries, a programme targeting social norms and self-efficacy would be most effective. In Burundi, raising the children's perceived severity of the consequences of contracting diarrhoea, and in Zimbabwe, increasing the children's health knowledge should be part of the programme. The school handwashing programme should create awareness of the benefits of handwashing through educational activities, raise the children's ability and confidence in washing hands at school through infrastructural improvements, and highlight the normality of washing hands at school through events and poster creation.

PREFACE: 1st International Symposium on Electrical Arc and Thermal Plasmas in Africa (ISAPA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andre, Pascal; Koalaga, Zacharie

2012-02-01

Logos of the University of Ouagadougou, ISAPA and Universite Blaise Pascal Africa (especially Sub-Saharan Africa) is a continent where electrification is at a low level. However, the development of the electrical power sector is a prerequisite for the growth of other industrial activities, that is to say for the social and economic development of African countries. Consequently, a large number of electrification projects (rural electrification, interconnection of different country's grids) takes place in many countries. These projects need expertise and make Africa a continent of opportunity for companies in different domains for business and research: energy; energetic production, transmission, distribution and protection of electricity; the supply of cable; the construction, engineering and expertise in the field of solar and wind power. The first International Symposium on electrical Arc and thermal Plasma in Africa (ISAPA) was held for the first time in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso to progress and develop the research of new physical developments, technical breakthroughs, and ideas in the fields of electrical production and electrical applications. The ISAPA aims to encourage the advancement of the science and applications of electrical power transformation in Africa by bringing together specialists from many areas in Africa and the rest of the world. Such considerations have led us to define a Scientific Committee including representatives from many countries. This first meeting was an innovative opportunity for researchers and engineers from academic and industrial sectors to exchange views and knowledge. Both fundamental aspects such as thermal plasma, electrical arc, diagnostics and applied aspects as circuit breakers, ICP analyses, photovoltaic energy conversion and alternative energies, as well as space applications were covered. The Laboratory of Material and Environment (LAME) from Ouagadougou University and the Laboratory of Electric Arc and Thermal Plasmas (LAEPT) from Blaise Pascal University have worked in close collaboration within the framework of the Organizing Committee of this new and first ISAPA symposium in Africa. We registered 40 participants from France, Portugal, Belgium, Mali, Niger, Togo, Tchad and, of course, Burkina Faso, and also through collaborative works from Russia, Poland and Ukraine. 20 papers, one poster and 3 oral contributions were presented for this first ISAPA. The ISAPA Symposium has been held with the material and financial support of the following organizations: EDULINK Program of EU-ACP; SCAC Service of the French Embassy in Burkina Faso; IRD (Institute of Development Research) Burkina Faso; ASDI/SAREC project in Burkina Faso; University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; Blaise Pascal University of Clermont Ferrand, France. The opening ceremony of ISAPA Symposium was presided over by two ministers: the minister in charge of secondary and higher education (MESS) and the minister in charge of scientific research and innovation (MRSI). Thus, they have marked the interest given by the government of Burkina Faso for RAMSES Scientific Meetings such as ISAPA. Zacharie Koalaga (LAME, University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) Pascal André (LAEPT, Blaise Pascal University, France) ISAPA 2011 Co-Chairmen of the ISAPA International Organizing Committee and editors Logos

Learning effect of a conditional cash transfer programme on poor rural women's selection of delivery care in Mexico.

PubMed

Sosa-Rubí, Sandra G; Walker, Dilys; Serván, Edson; Bautista-Arredondo, Sergio

2011-11-01

BACKGROUND The Mexican programme Oportunidades/Progresa conditionally transfers money to beneficiary families. Over the past 10 years, poor rural women have been obliged to attend antenatal care (ANC) visits and reproductive health talks. We propose that the length of time in the programme influences women's preferences, thus increasing their use not only of services directly linked to the cash transfers, but also of other services, such as clinic-based delivery, whose utilization is not obligatory. OBJECTIVE To analyse the long-term effect of Oportunidades on women's use of antenatal and delivery care. METHODOLOGY 5051 women aged between 15 and 49 years old with at least one child aged less than 24 months living in rural localities were analysed. Multilevel probit and logit models were used to analyse ANC visits and physician/nurse attended delivery, respectively. Models were adjusted with individual and socio-economic variables and the locality's exposure time to Oportunidades. Findings On average women living in localities with longer exposure to Oportunidades report 2.1% more ANC visits than women living in localities with less exposure. Young women aged 15-19 and 20-24 years and living in localities with longer exposure to Oportunidades (since 1998) have 88% and 41% greater likelihood of choosing a physician/nurse vs. traditional midwife for childbirth, respectively. Women of indigenous origin are 68.9% less likely to choose a physician/nurse for delivery care than non-indigenous women. CONCLUSIONS An increase in the average number of ANC visits has been achieved among Oportunidades beneficiaries. An indirect effect is the increased selection of a physician/nurse for delivery care among young women living in localities with greater exposure time to Oportunidades. Disadvantaged women in Mexico (indigenous women) continue to have less access to skilled delivery care. Developing countries must develop strategies to increase access and use of skilled obstetric care for marginalized women.

The Feasibility of Creating Partnerships Between Palliative Care Volunteers and Healthcare Providers to Support Rural Frail Older Adults and Their Families: An Integrative Review.

PubMed

Connell, Braydon; Warner, Grace; Weeks, Lori E

2017-09-01

Background/Question: Volunteers are important in the support of frail older adults requiring palliative care, especially in rural areas. However, there are challenges associated with volunteer supports related to training, management and capacity to work in partnership with healthcare providers (HCP). This review addresses the question: What is the feasibility of a volunteer-HCP partnership to support frail older adults residing in rural areas, as they require palliative care? This integrative review identified ten articles that met the identified search criteria. Articles were appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklists, designed for use across a range of quantitative and qualitative studies. Studies were drawn from international sources to understand how volunteer roles vary by culture and organization; the majority of studies were conducted in North America. Studies varied in methodology, including quantitative, qualitative and educational commentary. Identified factors that were crucial to the feasibility of volunteer-HCP partnerships in rural areas included volunteer training dynamics, relationships between volunteers and HCP, and rural environmental factors. Preliminary evidence indicates that a volunteer-HCP palliative partnership is feasible. However, training policies/procedures, volunteer-HCP relationships, and rural specific designs impact the feasibility of this partnership. Additional research is needed to further establish the feasibility of implementing these partnerships in rural settings.

A comparative study of perception of sickle cell anaemia by married Nigeria rural and urban women.

PubMed

Adeodu, O O; Alimi, T; Adekile, A D

2000-01-01

Environmental factors may influence perception of or attitude to chronic disorders. The perception of sickle cell anaemia (SCA by 165 married Nigerian rural and 507 urban women was studied to determine how living in an urban or rural environment may influence perception. None of the subjects had children with SCA. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire designed to enquire into their knowledge about the cause, precipitating factors for crises, clinical features of SCA and their opinions regarding traditional and modern treatment options for the disorder. As a group, urban women had better knowledge about SCA than rural women probably because their social environment afforded a wider scope for interaction with and information exchange among people. For most respondents, the educational institutions attended the health institutions in the locality and the electronic media were poor sources of information on SCA. The study showed a serious lack of information about important aspects of SCA among rural women. We think the training of primary health care providers as counsellors on SCA, the inclusion of instruction about SCA in the curriculum of schools and sustained outreach programmes on SCA on the electronic media would ensure early education of people in both rural and urban communities and help to improve perception of the disorder.

Spatial access disparities to primary health care in rural and remote Australia.

PubMed

McGrail, Matthew Richard; Humphreys, John Stirling

2015-11-04

Poor spatial access to health care remains a key issue for rural populations worldwide. Whilst geographic information systems (GIS) have enabled the development of more sophisticated access measures, they are yet to be adopted into health policy and workforce planning. This paper provides and tests a new national-level approach to measuring primary health care (PHC) access for rural Australia, suitable for use in macro-level health policy. The new index was constructed using a modified two-step floating catchment area method framework and the smallest available geographic unit. Primary health care spatial access was operationalised using three broad components: availability of PHC (general practitioner) services; proximity of populations to PHC services; and PHC needs of the population. Data used in its measurement were specifically chosen for accuracy, reliability and ongoing availability for small areas. The resultant index reveals spatial disparities of access to PHC across rural Australia. While generally more remote areas experienced poorer access than more populated rural areas, there were numerous exceptions to this generalisation, with some rural areas close to metropolitan areas having very poor access and some increasingly remote areas having relatively good access. This new index provides a geographically-sensitive measure of access, which is readily updateable and enables a fine granulation of access disparities. Such an index can underpin national rural health programmes and policies designed to improve rural workforce recruitment and retention, and, importantly, health service planning and resource allocation decisions designed to improve equity of PHC access.

Nick Laws | NREL

Science.gov Websites

, including cost savings, pollution reductions, and renewable energy portfolios. As a member of the REopt team as the electrification of the energy economy. At the distribution edge, Nick is interested in control

Towards an effective control programme of soil-transmitted helminth infections among Orang Asli in rural Malaysia. Part 2: Knowledge, attitude, and practices

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In the first part of this study, we investigated the prevalence and associated key factors of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections among Orang Asli children in rural Malaysia; an alarming high prevalence and five key factors significantly associated with infections were reported. Part 2 of this study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) on STH infections among Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out among 215 households from 13 villages in Lipis district, Pahang, Malaysia. Demographic and socioeconomic information of the participants and their KAP on STH were collected by using a pre-tested questionnaire. Results Overall, 61.4% of the participants had prior knowledge about intestinal helminths with a lack of knowledge on the transmission (28.8%), signs and symptoms (29.3%) as well as the prevention (16.3%). Half of the respondents considered STH as harmful, while their practices to prevent infections were still inadequate. Significant associations between the KAP and age, gender, educational and employment status, family size, and household monthly income were reported. Moreover, significantly lower prevalence of STH infections was reported among children of respondents who wear shoes/slippers when outside the house (72.8%; 95% CI= 62.6, 80.5 vs 87.0%; 95% CI= 81.4, 91.1), wash their hands before eating (32.4%; 95% CI= 24.3, 42.2 vs 51.4%; 95% CI= 44.7, 60.1), and wash their hands after defecation (47.8%; 95% CI= 35.7, 57.1 vs 69.2%; 95% CI= 63.7, 78.7) as compared to their counterparts. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the educational level of the respondents was the most important factor significantly associated with the KAP on STH among this population. Conclusion This study reveals inadequate knowledge, attitude and practices on STH infections among Orang Asli in rural Malaysia. Hence, there is a great need for a proper health education programme and community mobilisation to enhance prevention and instil better knowledge on STH transmission and prevention. This is crucial for an effective and sustainable STH control programme to save the lives and future of the most vulnerable children in rural Malaysia. PMID:23356968

Nutritional and socio-economic factors associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection in children from Equatorial Guinea: results from a nationally representative survey

PubMed Central

Custodio, Estefanía; Descalzo, Miguel Ángel; Villamor, Eduardo; Molina, Laura; Sánchez, Ignacio; Lwanga, Magdalena; Bernis, Cristina; Benito, Agustín; Roche, Jesús

2009-01-01

Background Malaria has traditionally been a major endemic disease in Equatorial Guinea. Although parasitaemia prevalence on the insular region has been substantially reduced by vector control in the past few years, the prevalence in the mainland remains over 50% in children younger than five years. The aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors for parasitaemia and treatment seeking behaviour for febrile illness at country level, in order to provide evidence that will reinforce the EG National Malaria Control Programme. Methods The study was a cross-sectional survey of children 0 to 5 years old, using a multistaged, stratified, cluster-selected sample at the national level. It included a socio-demographic, health and dietary questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and thick and thin blood smears to determine the Plasmodium infection. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine risk factors for parasitaemia, taking into account the cluster design. Results The overall prevalence of parasitemia was 50.9%; it was higher in rural (58.8%) compared to urban areas (44.0%, p = 0.06). Age was positively associated with parasitemia (p < 0.0001). In rural areas, risk factors included longer distance to health facilities (p = 0.01) and a low proportion of households with access to protected water in the community (p = 0.02). Having had an episode of cough in the 15 days prior to the survey was inversely related to parasitemia (p = 0.04). In urban areas, the risk factors were stunting (p = 0.005), not having taken colostrum (p = 0.01), and that someone in the household slept under a bed net (p = 0.002); maternal antimalarial medication intake during pregnancy (p = 0.003) and the household socio-economic status (p = 0.0002) were negatively associated with parasitemia. Only 55% of children with fever were taken outside their homes for care, and treatment seeking behaviour differed substantially between rural and urban populations. Conclusion Results suggest that a national programme to fight malaria in Equatorial Guinea should take into account the differences between rural and urban communities in relation to risk factors for parasitaemia and treatment seeking behaviour, integrate nutrition programmes, incorporate campaigns on the importance of early treatment, and target appropriately for bed nets to reach the under-fives. PMID:19814788

Task shifting to non-physician clinicians for integrated management of hypertension and diabetes in rural Cameroon: a programme assessment at two years

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The burden of non-communicable chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, increases in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the majority of the rural population does still not have access to adequate care. The objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of integrating care for hypertension and type 2 diabetes by task shifting to non-physician clinician (NPC) facilities in eight rural health districts in Cameroon. Methods Of the 75 NPC facilities in the area, 69 (87%) received basic equipment and training in hypertension and diabetes care. Effectiveness was assessed after two years on status of equipment, knowledge among trained NPCs, number of newly detected patients, retention of patients under care, treatment cost to patients and changes in blood pressure (BP) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) among treated patients. Results Two years into the programme, of 54 facilities (78%) available for re-assessment, all possessed a functional sphygmomanometer and stethoscope (65% at baseline); 96% stocked antihypertensive drugs (27% at baseline); 70% possessed a functional glucose meter and 72% stocked oral anti-diabetics (15% and 12% at baseline). NPCs' performance on multiple-choice questions of the knowledge-test was significantly improved. During a period of two years, trained NPCs initiated treatment for 796 patients with hypertension and/or diabetes. The retention of treated patients at one year was 18.1%. Hypertensive and diabetic patients paid a median monthly amount of 1.4 and 0.7 Euro respectively for their medication. Among hypertensive patients with ≥ 2 documented visits (n = 493), systolic BP decreased by 22.8 mmHg (95% CI: -20.6 to -24.9; p < 0.0001) and diastolic BP by 12.4 mmHg (-10.9 to -13.9; p < 0.0001). Among diabetic patients (n = 79) FPG decreased by 3.4 mmol/l (-2.3 to -4.5; p < 0.001). Conclusions The integration of hypertension and diabetes into primary health care of NPC facilities in rural Cameroon was feasible in terms of equipment and training, accessible in terms of treatment cost and showed promising BP- and FPG-trends. However, low case-detection rates per NPC and a very high attrition among patients enrolled into care, limited the effectiveness of the programme. PMID:21144064

Towards an effective control programme of soil-transmitted helminth infections among Orang Asli in rural Malaysia. Part 2: Knowledge, attitude, and practices.

PubMed

Nasr, Nabil A; Al-Mekhlafi, Hesham M; Ahmed, Abdulhamid; Roslan, Muhammad Aidil; Bulgiba, Awang

2013-01-28

In the first part of this study, we investigated the prevalence and associated key factors of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections among Orang Asli children in rural Malaysia; an alarming high prevalence and five key factors significantly associated with infections were reported. Part 2 of this study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) on STH infections among Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 215 households from 13 villages in Lipis district, Pahang, Malaysia. Demographic and socioeconomic information of the participants and their KAP on STH were collected by using a pre-tested questionnaire. Overall, 61.4% of the participants had prior knowledge about intestinal helminths with a lack of knowledge on the transmission (28.8%), signs and symptoms (29.3%) as well as the prevention (16.3%). Half of the respondents considered STH as harmful, while their practices to prevent infections were still inadequate. Significant associations between the KAP and age, gender, educational and employment status, family size, and household monthly income were reported. Moreover, significantly lower prevalence of STH infections was reported among children of respondents who wear shoes/slippers when outside the house (72.8%; 95% CI= 62.6, 80.5 vs 87.0%; 95% CI= 81.4, 91.1), wash their hands before eating (32.4%; 95% CI= 24.3, 42.2 vs 51.4%; 95% CI= 44.7, 60.1), and wash their hands after defecation (47.8%; 95% CI= 35.7, 57.1 vs 69.2%; 95% CI= 63.7, 78.7) as compared to their counterparts. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the educational level of the respondents was the most important factor significantly associated with the KAP on STH among this population. This study reveals inadequate knowledge, attitude and practices on STH infections among Orang Asli in rural Malaysia. Hence, there is a great need for a proper health education programme and community mobilisation to enhance prevention and instil better knowledge on STH transmission and prevention. This is crucial for an effective and sustainable STH control programme to save the lives and future of the most vulnerable children in rural Malaysia.

Burns in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal: epidemiology and the need for community health education.

PubMed

Scheven, D; Barker, P; Govindasamy, J

2012-12-01

Burns are one of the leading causes of accidental deaths in South Africa. The northern Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) area, in which this study was conducted, has a population at high risk of burn. A large proportion of the population of KZN live in rural settlements and use traditional methods of cooking and heating. Children are often unsupervised or looked after by only slightly older children. This study investigates the need and potential focus of a health education programme within the setting of rural KZN. Examination of epidemiological data collected on 423 cases admitted to the Ngwelezana Hospital Burns Unit from 2008 to 2010. Children under the age of 12 were most at risk, making up 69.5% of all admissions. Most burns were caused in the home by incidents involving hot water and food (69.5%). Direct flame burns accounted for 19.6% of injuries and were more common with increasing age. Of the direct flame burns, 20.5% occurred during an epileptic seizure. Non-accidental injury accounted for 8.7% of burns. Public health awareness was assessed by investigating the use of first aid treatments, and the time delay between burn and presentation to hospital. First aid provision was attempted in 53.1% of cases. Only 1.1% of burn victims were treated with running water for 10 min or more. Other products commonly applied to the burn wound (31.7% of cases) included oil, ice or eggs, some of which are known to be harmful. The time from burn to presentation at hospital varied greatly. The median time of presentation for local residents was only 6h; however, the median referral delay from a district hospital was 6 days. These factors have important consequences on the outcome of burns. The implementation of a community health education programme which focuses on adults as well as children, has the potential to decrease both the incidence and morbidity associated with burns in rural KZN. The pattern of burns is similar to that seen in urban areas (mostly children, and mostly around the home), emphasising common risk factors and the potential for wide application of such a programme. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Demographic and parasitic infection status of schoolchildren and sanitary conditions of schools in Sanliurfa, Turkey

PubMed Central

Ulukanligil, Mustafa; Seyrek, Adnan

2003-01-01

Background The design and development of school health programmes will require information at demographic characteristics of schoolchildren and the major health burdens of the school-age group, the opportunities for intervention and the appropriateness of the available infrastructure. This study aims to analyse demographic and parasitic infections status of schoolchildren and sanitary conditions of schools in Sanliurfa province of south-eastern Turkey. Method Three primary schools were randomly selected in the shantytown, apartment and rural districts. A total of 1820 schoolchildren between 7–14 years age were took part to the survey of whom 1120 (61.5%) were boys and 700 (38.4%) were girls. A child form (including child's name, sex, age, school grade and parasitic infections) and school survey form (including condition of water supply, condition of latrines, presence of soaps on the basins and presence of garbage piles around to the schools) were used for demographic, parasitic and sanitary surveys. Stool samples were examined by cellophane thick smear technique for the eggs of intestinal helminths. Results The demographic survey showed that number of schoolchildren was gradually decreased as their age's increase in shantytown school. The sex ratio was proportional until the second grade, after which the number of females gradually decreased in children in shantytown and rural schools while, in apartment area, schoolchildren was proportionally distributed between age groups and gender even the high-grade students. The prevalence of helminthic infections was %77.1 of the schoolchildren in shantytown, 53.2% in apartment district and 53.1% of rural area. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most prevalent species and followed by Trichuris trichiura, Hymenolepis nana and Taenia species in three schools. Sanitation survey indicated that the tap water was limited in shantytown school, toilet's sanitation was poor, available no soaps on lavatories and garbage piles were accumulated around the schools in shantytown and rural area, while, the school in apartment area was well sanitised. Conclusions These results indicated that burden of parasitic infections and poor sanitation conditions constituted public health importance among to the shantytown schoolchildren. School health programmes including deworming and sanitation activities through the health education and improvement of sanitation conditions in the schools have a potential to better health and education for schoolchildren. These programmes also offer the potential to reach significant numbers of population in the shantytown schools with high level of absenteeism. PMID:12952553

Task shifting to non-physician clinicians for integrated management of hypertension and diabetes in rural Cameroon: a programme assessment at two years.

PubMed

Labhardt, Niklaus D; Balo, Jean-Richard; Ndam, Mama; Grimm, Jean-Jacques; Manga, Engelbert

2010-12-14

The burden of non-communicable chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, increases in sub-Saharan Africa. However, the majority of the rural population does still not have access to adequate care. The objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of integrating care for hypertension and type 2 diabetes by task shifting to non-physician clinician (NPC) facilities in eight rural health districts in Cameroon. Of the 75 NPC facilities in the area, 69 (87%) received basic equipment and training in hypertension and diabetes care. Effectiveness was assessed after two years on status of equipment, knowledge among trained NPCs, number of newly detected patients, retention of patients under care, treatment cost to patients and changes in blood pressure (BP) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) among treated patients. Two years into the programme, of 54 facilities (78%) available for re-assessment, all possessed a functional sphygmomanometer and stethoscope (65% at baseline); 96% stocked antihypertensive drugs (27% at baseline); 70% possessed a functional glucose meter and 72% stocked oral anti-diabetics (15% and 12% at baseline). NPCs' performance on multiple-choice questions of the knowledge-test was significantly improved. During a period of two years, trained NPCs initiated treatment for 796 patients with hypertension and/or diabetes. The retention of treated patients at one year was 18.1%. Hypertensive and diabetic patients paid a median monthly amount of 1.4 and 0.7 Euro respectively for their medication. Among hypertensive patients with ≥ 2 documented visits (n = 493), systolic BP decreased by 22.8 mmHg (95% CI: -20.6 to -24.9; p < 0.0001) and diastolic BP by 12.4 mmHg (-10.9 to -13.9; p < 0.0001). Among diabetic patients (n = 79) FPG decreased by 3.4 mmol/l (-2.3 to -4.5; p < 0.001). The integration of hypertension and diabetes into primary health care of NPC facilities in rural Cameroon was feasible in terms of equipment and training, accessible in terms of treatment cost and showed promising BP- and FPG-trends. However, low case-detection rates per NPC and a very high attrition among patients enrolled into care, limited the effectiveness of the programme.

Awareness of glaucoma in the rural population of Southern India.

PubMed

Krishnaiah, Sannapaneni; Kovai, Vilas; Srinivas, Marmamula; Shamanna, Bindiganavale R; Rao, Gullapalli N; Thomas, Ravi

2005-09-01

To explore the awareness of glaucoma amongst the rural population of Andhra Pradesh, India. A total of 7775 subjects of all ages, representative of the rural population of Andhra Pradesh, participated in the Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study. The responses of subjects older than 15 years (n=5573) who completed a structured questionnaire regarding awareness (heard of glaucoma) and knowledge (understanding of disease) of glaucoma formed the basis of this study. Awareness of glaucoma (n=18; 0.32%) was very poor in this rural population, and females were significantly less aware (p=0.007). Awareness of glaucoma was also significantly less among illiterate persons (p<0.0001), and socially backward population (p<0.0001). Majority of the respondents who were aware of glaucoma (n=10; 55.6%) did not know if visual loss due to glaucoma was permanent or reversible. The major source of awareness of glaucoma in this population was TV/magazines and other media followed by information from a relative or acquaintance suffering from the disease. Awareness of glaucoma is very poor in the rural areas of southern India. The data suggest the need for community-based health education programmes to increase the level of awareness and knowledge about glaucoma.

Wind Energy: A Maturing Power Supply Possibility.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Erik Lundtang; And Others

1987-01-01

Suggests that wind energy for electrification will prove to be an appropriate technology with very positive socioeconomic benefits, especially in developing countries. Provides examples of projects conducted by a Danish wind research laboratory. (TW)

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Houston Energizes Deployment of Plug-In

Science.gov Websites

and other pollutant emissions: buildings and structures, mobile sources, and waste (also read more recent reports). Vehicle electrification became a key focus of mobile source emissions-reduction

Segmentally structured disk triboelectric nanogenerator

DOEpatents

Wang, Zhong Lin; Zhu, Guang; Lin, Long; Wang, Sihong; Chen, Jun

2016-11-01

A generator includes a disc shaped first unit, a disc shaped second unit and an axle. The first unit includes a substrate layer, a double complementary electrode layer and an electrification material layer. The electrode layer includes a first electrode member and a second electrode member. The first electrode member includes evenly spaced apart first electrode legs extending inwardly. The second electrode member is complementary in shape to the first electrode member. The legs of the first electrode member and the second electrode member are interleaved with each other and define a continuous gap therebetween. The electrification material includes a first material that is in a first position on the triboelectric series. The second unit defines elongated openings and corresponding elongated leg portions, and includes a second material that is at a second position on a triboelectric series, different than the first position.

“Capacitive Sensor” to Measure Flow Electrification and Prevent Electrostatic Hazards

PubMed Central

Paillat, Thierry; Touchard, Gerard; Bertrand, Yves

2012-01-01

At a solid/liquid interface, physico-chemical phenomena occur that lead to the separation of electrical charges, establishing a zone called electrical double layer. The convection of one part of these charges by the liquid flow is the cause of the flow electrification phenomenon which is suspected of being responsible of incidents in the industry. The P' Institute of Poitiers University and CNRS has developed an original sensor called “capacitive sensor” that allows the characterization of the mechanisms involved in the generation, accumulation and transfer of charges. As an example, this sensor included in the design of high power transformers, could easily show the evolution of electrostatic charge generation developed during the operating time of the transformer and, therefore, point out the operations leading to electrostatic hazards and, then, monitor the transformer to prevent such risks. PMID:23202162

Electrohydrodynamic generation of millimetric drops and control of electrification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yun, Sungchan

2017-07-01

We report a simple method for millimetric drop generation by electrohydrodynamic (EHD) detachment using a conventional nozzle-ring device. The EHD detachment method provides distinct features of uniform-size and controlled electrification of millimetric drops. The drop dynamics of detachment and shape oscillation are recorded using a high-speed camera and analyzed for several dc voltages applied to the electrode. Experimental studies show that an oscillation frequency can be closely related to the amount of electric charge, which can be explained based on both effective interfacial tension and inviscid Rayleigh and Lamb frequency. Furthermore, we present a concept to generate a neutral drop by adjusting the duration time of a pulse signal and discuss a drop oscillation induced by the detachment. This study can provide potential implications for drop manipulation, such as transporting, merging, and mixing, in microfluidic platforms.

Analysis of In-Route Wireless Charging for the Shuttle System at Zion National Park

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meintz, Andrew; Prohaska, Robert; Konan, Arnaud

System right-sizing is critical to implementation of wireless power transfer (WPT) for electric vehicles (EVs). This study will analyze potential WPT scenarios for the electrification of shuttle buses at Zion National Park utilizing a modelling tool developed by NREL called WPTSim. This tool uses second-by-second speed, location, and road grade data from the conventional shuttles in operation to simulate the incorporation of WPT at fine granularity. Vehicle power and state of charge are simulated over the drive cycle to evaluate potential system designs. The required battery capacity is determined based on the rated power at a variable number of chargingmore » locations. The outcome of this work is an analysis of the design tradeoffs for the electrification of the shuttle fleet with wireless charging versus conventional overnight charging.« less

Static and Dynamic Water Motion-Induced Instability in Oxide Thin-Film Transistors and Its Suppression by Using Low-k Fluoropolymer Passivation.

PubMed

Choi, Seungbeom; Jo, Jeong-Wan; Kim, Jaeyoung; Song, Seungho; Kim, Jaekyun; Park, Sung Kyu; Kim, Yong-Hoon

2017-08-09

Here, we report static and dynamic water motion-induced instability in indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) and its effective suppression with the use of a simple, solution-processed low-k (ε ∼ 1.9) fluoroplastic resin (FPR) passivation layer. The liquid-contact electrification effect, in which an undesirable drain current modulation is induced by a dynamic motion of a charged liquid such as water, can cause a significant instability in IGZO TFTs. It was found that by adopting a thin (∼44 nm) FPR passivation layer for IGZO TFTs, the current modulation induced by the water-contact electrification was greatly reduced in both off- and on-states of the device. In addition, the FPR-passivated IGZO TFTs exhibited an excellent stability to static water exposure (a threshold voltage shift of +0.8 V upon 3600 s of water soaking), which is attributed to the hydrophobicity of the FPR passivation layer. Here, we discuss the origin of the current instability caused by the liquid-contact electrification as well as various static and dynamic stability tests for IGZO TFTs. On the basis of our findings, we believe that the use of a thin, solution-processed FPR passivation layer is effective in suppressing the static and dynamic water motion-induced instabilities, which may enable the realization of high-performance and environment-stable oxide TFTs for emerging wearable and skin-like electronics.

Electrification Beyond Light Duty: Class 2b-3 Commercial Vehicles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Birky, Alicia; Laughlin, Michael; Tartaglia, Katie

The class 2b-3 truck market covers a wide range of commercial truck applications across a half-million vehicle sales annually. This report collected public information and stakeholder input to assess the opportunity for electrification in this market. Although class 2b-3 pickup truck and van bodies are very similar to personal light vehicles, their functional requirements are quite different due to the demands of the commercial market. These demands vary by application and often vary from day to day for a single application. Fleet customers purchase these vehicles to perform a particular job for their business and are concerned about the overallmore » cost of doing that job. Therefore, the vehicles must meet the job requirements cost effectively. Customers also are sensitive to initial cost. Electrification offers the potential to reduce vehicle operating costs and possibly improve vehicle functionality. However, the current market for class 2b-3 electrified trucks is very small, and the trucks are costly. Increased production volumes are key to cost reductions and may be assisted by sharing components with larger or smaller truck classes. Expanding demand is also crucial and stakeholders identified several niche markets with duty cycles that are likely well-suited to electrified class 2b-3 trucks. To expand beyond these niches, class 2b-3 electric solutions must be robust, flexible, and adaptable in order to cover a wide range of vocations, applications, and duty cycles.« less

Artificial Lighting as a Vector Attractant and Cause of Disease Diffusion

PubMed Central

Barghini, Alessandro; de Medeiros, Bruno A. S.

2010-01-01

Background Traditionally, epidemiologists have considered electrification to be a positive factor. In fact, electrification and plumbing are typical initiatives that represent the integration of an isolated population into modern society, ensuring the control of pathogens and promoting public health. Nonetheless, electrification is always accompanied by night lighting that attracts insect vectors and changes people’s behavior. Although this may lead to new modes of infection and increased transmission of insect-borne diseases, epidemiologists rarely consider the role of night lighting in their surveys. Objective We reviewed the epidemiological evidence concerning the role of lighting in the spread of vector-borne diseases to encourage other researchers to consider it in future studies. Discussion We present three infectious vector-borne diseases—Chagas, leishmaniasis, and malaria—and discuss evidence that suggests that the use of artificial lighting results in behavioral changes among human populations and changes in the prevalence of vector species and in the modes of transmission. Conclusion Despite a surprising lack of studies, existing evidence supports our hypothesis that artificial lighting leads to a higher risk of infection from vector-borne diseases. We believe that this is related not only to the simple attraction of traditional vectors to light sources but also to changes in the behavior of both humans and insects that result in new modes of disease transmission. Considering the ongoing expansion of night lighting in developing countries, additional research on this subject is urgently needed. PMID:20675268

Decentralized nursing education in Northern Norway: a basis for continuing education to meet competence needs in rural Arctic healthcare services

PubMed Central

Skaalvik, Mari Wolff; Gaski, Margrete; Norbye, Bente

2014-01-01

Background Ensuring a sufficient nursing workforce, with respect to both number and relevant professional competencies, is crucial in rural Arctic regions in Norway. This study examines the continuing education (CE) of nurses who graduated from a decentralized nursing programme between 1994 and 2011. Objective This study aims to measure the extent to which the decentralized nursing education (DNE) in question has served as a basis for CE that is adapted to current and future community health care service needs in rural Arctic regions in northern Norway. More specifically, the study aims to investigate the frequency and scope of CE courses among the graduates of a DNE, the choice of study model and the degree of employment with respect to the relevant CE. Design This study is a quantitative survey providing descriptive statistics. Results The primary finding in this study is that 56% of the participants had engaged in CE and that they were employed in positions related to their education. The majority of students with decentralized bachelor's degrees engaged in CE that was part time and/or decentralized. Conclusions More than half of the population in this study had completed CE despite no mandatory obligation in order to maintain licensure. Furthermore, 31% of the participants had completed more than one CE programme. The findings show that the participants preferred CE organized as part time and or decentralized studies. PMID:25279355

Community-based assessment and intervention for early childhood caries in rural El Salvador.

PubMed

Dabiri, Darya; Fontana, Margherita; Kapila, Yvonne; Eckert, George; Sokal-Gutierrez, Karen

2016-08-01

The objectives were to assess early childhood caries (ECC) in rural areas of El Salvador and to investigate the changes in caries and mouth pain in the presence of community-based interventions. This study was a retrospective analysis of de-identified and anonymous data obtained from baseline and four annual follow-up visits that focused on the preventive oral health intervention and nutrition in a convenience sample of children 0-6 years of age. The decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft) index for primary teeth was used as the survey tool. Caries was defined as a cavitated lesion. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the prevalence of ECC in the sample in relation to age and dmft score. Linear mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA) and generalised linear mixed effects models were used to compare the pre-intervention and post-intervention outcomes. The prevalence of caries was 58%. Incorporation of a community oral health education and fluoride supplementation programme contributed to significant reductions in caries experience (from 74% to 61%) and mouth pain (from 58% to 39%), in children 3-6 years of age. ECC is a common public health problem in rural El Salvador. In an established community-based maternal-child health programme in El Salvador, there appears to be an association between the incorporation of preventive oral health intervention and improvement in children's oral health and quality of life over time. © 2016 FDI World Dental Federation.

Base-line village health profiles in the E.Y.N rural health programme area of north-east Nigeria.

PubMed

Dixon, R A; Thompson, J S

1993-06-01

In order to document the health profile of rural farming communities not yet reached by the EYN Rural Health Programme, based at Garkida, Nigeria, four villages were surveyed by a Sheffield medical student who lived for several weeks in each village, working alongside local women. Villagers helped in separate surveys of village environment and water sources, of compound (household) hygiene, of male heads of compounds, of women of childbearing age, and of children. Stagnant rain-water ponds and widespread animal faeces litter were the main village environmental hazards and hardly any satisfactory pit latrines were seen. One person in nearly 2000 surveyed treated the drinking water. Infant mortality was estimated at 200 per 1000. Commonly reported health problems included abdominal pain, coughs and colds, filariasis, diarrhoea, scabies, worms, blood in stool, fever, back pain and eye infections. In each village fewer than 20% of the men and fewer than 10% of the women had received any education. Average completed family size was 6 or 7 children per woman with 3 other non-surviving children. The causes of malaria and of diarrhoea were each known by fewer than 10% of mothers in each village. About a quarter of the under fives had suffered from diarrhoea in the past fortnight, a quarter had received any immunisation and one fifth were at least mildly malnourished. One quarter of children aged 6-12 years attended school.

Implementing Community-Based Comprehensive Sexuality Education with High-Risk Youth in a Conservative Environment: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Secor-Turner, Molly; Randall, Brandy A.; Christensen, Katie; Jacobson, Amy; Loyola Meléndez, Migdalia

2017-01-01

Although comprehensive sexuality education programmes have the potential to improve the sexual health and well-being of young people, many socially conservative rural states in the USA have laws and policies restricting school-based comprehensive sexuality education and supporting abstinence-only education. This paper describes the process of…

Lessons for Research Policy and Practice: The Case of Co-Enquiry Research with Rural Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caruso, Emily; Schunko, Christoph; Corbera, Esteve; Ruiz Mallén, Isabel; Vogl, Christian R.; Martin, Gary; Arrázola, Susana; Bandeira, Fábio Pedro; Calvo Boyero, Diana; Camacho Benavides, Claudia; Cardoso, Thiago Mota; Chan-Dzul, Albert; Conde, Esther; del Campo García, Carlos; Huanca, Tomás; Sampaio, José Augusto Laranjeiras; Oliveros Lopez, Sara; Porter-Bolland, Luciana; Ruiz Betancourt, Olga

2016-01-01

This article explores the relationship between institutional funding for research and community-based or co-enquiry research practice. It examines the implementation of co-enquiry research in the COMBIOSERVE project, which was funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme for research and innovation, between the years 2012 and…

Notions of Sex, Sexuality and Relationships among Adolescent Boys in Rural Southeastern Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Izugbara, C. Otutubikey

2004-01-01

Although young people in Nigeria become sexually active at a very early age, little is known about how they view sex, sexuality, and relationships with the opposite sex. Yet knowledge of their notions and expectations regarding these issues has the potential to improve care and inform the development of sexuality education programmes. This paper…

Through a Gender Lens: Explaining North-Eastern Thai Women's Participation in Adult Literacy Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walter, Pierre

2004-01-01

This ethnographic study employs a gender perspective to understand the motivations of eight women literacy learners participating in a village-based functional literacy programme in rural North-eastern Thailand. Field research took place over six months of periodic residence in a North-eastern Thai village, and involved participant observation,…

Social Effects of Collaborative Learning in Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolmie, Andrew Kenneth; Topping, Keith J.; Christie, Donald; Donaldson, Caroline; Howe, Christine; Jessiman, Emma; Livingston, Kay; Thurston, Allen

2010-01-01

There is conflicting evidence on whether collaborative group work leads to improved classroom relations, and if so how. A before and after design was used to measure the impact on work and play relations of a collaborative learning programme involving 575 students 9-12 years old in single- and mixed-age classes across urban and rural schools. Data…

TRAVELLERS: a school-based early intervention programme helping young people manage and process change, loss and transition. Pilot phase findings.

PubMed

Dickinson, Pauline; Coggan, Carolyn; Bennett, Sara

2003-06-01

This paper outlines the conceptual background and findings from the pilot phase of TRAVELLERS--an early intervention programme designed to enhance protective factors for young people experiencing change, loss and transition events and early signs of emotional distress. The pilot study aimed to determine whether TRAVELLERS was a feasible, acceptable and promising intervention for young people within secondary schools in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The conceptual origins of the TRAVELLERS programme are described in terms of: adolescent mental health concerns; emerging mental health promotion theory and practice; and prevention and early intervention models. The key elements of the TRAVELLERS programme are described. The programme was piloted in two secondary schools, one rural and one urban with 34 participants (females n = 24, males n = 10). Evaluation methods included: review of programme materials; identification of potential selection tools appropriate to Year 9 students; analysis of selection questionnaire; and conduct of feedback from participants, facilitators and parents/caregivers. The TRAVELLERS programme provides a means of identifying and selecting young people who may benefit from participating in an early intervention programme. The programme has achieved a statistically significant reduction in participants' distress (p < 0.01). Young people were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about most aspects of TRAVELLERS. School personnel reported that TRAVELLERS was an appropriate and acceptable programme to the school. Targeted interventions provided within a supportive school environment can contribute to enhancing protective factors such as personal and interpersonal coping strategies, increased help-seeking behaviour, and young people feeling more positive about themselves and their lives. The pilot programme has been amended and prepared for a two year trial phase in 10 secondary schools during 2002-2003.

Does foreign aid crowd out government investments? Evidence from rural health centres in Rwanda

PubMed Central

Lu, Chunling; Cook, Benjamin; Desmond, Chris

2017-01-01

Background Rural healthcare facilities in low-income countries play a major role in providing primary care to rural populations. We examined the link of foreign aid with government investments and medical service provision in rural health centres in Rwanda. Methods Using the District Health System Strengthening Tool, a web-based database built by the Ministry of Health in Rwanda, we constructed two composite indices representing provision of (1) child and maternal care and (2) HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria services in 330 rural health centres between 2009 and 2011. Financing variables in a healthcare centre included received funds from various sources, including foreign donors and government. We used multilevel random-effects model in regression analyses and examined the robustness of results to a range of alternative specification, including scale of dependent variables, estimation methods and timing of aid effects. Findings Both government and foreign donors increased their direct investments in the 330 rural healthcare centres during the period. Foreign aid was positively associated with government investments (0.13, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.19) in rural health centres. Aid in the previous year was positively associated with service provision for child and maternal health (0.008, 95% CI 0.002 to 0.014) and service provision for HIV, TB and malaria (0.014, 95% CI 0.004 to 0.022) in the current year. The results are robust when using fixed-effects models. Conclusions These findings suggest that foreign aid did not crowd out government investments in the rural healthcare centres. Foreign aid programmes, conducted in addition to government investments, could benefit rural residents in low-income countries through increased service provision in rural healthcare facilities. PMID:29082015

Does foreign aid crowd out government investments? Evidence from rural health centres in Rwanda.

PubMed

Lu, Chunling; Cook, Benjamin; Desmond, Chris

2017-01-01

Rural healthcare facilities in low-income countries play a major role in providing primary care to rural populations. We examined the link of foreign aid with government investments and medical service provision in rural health centres in Rwanda. Using the District Health System Strengthening Tool, a web-based database built by the Ministry of Health in Rwanda, we constructed two composite indices representing provision of (1) child and maternal care and (2) HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria services in 330 rural health centres between 2009 and 2011. Financing variables in a healthcare centre included received funds from various sources, including foreign donors and government. We used multilevel random-effects model in regression analyses and examined the robustness of results to a range of alternative specification, including scale of dependent variables, estimation methods and timing of aid effects. Both government and foreign donors increased their direct investments in the 330 rural healthcare centres during the period. Foreign aid was positively associated with government investments (0.13, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.19) in rural health centres. Aid in the previous year was positively associated with service provision for child and maternal health (0.008, 95% CI 0.002 to 0.014) and service provision for HIV, TB and malaria (0.014, 95% CI 0.004 to 0.022) in the current year. The results are robust when using fixed-effects models. These findings suggest that foreign aid did not crowd out government investments in the rural healthcare centres. Foreign aid programmes, conducted in addition to government investments, could benefit rural residents in low-income countries through increased service provision in rural healthcare facilities.

'My wig has been my journey's companion': perceived effects of an aesthetic care programme for Italian women suffering from chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

PubMed

Zannini, L; Verderame, F; Cucchiara, G; Zinna, B; Alba, A; Ferrara, M

2012-09-01

This study explored the perceived effects of an aesthetic care/wig programme for Italian women suffering from chemotherapy-induced alopecia. Despite advances in the treatment of many side effects of chemotherapy, alopecia remains difficult to resolve. Literature suggests that patients' reactions to alopecia and camouflaging strategies depend on their gender, individual characteristics, social context, and culture. A qualitative study was designed involving 20 patients from Sicily (Italy), who participated in an aesthetic care programme. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was conducted on transcriptions. Our findings showed that, even if expected, alopecia is experienced as a traumatic event that challenges a woman's femininity, as reported by many other enquiries. Diverging from other studies, the wig is perceived as very helpful, since it camouflages baldness and reduces the 'sick aspect' related to alopecia. Patients consider their wig to be a 'friend', and it appears that through the aesthetic care programme they received support they otherwise would not have sought. We conclude that aesthetic care/wig programmes can help women affected by alopecia to cope with cancer 'stigma', especially in those rural contexts where psychosocial programmes are not frequently embraced by patients due to environmental and cultural barriers. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Predictors of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Knowledge among Jordanian Youths

PubMed Central

Al-Khasawneh, Esra M.; Ismayilova, Leyla; Seshan, Vidya; Hmoud, Olimat; El-Bassel, Nabila

2013-01-01

Objectives: Understanding factors associated with the level of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) knowledge acquisition is crucial to inform preventative programmes for young people. This study examines predictors of HIV knowledge among Jordanian youths. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 8,129 youths aged between 14 and 25 years randomly selected from schools representing each of the 12 governorates of Jordan. A total of 50% of respondents were female and, on average, 17 years old. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, HIV knowledge, gender awareness, exposure to and favourable attitudes toward risky behaviours. Results: On a 13-item HIV knowledge test, participants answered an average of 7 questions correctly (mean = 7.21; standard deviation = 2.63). Female respondents from rural areas demonstrated significantly lower levels of HIV knowledge, while college and university students demonstrated higher levels. HIV knowledge differed significantly by sources of information, with peer-acquired information associated with more accuracy, while HIV information from parents or health centres was associated with a lower score. Youths with more egalitarian gender views also demonstrated higher knowledge levels, whereas youths approving of drug use showed lower levels of HIV knowledge. Conclusion: HIV education programmes in Jordan should focus on females and youths living in rural areas. Educational institutions have been shown to be effective in providing accurate information to students, while parents and health professionals should also be included in HIV prevention programmes in order to reduce misconceptions and raise the level of HIV knowledge among Jordanian youths. PMID:23862028

Utilization of community-based rehabilitation services for incurably blind persons in a rural population of southern India.

PubMed

Vijayakumar, Valaguru; Datta, Dipankar; Karthika, Arumugam; Thulasiraj, Ravilla D; Nirmalan, Praveen K

2003-09-01

To identify barriers in utilisation of community based rehabilitation (CBR) services for incurably blind persons in rural South India. A community-based rehabilitation programme for incurably blind persons was initiated in Theni district of southern Tamil Nadu in south India. After door-to-door enumeration and preliminary ocular screening by trained workers at the village, identified blind persons were categorised as either curable or incurable by an ophthalmologist. Trained workers provided rehabilitation, including mobility training (OM), training to perform activities of daily living (ADL), and economic rehabilitation for the incurably blind in their respective villages. Of the 460,984 persons surveyed, 400 (0.09%) were certified as incurably blind including 156 (39.00%) persons blind from birth. Social rehabilitation was provided for 268 (67.00%) incurably blind persons. Economic rehabilitation was provided to 96 persons, and integrated education to 22 children. Nearly one-fifth (n=68, 17.00%) of incurably blind persons refused the services provided. The major reasons for refusal included old age and other illnesses (41.18%), and multiple handicaps (19.12%). Twenty-seven (6.75%) persons had either migrated or died, and 29 (7.25%) persons were already able to function independently. Although CBR programmes provide useful services to the incurably blind, a better understanding of barriers is required to improve service utilisation. Developing a standardised data collection format for every CBR programme can result in the creation of a national database of ophthalmic diseases.

Rapid assessment of cataract surgical coverage in rural Zululand.

PubMed

Rotchford, A P; Johnson, G J

2000-10-01

Cataract surgical coverage (CSC) is a useful indicator of the degree of success of a cataract intervention programme. However, because previously described methods are time-consuming and labour-intensive, they are rarely performed. This study describes a simple and inexpensive assessment of CSC based on screening of pensioners at pension delivery sites in a rural district. Random cluster-based cross-sectional survey. State pension distribution sites in Hlabisa, a rural district in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 562 old-age pensioners. Subjects found to be blind (visual acuity < 3/60) and those reporting a history of eye surgery were examined using a torch and direct ophthalmoscope by an ophthalmologist. Cases of blindness due to operable cataract and post-cataract surgical subjects were identified. CSC was found to be 38.5% (95% confidence interval 29.1-47.9%). Blindness prevalence was 10.3%, with 69.0% due to cataract.

Family health nurse project--an education program of the World Health Organization: the University of Stirling experience.

PubMed

Murray, Ian

2008-11-01

This article outlines the delivery of the Family Health Nurse Education Programme of the World Health Organization (WHO) at the University of Stirling, Scotland, from 2001 to 2005. The program was part of the WHO European Family Health Nurse pilot project. The curriculum outlined by the WHO Curriculum Planning Group detailed the broad thrust of the Family Health Nurse Education Programme and was modified to be responsive to the context in which it was delivered, while staying faithful to general principles and precepts. The Family Health Nurse Education Programme is described in its evolving format over the two phases of the project; the remote and rural context occurred from 2001 to 2003, and the modification of the program for the urban phase of the project occurred during 2004 and 2005. The conceptual framework that was foundational to the development of the curriculum to prepare family health nurses will be described.

Assessing the impact of scaling-up bednet coverage through agricultural loan programmes: evidence from a cluster randomised controlled trial in Katete, Zambia.

PubMed

Fink, Günther; Masiye, Felix

2012-11-01

To investigate the effectiveness of scaling-up existing bednet distribution campaigns, a randomised controlled trial with 516 farming households in Katete District, a rural area with highly endemic malaria in Zambia's Eastern Province, was evaluated. In the trial, selected farmers were assigned to bednet programmes that allowed them to obtain additional bednets for free or at subsidised prices through agricultural loan programmes. On average, 2.4 nets were distributed in the free distribution group and 0.9 in the net loan group. The marginal health impact of additional nets appears large, reducing the odds of self-reported all-cause morbidity by 40-42% and the odds of self-reported confirmed malaria by 53-60%. Copyright © 2012 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.