Geographic information system (GIS) maps and malaria control monitoring: intervention coverage and health outcome in distal villages of Khammouane province, Laos

PubMed Central

Shirayama, Yoshihisa; Phompida, Samlane; Shibuya, Kenji

2009-01-01

Background Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are a key intervention to control malaria. The intervention coverage varies as a consequence of geographical accessibility to remote villages and limitations of financial and human resources for the intervention. People's adherence to the intervention, i.e., proper use of ITNs, also affects malaria health outcome. The study objective is to explore the impact of the intervention coverage and people's adherence to the intervention on malaria health outcome among targeted villages in various geographic locations. Methods Geographic information system (GIS) maps were developed using the data collected in an active case detection survey in Khammouane province, Laos. The survey was conducted using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and a structured questionnaire at 23 sites in the province from June to July, the rainy season, in 2005. A total of 1,711 villagers from 403 households participated in the survey. Results As indicated on the GIS maps, villages with malaria cases, lower intervention coverage, and lower adherence were identified. Although no malaria case was detected in most villages with the best access to the district center, several cases were detected in the distal villages, where the intervention coverage and adherence to the intervention remained relatively lower. Conclusion Based on the data and maps, it was demonstrated that malaria remained unevenly distributed within districts. Balancing the intervention coverage in the distal villages with the overall coverage and continued promotion of the proper use of ITNs are necessary for a further reduction of malaria cases in the province. PMID:19772628

Tourism Village Model Based on Local Indigenous: Case Study of Nongkosawit Tourism Village, Gunungpati, Semarang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniasih; Nihayah, Dyah Maya; Sudibyo, Syafitri Amalia; Winda, Fajri Nur

2018-02-01

Officially, Nongkosawit Village has become a tourism village since 2012. However, the economic impact has not been received by the society yet because of inappropriate tourism village model. Therefore, this study aims to find out the best model for the development of Nongkosawit Tourism Village. This research used Analytical Hierarchy Process method. The results of this research shows that the model of tourism village which was suitable to the local indigenous of Nongkosawit Tourism Village was the cultural based tourism village with the percentage of 58%. Therefore, it is necessary to do re-orientation from the natural-based village model into the cultural-based village model by raising and exploring the existing culture through unique and different tourism products.

The Devon Active Villages Evaluation (DAVE) trial of a community-level physical activity intervention in rural south-west England: a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Solomon, Emma; Rees, Tim; Ukoumunne, Obioha C; Metcalf, Brad; Hillsdon, Melvyn

2014-07-18

The majority of adults are not meeting the guidelines for physical activity despite activity being linked with numerous improvements to long-term health. In light of this, researchers have called for more community-level interventions. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate whether a community-level physical activity intervention increased the activity levels of rural communities. 128 rural villages (clusters) were randomised to receive the intervention in one of four time periods between April 2011 and December 2012. The Devon Active Villages intervention provided villages with 12 weeks of physical activity opportunities for all age groups, including at least three different types of activities per village. Each village received an individually tailored intervention, incorporating a local needs-led approach. Support was provided for a further 12 months following the intervention. The evaluation study used a stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial design. All 128 villages were measured at each of five data collection periods using a postal survey. The primary outcome of interest was the proportion of adults reporting sufficient physical activity to meet internationally recognised guidelines. Minutes spent in moderate-and-vigorous activity per week was analysed as a secondary outcome. To compare between intervention and control modes, random effects linear regression and marginal logistic regression models were implemented for continuous and binary outcomes respectively. 10,412 adults (4693 intervention, 5719 control) completed the postal survey (response rate 32.2%). The intervention did not increase the odds of adults meeting the physical activity guideline (adjusted OR 1.02, 95% CI: 0.88 to 1.17; P = 0.80), although there was weak evidence of an increase in minutes of moderate-and-vigorous-intensity activity per week (adjusted mean difference = 171, 95% CI: -16 to 358; P = 0.07). The ineffectiveness of the intervention may have been due to its low penetration-only 16% of intervention mode participants reported awareness of the intervention and just 4% reported participating in intervention events. A community-level physical activity intervention providing tailored physical activity opportunities to rural villages did not improve physical activity levels in adults. Greater penetration of such interventions must be achieved if they are to increase physical activity prevalence at the community level. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN37321160.

Participatory three dimensional mapping for the preparation of landslide disaster risk reduction program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusratmoko, Eko; Wibowo, Adi; Cholid, Sofyan; Pin, Tjiong Giok

2017-07-01

This paper presents the results of applications of participatory three dimensional mapping (P3DM) method for fqcilitating the people of Cibanteng' village to compile a landslide disaster risk reduction program. Physical factors, as high rainfall, topography, geology and land use, and coupled with the condition of demographic and social-economic factors, make up the Cibanteng region highly susceptible to landslides. During the years 2013-2014 has happened 2 times landslides which caused economic losses, as a result of damage to homes and farmland. Participatory mapping is one part of the activities of community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR)), because of the involvement of local communities is a prerequisite for sustainable disaster risk reduction. In this activity, participatory mapping method are done in two ways, namely participatory two-dimensional mapping (P2DM) with a focus on mapping of disaster areas and participatory three-dimensional mapping (P3DM) with a focus on the entire territory of the village. Based on the results P3DM, the ability of the communities in understanding the village environment spatially well-tested and honed, so as to facilitate the preparation of the CBDRR programs. Furthermore, the P3DM method can be applied to another disaster areas, due to it becomes a medium of effective dialogue between all levels of involved communities.

Designing Tiban island as tourist destination and sustainable coastal in Bleder village

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuwanti, Sri; Setiawan, Agung

2018-05-01

This study is on tourism development process, which involves the function of local potential tourist attraction confronted to the needs for area natural conservation. The study location is a village called Bleder, or Kartika Jaya, in Patebon sub district, Kendal regency CentralJjava. The research unit is the management of a sandy island called “pulau tiban”or ‘suddenly appears island’, and village’s surrounding area. Qualitative methods approach is utilized in order to understand the village situation, community social economy activities toward the sandy island, and the meaning of thatt sandy island for the village sustainability. The study result shows that some problems have evident in the exploitation of natural potential for tourist attraction as confronted to environment conservation. Conflict of interests have also emerged among groups of people and group to group regarding the management of turism attraction. To deal with the problems, comprehensive program is proposed especially to increase community’s awareness on sustainable tourism, marine and coastal conservation, and the benefit and risk of ecotourism. For Bleder tourism development, the community need to concern to their village environmental safety more than on economic benefit purpose only. Introduction

A cluster-randomised controlled trial of a physical activity and nutrition programme in retirement villages: a study protocol

PubMed Central

Holt, Anne-Marie; Jancey, Jonine; Lee, Andy H; Kerr, Deborah A; Hills, Andrew P; Anderson, Annie S; Howat, Peter A

2014-01-01

Introduction Physical activity levels of Australia's ageing population are declining and coincidentally rates of overweight and obesity are increasing. Adequate levels of physical activity and a healthy diet are recognised as important lifestyle factors for the maintenance of a healthy weight and prevention of chronic diseases. Retirement village (RV) residents rarely engage in physical activity and nutrition programmes offered, with poor attendance and low use of existing facilities such as on-site fitness centres and classes and nutrition seminars. The RV provides a unique setting to access and engage with this older target group, to test the effectiveness of strategies to increase levels of physical activity, improve nutrition and maintain a healthy weight. Method and analysis This cluster-randomised controlled trial will evaluate a physical activity, nutrition and healthy weight management intervention for insufficiently active (‘not achieving 150 min of moderate-intensity physical activity per week’) adults aged 60–75 residing in RV's. A total of 400 participants will be recruited from 20 randomly selected RV's in Perth, Western Australia. Villages will be assigned to either the intervention group (n=10) or the control group (n=10) each containing 200 participants. The Retirement Village Physical Activity and Nutrition for Seniors (RVPANS) programme is a home-based physical activity and nutrition programme that includes educational resources, along with facilitators who will motivate and guide the participants during the 6-month intervention. Descriptive statistics and mixed regression models will be performed to assess the intervention effects. This trial will evaluate an intervention for the modification of health risk factors in the RV setting. Such research conducted in RV's has been limited. Ethics and dissemination Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number: HR128/2012). Dissemination of the study results will occur through publications, reports, conference presentations and community seminars. Trial registration number Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12612001168842) PMID:25256185

Effectiveness of wetting method for control of konzo and reduction of cyanide poisoning by removal of cyanogens from cassava flour.

PubMed

Banea, Jean Pierre; Bradbury, J Howard; Mandombi, Chretienne; Nahimana, Damien; Denton, Ian C; Kuwa, N'landa; Tshala Katumbay, D

2014-03-01

Konzo is an irreversible paralysis of the legs that occurs mainly among children and young women in remote villages in tropical Africa and is associated with a monotonous diet of bitter cassava. Konzo was discovered in 1938 by Dr. G. Trolli in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It also occurs in Mozambique, Tanzania, Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Angola. It was first controlled in Kay Kalenge village, DRC, in 2011 with the use of a wetting method to remove cyanogens from cassava flour. Fourteen months later, another visit was made to Kay Kalenge. To determine whether Kay Kalenge women were still using the wetting method, whether there were new cases of konzo, and whether the wetting method had spread to other villages. Meetings were held with chiefs, leaders, and heads of mothers' groups, women from 30 households were interviewed, and three nearby villages were visited. Total cyanide and thiocyanate were analyzed in cassava flour and urine samples, respectively. The women in Kay Kalenge village still used the wetting method. There were no new cases of konzo. The mean cyanide content of the flour samples was 9 ppm, and no child had a mean urinary thiocyanate content greater than 350 micromol/L. The use of the wetting method had spread naturally to three adjacent villages. The wetting method has been readily accepted by rural women as a simple and useful method to control konzo by removing cyanide from cassava flour, and its use has spread to nearby villages. The wetting method should be promoted by health authorities to control konzo and reduce cyanide poisoning from high-cyanide cassava flour.

Zonation of Landslide-Prone Using Microseismic Method and Slope Analysis in Margoyoso, Magelang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aditya, Muchamad Reza; Fauqi Romadlon, Arriqo’; Agra Medika, Reymon; Alfontius, Yosua; Delva Jannet, Zukhruf; Hartantyo, Eddy

2018-04-01

Margoyoso Village, Salaman Sub-district, Magelang Regency, Central Java is one of the villages that were included in landslide prone areas. The steep slopes and land use in this village were quite apprehensive. There were fractures with 5 cm in width and a length of 50 m. Moreover, these fractures appeared in the home residents. Although the local government has established a disaster response organization, this village is still not getting adequate information about the landslide prone areas. Based on the description before, we conducted research with geophysical methods and geotechnical analysis to minimize the danger of landslides. The geophysical method used in this research was microseismic method and geotechnical analysis. The microseismic measurement and slope stability analysis at Margoyoso village was a step in analysing the landslide-prone zone boundary. The results of this research indicated that landslide potential areas had a low peak ground acceleration values with a range from 36 gal to 46 gal. Measurement of slope stability indicated that a slope angle values between 55°-78° are a potential landslide slope because the soil in this village has very loose properties so it is very easy to move.

Accelerated active case detection of visceral leishmaniasis patients in endemic villages of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khatun, Jahanara; Huda, M Mamun; Hossain, Md Shakhawat; Presber, Wolfgang; Ghosh, Debashis; Kroeger, Axel; Matlashewski, Greg; Mondal, Dinesh

2014-01-01

The visceral leishmaniasis (VL) elimination program in Bangladesh is in its attack phase. The primary goal of this phase is to decrease the burden of VL as much as possible. Active case detection (ACD) by the fever camp method and an approach using past VL cases in the last 6-12 months have been found useful for detection of VL patients in the community. We aimed to explore the yield of Accelerated Active Case Detection (AACD) of non-self reporting VL as well as the factors that are associated with non-self reporting to hospitals in endemic communities of Bangladesh. Our study was conducted in the Trishal sub-district of Mymensingh, a highly VL endemic region of Bangladesh. We used a two-stage sampling strategy from 12 VL endemic unions of Trishal. Two villages from each union were selected at random. We looked for VL patients who had self-reported to the hospital and were under treatment from these villages. Then we conducted AACD for VL cases in those villages using house-to-house visit. Suspected VL cases were referred to the Trishal hospital where diagnosis and treatment of VL was done following National Guidelines for VL case management. We collected socio-demographic information from patients or a patient guardian using a structured questionnaire. The total number of VL cases was 51. Nineteen of 51 (37.3%) were identified by AACD. Poverty, female gender and poor knowledge about VL were independent factors associated with non self-reporting to the hospital. Our primary finding is that AACD is a useful method for early detection of VL cases that would otherwise go unreported to the hospital in later stage due to poverty, poor knowledge about VL and gender inequity. We recommend that the National VL Program should consider AACD to strengthen its early VL case detection strategy.

Social network targeting to maximise population behaviour change: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Kim, David A; Hwong, Alison R; Stafford, Derek; Hughes, D Alex; O'Malley, A James; Fowler, James H; Christakis, Nicholas A

2015-07-11

Information and behaviour can spread through interpersonal ties. By targeting influential individuals, health interventions that harness the distributive properties of social networks could be made more effective and efficient than those that do not. Our aim was to assess which targeting methods produce the greatest cascades or spillover effects and hence maximise population-level behaviour change. In this cluster randomised trial, participants were recruited from villages of the Department of Lempira, Honduras. We blocked villages on the basis of network size, socioeconomic status, and baseline rates of water purification, for delivery of two public health interventions: chlorine for water purification and multivitamins for micronutrient deficiencies. We then randomised villages, separately for each intervention, to one of three targeting methods, introducing the interventions to 5% samples composed of either: randomly selected villagers (n=9 villages for each intervention); villagers with the most social ties (n=9); or nominated friends of random villagers (n=9; the last strategy exploiting the so-called friendship paradox of social networks). Participants and data collectors were not aware of the targeting methods. Primary endpoints were the proportions of available products redeemed by the entire population under each targeting method. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01672580. Between Aug 4, and Aug 14, 2012, 32 villages in rural Honduras (25-541 participants each; total study population of 5773) received public health interventions. For each intervention, nine villages (each with 1-20 initial target individuals) were randomised, using a blocked design, to each of the three targeting methods. In nomination-targeted villages, 951 (74·3%) of 1280 available multivitamin tickets were redeemed compared with 940 (66·2%) of 1420 in randomly targeted villages and 744 (61·0%) of 1220 in indegree-targeted villages. All pairwise differences in redemption rates were significant (p<0·01) after correction for multiple comparisons. Targeting nominated friends increased adoption of the nutritional intervention by 12·2% compared with random targeting (95% CI 6·9-17·9). Targeting the most highly connected individuals, by contrast, produced no greater adoption of either intervention, compared with random targeting. Introduction of a health intervention to the nominated friends of random individuals can enhance that intervention's diffusion by exploiting intrinsic properties of human social networks. This method has the additional advantage of scalability because it can be implemented without mapping the network. Deployment of certain types of health interventions via network targeting, without increasing the number of individuals targeted or the resources used, could enhance the adoption and efficiency of those interventions, thereby improving population health. National Institutes of Health, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Star Family Foundation, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Berkeley Bravado: Rochdale Village, University of California, Berkeley

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodbridge, Sally

1975-01-01

Rochdale Village is a successful example of active student participation in the design and construction of student housing. The apartment complex reflects students' desire for a village of lowrise, wood-shingled buildings, while meeting the University of California's density requirement of 250 units per acre. (JG)

Financing mechanisms for village activities in The Gambia and their implications for financing insecticide for bednet impregnation.

PubMed

Mills, A; Fox-Rushby, J; Aikins, M; D'Alessandro, U; Cham, K; Greenwood, B

1994-12-01

The recent enthusiasm for impregnated bednets as a malaria control measure leaves unresolved the question of how to finance them. The National Impregnated Bednet Programme in The Gambia faced the question of how to obtain funds from villages to finance the cost of insecticide, but knew very little about current village fundraising for development purposes. A survey was conducted of such fundraising, and questions also asked about willingness to pay for insecticide and preferred means of paying. All 53 villages surveyed paid taxes/rates, but 34% of villages reported no voluntary fundraising. The most common reason for collecting money was for the maintenance of wells (40% of villages). Collective farming was used as a means of raising money in 32% of villages. There was some variation in the type and extent of fundraising by region and also by the predominant ethnic groups of the village. Villages with voluntary fundraising activities seemed to have well established collective mechanisms for agreeing on sums to be collected and their use, and for collecting and recording income and expenditure. Non-payment was rare, and misuse of funds was not reported. Respondents were asked how much compounds might be willing to pay for insecticide impregnantion: the most frequently cited maximum amounts were D5 and 10, and minimum D1 and 5 (D15 = 1 pound). The paper discusses payment options for insecticide, such as whether the village should be allowed to decide itself how to raise funds, and whether the payment should be made only by households with nets or by a village-wide mechanism such as collective farming.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Analysis of potential flooding in the education Jatinangor based approach morphology, land cover, and geology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rifai, Achmad; Hadian, Sapari Dwi; Mufti, Iqbal Jabbari; Fathoni, Azmi Rizqi; Azy, Fikri Noor; Jihadi, Lutfan Harisan

2017-07-01

Jatinangor formerly an agricultural area dominated by rice field. Water in Jatinangor comes from a spring located in north Jatinangor or proximal region of Manglayang mountain to flow to the south and southwest Jatinangor up to Citarum River. Jatinangor plain that was once almost all the rice fields, but now become a land settlement that grew very rapidly since its founding colleges. Flow and puddle were originally be used for agricultural land, but now turned into a disaster risks for humans. The research method using qualitative methods with the weighing factor, scoring, and overlay maps. The cause of the flood is distinguished into two: the first is the natural factors such as the condition of landform, lithology, river flow patterns, and annual rainfall. The second is non-natural factors such as land cover of settlement, irrigation, and land use. The amount of flood risks using probability Gilbert White frequency, magnitude and duration of existing events then correlated with these factors. Based on the results of the study, were divided into 3 zones Jatinangor disaster-prone (high, medium, and safe). High flood zone is located in the South Jatinangor which covers an area Cikeruh Village, Sayang Village, Cipacing village, Mekargalih village, Cintamulya village, west of Jatimukti village, and South Hegarmanah village, has a dominant causative factor is the use of solid land, poor drainage, lithology lacustrine conditions with low permeability, and flat topography. Medium flood zone was located in the central and western regions covering Cibeusi village, Cileles village, south of Cilayung village, Hegarmanah village and Padjadjaran Region, has a dominant causative factor is rather dense land use, lithology breccias and Tuffaceous Sand with moderate permeability, topography is moderately steep. Safe flood zone is located in the east Jatinangor covering Jatiroke village, Cisepur village, east Hegarmanah village, has a dominant factor in the form of a rather steep topography, lithology breccias and lava with moderate permeability, land use rather dense, but there is a dense natural drainage.

The uniqueness and complexity of kampung city Bustaman Semarang Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudarwanto, Budi; Hardiman, Gagoek; Suprapti, Atiek; Sarjono, Agung B.

2017-12-01

The purpose of this study is to describe the uniqueness and complexity of one village town Bustaman Semarang Indonesia. This research is in the domain of qualitative research paradigm with ethnography research strategy. The critical ethnography technique is chosen with the consideration of the purpose of this research, that is besides describing also the analysing urban spatial condition over its complexity. Bustaman town village has artifacts outdated and local economic activities namely culinary processed goat meat. Kampung Bustaman shows the common character as a city hometown, which is chaotic and shabby. Some artifacts and historical value of Bustaman village as well as community culture become potential to be developed and conserved. But for that the quality of Bustaman village hometown should be improved. Bustaman's urban halls are under distress by changes in urban modernization, including the pattern of life of Bustaman villagers. However, the existing phenomenon that the potential of local and cultural communities are still able to survive and exist, within the limitations of space and resources available. The process of culinary production of goat meat, the limitation of the kampong space, the social awareness of the villagers, the role of community leaders, and the necessities of daily life are the drivers of the complexity of Bustaman village space. The village road corridor and the house terrace become the victim room for all the activities of the town. Clutter seems clear can be found in every corner of Bustaman village space. Kampung Bustaman can be categorized as a spontaneous and compact informal village, but still survive on the urban spatial locality.

Validating a High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Ion Chromatography (HPLC-IC) Method with Conductivity Detection After Chemical Suppression for Water Fluoride Estimation.

PubMed

Bondu, Joseph Dian; Selvakumar, R; Fleming, Jude Joseph

2018-01-01

A variety of methods, including the Ion Selective Electrode (ISE), have been used for estimation of fluoride levels in drinking water. But as these methods suffer many drawbacks, the newer method of IC has replaced many of these methods. The study aimed at (1) validating IC for estimation of fluoride levels in drinking water and (2) to assess drinking water fluoride levels of villages in and around Vellore district using IC. Forty nine paired drinking water samples were measured using ISE and IC method (Metrohm). Water samples from 165 randomly selected villages in and around Vellore district were collected for fluoride estimation over 1 year. Standardization of IC method showed good within run precision, linearity and coefficient of variance with correlation coefficient R 2  = 0.998. The limit of detection was 0.027 ppm and limit of quantification was 0.083 ppm. Among 165 villages, 46.1% of the villages recorded water fluoride levels >1.00 ppm from which 19.4% had levels ranging from 1 to 1.5 ppm, 10.9% had recorded levels 1.5-2 ppm and about 12.7% had levels of 2.0-3.0 ppm. Three percent of villages had more than 3.0 ppm fluoride in the water tested. Most (44.42%) of these villages belonged to Jolarpet taluk with moderate to high (0.86-3.56 ppm) water fluoride levels. Ion Chromatography method has been validated and is therefore a reliable method in assessment of fluoride levels in the drinking water. While the residents of Jolarpet taluk (Vellore distict) are found to be at a high risk of developing dental and skeletal fluorosis.

Community preparedness for highly pathogenic Avian influenza on Bali and Lombok, Indonesia.

PubMed

Hunter, C; Birden, H H; Toribio, J-A; Booy, R; Abdurrahman, M; Ambarawati, A I G A A; Adiputra, N

2014-01-01

The Asia-Pacific region is the likeliest location for the next significant outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Indonesia has experienced HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in poultry and humans each year since 2003 and has had the highest case fatality rate for human cases. The purposes of this study were to capture the knowledge of avian influenza and of poultry-raising practices in two regions of Indonesia and to evaluate the impact and extent of activities undertaken to 2010 through the National Strategic Plan for Avian Influenza Control at the village level. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used to investigate the multiple influences on behaviours, decisions and actions taken by poultry-raising households, and by villages and communities, regarding the threat of HPAI. Between June 2010 and May 2011 a structured survey of 400 households was conducted on Lombok and of 402 on Bali, inviting Sector 3 (small-scale independent commercial poultry farms) and Sector 4 (village household) poultry raisers to participate. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were convened with key stakeholders, including livestock and animal health and public health officials, community leaders and villagers. From the focus group and in-depth interviews, it appears that the flow of information through the national HPAI control program has been efficient at the top levels (from national to provincial, then to districts and subdistricts). However, these findings show that effective transmission of information from subdistrict to rural village level and from village leaders to community members has been limited. The degree of community preparedness for HPAI on Bali and Lombok appears minimal. Knowledge of government activities was more extensive at Bali sites, while only limited government programs and activities occurred at the village level on Lombok. Activities conducted by government agencies from provincial to village level were limited in scope and need to be further developed to ensure safe poultry-handling practices and biosecurity measures. On both Bali and Lombok, community respondents knew the signs and symptoms of sick birds but did not differentiate well between HPAI and other bird diseases. On both islands, more than 60% of respondents were reluctant to report sudden deaths of poultry. The lack of a government compensation program for destroyed flocks contributed to this unwillingness to report. While the Indonesian government's planning efforts for HPAI are commendable, the plan has not been effective, as it depends on the cooperative actions of people with small rural farms who have not been consulted in the development of the plan, have not been adequately instructed on the nature of the plan, and perceive no benefits to themselves from prevention efforts. Context-appropriate mechanisms for communicating zoonotic risk and options for risk mitigation that do not result in net loss to poor households are also needed.

Restoration of mangrove forest landscape in Babulu Laut village, sub district of Babulu, Penajam Paser Utara district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Febrina, W. K.; Marjenah; Sumaryono

2018-04-01

The reforestation activities of mangrove forest carried out in various regions have not been well known as the success and influence of landscape in rehabilitation area. Utilization of existing land along the coastal Babulu Laut Village has reduced the area of mangrove forest from day to day. Due to the use of land by the community without considering the conservation aspect causes the loss of mangrove forest. This study aims to determine the final condition of the success rate of forest and land rehabilitation, land cover and the benefits of mangrove forest restoration for the surrounding people. The research method used is the preparation and orientation of research location, data input, codefication, data processing, the field verification and analysis of data. The results of the execution of the inventory mangrove in 22 research location in the Babulu Laut Village, Babulu Subdistrict, Penajam Paser Utara District of 125 ha of plant a whole is kind of Rhizophora sp, where the intensity of sampling 2% with the growing plants of 65.92 %or 2,175 stem/ha then success rate of Mangrove Forest Rehabilitation at Babulu Laut Village Babulu Subdistrict is medium level (55-75%).

76 FR 78935 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Inspection of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-20

... with local officials and others in Monroe County, Village of Islamorada, and the City of Marathon... implements the inspection procedures in Monroe County, the City of Marathon, and the Village of Islamorada... Marathon, and the Village of Islamorada, Florida, and any other community in Monroe County that...

Charles Village Apartments Information Sheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Charles Village Apartments (the Company) is located in Baltimore, Maryland. The settlement involves renovation activities conducted at property constructed prior to 1978, located in Baltimore, Maryland.

Determinants of village doctors' job satisfaction under China's health sector reform: a cross-sectional mixed methods study.

PubMed

Li, Tongtong; Lei, Trudy; Sun, Fiona; Xie, Zheng

2017-04-18

To strengthen rural health workforce, the Chinese government has launched a series of policies to promote the job satisfaction of village doctors since the health sector reform. The purpose of this mixed-method study is to describe village doctors' job satisfaction under the context of health sector reform and investigate the associated factors. Data was obtained from a survey of village doctors across three Chinese provinces in 2014. Using a multistage sampling process, quantitative data was collected from village doctors through the self-administered questionnaire and analyzed by multilevel logistic regression models. Qualitative data was collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews on both village doctors and health managers. Theoretical coding was then conducted to analyze qualitative data. Among the 1221 respondents, 48.6% felt satisfied with their job. Older village doctors with less of a workload and under high-level integrated management were more likely to feel satisfied with their job. Village doctors who earned the top level of monthly income felt more satisfied, while on the county level, those who lived in counties with the highest GDP felt less satisfied. However, enrollment in a pension plan showed no significant difference in regards to village doctors' job satisfaction. Among 34 participants of qualitative interviews, most believed that age, income, and integrated management had a positive influence on the job satisfaction, while pension plan and basic public health care policies exhibited negative effects. Also, the increasing in availability of healthcare and health resources along with local economic development had negative effects on village doctors' job satisfaction. Village doctors' job satisfaction was quite low in regards to several determinants including age, income, workload, enrollment in a pension plan, integrated management, and county economic and medical availability development.

Multi-angle Indicators System of Non-point Pollution Source Assessment in Rural Areas: A Case Study Near Taihu Lake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Lei; Ban, Jie; Han, Yu Ting; Yang, Jie; Bi, Jun

2013-04-01

This study aims to identify key environmental risk sources contributing to water eutrophication and to suggest certain risk management strategies for rural areas. The multi-angle indicators included in the risk source assessment system were non-point source pollution, deficient waste treatment, and public awareness of environmental risk, which combined psychometric paradigm methods, the contingent valuation method, and personal interviews to describe the environmental sensitivity of local residents. Total risk values of different villages near Taihu Lake were calculated in the case study, which resulted in a geographic risk map showing which village was the critical risk source of Taihu eutrophication. The increased application of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N), loss vulnerability of pollutant, and a lack of environmental risk awareness led to more serious non-point pollution, especially in rural China. Interesting results revealed by the quotient between the scores of objective risk sources and subjective risk sources showed what should be improved for each study village. More environmental investments, control of agricultural activities, and promotion of environmental education are critical considerations for rural environmental management. These findings are helpful for developing targeted and effective risk management strategies in rural areas.

Ground fissures in the area of Mavropigi Village (N. Greece): Seismotectonics or mining activity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalogirou, Eleni; Tsapanos, Theodoros; Karakostas, Vassilios; Marinos, Vassilios; Chatzipetros, Alexandros

2014-12-01

In the beginning of July 2010, a ground fissure was observed in the field near the village of Mavropigi (Northern Greece) and specifically in its NW side. Later on (early September), a second ground fissure was perceived, close and almost parallel to the first one and very close to the limits of the lignite exploitation mine (by the Public Power Corporation, PPC). It was observed that the village of Mavropigi slides away slowly towards the PPC lignite mine. Geological, seismological, as well as geotechnical survey in the field indicated that the phenomenon is related to the coal mining exploitation in the near vicinity of the village rather than to any seismotectonic activity in the surrounding area.

Cohort profile: Examining Neighbourhood Activities in Built Living Environments in London: the ENABLE London—Olympic Park cohort

PubMed Central

Ram, Bina; Nightingale, Claire M; Hudda, Mohammed T; Kapetanakis, Venediktos V; Ellaway, Anne; Cooper, Ashley R; Page, Angie; Lewis, Daniel; Cummins, Steven; Giles-Corti, Billie; Whincup, Peter H; Cook, Derek G; Rudnicka, Alicja R; Owen, Christopher G

2016-01-01

Purpose The Examining Neighbourhood Activities in Built Living Environments in London (ENABLE London) project is a natural experiment which aims to establish whether physical activity and other health behaviours show sustained changes among individuals and families relocating to East Village (formerly the London 2012 Olympics Athletes' Village), when compared with a control population living outside East Village throughout. Participants Between January 2013 and December 2015, 1497 individuals from 1006 households were recruited and assessed (at baseline) (including 392 households seeking social housing, 421 seeking intermediate and 193 seeking market rent homes). The 2-year follow-up rate is 62% of households to date, of which 57% have moved to East Village. Findings to date Assessments of physical activity (measured objectively using accelerometers) combined with Global Positioning System technology and Geographic Information System mapping of the local area are being used to characterise physical activity patterns and location among study participants and assess the attributes of the environments to which they are exposed. Assessments of body composition, based on weight, height and bioelectrical impedance, have been made and detailed participant questionnaires provide information on socioeconomic position, general health/health status, well-being, anxiety, depression, attitudes to leisure time activities and other personal, social and environmental influences on physical activity, including the use of recreational space and facilities in their residential neighbourhood. Future plans The main analyses will examine the changes in physical activity, health and well-being observed in the East Village group compared with controls and the influence of specific elements of the built environment on observed changes. The ENABLE London project exploits a unique opportunity to evaluate a ‘natural experiment’, provided by the building and rapid occupation of East Village. Findings from the study will be generalisable to other urban residential housing developments, and will help inform future evidence-based urban planning. PMID:27793838

Why we should build a Moon Village

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crawford, Ian A.

2017-12-01

A human-robotic "Moon Village" would offer significant scientific opportunities by providing an infrastructure on the lunar surface. An analogy would be the way in which human outposts in Antarctica facilitate research activities across multiple scientific disciplines on that continent. Scientific fields expected to benefit from a Moon Village will include: planetary science, astronomy, astrobiology, life sciences, and fundamental physics. In addition, a Moon Village will help develop the use of lunar resources, which will yield additional longer-term scientific benefits.

Environmental hazards of waste disposal patterns--a multimethod study in an unrecognized Bedouin village in the Negev area of Israel.

PubMed

Meallem, Ilana; Garb, Yaakov; Cwikel, Julie

2010-01-01

The Bedouin of the Negev region of Israel are a formerly nomadic, indigenous, ethnic minority, of which 40% currently live in unrecognized villages without organized, solid waste disposal. This study, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, explored the transition from traditional rubbish production and disposal to current uses, the current composition of rubbish, methods of waste disposal, and the extent of exposure to waste-related environmental hazards in the village of Um Batim. The modern, consumer lifestyle produced both residential and construction waste that was dumped very close to households. Waste was tended to by women who predominantly used backyard burning for disposal, exposing villagers to corrosive, poisonous, and dangerously flammable items at these burn sites. Village residents expressed a high level of concern over environmental hazards, yet no organized waste disposal or environmental hazards reduction was implemented.

Aging village doctors in five counties in rural China: situation and implications

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The aging population, rapid urbanization, and epidemiology transition in China call for the improvement and adaptation of the health workforce, especially in underserved rural areas. The aging of village doctors (the former “barefoot doctors”) who have served the rural residents for many decades has become a warning signal for the human resources for health in China. This study aims to investigate the village doctors’ aging situation and its implications in rural China. Methods The data reviewed were obtained from the baseline survey of a longitudinal study of rural health workforce in five counties in rural China in 2011. Using a stratified multi-stage cluster sampling process, the baseline data was collected through the self-administered structured Village Doctor Questionnaire. Descriptive analyses, correlation analyses, and multivariate linear regression with interaction terms were conducted with the statistics software Stata 12.0. Results The average age of the 1,927 village doctors was 49.3 years (95% CI 48.8 to 49.9), 870 (45.2%) of whom were aging (50 years or older). Both the age and the recruitment time of the village doctors were demonstrated to have a bimodal distribution. A greater proportion of the male village doctors were aging. Furthermore, aging of the village doctors was significantly correlated to their education level, type of qualification, practicing methods, and their status as village clinic directors (P <0.05, respectively). As shown in the regression models, aging village doctors provided significantly more outpatient services to rural residents (P <0.01) but without an increase in income, and their expected pension was lower (P <0.01), compared with their non-aging counterparts. Conclusions Aging of village doctors is a serious and imperative issue in China, which has a complex and profound impact on the rural health system. Greater attention should be paid to the construction of the pension system and the replenishment of the village doctors with qualified medical graduates. PMID:24973946

Supervisors and accomplices: extra-marital sex among migrant construction workers in Ha Noi, Viet Nam.

PubMed

Thuy, Bui Thi Thanh; Kretchmar, Joshua

2008-06-01

This study examines the influence of social networks on the sexual relations of migrant construction workers in Ha Noi, Viet Nam. Research included observation and interviews with members of two different groups of workers. The first group, together with their employer (cai), came from the same village; the second group came from different villages. Of interest in the present study was how social relationships among workers and their employers influence extra-marital sexual activity. In the group where workers and their cai came from the same village of origin, fear of acquiring a bad reputation made these workers reluctant to seek sex services, since accounts of their behaviour were transmitted quickly home. In contrast, workers from the group who came from different villages often went out together to purchase sex. The absence of direct links to their villages of origin made it easier for these latter workers to conceal their activity. The implication of these findings for sexual safety and risk are discussed.

Community participation and domiciliary occurrence of infected Meccus longipennis in two Mexican villages in Jalisco state.

PubMed

Brenière, Simone Frédérique; Bosseno, Marie-France; Gastélum, Ezequiel Magallón; Soto Gutiérrez, María Margarita; de Jesús Kasten Monges, Marina; Barraza Salas, José Horacio; Romero Paredes, José Justo; de Jesús Lozano Kasten, Felipe

2010-08-01

The entomological features of Chagas disease in two western Mexican villages were analyzed through triatomines collection by the inhabitants and active research in the peridomicile. The inhabitant collections have the following comparable characteristics: 1) Meccus longipennis was the dominant species (> 91%), 2) around 43% of the insects were collected indoors, 3) about 70% of triatomines were adults, 4) cumulated rates of infestation of the dwellings reached 40-50%, 5) the triatomine infection rate by Trypanosoma cruzi was > 50%, and 6) the indoor triatomines frequently feed on humans (range 38.5-56.2%). However, the collection was twice as abundant in the first village and the peridomicile infestation, evaluated by the active collection, reached up to 60% and only 4.9% in the other village. Furthermore, females predominated in the first village, whereas males in the other. The current results allow discussing the course of action to prevent Chagas disease in this region.

Community Participation and Domiciliary Occurrence of Infected Meccus longipennis in Two Mexican Villages in Jalisco State

PubMed Central

Brenière, Simone Frédérique; Bosseno, Marie-France; Gastélum, Ezequiel Magallón; Margarita Soto Gutiérrez, María; de Jesús Kasten Monges, Marina; Horacio Barraza Salas, José; Justo Romero Paredes, José; de Jesús Lozano Kasten, Felipe

2010-01-01

The entomological features of Chagas disease in two western Mexican villages were analyzed through triatomines collection by the inhabitants and active research in the peridomicile. The inhabitant collections have the following comparable characteristics: 1) Meccus longipennis was the dominant species (> 91%), 2) around 43% of the insects were collected indoors, 3) about 70% of triatomines were adults, 4) cumulated rates of infestation of the dwellings reached 40–50%, 5) the triatomine infection rate by Trypanosoma cruzi was > 50%, and 6) the indoor triatomines frequently feed on humans (range 38.5–56.2%). However, the collection was twice as abundant in the first village and the peridomicile infestation, evaluated by the active collection, reached up to 60% and only 4.9% in the other village. Furthermore, females predominated in the first village, whereas males in the other. The current results allow discussing the course of action to prevent Chagas disease in this region. PMID:20682887

The "Village" Model: A Consumer-Driven Approach for Aging in Place

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scharlach, Andrew; Graham, Carrie; Lehning, Amanda

2012-01-01

Purpose of the Study: This study examines the characteristics of the "Village" model, an innovative consumer-driven approach that aims to promote aging in place through a combination of member supports, service referrals, and consumer engagement. Design and Methods: Thirty of 42 fully operational Villages completed 2 surveys. One survey examined…

Evaluation of a water, sanitation, and hygiene education intervention on diarrhoea in northern Pakistan.

PubMed Central

Nanan, D.; White, F.; Azam, I.; Afsar, H.; Hozhabri, S.

2003-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Inadequate water and sanitation services adversely affect the health and socioeconomic development of communities. The Water and Sanitation Extension Programme (WASEP) project, undertaken in selected villages in northern Pakistan between 1997 and 2001, was designed to deliver an integrated package of activities to improve potable water supply at village and household levels, sanitation facilities and their use, and awareness and practices about hygiene behaviour. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted during July-September 2001 to evaluate whether, after selected confounders were controlled for, children aged <6 years with diarrhoea were more or less likely to reside in villages that participated in the project than in villages that did not participate. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed. FINDINGS: Children not living in WASEP villages had a 33% higher adjusted odds ratio for having diarrhoea than children living in WASEP villages (adjusted odds ratio, 1.331; P<0.049). Boys had 25% lower odds of having diarrhoea than girls (adjusted odds ratio, 0.748; P<0.049). A 2.6% decrease was found in the odds of diarrhoea for every yearly increase in the mother's age (adjusted odds ratio, 0.974; P<0.044) and a 1.4% decrease for every monthly increase in the child's age (adjusted odds ratio, 0.986; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this study may help refine the approach to future water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives in northern Pakistan. The integrated approach taken by WASEP, which incorporates engineering solutions with appropriate education to maximize facility usage and improve hygiene practices, is a useful example of how desired health benefits can be obtained from projects of this type. PMID:12764511

Late-life depression in Rural China: do village infrastructure and availability of community resources matter?

PubMed

Li, Lydia W; Liu, Jinyu; Zhang, Zhenmei; Xu, Hongwei

2015-07-01

This study aimed to examine whether physical infrastructure and availability of three types of community resources (old-age income support, healthcare facilities, and elder activity centers) in rural villages are associated with depressive symptoms among older adults in rural China. Data were from the 2011 baseline survey of the Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The sample included 3824 older adults aged 60 years or older residing in 301 rural villages across China. A score of 12 on the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used as the cutoff for depressed versus not depressed. Village infrastructure was indicated by an index summing deficiency in six areas: drinking water, fuel, road, sewage, waste management, and toilet facilities. Three dichotomous variables indicated whether income support, healthcare facility, and elder activity center were available in the village. Respondents' demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, and living arrangements), health status (chronic conditions and physical disability), and socioeconomic status (education, support from children, health insurance, household luxury items, and housing quality) were covariates. Multilevel logistic regression was conducted. Controlling for individuals' socioeconomic status, health status, and demographic characteristics, village infrastructure deficiency was positively associated with the odds of being depressed among rural older Chinese, whereas the provision of income support and healthcare facilities in rural villages was associated with lower odds. Village infrastructure and availability of community resources matter for depressive symptoms in rural older adults. Improving infrastructure, providing old-age income support, and establishing healthcare facilities in villages could be effective strategies to prevent late-life depression in rural China. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Influence of human activity patterns on epidemiology of plague in Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania.

PubMed

Hubeau, Marianne; Gulinck, Hubert; Kimaro, Didas N; Hieronimo, Proches; Meliyo, Joel

2014-07-01

Human plague has been a recurring public health threat in some villages in the Western Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, in the period between 1980 and 2004. Despite intensive past biological and medical research, the reasons for the plague outbreaks in the same set of villages remain unknown. Plague research needs to broaden its scope and formulate new hypotheses. This study was carried out to establish relationships between the nature and the spatial extent of selected human activities on one hand, and the reported plague cases on the other hand. Three outdoor activities namely, fetching water, collecting firewood and going to the market, were selected. Through enquiries the activity patterns related to these activities were mapped in 14 villages. Standard deviation ellipses represent the extent of action spaces. Over 130 activity types were identified and listed. Of these, fetching water, collecting firewood and going to the market were used for further analysis. The results indicate a significant correlation between the plague frequency and the size of these action spaces. Different characteristics of land use and related human activities were correlated with the plague frequency at village and hamlet levels. Significant relationships were found between plague frequency and specific sources of firewood and water, and specific market places.

Data mining for clustering naming of the village at Java Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiawan Abdullah, Atje; Nurani Ruchjana, Budi; Hidayat, Akik; Akmal; Setiana, Deni

2017-10-01

Clustering of query based data mining to identify the meaning of the naming of the village in Java island, done by exploring the database village with three categories namely: prefix in the naming of the village, syllables contained in the naming of the village, and full word naming of the village which is actually used. While syllables contained in the naming of the village are classified by the behaviour of the culture and character of each province that describes the business, feelings, circumstances, places, nature, respect, plants, fruits, and animals. Sources of data used for the clustering of the naming of the village on the island of Java was obtained from Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) in the form of a complete village name data with the coordinates in six provinces in Java, which is arranged in a hierarchy of provinces, districts / cities, districts and villages. The research method using KDD (Knowledge Discovery in Database) through the process of preprocessing, data mining and postprocessing to obtain knowledge. In this study, data mining applications to facilitate the search query based on the name of the village, using Java software. While the contours of a map is processed using ArcGIS software. The results of the research can give recommendations to stakeholders such as the Department of Tourism to describe the meaning of the classification of naming the village according to the character in each province at Java island.

Trachoma rapid assessments in Unity and Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal States, Southern Sudan.

PubMed

Robinson, Emily; Kur, Lucia W; Ndyaba, Aggrey; Lado, Mounir; Shafi, Juma; Kabare, Emmanuel; McClelland, R Scott; Kolaczinski, Jan H

2010-10-01

Trachoma is thought to be endemic over large parts of Southern Sudan, but empirical evidence is limited. While some areas east of the Nile have been identified as highly endemic, few trachoma surveys have been conducted in the remainder of the country. This study aimed to determine whether trachoma constitutes a problem to public health in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal and Unity State, both located west of the Nile. Trachoma rapid assessments (TRA) were conducted between July and September 2009. Seven villages in Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State and 13 villages in Unity State were surveyed; an average of 50 children (age 1-9 years) and 44 women (age 15 years and above) were examined per village. Samples for analysis using the APTIMA Combo-2 nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) were collected from participants with active trachoma in eight villages in Unity State. In Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State, only three children with active trachoma (trachomatous inflammation follicular (TF) and/or trachomatous inflammation intense (TI)) and two women with trichiasis (TT) were found, in two of the seven villages surveyed. In Unity State, trachoma was endemic in all thirteen villages surveyed; the proportion of children with active trachoma ranged from 33% to 75% between villages, while TF in children ranged from 16% to 44%. Between 4% to 51% of examined women showed signs of TT. Samples from active trachoma cases tested using the NAAT were positive for Chlamydia trachomatis infection for 46.6% of children and 19.0% of women. Trachoma presents a major problem to public health Unity State, while the disease is of low priority in Northern-Bahr-el-Ghazal State. Implementation of a population-based prevalence survey is now required in Unity State to generate baseline prevalence data so that trachoma interventions can be initiated and monitored over time.

The Moon Village Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Messina, Piero; Foing, Bernard H.; Hufenbach, Bernhard; Haignere, Claudie; Schrogl, Kai-Uwe

2016-07-01

The "Moon Village" concept Space exploration is anchored in the International Space Station and in the current and future automatic and planetary automatic and robotic missions that pave the way for future long-term exploration objectives. The Moon represents a prime choice for scientific, operational and programmatic reasons and could be the enterprise that federates all interested Nations. On these considerations ESA is currently elaborating the concept of a Moon Village as an ensemble where multiple users can carry out multiple activities. The Moon Village has the ambition to serve a number of objectives that have proven to be of interest (including astronomy, fundamental research, resources management, moon science, etc. ) to the space community and should be the catalyst of new alliances between public and private entities including non-space industries. Additionally the Moon Village should provide a strong inspirational and education tool for the younger generations . The Moon Village will rely both on automatic, robotic and human-tendered structures to achieve sustainable moon surface operations serving multiple purposes on an open-architecture basis. This Europe-inspired initiative should rally all communities (across scientific disciplines, nations, industries) and make it to the top of the political agendas as a the scientific and technological undertaking but also political and inspirational endeavour of the XXI century. The current reflections are of course based on the current activities and plans on board the ISS and the discussion held in international fora such as the ISECG. The paper will present the status of these reflections, also in view of the ESA Council at Ministerial Level 2016, and will give an overview of the on-going activities being carried out to enable the vision of a Moon Village.

Taenia solium Cysticercosis in the Democratic Republic of Congo: How Does Pork Trade Affect the Transmission of the Parasite?

PubMed Central

Kabwe, Constantin; Maketa, Vivi; Lukanu, Philippe; Lutumba, Pascal; Polman, Katja; Matondo, Peter; Speybroeck, Niko; Dorny, Pierre; Sumbu, Julienne

2010-01-01

Background Taenia solium, a zoonotic parasite that is endemic in most developing countries where pork is consumed, is recognised as the main cause of acquired epilepsy in these regions. T. solium has been reported in almost all of the neighboring countries of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but data on the current prevalence of the disease in the country itself are lacking. This study, focusing on porcine cysticercosis (CC), makes part of a first initiative to assess whether cysticercosis is indeed actually present in DRC. Methods An epidemiological study on porcine CC was conducted (1) on urban markets of Kinshasa where pork is sold and (2) in villages in Bas-Congo province where pigs are traditionally reared. Tongue inspection and ELISA for the detection of circulating antigen of the larval stage of T. solium were used to assess the prevalence of active CC in both study sites. Findings The overall prevalence of pigs with active cysticercosis did not significantly differ between the market and the village study sites (38.8 [CI95%: 34–43] versus 41.2% [CI95%: 33–49], respectively). However, tongue cysticercosis was only found in the village study site together with a significantly higher intensity of infection (detected by ELISA). Interpretation Pigs reared at village level are sold for consumption on Kinshasa markets, but it seems that highly infected animals are excluded at a certain level in the pig trade chain. Indeed, preliminary informal surveys on common practices conducted in parallel revealed that pig farmers and/or buyers select the low infected animals and exclude those who are positive by tongue inspection at village level. This study provides the only recent evidence of CC presence in DRC and gives the first estimates to fill an important gap on the African taeniasis/cysticercosis distribution map. PMID:20838646

It Takes a Village: Promoting Parent and Family Education on Healthy Lifestyles for Minnesota Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hearst, Mary O.; Wang, Qi; Grannon, Katherine; Davey, Cynthia S.; Nanney, Marilyn S.

2017-01-01

Background: This study examines school strategies to educate parents over time about physical activity and nutrition and how those strategies are related to adolescent health behaviors. Methods: Data from the Minnesota School Health Profiles Lead Health Education Teacher survey (2008-2012) and the Minnesota Student Survey (MSS, 2013) included…

Women's rising status. Shandong province.

PubMed

Wang, X

1994-03-01

Improvements in the status of women are credited with the recent success of family planning promotion efforts in China's Xiji Village (Shanting District, Shandong Province). This small mountain village had a per capita annual income (US$27) below the national average ad a birth rate of 33/1000 population in 1984. When the District Family Planning Association targeted the village for programmatic intervention in 188, there was strong resistance to family planning. On the assumption that villagers would not accept family planning until they were convinced of its economic advantages, the Association combined poverty alleviation activities with contraceptives promotion. Small enterprises and workshops were set up, including processing mills to make noodles from beans and potato starch, and two-thirds of the village's unemployed women got jobs that paid an average of US$26/month at these mills. Income generating activities such as raising poultry or growing produce in backyard gardens were designed for women with too many children to work outside the home. In addition, the Women's Association at Feicheng City has selected more than 3500 economically active, family planning acceptors who serve as models to 15-16 women of childbearing age. As women experience the social, economic, and psychological advantages of income generation, they tend to voluntarily adopt family planning and to abandon their previous preference for sons.

Research on the evaluation method of rural hollowing based on RS and GIS technology: a case study of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Kai; Wen, MeiPing; Zhang, FeiFei; Yuan, Chao; Chen, Qiang; Zhang, Xiupeng

2016-10-01

With the acceleration of urbanization in China, most rural areas formed a widespread phenomenon, i.e., destitute village, labor population loss, land abandonment and rural hollowing. And it formed a unique hollow village problem in China finally. The governance of hollow village was the objective need of the development of economic and social development in rural area for Chinese government, and the research on the evaluation method of rural hollowing was the premise and basis of the hollow village governance. In this paper, several evaluation methods were used to evaluate the rural hollowing based on the survey data, land use data, social and economic development data. And these evaluation indexes were the transition of homesteads, the development intensity of rural residential areas, the per capita housing construction area, the residential population proportion in rural area, and the average annual electricity consumption, which can reflect the rural hollowing degree from the land, population, and economy point of view, respectively. After that, spatial analysis method of GIS was used to analyze the evaluation result for each index. Based on spatial raster data generated by Kriging interpolation, we carried out re-classification of all the results. Using the fuzzy clustering method, the rural hollowing degree in Ningxia area was reclassified based on the two spatial scales of county and village. The results showed that the rural hollowing pattern in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region had a spatial distribution characteristics that the rural hollowing degree was obvious high in the middle of the study area but was low around the study area. On a county scale, the specific performances of the serious rural hollowing were the higher degree of extensive land use, and the lower level of rural economic development and population transfer concentration. On a village scale, the main performances of the rural hollowing were the rural population loss and idle land. The evaluation method of rural hollowing constructed in this paper can effectively carry out a comprehensive degree zoning of rural hollowing, which can make orderly decision support plans of hollow village governance for the government.

Comparison and Research on New Rural Community Management Patterns of Shan Dong Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Lei; Zhang, Xiaomei

Rural community is an important institutional innovation,which has important effect and edification to future new rural management.There are three new rural community management patterns in shandong province:divisions of the village community,many villages community and village merge community. This article not only introduce three models,but also compare them in four aspects: community scale, community management,infrastructure,resource utilization.Pointing out the strength and weakness of three models.Drawing a conclusion that village merge community is the active reaction for rural urbanization. And could be the important recommended breed.

The front line health worker: selection, training, and performance.

PubMed

Ronaghy, H A; Najarzadeh, E; Schwartz, T A; Russel, S S; Solter, S; Zeighami, B

1976-03-01

Iranian villagers with basic literacy were recruited, selected, trained, and deployed as Village Health Workers (VHWs) to rural areas of Iran. VHW clinical visit records and activities logs were analyzed to determine levels and nature of effort achieved in the field. Within six months of deployment, the number of patient visits to VHW treatment services constituted 53% of the target population. Within ten months of deployment, the number of family planning acceptors rose from 8% to 21% of the population at risk. Improvements to water supplies have been effected in 50% of target villages. Sanitary improvements have been made to 35% of the houses and 88% of toilets in those villages. Demographic characteristics, class rank, and place of residence of VHWs appear unassociated with village differences in levels of achievement. However, availability of material resources and actual time spent by VHWs on the job may be factors influencing the differences in outcome between villages.

Schools and communities: An experience in rural India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Aruna

1980-09-01

When India became independent, primary education in the state of Rajasthan was made the responsibility of the Panchayats (Village Councils), and a number of village schools were opened. However they only drew around 40 per cent of the 6-11 age group, and the curricula, text books, and even the teachers themselves, recruited from the cities, were out of touch with the needs of the rural communities. A study conducted in 1974 showed that, to improve the situation, it would be necessary to make the school more relevant to village life, to involve the parents in planning, and to run it at times when the children could be spared from domestic or farm work; to select the teachers from village residents; and to adapt the curricula and teaching methods to the environment. An appropriate programme was worked out and introduced in three villages in 1975. It provided for morning classes for the regular pupils and evening school for children who worked during the day. The emphasis in the curricula was to be on agriculture and animal husbandry, and teaching methods were to be closely in keeping with the life of the village. Suitable local people were found and trained as teachers. The author describes the implementation of this programme in detail. It proved a success and has now been extended to ten villages with a total attendance at the schools of more than five hundred children.

Impact of interventions on malaria in internally displaced persons along the China-Myanmar border: 2011-2014.

PubMed

Zhou, Guofa; Lo, Eugenia; Zhong, Daibin; Wang, Xiaoming; Wang, Ying; Malla, Sameer; Lee, Ming-Chieh; Yang, Zhaoqing; Cui, Liwang; Yan, Guiyun

2016-09-15

Internally displaced persons (IDP) represent vulnerable populations whose public health conditions merit special attention. In the China-Myanmar border area, human movement and resettlements of IDP can influence malaria transmission. Comparison of disease incidence and vector densities between IDP camps and surrounding local villages allows for better understanding of current epidemiology and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in the region. Malaria and vector surveillance was conducted in three IDP camps and three local villages neighbouring the camps along the China-Myanmar border in Myanmar. Clinical malaria cases were collected from seven hospitals/clinics from April 2011 to December 2014. Malaria vector population dynamics were monitored using CDC light traps. The use of malaria preventive measures and information on aid agencies and their activities was obtained through questionnaire surveys. Malaria was confirmed in 1832 patients. Of these cases, 85.4 % were Plasmodium vivax and 11.4 % were Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Annual malaria incidence rates were 38.8 and 127.0 cases/1000 person year in IDP camps and local villages, respectively. Older children of 5-14 years had the highest incidence rate in the camps regardless of gender, while male adults had significantly higher incidence rates than females in local villages and females child-bearing age had significantly lower risk to malaria in IDP camps compare to local villages. Seasonal malaria outbreaks were observed both in the IDP camps and in the local villages from May to August 2013. The proportion of P. vivax remained unchanged in local villages but increased by approximately tenfold in IDP camps from 2011 to 2014. Anopheles vector density was tenfold higher in local villages compared to IDP camps (2.0:0.2 females/trap/night). Over 99 % of households in both communities owned bed nets. While long-lasting insecticidal nets accounted for 61 % of nets used in IDPs, nearly all residents of local villages owned regular nets without insecticide-impregnation. There were more active aid agencies in the camps than in local villages. Malaria in IDP camps was significantly lower than the surrounding villages through effective control management. The observation of P. vivax outbreaks in the study area highlights the need for increased control efforts. Expansion of malaria intervention strategies in IDP camps to local surrounding villages is critical to malaria control in the border area.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Members of Households Actively Monitored or Quarantined to Prevent Transmission of Ebola Virus Disease - Margibi County, Liberia: February-March 2015.

PubMed

Wilken, Jason A; Pordell, Paran; Goode, Brant; Jarteh, Rachel; Miller, Zayzay; Saygar, Benjamin G; Maximore, Leroy; Borbor, Watta M; Carmue, Moses; Walker, Gregory W; Yeiah, Adolphus

2017-12-01

In early 2015, a patient from a cluster of cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Monrovia, Liberia traveled to a rural village in Margibi County, potentially exposing numerous persons. The patient died in the village and post-mortem testing confirmed Ebola Virus infection. Problem The Margibi County Health Team (CHT; Kakata, Margibi, Liberia) needed to prevent further transmission of EVD within and outside of the affected villages, and they needed to better understand the factors that support or impede compliance with measures to stop the spread of EVD. In February-March 2015, the Margibi CHT instituted a 21-day quarantine and active monitoring for two villages where the patient had contact with numerous residents, and a 21-day active monitoring for five other villages where the patient had possible contact with an unknown number of persons. One contact developed EVD and quarantine was extended an additional 12 days in one village. In April 2015, the Margibi CHT conducted a household-based EVD knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey of the seven villages. From April 24-29, 2015, interview teams approached every household in the seven villages and collected information on demographics, knowledge of EVD, attitudes about quarantine to prevent the spread of EVD, and their quarantine experiences and practices. Descriptive statistics were calculated. One hundred fifteen interviews were conducted, representing the majority of the households in the seven villages. Most (99%) correctly identified touching an infected person's body fluids and contact with the body of someone who has died from EVD as transmission routes. However, interviewees sometimes incorrectly identified mosquito bites (58%) and airborne spread (32%) as routes of EVD transmission, and 72% incorrectly identified the longest EVD incubation period as ≤seven days. Eight of 16 households in the two quarantined villages (50%) reported times when there was not enough water or food during quarantine. Nine of 16 (56%) reported that a household member had illnesses or injuries during quarantine; of these, all (100%) obtained care from a clinic, hospital, or Ebola treatment unit (ETU). Residents' knowledge of EVD transmission routes and incubation period were suboptimal. Public health authorities should consider assessing residents' understanding of Ebola transmission routes and effectively educate them to ensure correct understanding. Quarantined residents should be provided with sufficient food, water, and access to medical care. Wilken JA , Pordell P , Goode B , Jarteh R , Miller Z , Saygar BG Sr. , Maximore L , Borbor WM , Carmue M , Walker GW , Yeiah A . Knowledge, attitudes, and practices among members of households actively monitored or quarantined to prevent transmission of Ebola Virus Disease - Margibi County, Liberia: February-March 2015. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):673-678.

Spatiotemporal clusters of malaria cases at village level, northwest Ethiopia.

PubMed

Alemu, Kassahun; Worku, Alemayehu; Berhane, Yemane; Kumie, Abera

2014-06-06

Malaria attacks are not evenly distributed in space and time. In highland areas with low endemicity, malaria transmission is highly variable and malaria acquisition risk for individuals is unevenly distributed even within a neighbourhood. Characterizing the spatiotemporal distribution of malaria cases in high-altitude villages is necessary to prioritize the risk areas and facilitate interventions. Spatial scan statistics using the Bernoulli method were employed to identify spatial and temporal clusters of malaria in high-altitude villages. Daily malaria data were collected, using a passive surveillance system, from patients visiting local health facilities. Georeference data were collected at villages using hand-held global positioning system devices and linked to patient data. Bernoulli model using Bayesian approaches and Marcov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods were used to identify the effects of factors on spatial clusters of malaria cases. The deviance information criterion (DIC) was used to assess the goodness-of-fit of the different models. The smaller the DIC, the better the model fit. Malaria cases were clustered in both space and time in high-altitude villages. Spatial scan statistics identified a total of 56 spatial clusters of malaria in high-altitude villages. Of these, 39 were the most likely clusters (LLR = 15.62, p < 0.00001) and 17 were secondary clusters (LLR = 7.05, p < 0.03). The significant most likely temporal malaria clusters were detected between August and December (LLR = 17.87, p < 0.001). Travel away home, males and age above 15 years had statistically significant effect on malaria clusters at high-altitude villages. The study identified spatial clusters of malaria cases occurring at high elevation villages within the district. A patient who travelled away from home to a malaria-endemic area might be the most probable source of malaria infection in a high-altitude village. Malaria interventions in high altitude villages should address factors associated with malaria clustering.

'I could not join because I had to work for pay.': A qualitative evaluation of falciparum malaria pro-active case detection in three rural Cambodian villages.

PubMed

Taffon, Pierluigi; Rossi, Gabriele; Kindermans, Jean-Marie; Van den Bergh, Rafael; Nguon, Chea; Debackere, Mark; Vernaeve, Lieven; De Smet, Martin; Venables, Emilie

2018-01-01

Pro-active case detection (Pro-ACD), in the form of voluntary screening and treatment (VSAT) following community mobilisation about 'asymptomatic malaria', is currently being evaluated as a tool for Plasmodium falciparum elimination in Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia. A qualitative study was conducted to explore community understanding, perceptions, expectations and acceptability of the Pro-ACD intervention in order to identify aspects that could be improved in future Pro-ACD activities. This was ancillary to a three-round VSAT campaign, carried out in three villages between December 2015 and March 2016. Qualitative data collection began shortly after the end of the three rounds of screening. Purposive sampling was used to select participants. Nine focus group discussions with participants (n = 46) and non-participants (n = 40) in the Pro-ACD screening were conducted, in addition to in-depth interviews with key village figures (n = 9). Health promotion messages were well delivered and received, but it was difficult for many villagers to understand the messages around 'asymptomatic malaria'. Overall, villagers and village leaders had a positive opinion about the VSAT intervention. Acceptability was high, as a direct consequence of favourable perceptions towards the screening activity: the Pro-ACD intervention was seen by the local population as an effective, inexpensive, reliable and readily available tool to protect individuals and the community from the insurgence of malaria. Physical absence and lack of time (both linked to work-related activities) were the main reasons for non-participation. Although VSAT was generally well perceived and accepted, the 'time factor' related to the need to satisfy essential daily subsistence requirements played a significant role in determining participation in the screening. More well-adapted and meaningful Pro-ACD approaches could be implemented by improving the timing of the testing activites, and strengthening community participation and engagement to increase acceptability.

Childhood Lead Poisoning Associated with Gold Ore Processing: a Village-Level Investigation—Zamfara State, Nigeria, October–November 2010

PubMed Central

Lo, Yi-Chun; Dooyema, Carrie A.; Neri, Antonio; Durant, James; Jefferies, Taran; Medina-Marino, Andrew; de Ravello, Lori; Thoroughman, Douglas; Davis, Lora; Dankoli, Raymond S.; Samson, Matthias Y.; Ibrahim, Luka M.; Okechukwu, Ossai; Umar-Tsafe, Nasir T.; Dama, Alhassan H.

2012-01-01

Background: During May–June 2010, a childhood lead poisoning outbreak related to gold ore processing was confirmed in two villages in Zamfara State, Nigeria. During June–September of that year, villages with suspected or confirmed childhood lead poisoning continued to be identified in Zamfara State. Objectives: We investigated the extent of childhood lead poisoning [≥ 1 child with a blood lead level (BLL) ≥ 10 µg/dL] and lead contamination (≥ 1 soil/dust sample with a lead level > 400 parts per million) among villages in Zamfara State and identified villages that should be prioritized for urgent interventions. Methods: We used chain-referral sampling to identify villages of interest, defined as villages suspected of participation in gold ore processing during the previous 12 months. We interviewed villagers, determined BLLs among children < 5 years of age, and analyzed soil/dust from public areas and homes for lead. Results: We identified 131 villages of interest and visited 74 (56%) villages in three local government areas. Fifty-four (77%) of 70 villages that completed the survey reported gold ore processing. Ore-processing villages were more likely to have ≥ 1 child < 5 years of age with lead poisoning (68% vs. 50%, p = 0.17) or death following convulsions (74% vs. 44%, p = 0.02). Soil/dust contamination and BLL ≥ 45 µg/dL were identified in ore-processing villages only [50% (p < 0.001) and 15% (p = 0.22), respectively]. The odds of childhood lead poisoning or lead contamination was 3.5 times as high in ore-processing villages than the other villages (95% confidence interval: 1.1, 11.3). Conclusion: Childhood lead poisoning and lead contamination were widespread in surveyed areas, particularly among villages that had processed ore recently. Urgent interventions are required to reduce lead exposure, morbidity, and mortality in affected communities. PMID:22766030

Self-Assessed Disability and Self-Rated Health among Rural Villagers in Peru: A Brief Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohrer, James E.; Merry, Stephen P.; Thacher, Thomas D.; Summers, Matthew R.; Alpern, Jonathan D.; Contino, Robert W.

2010-01-01

Context: Risks for poor self-rated overall health in rural areas of developing nations have not been thoroughly investigated. Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess potential risk factors for poor self-rated health among rural villagers in Peru. Methods: A door-to-door survey of villagers residing in the Pampas Grande region in Peru,…

MoonVillage: Frame & Opportunity for Space Economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foing, B. H.

2017-09-01

We shall discuss the frame and opportunity for space economy in the context of elaborating the concept of a Moon Village with the goal of a sustainable human presence and activity on the lunar surface as an ensemble where multiple users can carry out multiple activities. This enterprise can federate all interested Nations and partners, in particular from terrestrial and non space commercial sectors .

Slavic Village: incorporating active living into community development through partnerships.

PubMed

Miller, Emily K; Scofield, Jennifer L

2009-12-01

The Slavic Village neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio, is a diverse community of 30,524 residents that is struggling economically yet strong in tradition. The neighborhood is located just south of downtown and adjacent to the city's industrial valley. Slavic Village Development (SVD) works with local and state partners to improve the quality of life for its residents, including low-income and market-rate housing developments, economic development, community organizing, and greenspace planning. Using the Active Living by Design framework (ALbD), SVD developed strong partnerships to address preparation, promotions, programs, policy, and physical projects. Efforts were focused on Safe Routes to School, neighborhood activities, asset mapping, worksite wellness, and social marketing. The ALbD project changed both the physical environment of Slavic Village and its marketed image. The initiative built cross-disciplinary partnerships that leveraged individual strengths to implement strategies to make Slavic Village a vibrant, healthy, family-friendly neighborhood that promotes active living. There is a strong connection between health and community development. When partners from multiple disciplines work together on a common goal, it is easier to leverage resources and create change. Resource development will always be a challenge. Through the leadership of SVD and its strong ties in the community, the ALbD initiative has re-engaged residents and businesses in efforts to restore the vitality of the community. The partnership in Cleveland has successfully incorporated health into community development, a model of collaboration that can be replicated in other communities.

Composition profiles and health risk of PCDD/F in outdoor air and fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration and adjacent villages in East China.

PubMed

Li, Jiafu; Dong, Han; Sun, Jie; Nie, Jihua; Zhang, Shuyu; Tang, Jinshun; Chen, Zhihai

2016-11-15

In present study, composition profiles and health risk of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) in outdoor air and fly ash from domestic waste treatment center (DWTC) were studied. In addition, the composition profiles and health risk of PCDD/F in outdoor air from adjacent villages were researched and used to quantitatively analyze the difference between onsite workers and adjacent villagers. Moreover, the difference between old intake method and new inhalation dosimetry method in the process of assessing the health risk of PCDD/Fs in outdoor air was quantitatively compared and analyzed. The results of this study were summarized as follows. (1) The 95th percentile carcinogenic risk (CR) and non-carcinogenic risk (non-CR) for onsite workers and adjacent villagers were much lower than the threshold values of 10(-6) and 1.0, respectively, suggesting no potential health risk. (2) The 95th percentile CR for onsite workers was 1.27×10(-8) and was 64.8 times higher than that of adjacent villagers (1.99×10(-10)). (3) The 95th percentile non-CR for onsite workers and adjacent villagers were 1.37×10(-4) and 1.31×10(-7), respectively. (3) Accidental ingestion of fly ash was the largest contributor to CR and non-CR for onsite workers, contributing 62.98% and 64.04% to CR and non-CR, respectively. (4) The CR and non-CR of PCDD/Fs in outdoor air for onsite workers and adjacent villagers which calculated by old intake method was much higher than the results from new inhalation dosimetry method. The results quantitatively showed the levels and potential risks of PCDD/Fs posed by a DWTC site, which can be helpful to predict the influence from DWTC sites and promote the management of DWTC in China. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rethinking women's learning and empowerment in Kenya: Maasai village women take initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takayanagi, Taeko

2016-12-01

This study investigates the activities of a village-based literacy centre in Kenya and explores the benefits of community development activities on women's well-being in Africa. Through the analysis of the stories of two Maasai women who had experienced adult literacy learning, the author discovered that: (1) the literacy instructor had inadequate in-service teacher training support from the government; (2) these women were using a space generated by collaborative informal learning through the literacy centre to improve their families' and community's well-being; and (3) these women gained empowerment through community development activities organised by the literacy centre. The author concludes that grassroots literacy and informal learning have been effective in improving the quality of life for the village women, and should be encouraged and supported by external agencies.

Change of urinary fluoride and bone metabolism indicators in the endemic fluorosis areas of southern china after supplying low fluoride public water

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Few studies have evaluated health impacts, especially biomarker changes, following implementation of a new environmental policy. This study examined changes in water fluoride, urinary fluoride (UF), and bone metabolism indicators in children after supplying low fluoride public water in endemic fluorosis areas of Southern China. We also assessed the relationship between UF and serum osteocalcin (BGP), calcitonin (CT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and bone mineral density to identify the most sensitive bone metabolism indicators related to fluoride exposure. Methods Four fluorosis-endemic villages (intervention villages) in Guangdong, China were randomly selected to receive low-fluoride water. One non-endemic fluorosis village with similar socio-economic status, living conditions, and health care access, was selected as the control group. 120 children aged 6-12 years old were randomly chosen from local schools in each village for the study. Water and urinary fluoride content as well as serum BGP, CT, ALP and bone mineral density were measured by the standard methods and compared between the children residing in the intervention villages and the control village. Benchmark dose (BMD) and benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL) were calculated for each bone damage indicator. Results Our study found that after water source change, fluoride concentrations in drinking water in all intervention villages (A-D) were significantly reduced to 0.11 mg/l, similar to that in the control village (E). Except for Village A where water change has only been taken place for 6 years, urinary fluoride concentrations in children of the intervention villages were lower or comparable to those in the control village after 10 years of supplying new public water. The values of almost all bone indicators in children living in Villages B-D and ALP in Village A were either lower or similar to those in the control village after the intervention. CT and BGP are sensitive bone metabolism indicators related to UF. While assessing the temporal trend of different abnormal bone indicators after the intervention, bone mineral density showed the most stable and the lowest abnormal rates over time. Conclusions Our results suggest that supplying low fluoride public water in Southern China is successful as measured by the reduction of fluoride in water and urine, and changes in various bone indicators to normal levels. A comparison of four bone indicators showed CT and BGP to be the most sensitive indicators. PMID:23425550

Social Dancing and Incidence of Falls in Older Adults: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Merom, Dafna; Mathieu, Erin; Cerin, Ester; Morton, Rachael L.; Simpson, Judy M.; Anstey, Kaarin J.; Sherrington, Catherine; Lord, Stephen R.; Cumming, Robert G.

2016-01-01

Background The prevention of falls among older people is a major public health challenge. Exercises that challenge balance are recognized as an efficacious fall prevention strategy. Given that small-scale trials have indicated that diverse dance styles can improve balance and gait of older adults, two of the strongest risk factors for falls in older people, this study aimed to determine whether social dance is effective in i) reducing the number of falls and ii) improving physical and cognitive fall-related risk factors. Methods and Findings A parallel two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial was undertaken in 23 self-care retirement villages (clusters) around Sydney, Australia. Eligible villages had to have an appropriate hall for dancing, house at least 60 residents, and not be currently offering dance as a village activity. Retirement villages were randomised using a computer generated randomisation method, constrained using minimisation. Eligible participants had to be a resident of the village, be able to walk at least 50 m, and agree to undergo physical and cognitive testing without cognitive impairment. Residents of intervention villages (12 clusters) were offered twice weekly one-hour social dancing classes (folk or ballroom dancing) over 12 mo (80 h in total). Programs were standardized across villages and were delivered by eight dance teachers. Participants in the control villages (11 clusters) were advised to continue with their regular activities. Main outcomes: falls during the 12 mo trial and Trail Making Tests. Secondary outcomes: The Physiological Performance Assessment (i.e., postural sway, proprioception, reaction time, leg strength) and the Short Physical Performance Battery; health-related physical and mental quality of life from the Short-Form 12 (SF-12) Survey. Data on falls were obtained from 522 of 530 (98%) randomised participants (mean age 78 y, 85% women) and 424 (80%) attended the 12-mo reassessment, which was lower among folk dance participants (71%) than ballroom dancing (82%) or control participants (82%, p = 0.04). Mean attendance at dance classes was 51%. During the period, 444 falls were recorded; there was no significant difference in fall rates between the control group (0.80 per person-year) and the dance group (1.03 per person-year). Using negative binomial regression with robust standard errors the adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) was 1.19 (95% CI: 95% CI = 0.83, 1.71). In exploratory post hoc subgroup analysis, the rate of falls was higher among dance participants with a history of multiple falls (IRR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.54, p = 0.23 for interaction) and with the folk dance intervention (IRR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.73). There were no significant between-group differences in executive function test (TMT-B = 2.8 s, 95% CI: −6.2, 11.8). Intention to treat (ITT) analysis revealed no between-group differences at 12-mo follow-up in the secondary outcome measures, with the exception of postural sway, favouring the control group. Exploratory post hoc analysis by study completers and style indicated that ballroom dancing participants apparently improved their gait speed by 0.07 m/s relative to control participants (95% CI: 0.00, 0.14, p = 0.05). Study limitations included allocation to style based on logistical considerations rather than at random; insufficient power to detect differential impacts of different dance styles and smaller overall effects; variation of measurement conditions across villages; and no assessment of more complex balance tasks, which may be more sensitive to changes brought about by dancing. Conclusions Social dancing did not prevent falls or their associated risk factors among these retirement villages' residents. Modified dance programmes that contain "training elements" to better approximate structured exercise programs, targeted at low and high-risk participants, warrant investigation. Trial Registration The Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000889853 PMID:27575534

[Spatial characteristics analysis of Huizhou-Styled Village based on ideal ecosystem model and 3D landscape indices: A case in Chengkan, China].

PubMed

Yao, Meng Yuan; Yan, Shi Jiang; Wu, Yan Lan

2016-12-01

Huizhou-Styled Village is a typical representative of the traditional Chinese ancient villages. It preserves plentiful information of the regional culture and ecological connotation. The Huizhou-Style is the apotheosis of harmony between the Chinese ancient people and nature. The research and protection of Huizhou-Styled Village plays a very important role in fields of ecology, geography, architecture and esthetics. This paper took Chengkan Village of Anhui Province as an exa-mple, and proposed a new model of ideal ecosystem oriented in theories of Feng-shui and psychological field. The new method of characterizing 3D landscape index was introduced to explore the spatial patterns of Huizhou-Styled Village and the functionality of the composited landscape components in a quantitative way. The results indicated that, Chengkan Village showed a spatially composited pattern of "mountain-forest-village-river-forest". It formed an ideal settlement ring structure with human architecture in the center and natural landscape around in the horizontal and vertical horizons. The traditional method based on the projection distance caused the deviation of the landscape index, such as underestimating the area and distance of landscape patch. The 3D landscape index of average patch area was 6.7% higher than the 2D landscape index. The increasing rate ofarea proportion in 3D index was 1.0% higher than that of 2D index in forest lands. Area proportion of the other landscapes decreased, especially the artificial landscapes like construction and cropland landscapes. The area and perimeter metric were underestimated, whereas the shape metric and the diversity metric were overestimated. This caused the underestimation of the dominance of natural patches was underestimated and the overestimation of the dominance of artificial patches during the analysis of landscape pattern. The 3D landscape index showed that the natural elements and their combination in Chengkan Village ecosystem reflected better ecological function, the key elements and the composited landscape ecosystem preserved higher stability, connectivity and aggregation. The quantitative confirmation showed that the Huizhou-Styled Village represented by Chengkan Village is an ideal ecosystem.

Positive Influence of Behavior Change Communication on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices for Visceral Leishmaniasis/Kala-azar in India.

PubMed

Srinivasan, Raghavan; Ahmad, Tanwir; Raghavan, Vidya; Kaushik, Manisha; Pathak, Ramakant

2018-03-21

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic to 54 districts in 4 states of India. Poor awareness of the disease and inappropriate health-seeking behavior are major challenges to eliminating the disease. Between February 2016 and March 2017, we implemented a behavior change communication (BCC) intervention in 33 districts of Bihar, 4 districts of Jharkhand, and 3 districts of West Bengal using a mix of channels, including group and interpersonal communication, to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices of communities, frontline health workers, and opinion leaders. We conducted an impact assessment in October 2016, after the second indoor residual spraying (IRS) round, in Bihar and Jharkhand to evaluate the effect of the BCC intervention. Villages in 10 districts of Bihar and 4 districts in Jharkhand were selected for inclusion in the assessment. Selected villages were categorized as either intervention or control based on where project activities were conducted. Households were randomly selected proportional to caste composition, and interviewers surveyed the head of the household on whether the house was sprayed during the last IRS round and on knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to VL. We interviewed 700 households in intervention villages and 350 households in control villages and conducted correlation analysis to explore the association between IRS refusal and socioeconomic variables, and tested for association between IRS refusal and exposure to BCC activities. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. We reached an estimated 3.3 million contacts in Bihar and Jharkhand through the intervention's BCC activities. IRS refusal rates were significantly lower in intervention households than control households (mean=7.95% vs. 24.45%, respectively; OR, 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11 to 0.62; P <.001). Households in intervention villages were more aware than those in control villages that VL is spread by sand flies (68.4% vs. 7.4%, respectively; P <.001) and of IRS as an effective control measure (82.3% vs. 41.7%, respectively; P <.001). A greater percentage of households in intervention villages than control villages indicated they would encourage a patient to go to primary health centers for diagnosis and treatment of VL (77.0% vs. 39.4%, respectively) and to encourage others to accept IRS (78.6% vs. 44.6%, respectively; P <.001). Households that were exposed to community-based BCC activities largely using group and interpersonal communication had better knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to VL, including acceptance of IRS as a preventive measure, than households not exposed. BCC activities are thus an important component of VL elimination strategies. © Srinivasan et al.

Study of water supply & sanitation practices in India using geographic information systems: some design & other considerations in a village setting.

PubMed

Gopal, Srila; Sarkar, Rajiv; Banda, Kalyan; Govindarajan, Jeyanthi; Harijan, B B; Jeyakumar, M B; Mitta, Philip; Sadanala, M E; Selwyn, Tryphena; Suresh, C R; Thomas, V A; Devadason, Pethuru; Kumar, Ranjit; Selvapandian, David; Kang, Gagandeep; Balraj, Vinohar

2009-03-01

Availability of clean water and adequate sanitation facilities are of prime importance for limiting diarrhoeal diseases. We examined the water and sanitation facilities of a village in southern India using geographic information system (GIS) tools. Places of residence, water storage and distribution, sewage and places where people in the village defaecated were mapped and drinking water sources were tested for microbial contamination in Nelvoy village, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. Water in the village was found to be microbiologically unfit for consumption. Analysis using direct observations supplemented by GIS maps revealed poor planning, poor engineering design and lack of policing of the water distribution system causing possible contamination of drinking water from sewage at multiple sites. Until appropriate engineering designs for water supply and sewage disposal to suit individual village needs are made available, point-of-use water disinfection methods could serve as an interim solution.

Learning Innovative Maternal Instinct: Activity Designing Semantic Factors of Alcohol Modification in Rural Communities of Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yodmongkol, Pitipong; Jaimung, Thunyaporn; Chakpitak, Nopasit; Sureephong, Pradorn

2014-01-01

At present, Thailand is confronting a serious problem of alcohol drinking behavior which needs to be solved urgently. This research aimed to identify the semantic factors on alcohol drinking behavior and to use maternal instinct driving for housewives as village health volunteers in rural communities, Thailand. Two methods were implemented as the…

Changing Waste in Changing Times: Solid Waste and Natural Resource Issues in Rural Alaska--A Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moses, Shirley

This guide was developed to present activities which inform the teacher and students of solid waste management problems that are becoming commonplace in villages. The lessons included present alternatives for taking care of the environment and contains methods to make not only school children more sensitive to environmental problems, but hopefully…

[The synanthropic potential of Kerteszia and Culex mosquitoes (Diptera:Culicidae) in Southeastern Brazil].

PubMed

Forattini, O P; Kakitani, I; dos Santos, R C; Kobayashi, K M; Ueno, H M; Fernández, Z

2000-12-01

To determine the synanthropic potential of Anopheles bellator and An. cruzii in a village close to a wild environment. For comparative purposes, Culex quinquefasciatus and Cx. sacchettae populations were also investigated. From October 1996 to January 2000, vectors investigations were carried out in Pedrinhas village, Southeastern of S. Paulo State, Brazil, through systematic collections with human bait, air aspirations and Shannon traps. The synanthropic index was estimated using Nuorteva's indices plus the Mihályi's endophylic factor. Attraction principle was s=35.7 for both Kerteszia species at the peridomiciliary environment through human bait. Cx. sacchettae showed a sr ratio of 12.8 with a degree of synanthropy. However active search through the aspiration method yielded negative s values, such as -43.1 for An. bellator and -48.2 for An. cruzii. For Cx. sacchettae that value was -3.0. These values were calculated when +100.00 was given to Cx. quinquefasciatus, which showed the highest synanthropic habits, corresponding to s =+93.8. The present data allow to conclude that what was observed until now for isolated rural dwellings is valid for small villages at the same conditions. This means that female Kerteszia adults tend to be in anthropic environment for blood seeking. After that, they return to the surrounding natural environment of the village. Regarding Cx. Sacchettae, they seem to have an anthropic adaptation tendency.

Vitamin A status of the minority ethnic group of Karen hill tribe children aged 1-6 years in Northern Thailand.

PubMed

Tienboon, Prasong; Wangpakapattanawong, Prasit

2007-01-01

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is the most common cause of childhood blindness in the developing world. It is estimated that by giving adequate vitamin A, in vitamin A deficient populations, child mortality from measles can be reduced by 50%, and mortality from diarrheal disease by 40%. Overall mortality in children 6-59 months of age can be reduced by 23%. This paper reported results from a study of vitamin A status and malnutrition of the minority ethnic group of Karen hill tribe children aged 1-6 years in the north of Thailand. All children aged 1-6 years (N = 158; 83 boys, 75 girls) from the three Karen villages (Mae Hae Tai, Mae Yot, Mae Raek) of Mae Chaem district in the north of Thailand were studied. The Karen is the largest mountain ethnic minority ("hill tribe") group in Thailand. All children were examined by a qualified medical doctor and were assessed for their vitamin A intakes using 24 hours dietary recall. Thai food composition table from Ministry of Health, Thailand were used as references. The results were compared with the Thai Recommended Dietary Allowances. Children aged 1-3 years and 4-6 years were separately analysed due to the differences in Thai Recommended Dietary Allowances between the two age groups. A whole blood of 300 microL was obtained by "fingerstick" for determination of serum vitamin A. Community or village's vitamin A status was assessed by using Simplified Dietary Assessment (SDA) method and Helen Keller International (HKI) food frequency method. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. All families of the study boys and girls had income lower than the Thailand poverty line (US $ 1,000/year). On average, 63% of children from Mae Hae Tai village, 1.5% of children from Mae Yot village and none of children from Mae Raek village had serum vitamin A<0.7 micromol/L which indicated VAD. All boys and only girls from Mae Raek village consumed vitamin A more than the Thai RDA but girls from Mae Hae Tai village and Mae Yot village consumed vitamin A less than the Thai RDA. Both boys and girls from Mae Raek village and also girls from Mae Yot village consumed vitamin A more than the Thai RDA. Using SDA and HKI methods to assess vitamin A status of the villages to see whether VAD is a village's nutritional problem, it was found that all children from the three villages were at risk of VAD. In order to improve vitamin A status of the Karen children in Mae Chaem district, recommendations were made as follow: (1) increased use of fat and oil, particularly in areas with high risk of VAD; (2) more general work with Karen communities on how children's diets might be improved in a culturally acceptable manner, so as to bring vitamin A consumption closer to recommended allowance level.

Does exam-targeted training help village doctors pass the certified (assistant) physician exam and improve their practical skills? A cross-sectional analysis of village doctors' perspectives in Changzhou in Eastern China.

PubMed

Li, Xiaohong; Shen, Jay J; Yao, Fang; Jiang, Chunxin; Chang, Fengshui; Hao, Fengfeng; Lu, Jun

2018-05-11

Quality of health care needs to be improved in rural China. The Chinese government, based on the 1999 Law on Physicians, started implementing the Rural Doctor Practice Regulation in 2004 to increase the percentage of certified physicians among village doctors. Special exam-targeted training for rural doctors therefore was launched as a national initiative. This study examined these rural doctors' perceptions of whether that training helps them pass the exam and whether it improves their skills. Three counties were selected from the 4 counties in Changzhou City in eastern China, and 844 village doctors were surveyed by a questionnaire in July 2012. Chi-square test and Fisher exact test were used to identify differences of attitudes about the exam and training between the rural doctors and certified (assistant) doctors. Longitudinal annual statistics (1980-2014) of village doctors were further analyzed. Eight hundred and forty-four village doctors were asked to participate, and 837 (99.17%) responded. Only 14.93% of the respondents had received physician (assistant) certification. Only 49.45% of the village doctors thought that the areas tested by the certification exam were closely related to the healthcare needs of rural populations. The majority (86.19%) felt that the training program was "very helpful" or "helpful" for preparing for the exam. More than half the village doctors (61.46%) attended the "weekly school". The village doctors considered the most effective method of learning was "continuous training (40.36%)" . The majority of the rural doctors (89.91%) said they would be willing to participate in the training and 96.87% stated that they could afford to pay up to 2000 yuan for it. The majority of village doctors in Changzhou City perceived that neither the certification exam nor the training for it are closely related to the actual healthcare needs of rural residents. Policies and programs should focus on providing exam-preparation training for selected rural doctors, reducing training expenditures, and utilizing web-based methods. The training focused on rural practice should be provided to all village doctors, even certified physicians. The government should also adjust the local licensing requirements to attract and recruit new village doctors.

Transformation of traditional houses in the development of sustainable rural tourism, case study of Brayut Tourism Village in Yogyakarta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitasurya, V. R.; Hardiman, G.; Sari, S. R.

2018-01-01

This paper aims to reveal local values used by Brayut villagers to maintain the existence of the traditional house as a dwelling. The transformation of traditional houses goes as time passes, influenced by internal aspects related to the needs of residents and external aspects related to the regional development by the government. Traditional Javanese house as a cultural identity of Javanese people, especially in the village, has also experienced the transformation phenomenon. Modernization affects local residents’ needs and the Government’s Development Program for tourism village influences demands of change. An unfocused transformation can lead to a total change that can eliminate the cultural identity of the rural Java community. The method used is the case study by taking three models of Javanese house in Brayut Village. Brayut Tourism Village is a cultural tourism village that relies on tradition as a tourist attraction. The existence of traditional Javanese house is an important asset for retaining its authenticity as a dwelling. Three models taken as the case studies represent the traditional Javanese house types. The result obtained is that the family bond is a major factor in preserving the traditional Javanese house in Brayut Village, Yogyakarta.

Explorative study on management model of tourism business zone at Kuta, Bali

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astawa, I. K.; Suardani, A. A. P.; Harmini, A. A. A. N.

2018-01-01

Business activities through asset management of indigenous village of Kuta provide an opportunity for the community to participate in improving their welfare. This study aims to analyze the management model of Kuta’s tourism business zone, the involvement of stakeholders in the management of Kuta’s tourism business zone in indigenous village of Kuta and the implications of each business tourism zone in indigenous village of Kuta in the level of community welfare in each zone. Data collection was done by observation, interview, questionnaire, and documentation. The main instrument of this study is the researchers themselves assisted with interview guideline. The results showed that the management model has been arranged in 5 tourism business zones in indigenous village of Kuta. The involvement of all stakeholders in the management of the tourism business zone follows the procedure of execution of duties and provides security, comfort and certainty of doing business activities at each zone. The implications of the tourism business in the level of community welfare in each zone in indigenous village of Kuta have been able to bring happiness in business and all community are satisfied with the income they earned from work in each business zone.

Medieval land use management and geochemistry - spatial analyses on scales from households properties to whole fields systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horák, Jan; Janovský, Martin; Klír, Tomáš; Šmejda, Ladislav; Legut-Pintal, Maria

2017-04-01

We present the final or preliminary results of our researches of five villages: Spindelbach (Ore Mountains, North-Western Bohemia), Hol (near Prague, Central Bohemia), Lovětín and Regenholz (near Třešť, Czech-Moravian Upland) and Goschwitz (near Wroclaw, Poland). Our research is methodically based on broad spatial sampling of soil samples and mapping of basic soil conditions. We use XRF spectrometry as a main tool for multi-elemental analyses and as a tool for first step screening of large areas. The crucial factor of our methods is also a design of sampling based on a respect to historical land and land use features like parts of village field system or possesions of the households. Also macroscopic visual method of getting data and knowledge of the site is crucial. It was revealed that generally used and acknowledged human indicator - Phosphorus - can be present at only very low levels of concentration, or undetectable, even in the nearness of households. The natural conditions cannot be the causing factor at all cases. This situation is caused also by last human activity intensity and by its spatial manifestation. In such cases, multi-elemental analysis is very useful. Zinc is usually correlated with Phosphorus, which is also connected to Lead. The past human activity indicators are spatially usually connected to modern pollution indicators. These two inputs can be sometimes distinguished by statistical analyses and by spatial visualisation of data. Working with just concentrations can be misleading. Past land use management and its strategies were important for spatial distribution of soil geochemical indicators. Therefore, we can use them not only as quantifiers of human impact on nature, but we can also detect different management or knowledge and experience. As it was revealed e. g. by analyses of households` possessions differences. For example, generally presumed decreasing gradient of management intensity (e.g. manuring) along the distance from village can be found on on the level of a whole field system, but it varies a lot between the possessions` parcels. Funding: this output was created within the project New insights on a functional structure of abandoned villages field systems and on relationship between human activities and environment by way of pedochemical methods funded by Charles University Grant Agency (project No. 307415) and within the project Kulturní techniky: materialita, medialita a imaginace, subproject Středověká ves a její přírodní prostředí. Mezioborový výzkum zaniklých vsí v zázemí Prahy solved at Charles University from the Specific university research in 2016 and within the project Landscape of Medieval Prague funded by Czech Science Foundation, project No. 16-20763S.

Indigenous utilization of termite mounds and their sustainability in a rice growing village of the central plain of Laos

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The objective of this study was to investigate the indigenous utilization of termite mounds and termites in a rain-fed rice growing village in the central plain of Laos, where rice production is low and varies year-to-year, and to assess the possibility of sustainable termite mound utilization in the future. This research was carried out from 2007 to 2009. Methods The termites were collected from their mounds and surrounding areas and identified. Twenty villagers were interviewed on their use of termites and their mounds in the village. Sixty-three mounds were measured to determine their dimensions in early March, early July and middle to late November, 2009. Results Eleven species of Termitidae were recorded during the survey period. It was found that the villagers use termite mounds as fertilizer for growing rice, vegetable beds and charcoal kilns. The villagers collected termites for food and as feed for breeding fish. Over the survey period, 81% of the mounds surveyed increased in volume; however, the volume was estimated to decrease by 0.114 m3 mound-1 year-1 on average due to several mounds being completely cut out. Conclusion It was concluded that current mound utilization by villagers is not sustainable. To ensure sustainable termite utilization in the future, studies should be conducted to enhance factors that promote mound restoration by termites. Furthermore, it will be necessary to improve mound conservation methods used by the villagers after changes in the soil mass of mounds in paddy fields and forests has been measured accurately. The socio-economic factors that affect mound utilization should also be studied. PMID:21849087

Village Green Design, Operations, and Maintenance Document

EPA Science Inventory

The Village Green Project is a community-based activity to demonstrate the capabilities of new real-time monitoring technology for residents and citizen scientists to learn about local air quality. The goal of the project is to provide the public and communities with information ...

Family vs Village-Based: Intangible View on the Sustainable of Seaweed Farming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teniwut, Wellem A.; Teniwut, Yuliana K.; Teniwut, Roberto M. K.; Hasyim, Cawalinya L.

2017-10-01

Compare to other fishery activities for instance fish mariculture and catching fisheries, seaweed farming is considered easier. Also, the market for seaweed is wider and will keep growing. Thus, makes seaweed farming as one of the fastest commodity to improve the welfare of a coastal community. There are technical and non-technical factors in seaweed farming management, for non-technical on this intangible factors vary between family-based and village-based management, therefore aimed of this study was to simulate farmers decision to choose between family-based and village-based on seaweed managing system trigger by intangible factors. We conducted our study in Southeast Maluku, data collecting conducted from October to December 2016 by depth interview and questionnaires on seaweed farmers. We used logistic regression to compare each intangible factors on family and village-based seaweed farming management. The result showed that for family-based management farmers were willing to transfer their knowledge among each member in the household. For village-based revealed that farmers with higher education background tend to work on village-based, also, the result also stated that in village-based management member were those who have better capability and skill, at the same time village-based management had a small probability for conflict to occur compared to family-based.

Insecticide resistance in the sand fly, Phlebotomus papatasi from Khartoum State, Sudan.

PubMed

Hassan, Mo'awia Mukhtar; Widaa, Sally Osman; Osman, Osman Mohieldin; Numiary, Mona Siddig Mohammed; Ibrahim, Mihad Abdelaal; Abushama, Hind Mohammed

2012-03-07

Phlebotomus papatasi the vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most widely spread sand fly in Sudan. No data has previously been collected on insecticide susceptibility and/or resistance of this vector, and a first study to establish a baseline data is reported here. Sand flies were collected from Surogia village, (Khartoum State), Rahad Game Reserve (eastern Sudan) and White Nile area (Central Sudan) using light traps. Sand flies were reared in the Tropical Medicine Research Institute laboratory. The insecticide susceptibility status of first progeny (F1) of P. papatasi of each population was tested using WHO insecticide kits. Also, P. papatasi specimens from Surogia village and Rahad Game Reserve were assayed for activities of enzyme systems involved in insecticide resistance (acetylcholinesterase (AChE), non-specific carboxylesterases (EST), glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) and cytochrome p450 monooxygenases (Cyt p450). Populations of P. papatasi from White Nile and Rahad Game Reserve were sensitive to dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), permethrin, malathion, and propoxur. However, the P. papatasi population from Surogia village was sensitive to DDT and permethrin but highly resistant to malathion and propoxur. Furthermore, P. papatasi of Surogia village had significantly higher insecticide detoxification enzyme activity than of those of Rahad Game Reserve. The sand fly population in Surogia displayed high AChE activity and only three specimens had elevated levels for EST and GST. The study provided evidence for malathion and propoxur resistance in the sand fly population of Surogia village, which probably resulted from anti-malarial control activities carried out in the area during the past 50 years.

Interventions to increase immunisation coverage among children 12–23 months of age in India through participatory learning and community engagement: pilot study for a cluster randomised trial

PubMed Central

Johri, Mira; Chandra, Dinesh; Koné, Georges K; Dudeja, Sakshi; Sylvestre, Marie-Pierre; Sharma, Jitendar K; Pahwa, Smriti

2015-01-01

Objective With the aim of conducting a future cluster randomised trial to assess intervention impact on child vaccination coverage, we designed a pilot study to assess feasibility and aid in refining methods for the larger study. Trial design Cluster-randomised design with a 1:1 allocation ratio. Methods Clusters were 12 villages in rural Uttar Pradesh. All women residing in a selected village who were mothers of a child 0–23 months of age were eligible; participants were chosen at random. Over 4 months, intervention group (IG) villages received: (1) home visits by volunteers; (2) community mobilisation events to promote immunisation. Control group (CG) villages received community mobilisation to promote nutrition. A toll-free number for immunisation was offered to all IG and CG village residents. Primary outcomes were ex-ante criteria for feasibility of the main study related to processes for recruitment and randomisation (50% of villages would agree to participate and accept randomisation; 30 women could be recruited in 70% of villages), and retention of participants (50% of women retained from baseline to endline). Clusters were assigned to IG or CG using a computer-generated randomisation schedule. Neither participants nor those delivering interventions were blinded, but those assessing outcomes were blinded to group assignment. Results All villages contacted agreed to participate and accepted randomisation. 36 women were recruited per village; 432 participants were randomised (IG n=216; CG n=216). No clusters were lost to follow-up. The main analysis included 86% (373/432) of participants, 90% (195/216) from the IG and 82% (178/216) from the CG. Conclusions Criteria related to feasibility were satisfied, giving us confidence that we can successfully conduct a larger cluster randomised trial. Methodological lessons will inform design of the main study. Trial registration number ISRCTN16703097 PMID:26384721

Village Building Identification Based on Ensemble Convolutional Neural Networks

PubMed Central

Guo, Zhiling; Chen, Qi; Xu, Yongwei; Shibasaki, Ryosuke; Shao, Xiaowei

2017-01-01

In this study, we present the Ensemble Convolutional Neural Network (ECNN), an elaborate CNN frame formulated based on ensembling state-of-the-art CNN models, to identify village buildings from open high-resolution remote sensing (HRRS) images. First, to optimize and mine the capability of CNN for village mapping and to ensure compatibility with our classification targets, a few state-of-the-art models were carefully optimized and enhanced based on a series of rigorous analyses and evaluations. Second, rather than directly implementing building identification by using these models, we exploited most of their advantages by ensembling their feature extractor parts into a stronger model called ECNN based on the multiscale feature learning method. Finally, the generated ECNN was applied to a pixel-level classification frame to implement object identification. The proposed method can serve as a viable tool for village building identification with high accuracy and efficiency. The experimental results obtained from the test area in Savannakhet province, Laos, prove that the proposed ECNN model significantly outperforms existing methods, improving overall accuracy from 96.64% to 99.26%, and kappa from 0.57 to 0.86. PMID:29084154

Early malaria resurgence in pre-elimination areas in Kokap Subdistrict, Kulon Progo, Indonesia

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Indonesia is among those countries committed to malaria eradication, with a continuously decreasing incidence of malaria. However, at district level the situation is different. This study presents a case of malaria resurgence Kokap Subdistrict of the Kulon Progo District in Yogyakarta Province, Java after five years of low endemicity. This study also aims to describe the community perceptions and health services delivery situation that contribute to this case. Methods All malaria cases (2007–2011) in Kulon Progo District were stratified to annual parasite incidence (API). Two-hundred and twenty-six cases during an outbreak (May 2011 to April 2012) were geocoded by household addresses using a geographic information system (GIS) technique and clusters were identified by SaTScan software analysis (Arc GIS 10.1). Purposive random sampling was conducted on respondents living inside the clusters to identify community perceptions and behaviour related to malaria. Interviews were conducted with malaria health officers to understand the challenges of malaria surveillance and control. Results After experiencing three consecutive years with API less than 1 per thousand, malaria in Kokap subdistrict increased almost ten times higher than API in the district level and five times higher than national API. Malaria cases were found in all five villages in 2012. One primary and two secondary malaria clusters in Hargotirto and Kalirejo villages were identified during the 2011–2012 outbreak. Most of the respondents were positively aware with malaria signs and activities of health workers to prevent malaria, although some social economic activities could not be hindered. Return transmigrants or migrant workers entering to their villages, reduced numbers of village malaria workers and a surge in malaria cases in the neighbouring district contributed to the resurgence. Conclusion Community perception, awareness and participation could constitute a solid foundation for malaria elimination in Kokap. However, decreasing number of village malaria workers and ineffective communication between primary health centres (PHCs) within boundary areas with similar malaria problems needs attention. Decentralization policy was allegedly the reason for the less integrated malaria control between districts, especially in the cross border areas. Malaria resurgence needs attention particularly when it occurs in an area that is entering the elimination phase. PMID:24684702

The impact of circular migration on a village economy.

PubMed

Hetler, C B

1989-04-01

The author examines the economy of a rural village in Indonesia in which a high proportion of households rely on remittances from urban informal sector earnings. Household income and per capita income are analyzed according to whether or not households have at least one temporary migrant, and by the sex and age of the household head. Findings indicate that "remittances from short-term circular migration push many households into the middle and upper income ranges. However, the wealthiest households continue to rely on traditional high earning activities and do not depend on remittances. The poorest households are scattered among those who rely on remittances and those still totally dependent upon traditional low earning village activities, regardless of the sex and age of the household head." excerpt

Communicating new ideas to traditional villagers (an Indonesian case).

PubMed

Muis, A

1984-01-01

Recent cases derived from a series of communication research projects conducted in remote villages on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, are presented. These cases, which indicate the tremendously complex problem of communicating new ideas to traditional villages, also reflect the equally complex problem of social marketing. Indonesian, villagers remain very traditional, but their communication environment has been undergoing marked changes over the past decade or so. Overwhelming media exposure has pushed these people towards a modern environment filled with new knowledge and experiences. In view of the importance of changing attitudes and behavior of traditional villagers -- to realize modernization for the rural society -- the government of Indonesia has been using a host of communication means and channels. These include all the viable traditional or indigenous communication systems, but mainly face-to-face communication. Traditional dances, story-telling, and music are no longer interesting to the rural people themselves, and, apparently, no real developmental message can be transmitted by traditional "mass media." Among the 50 respondents randomly selected from the isolated village of Gelang (Case I), only 17% claimed to have listened to news in addition to music and songs. 67% of the respondents explained that information carrying novel ideas or methods usually attract them, but they are always reluctant to accept the new ideas for real application. Case II is about the effect of movie exposure on traditional villagers. As many as 73% of 50 respondents explained that the knowledge of the peasant-fisherman has increased considerably with regard to the urban way of life, as a result of movie attendance. The informants indicated that many villagers were disgusted by feature films or theatrical ones and that 62% of the villagers had yet to go to a movie. Case III involved the communication of new methods of medication to rural societies, including traditional medicinemen and women. Villagers were taught to cure diarrhea with oral rehydration. The result is that diarrhea has not reached epidemic proportions in the province of South Sulawesi at any time during the past 3 years. In sum, communicating new values to traditional people is an arduous task. There are a number of related variables that often influence the process of communication of new ideas to traditional villagers.

This Artroom Is a Jungle!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Karen A.

1984-01-01

Turning the art room into a tropical paradise engaged students from February to May. Rather than limit themselves to traditional art activities, students studying Gauguin created a total environment, including a creature hall of fame, a rain forest, a village market place, an island paradise, and a jungle village. (IS)

Research on the strategies to optimize traditional Korean nationality village residential environment -- Taking the transformation of Chatiao Village in Antu County, Yanbian Korean Nationality Autonomous Prefecture as example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaoyang, Sun; Xin, Sui; Mo, Li; Yongqiang, Wang

2017-04-01

This research is aimed to make an in-depth research into the strategies and methods to protect and develop the residential environment in the villages and towns with minority group characteristics. In the research on the construction mode and optimization strategy of the residential environment of the original residents in Chatiao Village, Antu County, Korean Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, the contents of architecture and planning were used comprehensively with the philosophy of green design, sociology and economics being combined simultaneously to drive the humanistic and economic development in the minority areas at the same time of providing new employment opportunities and a comfortable residential environment for people, thus realizing the complete development of the characteristic villages in Chinese minority areas.

Pattern analysis of schistosomiasis prevalence by exploring predictive modeling in Jiangling County, Hubei Province, P.R. China.

PubMed

Xia, Shang; Xue, Jing-Bo; Zhang, Xia; Hu, He-Hua; Abe, Eniola Michael; Rollinson, David; Bergquist, Robert; Zhou, Yibiao; Li, Shi-Zhu; Zhou, Xiao-Nong

2017-04-26

The prevalence of schistosomiasis remains a key public health issue in China. Jiangling County in Hubei Province is a typical lake and marshland endemic area. The pattern analysis of schistosomiasis prevalence in Jiangling County is of significant importance for promoting schistosomiasis surveillance and control in the similar endemic areas. The dataset was constructed based on the annual schistosomiasis surveillance as well the socio-economic data in Jiangling County covering the years from 2009 to 2013. A village clustering method modified from the K-mean algorithm was used to identify different types of endemic villages. For these identified village clusters, a matrix-based predictive model was developed by means of exploring the one-step backward temporal correlation inference algorithm aiming to estimate the predicative correlations of schistosomiasis prevalence among different years. Field sampling of faeces from domestic animals, as an indicator of potential schistosomiasis prevalence, was carried out and the results were used to validate the results of proposed models and methods. The prevalence of schistosomiasis in Jiangling County declined year by year. The total of 198 endemic villages in Jiangling County can be divided into four clusters with reference to the 5 years' occurrences of schistosomiasis in human, cattle and snail populations. For each identified village cluster, a predictive matrix was generated to characterize the relationships of schistosomiasis prevalence with the historic infection level as well as their associated impact factors. Furthermore, the results of sampling faeces from the front field agreed with the results of the identified clusters of endemic villages. The results of village clusters and the predictive matrix can be regard as the basis to conduct targeted measures for schistosomiasis surveillance and control. Furthermore, the proposed models and methods can be modified to investigate the schistosomiasis prevalence in other regions as well as be used for investigating other parasitic diseases.

Can social dancing prevent falls in older adults? a protocol of the Dance, Aging, Cognition, Economics (DAnCE) fall prevention randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Falls are one of the most common health problems among older people and pose a major economic burden on health care systems. Exercise is an accepted stand-alone fall prevention strategy particularly if it is balance training or regular participation in Tai chi. Dance shares the ‘holistic’ approach of practices such as Tai chi. It is a complex sensorimotor rhythmic activity integrating multiple physical, cognitive and social elements. Small-scale randomised controlled trials have indicated that diverse dance styles can improve measures of balance and mobility in older people, but none of these studies has examined the effect of dance on falls or cognition. This study aims to determine whether participation in social dancing: i) reduces the number of falls; and ii) improves cognitive functions associated with fall risk in older people. Methods/design A single-blind, cluster randomised controlled trial of 12 months duration will be conducted. Approximately 450 participants will be recruited from 24 self-care retirement villages that house at least 60 residents each in Sydney, Australia. Village residents without cognitive impairment and obtain medical clearance will be eligible. After comprehensive baseline measurements including physiological and cognitive tests and self-completed questionnaires, villages will be randomised to intervention sites (ballroom or folk dance) or to a wait-listed control using a computer randomisation method that minimises imbalances between villages based on two baseline fall risk measures. Main outcome measures are falls, prospectively measured, and the Trail Making cognitive function test. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses will be performed. Discussion This study offers a novel approach to balance training for older people. As a community-based approach to fall prevention, dance offers older people an opportunity for greater social engagement, thereby making a major contribution to healthy ageing. Providing diversity in exercise programs targeting seniors recognises the heterogeneity of multicultural populations and may further increase the number of taking part in exercise. Trial registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000889853 The trial is now in progress with 12 villages already have been randomised. PMID:23675705

Cross-sectional analysis of self-efficacy and social capital in a community-based healthy village project in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

PubMed

Yuasa, Motoyuki; Shirayama, Yoshihisa; Osato, Keiichi; Miranda, Cesar; Condore, Julia; Siles, Roxana

2015-06-20

An assessment of self-efficacy and social capital may have the potential to detect an effect of dynamic, complex and comprehensive collective actions in community-based health promotion. In 2003, a healthy village project was launched in Santa Cruz, Bolivia with technical assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The originally developed FORSA (Fortalecimiento de Redes de Salud) model accounted for participatory processes in which people could improve their health and well-being through individual behavioral changes and family/community-driven activities. This study aimed to examine the extent of self-efficacy and social capital obtained via project activities by a cross-sectional analysis. We randomly selected 340 subjects from the healthy village project site and 113 subjects from a control area. Both groups were interviewed using the same structured questionnaire. Self-efficacy was assessed with a General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), while social capital was measured as the frequency of formal group participation in community meetings during the past three months, perceived social solidarity, and general trust. The study results showed that the participants in the project site had higher self-efficacy and social capital compared to those in the control site. The number of times a subject participated in the health committee activities was positively associated with the self-efficacy scale. Regarding social capital, females and lower-educated people were more likely to have had more frequent participation in formal groups; males and higher-educated participants showed less formal group participation, but more generosity to contribute money for the community. The main perceived benefit of participation in formal group activities varied among individuals. The findings suggest that people in the healthy village project site have higher self-efficacy, especially those with active participation in the health committee activities. To recruit more participants in future healthy village projects, we should consider the gender and level of education, and match the perceived benefits of participants accordingly.

Involvement of Mitanins (female health volunteers) in active malaria surveillance, determinants and challenges in tribal populated malaria endemic villages of Chhattisgarh, India.

PubMed

Chourasia, Mehul Kumar; Raghavendra, Kamaraju; Bhatt, Rajendra Mohan; Swain, Dipak Kumar; Dutta, G D P; Kleinschmidt, Immo

2017-07-11

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), female health volunteers working at village level have become an integral component of National Health Mission (NHM) in India in the past two decades. Mitanin (meaning female friend in local dialect), a precursor of ASHA, play an indispensable role in early detection of health related problems and are helping in improving overall community health status in Chhattisgarh state. The current study was carried out to evaluate the feasibility of involving Mitanin in active malaria surveillance work in 80 tribal villages of Chhattisgarh and to explore the challenges and determinants to perform malaria surveillance activities by the Mitanins. A total of 162 Mitanins were selected and divided into two age and village matched groups. The first group (training plus) of Mitanins were given additional training in malaria surveillance activities in whilst the second (standard) group received routine training. All Mitanins were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. In-depth interviews were also conducted among randomly selected sub groups of Mitanins (five from each group) after the completion of the quantitative survey. Performance of Mitanins was evaluated using pre-defined grading scores (A-E) which included various factors such as educational qualifications and knowledge about malaria, its signs and symptoms and knowledge, attitude and treatment practices. More number of Mitanins in training plus group has showed better performance (≥ B) than those in the standard group of Mitanins (80% vs 43.5%, p = 0.001) after adjusting for socio-demographic factors. Based on the outcome of in-depth interviews, Mitanin's lack of adequate support from supervisors, delayed payment of incentives and lack of appreciation were the major challenges mentioned. Mitanins can play an effective role in active fever surveillance for malaria besides performing other health related tasks at sub-village level after focused education on malaria related activities and proper supervision.

Implementation of Water Safety Plans (WSPs): A Case Study in the Coastal Area in Semarang City, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budiyono; Ginandjar, P.; Saraswati, L. D.; Pangestuti, D. R.; Martini; Jati, S. P.

2018-02-01

An area of 508.28 hectares in North Semarang is flooded by tidal inundation, including Bandarharjo village, which could affect water quality in the area. People in Bandarharjo use safe water from deep groundwater, without disinfection process. More than 90% of water samples in the Bandaharjo village had poor bacteriological quality. The aimed of the research was to describe the implementation of Water Safety Plans (WSPs) program in Bandarharjo village. This was a descriptive study with steps for implementations adopted the guidelines and tools of the World Health Organization. The steps consist of introducing WSPs program, team building, training the team, examination of water safety before risk assessment, risk assessment, minor repair I, examination of water safety risk, minor repair II (after monitoring). Data were analyzed using descriptive methods. WSPs program has been introduced and formed WSPs team, and the training of the team has been conducted. The team was able to conduct risks assessment, planned the activities, examined water quality, conduct minor repair and monitoring at the source, distribution, and households connection. The WSPs program could be implemented in the coastal area in Semarang, however regularly supervision and some adjustment are needed.

A study on traditional medicinal plants of Uthapuram, Madurai District, Tamilnadu, South India

PubMed Central

Sivasankari, Balayogan; Pitchaimani, Subburaj; Anandharaj, Marimuthu

2013-01-01

Objective To record the medicinal plants of Uthapuram Village, Madurai district, Tamilnadu, South India for the first time and the usage of these medicinal plants to remediate the diseases among the peoples. Methods Explorative field trips were made to the village for about twelve months from April 2012 to May 2013 to survey the medicinal plants and collect the information from the villagers. Results From this study 52 species of valuable medicinal plants belonging to 36 families were recorded and their ethnomedicinal values were collected from the village peoples. Conclusion This study focuses the importance, utilization and conservation of the medicinal plants among the people. PMID:24093789

Effective model development of internal auditors in the village financial institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsana, I. M. M.; Sugiarta, I. N.

2018-01-01

Designing an effective audit system is complex and challenging, and a focus on examining how internal audit drive improvement in three core performance dimensions ethicality, efficiency, and effectiveness in organization is needed. The problem of research is how the desain model and peripheral of supporter of effective supervation Village Credit Institution? Research of objectives is yielding the desain model and peripheral of supporter of effective supervation Village Credit Institution. Method Research use data collecting technique interview, observation and enquette. Data analysis, data qualitative before analysed to be turned into quantitative data in the form of scale. Each variable made to become five classificat pursuant to scale of likert. Data analysed descriptively to find supervation level, Structural Equation Model (SEM) to find internal and eksternal factor. So that desain model supervation with descriptive analysis. Result of research desain model and peripheral of supporter of effective supervation Village Credit Institution. The conclusion desain model supported by three sub system: sub system institute yield body supervisor of Village Credit Institution, sub system standardization and working procedure yield standard operating procedure supervisor of Village Credit Institution, sub system education and training yield supervisor professional of Village Credit Institution.

Could Disappearance of Endemic (Balkan) Nephropathy Be Expected in Forthcoming Decades?

PubMed Central

Cvitković, Ante; Vuković-Lela, Ivana; Edwards, Karen L.; Karanović, Sandra; Jurić, Dragana; Čvorišćec, Dubravka; Fuček, Mirjana; Jelaković, Bojan

2012-01-01

Background/Aims An epidemiological survey of endemic nephropathy (EN) was performed in endemic Croatian areas and the current prevalence was compared to that reported for the same villages several decades ago. Methods A total of 2,487 adult farmers from 6 endemic villages and 3 non-endemic villages were enrolled. An extensive epidemiological questionnaire, clinical examination and laboratory analyses of blood and urine were performed. According to the modified WHO criteria, participants were classified into diseased, suspected of having EN, and those at risk of developing EN. Results The overall prevalence of EN in the Croatian areas was 1.0%, ranging between 0.3 and 2.3% in different villages. Those suspected of having EN amounted to 3.9%. In the endemic villages a decreasing trend in the prevalence of EN was observed comparable to the results obtained in previous surveys. It is interesting to note that no EN patients were recorded in the endemic village of Dubočac. Conclusion The prevalence of EN in the endemic Croatian areas appears to be decreasing. For the first time, we failed to detect any EN patients in a village that was previously considered endemic, which might indicate that EN is diminishing. PMID:22116163

Waste Bank Revitalization in Palabuhanratu West Java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samadikun, Budi Prasetyo; Handayani, Dwi Siwi; Laksana, Muhamad Permana

2018-02-01

Palabuhanratu Village has three waste banks, one of them was established since 2010, the others built in 2016. However, waste processing from the source is still not optimal, it's only reduced waste about 5% of the total waste generated to the final waste disposal site. The performance of waste banks is still minimal, because one waste bank can not serve the entire area of the village. Furthermore, organic waste processed by some communities of Palabuhanratu Village to be compost can not be a mass movement, due to the lack of public knowledge. The purpose of this research is to know the existing condition of waste management in Palabuhanratu Village and to formulate the revitalization of existing waste bank. The research used survey research method by using questionnaire, in depth interview, and observation. Analytical technique using quantitative and qualitative analysis. The findings of the research indicate that the residents of Palabuhanratu Village who often do waste sorting from the source only from the residents of RT 01 / RW 33. The number of existing temporary waste disposal site in Palabuhanratu Village is still lacking, so it requires addition up to 5 units that integrated with waste bank in this village.

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).

Geographic population structure analysis of worldwide human populations infers their biogeographical origins

PubMed Central

Elhaik, Eran; Tatarinova, Tatiana; Chebotarev, Dmitri; Piras, Ignazio S.; Maria Calò, Carla; De Montis, Antonella; Atzori, Manuela; Marini, Monica; Tofanelli, Sergio; Francalacci, Paolo; Pagani, Luca; Tyler-Smith, Chris; Xue, Yali; Cucca, Francesco; Schurr, Theodore G.; Gaieski, Jill B.; Melendez, Carlalynne; Vilar, Miguel G.; Owings, Amanda C.; Gómez, Rocío; Fujita, Ricardo; Santos, Fabrício R.; Comas, David; Balanovsky, Oleg; Balanovska, Elena; Zalloua, Pierre; Soodyall, Himla; Pitchappan, Ramasamy; GaneshPrasad, ArunKumar; Hammer, Michael; Matisoo-Smith, Lisa; Wells, R. Spencer; Acosta, Oscar; Adhikarla, Syama; Adler, Christina J.; Bertranpetit, Jaume; Clarke, Andrew C.; Cooper, Alan; Der Sarkissian, Clio S. I.; Haak, Wolfgang; Haber, Marc; Jin, Li; Kaplan, Matthew E.; Li, Hui; Li, Shilin; Martínez-Cruz, Begoña; Merchant, Nirav C.; Mitchell, John R.; Parida, Laxmi; Platt, Daniel E.; Quintana-Murci, Lluis; Renfrew, Colin; Lacerda, Daniela R.; Royyuru, Ajay K.; Sandoval, Jose Raul; Santhakumari, Arun Varatharajan; Soria Hernanz, David F.; Swamikrishnan, Pandikumar; Ziegle, Janet S.

2014-01-01

The search for a method that utilizes biological information to predict humans’ place of origin has occupied scientists for millennia. Over the past four decades, scientists have employed genetic data in an effort to achieve this goal but with limited success. While biogeographical algorithms using next-generation sequencing data have achieved an accuracy of 700 km in Europe, they were inaccurate elsewhere. Here we describe the Geographic Population Structure (GPS) algorithm and demonstrate its accuracy with three data sets using 40,000–130,000 SNPs. GPS placed 83% of worldwide individuals in their country of origin. Applied to over 200 Sardinians villagers, GPS placed a quarter of them in their villages and most of the rest within 50 km of their villages. GPS’s accuracy and power to infer the biogeography of worldwide individuals down to their country or, in some cases, village, of origin, underscores the promise of admixture-based methods for biogeography and has ramifications for genetic ancestry testing. PMID:24781250

Aging village doctors in five counties in rural China: situation and implications.

PubMed

Xu, Huiwen; Zhang, Weijun; Gu, Linni; Qu, Zhiyong; Sa, Zhihong; Zhang, Xiulan; Tian, Donghua

2014-06-28

The aging population, rapid urbanization, and epidemiology transition in China call for the improvement and adaptation of the health workforce, especially in underserved rural areas. The aging of village doctors (the former "barefoot doctors") who have served the rural residents for many decades has become a warning signal for the human resources for health in China. This study aims to investigate the village doctors' aging situation and its implications in rural China. The data reviewed were obtained from the baseline survey of a longitudinal study of rural health workforce in five counties in rural China in 2011. Using a stratified multi-stage cluster sampling process, the baseline data was collected through the self-administered structured Village Doctor Questionnaire. Descriptive analyses, correlation analyses, and multivariate linear regression with interaction terms were conducted with the statistics software Stata 12.0. The average age of the 1,927 village doctors was 49.3 years (95% CI 48.8 to 49.9), 870 (45.2%) of whom were aging (50 years or older). Both the age and the recruitment time of the village doctors were demonstrated to have a bimodal distribution. A greater proportion of the male village doctors were aging. Furthermore, aging of the village doctors was significantly correlated to their education level, type of qualification, practicing methods, and their status as village clinic directors (P <0.05, respectively). As shown in the regression models, aging village doctors provided significantly more outpatient services to rural residents (P <0.01) but without an increase in income, and their expected pension was lower (P <0.01), compared with their non-aging counterparts. Aging of village doctors is a serious and imperative issue in China, which has a complex and profound impact on the rural health system. Greater attention should be paid to the construction of the pension system and the replenishment of the village doctors with qualified medical graduates.

Integrated control of peridomestic larval habitats of Aedes and Culex mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in atoll villages of French Polynesia.

PubMed

Lardeux, Frederic; Sechan, Yves; Loncke, Stepiiane; Deparis, Xavier; Cheffort, Jules; Faaruia, Marc

2002-05-01

An integrated larval mosquito control program was carried out in Tiputa village on Rangiroa atoll of French Polynesia. Mosquito abundance before and after treatment was compared with the abundance in an untreated village. Mosquito larval habitats consisted of large concrete or polyurethane cisterns, wells, and 200-liter drums. Depending on the target species, larval habitat category, its configuration, and purpose (drinking consumption or not), abatement methods consisted of sealing the larval habitats with mosquito gauze, treating them with 1% Temephos, covering the water with a 10-cm thick layer of polystyrene beads or introducing fish (Poecillia reticulata Rosen & Bailey). All premises of the chosen village were treated and a health education program explained basic mosquito ecology and the methods of control. A community health agent was trained to continue the control program at the end of the experiment. Entomological indices from human bait collections and larval surveys indicated that mosquito populations were reduced significantly, compared with concurrent samples from the untreated control village, and that mosquito control remained effective for 6 mo after treatment. Effects of the treatment were noticed by the inhabitants in terms of a reduction in the number of mosquito bites. In the Polynesian context, such control programs may succeed in the long-term only if strong political decisions are taken at the village level, if a community member is designated as being responsible for maintaining the program, and if the inhabitants are motivated sufficiently by the mosquito nuisance to intervene.

Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water by Coagulation/Filtration - U.S. EPA Demonstration Project at Village of Waynesville, IL - Final Performance Evaluation Report

EPA Science Inventory

This report documents the activities performed and the results obtained from the arsenic removal drinking water treatment technology demonstration project at the Village of Waynesville, IL. The main objective of the project was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Peerless coagu...

Solar Village--Educational Initiative for Kids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hugerat, Muhamad; Ilyian, Salman; Toren, Zehava; Anabosi, Fawzi

2003-01-01

Explains a model of a solar village in the context of the school which does not contribute to air pollution by using only solar energy. Suggests that pupils would be active participants in building systems and understanding the contact between the knowledge of the basic science of solar energy and the technology processes in daily life.…

Assessment of village health worker training program in Tuguegarao, Philippine.

PubMed

Kim, Jung Min; Koh, Kwang Wook; Oak, Chul Ho; Jung, Woo Hyuk; Kim, Sung Hyun; Park, Dae Hee

2009-11-01

This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of 'village health worker training program' which aimed to build community participatory health promotion capacity of community leaders in villages of low developed country and to develop methods for further development of the program. The intervention group were 134 community leaders from 25 barangays (village). Control group were 149 form 4 barangays. Intervention group participated 3-day training program. Questionnaire was developed based on 'Health Promotion Capacity Checklist' which assessed capacity in 4 feathers; 'knowledge', 'skill', 'commitment', and 'resource'. Each feather was assessed in 4 point rating scale. Capacity scores between intervention group and control group were examined to identify changes between the pre- and post-intervention periods. A qualitative evaluation of the program was conducted to assess the appropriateness of the program. The program was conducted in Tuguegarao city, Philippine in January, 2009. The result showed significant increases in the total health promotion capacity and each feather of health promotion capacities between pre and post assessment of intervention group. But there was no significant change in that of control group. Participants marked high level of satisfaction for preparedness, selection of main subjects and education method. Qualitative evaluation revealed that training program facilitated community participatory health promotion capacity of participants. This study suggested that the Village health worker training program is effective for building health promotion capacity of community leaders and it can be a main method for helping low developed countries with further development.

Training Cambodian Village Health Support Guides in Diabetes Prevention: Effects on Guides' Knowledge and Teaching Activities Over 6 Months.

PubMed

Wagner, Julie; Keuky, Lim; Fraser-King, Lorraine; Kuoch, Theanvy; Scully, Mary

2016-04-01

Type 2 diabetes is a pressing public health concern in Cambodia, a country with limited human resource capacity due to genocide. Cambodian village health support guides (Guides) promote health at the local level. This paper reports preliminary results of training Guides in diabetes prevention. The curriculum, called Eat, Walk, Sleep was delivered to Guides in Siem Reap province once over 3 h. Participants completed a pretest and posttest on diabetes knowledge. Guides were offered continuing education through Eat, Walk, Sleep resources and were encouraged to teach Eat, Walk, Sleep in their villages. For each of 6 months following their training, Guides completed a checklist regarding their activities. One hundred eighty-five Guides attended one of ten trainings. Knowledge scores increased significantly from pretest to posttest. During 6 months of follow-up, n = 159 Guides (85 %) completed at least one monthly checklist. Guides reported high rates of uptake and delivery of the Eat, Walk, Sleep curriculum and moderate rates of continuing education about diabetes. Diabetes prevention in Cambodia is nascent. Guides show excellent uptake and dissemination of the curriculum. Future research should examine effect of support for Guide activities and the effect of the curriculum on villager health behaviors, and ultimately, on rates of type 2 diabetes.

Applying research to AIDS programs in villages. Burkina Faso project learns from community survey.

PubMed

Tankoano, F

1994-01-01

In 1991, 34 cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were recorded for the province of Bam, which has a population of 4239. Since 1992, PLAN and the local Ministry of Health have been conducting an AIDS prevention program in the province. An initial baseline community survey to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices about the disease was conducted in order to tailor the program to the needs and characteristics of the target population. A questionnaire was administered to 300 randomly selected adults in 10 rural villages. The sexes were equally represented. 74% of the villagers were found to be illiterate and the major sources of health information were radio, health facilities, and friends and relatives; therefore, educational activities were carried out through non-written methods (traditional and modern) that employed these communication channels. Initially, 5 men and 5 women ("Village Communicators") were selected by their communities to be trained in information, education, and communication (IEC) techniques regarding AIDS prevention; under the supervision of their trainers, they organized and conducted 2 weekly sessions. An additional 62 women and 50 men were trained as Village Communicators to promote AIDS awareness among their own gender. A team of health personnel, artists, and a traditional music group conducted collective sessions to promote condom use and address problems relating to AIDS (polygamy, remarrying of spouses of AIDS victims, availability of testing during prenuptial visits). Although 90% of respondents had heard about AIDS, 30% did not understand the disease or its routes of transmission; so messages about the effects and the transmission of AIDS were emphasized. Because 56% of respondents admitted having had 2 or more sex partners, and a similar percentage admitted having had 2 or more sexual encounters per week, messages were disseminated on sexuality using community volunteers and the folkloric band. 42% of respondents were aware of the protective effect of condoms, but only 9% used them during their last sexual encounter; so village leaders, traditional healers, and PLAN and MOH staff promoted condom use at community sessions. Since 68% of respondents approved of the sale of condoms, a community-based system, which would be managed by village committees, for the sale and distribution of condoms was established.

The experience of implementing a 'TB village' for a pastoralist population in Cherrati, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Tayler-Smith, K; Khogali, M; Keiluhu, K; Jemmy, J-P; Ayada, L; Weyeyso, T; Issa, A M; De Maio, G; Harries, A D; Zachariah, R

2011-10-01

In Cherrati District, Somali Regional State (SRS), Ethiopia, despite a high burden of tuberculosis (TB), TB control activities are virtually absent. The majority of the population is pastoralist with a mobile lifestyle. TB care and treatment were offered using a 'TB village' approach that included traditional style residential care, community empowerment and awareness raising, provision of essential social amenities and essential food and non-food items. To describe 1) key aspects of the implementation of the TB village approach, 2) TB treatment outcomes and 3) the lessons learnt during implementation. Descriptive study. A total of 297 patients entered the TB village between September 2006 and October 2008; 271 (91%) patients were treated successfully, nine (3%) defaulted and 13 (4%) died. For pastoralist populations, a TB village approach may be effective for improving access to TB care, ensuring proper adherence to treatment and achieving good overall TB outcomes. The successes and challenges of this approach are discussed.

DOE and AID stand-alone photovoltaic activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bifano, W. J.; Ratajczak, A. F.

1983-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) is managing stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system activities sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID). The DOE project includes village PV power demonstration projects in Gabon (four sites) and the Marshall Islands, PV-powered medical refrigerators in six countries, PV system microprocessor control development activities and PV-hybrid system assessments. The AID project includes a large village system in Tunisia, a water pumping/grain grinding project in Upper Volta, five medical clinics in four countries, PV-powered remote earth station application. These PV activities and summarizes significant findings to data are reviewed.

Stable Isotopes Reveal Nitrogen Loading to Lake Tanganyika from Remote Shoreline Villages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, Brianne; Mtiti, Emmanuel; McIntyre, Peter B.; Vadeboncoeur, Yvonne

2017-02-01

Access to safe water is an ongoing challenge in rural areas in Tanzania where communities often lack access to improved sanitation. Methods to detect contamination of surface water bodies, such as monitoring nutrient concentrations and bacterial counts, are time consuming and results can be highly variable in space and time. On the northeast shore of Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania, the low population density coupled with the high potential for dilution in the lake necessitates the development of a sensitive method for detecting contamination in order to avoid human health concerns. We investigated the potential use of nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes of snail tissues to detect anthropogenic nutrient loading along the northeast shore of Lake Tanganyika. δ15N of snails was positively related to human population size in the nearest village, but only for villages with >4000 inhabitants. The areal footprint of villages within their watershed was also significantly correlated with snail δ15N, while agricultural land use and natural vegetation were not. Dissolved nutrient concentrations were not significantly different between village and reference sites. Our results indicate that nitrogen isotopes provide a sensitive index of local nutrient loading that can be used to monitor contamination of oligotrophic aquatic environments with low surrounding population densities.

Spatial modelling for tsunami evacuation route in Parangtritis Village

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juniansah, A.; Tyas, B. I.; Tama, G. C.; Febriani, K. R.; Farda, N. M.

2018-04-01

Tsunami is a series of huge sea waves that commonly occurs because of the oceanic plate movement or tectonic activity under the sea. As a sudden hazard, the tsunami has damaged many people over the years. Parangtritis village is one of high tsunami hazard risk area in Indonesia which needs an effective tsunami risk reduction. This study aims are modelling a tsunami susceptibility map, existing assembly points evaluation, and suggesting effective evacuation routes. The susceptibility map was created using ALOS PALSAR DEM and surface roughness coefficient. The method of tsunami modelling employed inundation model developed by Berryman (2006). The results are used to determine new assembly points based on the Sentinel 2A imagery and to determine the most effective evacuation route by using network analyst. This model can be used to create detailed scale of evacuation route, but unrepresentative for assembly point that far from road network.

Ex post and ex ante willingness to pay (WTP) for the ICT Malaria Pf/Pv test kit in Myanmar.

PubMed

Cho-Min-Naing; Lertmaharit, S; Kamol-Ratanakul, P; Saul, A J

2000-03-01

Willingness to pay (WTP) for the ICT Malaria Pf/Pv test kit was assessed by the contingent valuation method using a bidding game approach in two villages in Myanmar. Kankone (KK) village has a rural health center (RHC) and Yae-Aye-Sann (YAS) is serviced by community health worker (CHW). The objectives were to assess WTP for the ICT Malaria Pf/Pv test kit and to determine factors affecting the WTP. In both villages WTP was assessed in two different conditions, ex post and ex ante. The ex post WTP was assessed at an RHC in the KK village and at the residence of a CHW in the YAS village on patients immediately following diagnosis of malaria. The ex ante WTP was assessed by household interviews in both villages on people with a prior history of malaria. Ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple regression analysis was used to analyze factors affecting WTP. The WTP was higher in ex post conditions than ex ante in both villages. WTP was significantly positively associated with the average monthly income of the respondents and severity of illness in both ex post and ex ante conditions (p < 0.001). Distance between the residence of the respondents and the health center was significantly positively associated (p < 0.05) in the ex ante condition in a household survey of YAS village. Traveling time to RHC had a negative relationship with WTP (p < 0.05) in the ex post condition in the RHC survey in KK village.

Effect of village midwife program on contraceptive prevalence and method choice in Indonesia.

PubMed

Weaver, Emily H; Frankenberg, Elizabeth; Fried, Bruce J; Thomas, Duncan; Wheeler, Stephanie B; Paul, John E

2013-12-01

Indonesia established its Village Midwife Program in 1989 to combat high rates of maternal mortality. The program's goals were to address gaps in access to reproductive health care for rural women, increase access to and use of family planning services, and broaden the mix of available contraceptive methods. In this study, we use longitudinal data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey to examine the program's effect on contraceptive practice. We find that the program did not affect overall contraceptive prevalence but did affect method choice. Over time, for women using contraceptives, midwives were associated with increased odds of injectable contraceptive use and decreased odds of oral contraceptive and implant use. Although the Indonesian government had hoped that the Village Midwife Program would channel women into using longer-lasting methods, the women's "switching behavior" indicates that the program succeeded in providing additional outlets for and promoting the use of injectable contraceptives. © 2013 The Population Council, Inc.

Community-based wastewater treatment systems and water quality of an Indonesian village.

PubMed

Lim, H S; Lee, L Y; Bramono, S E

2014-03-01

This paper examines the impact of community-based water treatment systems on water quality in a peri-urban village in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Water samples were taken from the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), irrigation canals, paddy fields and wells during the dry and wet seasons. The samples were tested for biological and chemical oxygen demand, nutrients (ammonia, nitrate, total nitrogen and total phosphorus) and Escherichia coli. Water quality in this village is affected by the presence of active septic tanks, WWTP effluent discharge, small-scale tempe industries and external sources. We found that the WWTPs remove oxygen-demanding wastes effectively but discharged nutrients, such as nitrate and ammonia, into irrigation canals. Irrigation canals had high levels of E. coli as well as oxygen-demanding wastes. Well samples had high E. coli, nitrate and total nitrogen levels. Rainfall tended to increase concentrations of biological and chemical oxygen demand and some nutrients. All our samples fell within the drinking water standards for nitrate but failed the international and Indonesian standards for E. coli. Water quality in this village can be improved by improving the WWTP treatment of nutrients, encouraging more villagers to be connected to WWTPs and controlling hotspot contamination areas in the village.

Reverend Doctor William Pearson in South Kilworth, Leicestershire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frost, M. A.

2006-12-01

William Pearson (1767-1847) was a 19th-century astronomer, renowned for his work in positional astronomy and the design of astronomical instruments, both practical and instructional. He was a co-founder in 1820 of the Astronomical Society of London, which later became the Royal Astronomical Society, where his portrait hangs. For 30 years of his astronomical career he was the Rector of South Kilworth, a village in Leicestershire, England, where he erected several observatory buildings, as well as extending the village church and building the village schoolroom. This paper documents his activities in South Kilworth.

Integrating remote sensing, field observations, and ground temperature modeling to help address permafrost-related societal challenges around native village of Telida, Interior Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panda, S. K.; Kholodov, A. L.; Romanovsky, V. E.; Hanson, T.

2017-12-01

The dramatic landscape changes caused by thawing permafrost are wreaking havoc in remote Arctic villages. These changes are directly affecting land use, subsistence access, and adding to the high cost of infrastructure maintenance in remote villages; in some instances, threatening the safety of people who practice subsistence in remote sites. The goal of this project is to study the status and distribution of near-surface permafrost surrounding the Telida village in the Upper Kuskokwim region, and ultimately forecast how permafrost distribution and temperature may evolve in the near-future to help the Telida community better prepare in addressing the engineering, environmental, and subsistence access issues that are emerging with warmer climate and degrading permafrost. We collected baseline data on permafrost distribution, ground temperature, and thaw depth around Telida village during two visits to the study site (August 2016 and 2017) and conducted snow survey in February 2017 in all major landcover types. We mapped landcover, soil, and near-surface permafrost distribution for a 30 square mile area surrounding the Telida village using SPOT pan-sharpened image products (pixel size: 2.5 m) and ground observations. We identified seven major landcover types surrounding the Telida village: Open spruce, Mixed forest, Closed spruce, Wetland, Tall shrub, Deciduous forest, and Low shrub. Open spruce is the most dominant landcover type occupying 33% of the study area. Near-surface permafrost underlies less than 53% of the study area; it is present under Open spruce (active layer thickness: 59±7 cm; permafrost surface temperature: -0.6 °C) and Low shrub landcover types (active layer thickness: 60 cm; permafrost surface temperature: -0.07 °C), sporadic under Closed spruce landcover type, and absent under other landcover types. The mean annual permafrost surface temperature ranges from 0 to -1 °C and coldest permafrost is found under Open spruce landcover type. Permafrost around Telida village is warm and at the verge of thawing. Our ground temperature modeling effort will provide critical knowledge on how permafrost status and distribution around Telida village may evolve in the near future which we hope will help the Telida community in addressing the emerging engineering, environmental, and land use challenges.

Confronting gender, poverty and powerlessness: an orientation programme for and by rural change agents.

PubMed

Ravindran, S

1985-01-01

This article describes the effort of a group of rural women belonging to the untouchable "Paraiya" caste in South India to initiate and build an organization of their own to stand up for their rights and to challenge their oppression. The description covers the evolution from literacy to health action; the orientation workshop (which included building confidence through sharing experiences, participatory training techniques, reflecting on women's position in society, creating new attitudes of self value, identifying oppressive attitudes and structures in society, and the socioeconomic and political causes of disease); and the role of animators. Rural Women's Social Education Center (RUWSEC) in Chingleput, South India, was initiated in 1981 by 10 women who belonged to the villages of Chingleput and the author. The women had come together because of involvement in a nationwide literacy campaign in which the 10 village women worked as literacy teachers in their respective villages. Through their work, the women realized their own worth and potential and felt committed to working with other women in their communities to change their exploited situation. RUWSEC has focused on activities and issues related to women and health. 10 women "animators" began working in their villages carrying out health care, health education, and working towards building a women's organization in those villages. The animators' approach was to help women understand their own and/or communities' health problems and participate in their own healing. As a result of the efforts of RUWSEC, there were requests from several villages in the neighborhood for the creation of women's centers, and the animators decided to extend their work to 5 more villages. They visited the 5 villages and asked the community to nominate their own animators. The animators chosen were introduced to the work and philosophy of RUWSEC through a 6-day orientation program organized by the senior animators. The animators of RUWSEC, after 2 years of training in administration, accounting and management, and in conducting training programs, now are in charge of all their own activities. They have ventured also to further build and expand their organization.

Parasitic Worms: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Western Côte d’Ivoire with Implications for Integrated Control

PubMed Central

Acka, Cinthia A.; Raso, Giovanna; N'Goran, Eliézer K.; Tschannen, Andres B.; Bogoch, Isaac I.; Séraphin, Essane; Tanner, Marcel; Obrist, Brigit; Utzinger, Jürg

2010-01-01

Background In the developing world where parasitic worm infections are pervasive, preventive chemotherapy is the key strategy for morbidity control. However, local knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of parasitic worms are poorly understood, although such information is required for prevention and sustainable control. Methods We carried out KAP surveys in two rural communities of Côte d'Ivoire that were subjected to school-based and community-based research and control activities. We used qualitative and quantitative methods. The former included observations, in-depth interviews with key informants, and focus group discussions with school children and adults. Quantitative methods consisted of a structured questionnaire administered to household heads. Principal Findings Access to clean water was lacking in both communities and only a quarter of the households had functioning latrines. There was a better understanding of soil-transmitted helminthiasis than intestinal schistosomiasis, but community-based rather than school-based interventions appeared to improve knowledge of schistosomiasis. In the villages with community-based interventions, three-quarters of household interviewees knew about intestinal schistosomiasis compared to 14% in the village where school-based interventions were implemented (P<0.001). Whereas two-thirds of respondents from the community-based intervention village indicated that the research and control project was the main source of information, only a quarter of the respondents cited the project as the main source. Conclusions/Significance Preventive chemotherapy targeting school-aged children has limitations, as older population segments are neglected, and hence lack knowledge about how to prevent and control parasitic worm infections. Improved access to clean water and sanitation is necessary, along with health education to make a durable impact against helminth infections. PMID:21200423

Efficacy of local neem extracts for sustainable malaria vector control in an African village

PubMed Central

Gianotti, Rebecca L; Bomblies, Arne; Dafalla, Mustafa; Issa-Arzika, Ibrahim; Duchemin, Jean-Bernard; Eltahir, Elfatih AB

2008-01-01

Background Larval control of malaria vectors has been historically successful in reducing malaria transmission, but largely fell out of favour with the introduction of synthetic insecticides and bed nets. However, an integrated approach to malaria control, including larval control methods, continues to be the best chance for success, in view of insecticide resistance, the behavioural adaptation of the vectors to changing environments and the difficulties of reaching the poorest populations most at risk,. Laboratory studies investigating the effects of neem seed (Azadirachta indica) extracts on Anopheles larvae have shown high rates of larval mortality and reductions in adult longevity, as well as low potential for resistance development. Methods This paper describes a method whereby seeds of the neem tree can be used to reduce adult Anopheles gambiae s.l. abundance in a way that is low cost and can be implemented by residents of rural villages in western Niger. The study was conducted in Banizoumbou village, western Niger. Neem seeds were collected from around the village. Dried seeds were ground into a coarse powder, which was then sprinkled onto known Anopheles larvae breeding habitats twice weekly during the rainy season 2007. Adult mosquitoes were captured on a weekly basis in the village and captures compared to those from 2005 and 2006 over the same period. Adult mosquitoes were also captured in a nearby village, Zindarou, as a control data set and compared to those from Banizoumbou. Results It was found that twice-weekly applications of the powder to known breeding habitats of Anopheles larvae in 2007 resulted in 49% fewer adult female Anopheles gambiae s.l. mosquitoes in Banizoumbou, compared with previous captures under similar environmental conditions and with similar habitat characteristics in 2005 and 2006. The productivity of the system in 2007 was found to be suppressed compared to the mean behaviour of 2005 and 2006 in Banizoumbou, whereas no change was found in Zindarou. Conclusion With a high abundance of neem plants in many villages in this area, the results of this study suggest that larval control using neem seed powder offers a sustainable additional tool for malaria vector control in the Sahel region of Niger. PMID:18651964

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site: Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Park Service (Dept. of Interior), Washington, DC. National Register of Historic Places.

This guide provides history and social studies teachers, at all grade levels, with information and activities about the American Indians of the Northern Plains who lived in the area of the Knife River where it enters the Missouri River. Located in what is now North Dakota, this area is the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. The…

The Environment, Attitudes and Activities of Rural Women: A Case Study of Jhok Sayal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Seemin Anwar

Conducted in the Punjab in Jhok Sayal, a predominantly Muslim village, this narrative study described: the environment and living conditions of women in this rural village (comprised mainly of tenants and landless labourers); the attitudes of the women toward education, marriage, family planning, and skills; and the woman's daily and annual…

Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water by Coagulation/Filtration U.S. EPA Demonstration Project at Village of Pentwater, MI. Final performance Evaluation Report

EPA Science Inventory

This report documents the activities performed during and the results obtained from the arsenic removal treatment technology demonstration project at the Village of Pentwater, MI facility. The objectives of the project were to evaluate: (1) the effectiveness of Kinetico’s FM-260...

From Literacy Activities to Entrepreneurship in Siete Pilas. Chapter 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chacon, Antonio; Polo, Angel

This chapter describes a community development project in Siete Pilas (Spain), a village whose economy is based primarily on small family farms and unskilled labor. The project grew out of the Sierra Education Program, which in 1980 sent adult-education teachers to five villages in the Sierra de Ronda region. The goal was to stimulate a socially…

The Impact of the "Village" Model on Health, Well-Being, Service Access, and Social Engagement of Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Carrie L.; Scharlach, Andrew E.; Price Wolf, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Background: Villages represent an emerging consumer-driven social support model that aims to enhance the social engagement, independence, and well-being of community-dwelling seniors through a combination of social activities, volunteer opportunities, service referral, and direct assistance. This study aimed to assess the perceived impact of…

Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water by Adsorptive Media - U.S. EPA Demonstration Project at Seely-Brown Village in Pomfret, CT - Final Performance Evaluation Report

EPA Science Inventory

This report documents the activities performed for and the results obtained from the arsenic removal treatment technology demonstration project at Seely-Brown Village in Pomfret, CT. The objectives of the project were to evaluate the effectiveness of ArsenXnp adsorption media in...

School Incentive Programs and Children's Activities: The Case of Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arends-Kuenning, Mary; Amin, Sajeda

2004-01-01

To examine the impact of school incentive programs on children's time allocation, this article reports the authors' investigation of time-use data collected in two Bangladeshi villages in 1992, 1995, and 1996; in-depth interviews conducted in 1995; responses to two village censuses collected in 1992 and 1995; and data from an education survey…

Faecal contamination of water and fingertip-rinses as a method for evaluating the effect of low-cost water supply and sanitation activities on faeco-oral disease transmission. I. A case study in rural north-east Thailand.

PubMed Central

Pinfold, J. V.

1990-01-01

Most villagers in north-east Thailand carry water to their homes and store it in separate containers depending on its subsequent use. In one village, information on water use was collated with the bacteriological quality of stored water, water sources and fingertip-rinses. Stored water quality was a function of water-related activities rather than quality at source (P less than 0.0001). Specifically water used for toilet, washing dishes and cooking-related activities was much more contaminated with faecal bacteria than that used for drinking and cooking. Salmonella spp. was significantly more common in water used for washing dishes than drinking (P less than 0.05). Escherichia coli contamination of fingertip-rinses was strongly associated with the individual's activity prior to testing (P less than 0.0001); child care, food and water-related activities produced much higher levels of fingertip contamination than others. Dirty utensils used for cooking and eating were usually left to soak and faecal bacterial growth occurred in this grossly contaminated soak-water. Cross-contamination via water handling was the main mechanism of stored water pollution. These results were used to develop a hygiene intervention study presented in a companion paper. PMID:2209740

Li Meixiang leads women to become well-off. Integrated approach.

PubMed

Gao, M

1996-02-01

This article describes the experiences of a family planning worker in Meihekou City, Jilin Province, in implementing the integrated approach to family planning. Madam Li Meixiang is credited with being an outstanding example in improving program implementation. The new approach has helped people accept a smaller family size norm. Madam Li in 1981 married and shared in the responsibility of supporting a six-member family and raising her own daughter. Their success in eliminating debt and improving their standard of living is attributed to their efforts to grow rice on 1.3 hectares of land, running a small grain-processing factory in the village, and raising pigs who were fed the chaff produced from processed rice. Li invested in a truck and the family moved into a larger house with modern conveniences. The Li family was the first to rise from poverty to a well-off position in the community. Li became interested in family planning issues after an IEC presentation in the village. In 1990 Madam Li was elected head of the women's association of the village and assumed leadership of family planning activities. Her objective was to teach other women about the advantages of a small family and to offer advice in solving economic problems. During the off-farming season Madam Li worked to establish income generation activities for other women and acceptors. Li organized an village effort to shell walnuts for a local export and import company. About 30% of the village women were involved the first year, and almost 80% were involved in the past two years. The project showed villagers how ingenuity without any cash outlay could yield profits. Over 200 families join the project in the winter and receive an average income of over 2500 yuan. Madam Li has helped villagers obtain bank loans for small scale projects and given advice on how to increase profits.

Village-Level Identification of Nitrate Sources: Collaboration of Experts and Local Population in Benin, Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crane, P.; Silliman, S. E.; Boukari, M.; Atoro, I.; Azonsi, F.

2005-12-01

Deteriorating groundwater quality, as represented by high nitrates, in the Colline province of Benin, West Africa was identified by the Benin national water agency, Direction Hydraulique. For unknown reasons the Colline province had consistently higher nitrate levels than any other region of the country. In an effort to address this water quality issue, a collaborative team was created that incorporated professionals from the Universite d'Abomey-Calavi (Benin), the University of Notre Dame (USA), Direction l'Hydraulique (a government water agency in Benin), Centre Afrika Obota (an educational NGO in Benin), and the local population of the village of Adourekoman. The goals of the project were to: (i) identify the source of nitrates, (ii) test field techniques for long term, local monitoring, and (iii) identify possible solutions to the high levels of groundwater nitrates. In order to accomplish these goals, the following methods were utilized: regional sampling of groundwater quality, field methods that allowed the local population to regularly monitor village groundwater quality, isotopic analysis, and sociological methods of surveys, focus groups, and observations. It is through the combination of these multi-disciplinary methods that all three goals were successfully addressed leading to preliminary identification of the sources of nitrates in the village of Adourekoman, confirmation of utility of field techniques, and initial assessment of possible solutions to the contamination problem.

A 4-year prospective study of the progression of periodontal disease in a rural Chinese population.

PubMed

Pei, Xiyan; Ouyang, Xiangying; He, Lu; Cao, Caifang; Luan, Qingxian; Suda, Reiko

2015-02-01

The natural progression of periodontitis in the Chinese population is not well researched. We investigated the progression of periodontal disease over 4 years in 15-44-year-old Chinese villagers with no access to regular dental care. In 1992, 486 villagers were enrolled, and in 1996, 413 villagers were re-examined. Probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were examined at six sites per tooth. Sites with ΔCAL ≥3 mm were defined as active sites. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were performed using means and percentile plots. The mean CAL increased by 0.26 mm over 4 years. The incidence of periodontitis (at least one site with CAL ≥3 mm) was 8%. The incidence of periodontitis among those with no periodontal disease at baseline was 44.9%. Seventy-eight percent of the subjects had at least one active site. In the 15-24-year group, 244 of 401 active sites had gingival recession, while only 51 active sites had both gingival recession and deeper pockets. In the 25-34-year and 35-44-year groups, almost one-third of the active sites (329/1087) and more than one-third of the active sites (580/1312) respectively had a combination of gingival recession and deeper pockets. In this study, we demonstrated that in Chinese population without regular dental care, both the initiation of periodontitis and progression of previously existed periodontitis contributed to the natural progression of periodontitis and periodontal pocketing played a greater role with age increasing. This rare study reports the natural progression of periodontal disease in a group of Chinese villagers (15-44 years) with virtually no access to regular dental care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rural development and family planning behavior in Bangladesh Villages.

PubMed

Alauddin, M

1979-01-01

Variarion in knowledge and usage of contraceptive methods was examined across Bangladesh villages. It was hypothesized that the variation can be explained by 3 sets of factors measured at the village level: development programs, family planning program efforts, and given environmental and socioeconomic conditions. The data were drawn from the Bangladesh Fertility Survey and the 1974 Bangladesh Population Census. The 3 sets of factors taken together explained a greater proportion of the variance in knowledge and contraceptive usage than each of the sets taken either singly or in paired combination. Knowledge of clinical contraceptive methods was found to be affected more by development programs than by either family planning or environmental and socioeconomic conditions. Despite the fact that both development and family planning variables have independent and about equal effects on ever use of contraception, each of them separately is not likely to produce as much contraceptive usage as would both of them jointly. In terms of policy, if both development and family planning programs are provided to the villages, the effect on fertility may be maximized.

Methodology of Prioritization of Land Consolidation and Land Exchange Interventions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Len, Przemyslaw

2017-12-01

Land consolidation is one of the basic development activities in rural areas intended to comprehensively improve the organization of agricultural production space. Merging and exchange of parcels are aimed at transforming a fragmented and “checkerboarded” landscape containing excessively long fields into plots as large and regular as possible. Land consolidation decisions are based on detailed analyses of relevant parameters. Properly carried out land consolidation creates an opportunity to organize agricultural holdings in an appropriate way, and, at the same time, to preserve the natural environment. Consolidation provides appropriate conditions for sustainable and multi-functional rural development by limiting the harmful influence of intensive agriculture on the natural environment. It also leads to an improvement in living and working conditions for inhabitants of rural areas. The analysis conducted in this study was aimed at singling out villages in the commune of Paradyż in which consolidation of arable land was required most urgently. Factors describing the investigated villages were selected on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the natural, social, economic and financial conditions found in those localities. The analysis was conducted using data obtained from the Land and Property Register of the District Office in Opoczno and data from the Office of the Commune of Paradyż. The study allowed us to determine which areas required land consolidation and exchange interventions, thus becoming a basis for applying for financial resources necessary to reach the aforementioned goal. A special role in empirical studies, especially comparative studies, of human activity is played by taxonomic methods, which involve linear ordering of items according to a synthetic indicator characterizing those items, which is calculated on the basis of a set of shared features. These methods are widely used in econometrics and socio-economic research to create all kinds of development rankings, based on multi-faceted data concerning the objects under analysis. The aim of the present study was to establish the demand for land exchange and consolidation in the villages of the commune of Paradyż, district of Opoczno, Łódź Voivodeship. The ranking was established using Hellwig’s synthetic indicator of development and the zero unitarization method. The analysis allowed us to answer the questions of how different methods of aggregation of the same diagnostic variables affect the final results and whether these methods could be applied in this type of studies.

Cytogenetic abnormalities of the descendants of permanent residents of heavily contaminated East Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Chaizhunusova, Nailya; Madiyeva, Madina; Tanaka, Kimio; Hoshi, Masaharu; Kawano, Noriyuki; Noso, Yoshihiro; Takeichi, Nobuo; Rakhypbekov, Tolebay; Urazalina, Nailya; Dovgal, Galina; Rymbaeva, Tamara; Tokanova, Sholpan; Beisengazina, Meruert; Kembayeva, Kulypash; Inoue, Ken

2017-11-01

More than 400 nuclear explosion tests were conducted at the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) and significant radioactive substances were released. The long-term consequences of the activities at the SNTS and the appearance of any hereditary effects remain insufficiently studied about 25 years after the test site was closed. The population living in villages near the SNTS are considered to have been heavily exposed to external and internal radiation. This study aims to perform an assessment and comprehensive cytogenetic analysis of the inhabitants living near the SNTS, and their first-(F1) and second-(F2) generation children. Residents of the East Kazakhstan region living in the area covered by the former SNTS were included in the study. To evaluate the hereditary effects of nuclear testing, comprehensive chromosome analyses were performed in lymphocytes using conventional Giemsa and fluorescent in situ hybridization methods in 115 F1 and F2 descendants in the villages of Dolon and Sarzhal, which were heavily contaminated. The parents of the subjects had permanently lived in the villages. A higher number of stable-type chromosome aberrations such as translocations was found in these residents than in 80 residents of the control area, Kokpecty, which indicates the possibility that radiation had biological effects on the exposed subjects.

Mudflow Hazards in the Georgian Caucasus - Using Participatory Methods to Investigate Disaster Risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spanu, Valentina; McCall, Michael; Gaprindashvili, George

2014-05-01

The Caucasus form an extremely complex mountainous area of Georgia in terms of geology and the scale and frequency of natural disaster processes. These processes, especially mudflows, frequently result in considerable damage to the settlements, farmlands and infrastructure facilities. The occurrence intervals between mudflows are becoming significantly shorter, therefore the most populated areas and infrastucture need to be included in risk zones. This presentation reviews the case of the mudflow problem in Mleta village in the region of Dusheti where the mudflow risk is critical. The villages of Zemo Mleta (Higher Mleta) and Kvemo Mleta (Lower Mleta) are entirely surrounded by unstable slopes where mudslides, landslides and floods are often generated. These hazards occur at least twice per year and sometimes result in severe events. In 2006 and 2010 in Mleta village a very severe mudflow event occurred creating heavy damage. This paper focuses on the recognition of the importance of cooperating with the local communities affected by these disasters, in order to get useful information and local knowledge to apply to disaster prevention and management. In October 2010, the EU-financed MATRA Project (Institutional Capacity Building in Natural Disaster Risk Reduction) in Georgia included fieldworks in several locations. Particular attention was given to Mleta village in the Caucasus Mountains, where the activities focused on institutional capacity-building in disaster risk reduction, including modern spatial planning approaches and technologies and the development of risk communication strategies. Participatory methods of acquiring local knowledge from local communities reveal many advantages compared to traditional survey approaches for collecting data. In a participatory survey and planning approach, local authorities, experts and local communities are supposed to work together to provide useful information and eventually produce a plan for Disaster Risk Reduction/Management (DRR and DRM). Participatory surveys (and participatory monitoring) elicit local people's knowledge about the specifics of the hazard concerning frequency, timing, warning signals, rates of flow, spatial extent, etc. And significantly, only this local knowledge from informants can reveal essential information about different vulnerabilities of people and places, and about any coping or adjustment mechanisms that local people have. The participatory methods employed in Mleta included historical discussions with key informants, village social transects, participatory mapping with children, semi-structured interviews with inhabitants, and VCA (Vulnerability & Capacity Analysis). The geolomorphological map produced on the base of the local geology has been realized with ArcGIS. This allowed the assessment of the areas at risk and the relative maps. We adapted and tested the software programme CyberTracker as a survey tool, a digital device method of field data collection. Google Earth, OpenStreetMap, Virtual Earth and Ilwis have been used for data processing.

Geographic information system (GIS) maps and malaria control monitoring: intervention coverage and health outcome in distal villages of Khammouane province, Laos.

PubMed

Shirayama, Yoshihisa; Phompida, Samlane; Shibuya, Kenji

2009-09-22

Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are a key intervention to control malaria. The intervention coverage varies as a consequence of geographical accessibility to remote villages and limitations of financial and human resources for the intervention. People's adherence to the intervention, i.e., proper use of ITNs, also affects malaria health outcome. The study objective is to explore the impact of the intervention coverage and people's adherence to the intervention on malaria health outcome among targeted villages in various geographic locations. Geographic information system (GIS) maps were developed using the data collected in an active case detection survey in Khammouane province, Laos. The survey was conducted using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and a structured questionnaire at 23 sites in the province from June to July, the rainy season, in 2005. A total of 1,711 villagers from 403 households participated in the survey. As indicated on the GIS maps, villages with malaria cases, lower intervention coverage, and lower adherence were identified. Although no malaria case was detected in most villages with the best access to the district center, several cases were detected in the distal villages, where the intervention coverage and adherence to the intervention remained relatively lower. Based on the data and maps, it was demonstrated that malaria remained unevenly distributed within districts. Balancing the intervention coverage in the distal villages with the overall coverage and continued promotion of the proper use of ITNs are necessary for a further reduction of malaria cases in the province.

Community-based human–elephant conflict mitigation: The value of an evidence-based approach in promoting the uptake of effective methods

PubMed Central

Gunaryadi, Donny; Sugiyo

2017-01-01

Human–elephant conflict (HEC) is a serious threat to elephants and can cause major economic losses. It is widely accepted that reduction of HEC will often require community-based methods for repelling elephants but there are few tests of such methods. We tested community-based crop-guarding methods with and without novel chili-based elephant deterrents and describe changes in farmers’ willingness to adopt these methods following our demonstration of their relative effectiveness. In three separate field-trials that took place over almost two years (October 2005 –May 2007) in two villages adjacent to Way Kambas National Park (WKNP) in Indonesia, we found that community-based crop-guarding was effective at keeping Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) out of crop fields in 91.2% (52 out of 57), 87.6% (156 out of 178), and 80.0% (16 out of 20) of attempted raids. Once the method had been shown to be effective at demonstration sites, farmers in 16 villages around WKNP voluntarily adopted it during the July 2008 to March 2009 period and were able to repel elephants in 73.9% (150 out of 203) of attempted raids, with seven villages repelling 100% of attempted raids. These 16 villages had all experienced high levels of HEC in the preceding years; e.g. they accounted for >97% of the 742 HEC incidents recorded for the entire park in 2006. Our work shows, therefore, that a simple evidence-based approach can facilitate significant reductions in HEC at the protected area scale. PMID:28510590

Impacts of Social Network on Therapeutic Community Participation: A Follow-up Survey of Data Gathered after Ya'an Earthquake.

PubMed

Li, Zhichao; Chen, Yao; Suo, Liming

2015-01-01

In recent years, natural disasters and the accompanying health risks have become more frequent, and rehabilitation work has become an important part of government performance. On one hand, social networks play an important role in participants' therapeutic community participation and physical & mental recovery. On the other hand, therapeutic communities with widespread participation can also contribute to community recovery after disaster. This paper described a field study in an earthquake-stricken area of Ya'an. A set of 3-stage follow-up data was obtained concerning with the villagers' participation in therapeutic community, social network status, demographic background, and other factors. The Hierarchical linear Model (HLM) method was used to investigate the determinants of social network on therapeutic community participation. First, social networks have significantly impacts on the annual changes of therapeutic community participation. Second, there were obvious differences in education between groups mobilized by the self-organization and local government. However, they all exerted the mobilization force through the acquaintance networks. Third, local cadre networks of villagers could negatively influence the activities of self-organized therapeutic community, while with positively influence in government-organized therapeutic activities. This paper suggests that relevant government departments need to focus more on the reconstruction and cultivation of villagers' social network and social capital in the process of post-disaster recovery. These findings contribute to better understandings of how social networks influence therapeutic community participation, and what role local government can play in post-disaster recovery and public health improvement after natural disasters.

Geospatial Distribution and Clustering of Chlamydia trachomatis in Communities Undergoing Mass Azithromycin Treatment

PubMed Central

Yohannan, Jithin; He, Bing; Wang, Jiangxia; Greene, Gregory; Schein, Yvette; Mkocha, Harran; Munoz, Beatriz; Quinn, Thomas C.; Gaydos, Charlotte; West, Sheila K.

2014-01-01

Purpose. We detected spatial clustering of households with Chlamydia trachomatis infection (CI) and active trachoma (AT) in villages undergoing mass treatment with azithromycin (MDA) over time. Methods. We obtained global positioning system (GPS) coordinates for all households in four villages in Kongwa District, Tanzania. Every 6 months for a period of 42 months, our team examined all children under 10 for AT, and tested for CI with ocular swabbing and Amplicor. Villages underwent four rounds of annual MDA. We classified households as having ≥1 child with CI (or AT) or having 0 children with CI (or AT). We calculated the difference in the K function between households with and without CI or AT to detect clustering at each time point. Results. Between 918 and 991 households were included over the 42 months of this analysis. At baseline, 306 households (32.59%) had ≥1 child with CI, which declined to 73 households (7.50%) at 42 months. We observed borderline clustering of households with CI at 12 months after one round of MDA and statistically significant clustering with growing cluster sizes between 18 and 24 months after two rounds of MDA. Clusters diminished in size at 30 months after 3 rounds of MDA. Active trachoma did not cluster at any time point. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that CI clusters after multiple rounds of MDA. Clusters of infection may increase in size if the annual antibiotic pressure is removed. The absence of growth after the three rounds suggests the start of control of transmission. PMID:24906862

Some Considerations for the Planning of Village Libraries in Tanzania. Occasional Paper No. 33.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mwasha, A. Z.

This essay reviews the major issues which must be addressed in the planning of village libraries to support development activities and adult education programs in the rural areas of Tanzania. The importance of the development of such libraries is discussed in light of the Tanzanian government's policies concerning the role of library services in…

Longitudinal study of rural health workforce in five counties in China: research design and baseline description

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The village doctors have served rural residents for many decades in China, and their role in rural health system has been highly praised in the world; unfortunately, less attention has been paid to the health workforce during the ambitious healthcare reform in recent years. Therefore, we conducted a longitudinal study to explore the current situation and track the future evolution of the rural healthcare workforce. Methods The self-administered structured Village Clinic Questionnaire and Village Doctor Questionnaire, which were modified from the official questionnaires of the Ministry of Health, were constructed after three focus groups, in-depth interviews in Hebei Province, and a pilot survey in Sichuan Province. Using a stratified multistage cluster sampling process, we gathered baseline data for a longitudinal survey of village doctors, village clinics from Changshu County, Liyang County, Yongchuan District, Mianzhu County, and Jingning County in China in 2011. Well-trained interviewers and strict procedures were employed to ensure the quality of this survey. Descriptive and correlation analyses were performed with Stata 12.0. Results After four months of surveying, 1,982 Village Doctor Questionnaires were collected, and the response rate was 88.1%. There were 1,507 (76.0%) male and 475 (24.0%) female doctors, with an average age of 51.3 years. The majority of village doctors (58.5%) practiced both western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and 91.2% of the doctors received their education below college level. Their practice methods were not correlated with education level (P = 0.43), but closely related to the way they obtained their highest degree (that is, prior to starting work or as on-the-job training) (P < 0.01). The mean income of the village doctors was 1,817 (95% CI 1,733 to 1,900) RMB per month in 2011; only 757 (41.3%) doctors had pensions, and the self-reported expected pension was 1,965 RMB per month. Conclusions Village doctors in rural China are facing critical challenges, including aging, gender imbalance, low education, and a lack of social protection. This study may be beneficial for making better policies for the development of the health workforce and China’s healthcare reform. PMID:23642224

Social Dancing and Incidence of Falls in Older Adults: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Merom, Dafna; Mathieu, Erin; Cerin, Ester; Morton, Rachael L; Simpson, Judy M; Rissel, Chris; Anstey, Kaarin J; Sherrington, Catherine; Lord, Stephen R; Cumming, Robert G

2016-08-01

The prevention of falls among older people is a major public health challenge. Exercises that challenge balance are recognized as an efficacious fall prevention strategy. Given that small-scale trials have indicated that diverse dance styles can improve balance and gait of older adults, two of the strongest risk factors for falls in older people, this study aimed to determine whether social dance is effective in i) reducing the number of falls and ii) improving physical and cognitive fall-related risk factors. A parallel two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial was undertaken in 23 self-care retirement villages (clusters) around Sydney, Australia. Eligible villages had to have an appropriate hall for dancing, house at least 60 residents, and not be currently offering dance as a village activity. Retirement villages were randomised using a computer generated randomisation method, constrained using minimisation. Eligible participants had to be a resident of the village, be able to walk at least 50 m, and agree to undergo physical and cognitive testing without cognitive impairment. Residents of intervention villages (12 clusters) were offered twice weekly one-hour social dancing classes (folk or ballroom dancing) over 12 mo (80 h in total). Programs were standardized across villages and were delivered by eight dance teachers. Participants in the control villages (11 clusters) were advised to continue with their regular activities. falls during the 12 mo trial and Trail Making Tests. The Physiological Performance Assessment (i.e., postural sway, proprioception, reaction time, leg strength) and the Short Physical Performance Battery; health-related physical and mental quality of life from the Short-Form 12 (SF-12) Survey. Data on falls were obtained from 522 of 530 (98%) randomised participants (mean age 78 y, 85% women) and 424 (80%) attended the 12-mo reassessment, which was lower among folk dance participants (71%) than ballroom dancing (82%) or control participants (82%, p = 0.04). Mean attendance at dance classes was 51%. During the period, 444 falls were recorded; there was no significant difference in fall rates between the control group (0.80 per person-year) and the dance group (1.03 per person-year). Using negative binomial regression with robust standard errors the adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) was 1.19 (95% CI: 95% CI = 0.83, 1.71). In exploratory post hoc subgroup analysis, the rate of falls was higher among dance participants with a history of multiple falls (IRR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.15, 3.54, p = 0.23 for interaction) and with the folk dance intervention (IRR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.73). There were no significant between-group differences in executive function test (TMT-B = 2.8 s, 95% CI: -6.2, 11.8). Intention to treat (ITT) analysis revealed no between-group differences at 12-mo follow-up in the secondary outcome measures, with the exception of postural sway, favouring the control group. Exploratory post hoc analysis by study completers and style indicated that ballroom dancing participants apparently improved their gait speed by 0.07 m/s relative to control participants (95% CI: 0.00, 0.14, p = 0.05). Study limitations included allocation to style based on logistical considerations rather than at random; insufficient power to detect differential impacts of different dance styles and smaller overall effects; variation of measurement conditions across villages; and no assessment of more complex balance tasks, which may be more sensitive to changes brought about by dancing. Social dancing did not prevent falls or their associated risk factors among these retirement villages' residents. Modified dance programmes that contain "training elements" to better approximate structured exercise programs, targeted at low and high-risk participants, warrant investigation. The Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000889853.

Improving knowledge and behaviours related to the cause, transmission and prevention of Tuberculosis and early case detection: a descriptive study of community led Tuberculosis program in Flores, Indonesia.

PubMed

Dewi, Christa; Barclay, Lesley; Passey, Megan; Wilson, Shawn

2016-08-08

The community's awareness of Tuberculosis (TB) and delays in health care seeking remain important issues in Indonesia despite the extensive efforts of community-based TB programs delivered by a non-government organisation (NGO). This study explored the knowledge and behaviours in relation to TB and early diagnosis before and after an asset-based intervention designed to improve these issues. Six villages in Flores, Indonesia were purposively selected to participate in this study. Three villages served as intervention villages and the other three villages provided a comparison group. Data collection included interviews, group discussions, observations, field notes and audit of records. In total, 50 participants across six villages were interviewed and three group discussions were conducted in the intervention villages supplemented by 1 - 5 h of observation during monthly visits. Overall, participants in all villages had limited knowledge regarding the cause and transmission of TB before the intervention. The delay in health seeking behaviour was mainly influenced by ignorance of TB symptoms. Health care providers also contributed to delayed diagnosis by ignoring the symptoms of TB suspects at the first visit and failing to examine TB suspects with sputum tests. Stigmatisation of TB patients by the community was reported, although this did not seem to be common. Early case detection was less than 50 % in four of the six villages before the asset-based intervention. Knowledge of TB improved after the intervention in the intervention villages alongside improved education activities. Early case detection also increased in the intervention villages following this intervention. The behaviour changes related to prevention of TB were also obvious in the intervention villages but not the comparison group. This small project demonstrated that an asset-based intervention can result in positive changes in community's knowledge and behaviour in relation to TB and early case detection. A continuing education process is like to be required to maintain this outcome and to reach a wider community. Promoting community involvement and local initiatives and engaging health care providers were important elements in the community-based TB program implemented.

Improving mapping for Ebola response through mobilising a local community with self-owned smartphones: Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, January 2015

PubMed Central

Gayton, Ivan; Theocharopoulos, Georgios; Edwards, Robin; Danis, Kostas; Kremer, Ronald; Kleijer, Karline; Tejan, Sumaila M.; Sankoh, Mohamed; Jimissa, Augustin; Greig, Jane; Caleo, Grazia

2018-01-01

Background During the 2014–16 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, the Magburaka Ebola Management Centre (EMC) operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, identified that available district maps lacked up-to-date village information to facilitate timely implementation of EVD control strategies. In January 2015, we undertook a survey in chiefdoms within the MSF EMC catchment area to collect mapping and village data. We explore the feasibility and cost to mobilise a local community for this survey, describe validation against existing mapping sources and use of the data to prioritise areas for interventions, and lessons learned. Methods We recruited local people with self-owned Android smartphones installed with open-source survey software (OpenDataKit (ODK)) and open-source navigation software (OpenStreetMap Automated Navigation Directions (OsmAnd)). Surveyors were paired with local motorbike drivers to travel to eligible villages. The collected mapping data were validated by checking for duplication and comparing the village names against a pre-existing village name and location list using a geographic distance and text string-matching algorithm. Results The survey teams gained sufficient familiarity with the ODK and OsmAnd software within 1–2 hours. Nine chiefdoms in Tonkolili District and three in Bombali District were surveyed within two weeks. Following de-duplication, the surveyors collected data from 891 villages with an estimated 127,021 households. The overall survey cost was €3,395; €3.80 per village surveyed. The MSF GIS team (MSF-OCG) created improved maps for the MSF Magburaka EMC team which were used to support surveillance, investigation of suspect EVD cases, hygiene-kit distribution and EVD survivor support. We shared the mapping data with OpenStreetMap, the local Ministry of Health and Sanitation and Sierra Leone District and National Ebola Response Centres. Conclusions Involving local community and using accessible technology allowed rapid implementation, at moderate cost, of a survey to collect geographic and essential village information, and creation of updated maps. These methods could be used for future emergencies to facilitate response. PMID:29298314

Neighborhood socioeconomic status and the prevalence of stroke and coronary heart disease in rural China: a population-based study

PubMed Central

Tang, Xun; Laskowitz, Daniel T.; He, Liu; Østbye, Truls; Bettger, Janet Prvu; Cao, Yang; Li, Na; Li, Jingrong; Zhang, Zongxin; Liu, Jianjiang; Yu, Liping; Xu, Haitao; Hu, Yonghua; Goldstein, Larry B.

2014-01-01

Background Lower neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with an increased risk of vascular disease in developed countries. Aims This study aims to identify village- and individual-level determinants of stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD) in a rural Chinese population. Methods We analyzed data from a population-based survey of 14,424 rural Chinese adults aged over 40-years from 54 villages. Primary outcomes were stroke and CHD prevalence. Village-level SES was determined from the Chinese government's official statistical yearbook. Individual-level characteristics were obtained by in-person interviews. Prevalence rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using generalized linear mixed models with log link function to explore associations of village-level SES and individual social, demographic, and cardiovascular risk factors with stroke or CHD. Variance was expressed using the median rate ratio (MRR) and interval rate ratio (IRR). Results Villages accounted for significant variability in the prevalence of stroke (MRR=1.70; 95% CI:1.42-1.94; P<0.05) and CHD (MRR=1.59; 95% CI:1.35-1.78, P<0.05) with village-level income alone accounted for 10% and 13.5% of between-village variation in stroke and CHD, respectively. High-income villages were at higher risk of both stroke (RR=1.69, 95% CI:1.09∼2.62) and CHD (RR=1.63, 95% CI:1.13∼2.34) than lower-income villages. Among individual-level risk factors, hypertension was associated with a higher prevalence of stroke (RR=2.33, 95% CI:1.93-2.80) than CHD (RR=1.58, 95% CI:1.38-1.82), whereas obesity was only associated with CHD (RR=1.43, 95% CI:1.23-1.66). In addition, there was an interaction between age and income; residents of higher income villages age<60 had a higher prevalence of CHD (RR=1.58, 95% CI:1.15-2.18), but not stroke. Conclusions There were differences in vascular risk across rural villages in China, with higher lifetime stroke and CHD prevalence in higher income villages. For CHD, neighborhood effects were stronger among younger residents of high-income villages. The results may have implications for public health interventions targeting populations at risk. PMID:25088683

Counting women's work in the agricultural census of Nepal: a report.

PubMed

Joshi, S

2000-01-01

Like many national statistical surveys, the Agricultural Census of Nepal does not reflect the actual contribution of women's work in agriculture. Inadequacies in conceptualization, definition of terms and data gathering methods result in undervaluation and underrepresentation of women's work. This study of 124 Newar households in the Lubhu Village Development Committee, Kathmandu Valley, provides a statistical representation of women's roles in agricultural operations and household activities by assessing the actual extent of their work. After analyzing the gender division of labor, the study concludes that women's work in agriculture and household activities is significantly higher than men's work.

Nira acidity and antioxidant activity of Palm sugar in Sumowono Village

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winarni, Sri; Arifan, Fahmi; Wisnu Broto, RTD.; Fuadi, Ariza; Alviche, Lola

2018-05-01

The palm sugar not only has potential as natural sweetener but also has antioxidant. The purpose of this study was to analyze antioxidant and pH of the nira in palm sugar. The sample in this study was palm sugar from 6 different production sites. Test of antioxidant activity used DPPH method (1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) with a wavelength of 517 nm. The value of absorbance solution was measured using spectrophotometry and the value of effective concentration (IC50) was counted. The pH test was measured using a pH meter. Pearson’s correlation test revealed r=-0.045 with significant value 0.932 (>0.005). There was no correlation between pH value and antioxidant activity of palm sugar. IC50 value of palm sugar in Sumowono village revealed that it had a strong antioxidant activity (50 μg/ml - 100 μg/ml) that is 74,73 μg/ml 83.94 μg/ml 82.31 μg/ml 83.94 μg/ml 86.10 μg/ml 82.13 μg/ml 89.17 μg/ml 89.71 μg/ml 89.17 μg/ml and 84.84 μg/ml). Lower IC50 values indicate higher antioxidant activity. Palm sugar with the best antioxidant activity came from the production sites which had IC50 values of 74.73 μg/ml. Potential antioxidants can be optimized by making improvements to the processing system.

Anthropogenic effects on a tropical forest according to the distance from human settlements.

PubMed

Popradit, Ananya; Srisatit, Thares; Kiratiprayoon, Somboon; Yoshimura, Jin; Ishida, Atsushi; Shiyomi, Masae; Murayama, Takehiko; Chantaranothai, Pranom; Outtaranakorn, Somkid; Phromma, Issara

2015-10-05

The protection of tropical forests is one of the most urgent issues in conservation biology because of the rapid deforestation that has occurred over the last 50 years. Even in protected forests, the anthropogenic effects from newly expanding villages such as harvesting of medicinal plants, pasturing cattle and forest fires can induce environmental modifications, especially on the forest floor. We evaluated the anthropogenic effects of the daily activities of neighboring residents on natural forests in 12 plots extending from the village boundary into a natural forest in Thailand. The basal area per unit land area did not present a significant trend; however, the species diversity of woody plants decreased linearly towards the village boundary, which caused a loss of individual density because of severe declines in small saplings compared with adult trees and large saplings in proximity to the village. An analysis of tree-size categories indicates a lack of small samplings near the village boundary. The current forest appears to be well protected based on the adult tree canopy, but regeneration of the present-day forests is unlikely because of the loss of seedlings.

Elite Capture and Corruption in two Villages in Bengkulu Province, Sumatra.

PubMed

Lucas, Anton

This paper examines leadership, elite capture and corruption in two villages in Sumatra. It compares implementation and outcomes of several conservation and development projects in the context of democratization and decentralization reforms introduced in Indonesia since 1998. In examining aspects of elite control and elite capture, this paper focuses on the activities of local elites, particularly village officials, who use their positions to monopolize planning and management of projects that were explicitly intended to incorporate participatory and accountability features. While elites' use of authority and influence to benefit personally from their roles clearly reflects elite capture, there are nonetheless members of elite groups in these case studies who use their control of projects to broad community benefit. In both villages there is considerable friction between villagers and elites as well as among members of the local elite themselves over control of local resources. Differences in the structure of these cross-cutting internal relationships and of ties between local authorities and outside government and non-government agents largely explain the differences in degree of elite capture and its outcomes in the two cases.

Steam atmosphere dryer project: System development and field test. Final report

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

NONE

1999-02-01

The objective of this project was to develop and demonstrate the use of a superheated steam atmosphere dryer as a highly improved alternative to conventional hot air-drying systems, the present industrial standard method for drying various wet feedstocks. The development program plan consisted of three major activities. The first was engineering analysis and testing of a small-scale laboratory superheated steam dryer. This dryer provided the basic engineering heat transfer data necessary to design a large-scale system. The second major activity consisted of the design, fabrication, and laboratory checkout testing of the field-site prototype superheated steam dryer system. The third majormore » activity consisted of the installation and testing of the complete 250-lb/hr evaporation rate dryer and a 30-kW cogeneration system in conjunction with an anaerobic digester facility at the Village of Bergen, NY. Feedstock for the digester facility at the Village of Bergen, NY. Feedstock for the digester was waste residue from a nearby commercial food processing plant. The superheated steam dryer system was placed into operation in August 1996 and operated successfully through March 1997. During this period, the dryer processed all the material from the digester to a powdered consistency usable as a high-nitrogen-based fertilizer.« less

Water resources development and management: an experience in rural hilly area.

PubMed

Khadse, G K; Talkhande, A V; Andey, S P; Kelkar, P S

2010-01-01

The Himalayan region of Tehri Garhwal in India has scattered habitations in the villages with scanty, non-perennial and unsafe water resources like springs and streams. Poor environmental conditions arising from unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitary measures, unhygienic disposal of excreta, sullage and accumulation of solid wastes have resulted in poor public health. The experiences gained through water supply and sanitation studies carried out especially in this rural area have been shared in this paper so as to enable adoption of relevant practices and technologies developed by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI, India) in the affected areas. Environmental protection of the streams and springs for sustained water availability and safe drinking water supply was ensured with active public participation, training, and awareness programs. Various surface rainwater harvesting structures were constructed at suitable sites along with ferro-cement roofwater harvesting tanks in selected villages. The activities related to designing and commissioning of a small slow sand filtration unit were carried out at Chhati (Nakot) village for safe drinking water supply. Chlorination pots were demonstrated and installed in rainwater harvesting tanks for disinfection of water for drinking purpose. Water quality assessment and health survey (parasitic and hemoglobin investigation) in the affected villages were carried out before and after technological intervention. The training and awareness programs were organised for people of 23 villages in the study area covering water and sanitation related topics. The beneficiary's opinions, perceptions, apprehensions, as well as expectations reflected positive approach towards the achievement of anticipated benefits and impacts.

Spatial relationship with the grazing pressure and alpine grassland degradation base on the GPS tracing experiment: a case study in the source region of Yellow River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, L.; Zhang, Y.

2014-12-01

It is hard to distinguish the affects from the human activities and climate change on the grassland degradation, especially to quantification the human activities. Grazing is the main kind of human activities on the alpine grassland. To investigate the relationship of the grazing activities and grassland degradation will help the understanding of the effects of human impacts. A GPS tracing experiment was designed to tracing the activities of the Yaks. The spatial distribution of the grazing pressure was simulated under Geographic Information System. The biomass distribution and grazing pressure was compared to judge the distribution of overgrazing. The main research results are: (1) The tracing experiment could record the track of the Yaks very well, and it could be a good tool for the quantification research of grazing pressure. (2) The grazing activities have good relationship with vegetation, residents and landform. The worse vegetation is, the grazing time is longer and the radius is bigger. The closer to the residents, the grazing intensive is higher. The grazing route is influenced by the landform. Usually the herds would like to choose the least cost way. And the grazing intensive is higher in sunny slope. (3) The grazing probability is higher while the elevation is lower and the vegetation is better. The numbers of livestock of different villages determine the spatial distribution of the grazing pressure but it has very big heterogeneity in the same village. It seems the forage is enough in the research area since the available biomass is about 1190058t and the total demand is only 603700t. But because of the heterogeneity of the grazing pressure, there are still overgrazing in some villages. The area of overgrazing is 6 percent in the winter rangeland and 11 percent in summer rangeland. It is important to take care of the spatial heterogeneity of the grazing pressure and grass production in the management of the grassland ecosystem. It should improve the calculation method of the stock capacity to avoid the overrating of it. To arrange the livestock reasonably is the guarantee of the sustainable development in this region.

Discussion based on the adaptability design for the construction of rural tourism for the revival of villages in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Guanyi; Li, Xingyi; Zhao, Hanyu

2018-05-01

Tourist development has been an increasingly popular part in rural construction in contemporary China, and has become a juncture of rural renewal and revival. Taking the three perspectives of rural physical form, rural culture, human action and activities, this article summarizes the problems and conflicts created by Chinese rural tourism, and analyzes the root reason for the conflicts. We try to generalize valuable experience learned from Chinese New Village experimental base so far from different aspects such as architectural forms, spatial scales, ecological environment, arts and culture and residential life, integrated with notion of ‘adaptability design’ in the theoretical system of sustainable development, and then deduct a strategy for designing rural sustainable development, under the intervention of tourism. Lastly, the example of a Chinese village - Fenshui Village is chosen to practice, and construction conception is raised accordingly.

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

Only the best for my children.

PubMed

Quaicoe, M

1991-09-01

The promotional aspect of Ghana's Integrated Family Planning, Nutrition and Parasite Control Project (IP) has begun changing the attitudes of rural people with respect to health and family planning. Residents of the villages of Aberful and Amadua, located in Ghana's Central Region, watched a documentary film entitled Our Village, Our Future. This film, shot in a Philippine village, shows how the IP can improve village life. An effort to provide education on health and hygiene, IP also promotes the benefits of family planning. Interviews with villagers following the showing of the film indicated a positive reaction to the message. One mother explained that she now wished she would have had fewer children, since she would have then been able to provide them with a better education, thereby improving their conditions. Another mother said that she had learned about the importance of nutrition, noting that prior to the beginning of the Integrated Project, who would serve her children whatever food was available. Village children also responded favorably to the IP message. Some of them explained their pursuit of an education had been hampered by their parents lack of family planning. Furthermore, the men in the village have also begun to acknowledge the importance of birth spacing, and have become active in the IP. One farmer noted that because of a lack of education, his parents had more children than they could adequately support. The farmer, however, vowed not to commit the same mistake.

Job satisfaction of village doctors during the new healthcare reforms in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoyan; Fang, Pengqian

2016-04-01

Objective China launched new healthcare reforms in 2009 and several policies targeted village clinics, which affected village doctors' income, training and duties. The aim of the present study was to assess village doctors' job satisfaction during the reforms and to explore factors affecting job satisfaction. Methods Using a stratified multistage cluster sampling process, 935 village doctors in Jiangxi Province were surveyed with a self-administered questionnaire that collected demographic information and contained a job satisfaction scale and questions regarding their work situation and individual perceptions of the new healthcare reforms. Descriptive analysis, Pearson's Chi-squared test and binary logistic regression were used to identify village doctors' job satisfaction and the factors associated with their job satisfaction. Results Only 12.72% of village doctors were either satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs and the top three items leading to dissatisfaction were pay and the amount of work that had to be done, opportunities for job promotion and work conditions. Marriage, income, intention to leave, satisfaction with learning and training, social status, relationship with patients and satisfaction with the new healthcare reforms were significantly associated with job satisfaction (P<0.05). Conclusions China is facing critical challenges with regard to village doctors because of their low job satisfaction. For future healthcare reforms, policy makers should pay more attention to appropriate remuneration and approaches that incentivise village doctors to achieve the goals of the health reforms. What is known about the topic? Village doctors act as gatekeepers at the bottom tier of the rural health system. However, the policies of the new healthcare reform initiatives in China were centred on improving the quality of care delivered to the rural population and reducing fast-growing medical costs. There have been limited studies on village doctors' reactions to these reforms. What does this paper add? The findings of the present study indicate that in the process of implementing the new healthcare reforms, village doctors' overall job satisfaction is low and most respondents are dissatisfied with the reforms. The factors affecting job satisfaction include income, training, social status, relationship with patients and satisfaction with the reforms. What are the implications for practitioners? Health reform policy makers should ensure village doctors feel appropriately remunerated and are motivated while aiming to reduce the financial burden on patients. The views of stakeholders (i.e. patients and village doctors) should be considered when designing future health reforms.

Multilevel poisson regression modelling for determining factors of dengue fever cases in bandung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arundina, Davila Rubianti; Tantular, Bertho; Pontoh, Resa Septiani

2017-03-01

Scralatina or Dengue Fever is a kind of fever caused by serotype virus which Flavivirus genus and be known as Dengue Virus. Dengue Fever caused by Aedes Aegipty Mosquito bites who infected by a dengue virus. The study was conducted in 151 villages in Bandung. Health Analysts believes that there are two factors that affect the dengue cases, Internal factor (individual) and external factor (environment). The data who used in this research is hierarchical data. The method is used for hierarchical data modelling is multilevel method. Which is, the level 1 is village and level 2 is sub-district. According exploration data analysis, the suitable Multilevel Method is Random Intercept Model. Penalized Quasi Likelihood (PQL) approach on multilevel Poisson is a proper analysis to determine factors that affecting dengue cases in the city of Bandung. Clean and Healthy Behavior factor from the village level have an effect on the number of cases of dengue fever in the city of Bandung. Factor from the sub-district level has no effect.

Impact of PermaNet 3.0 on entomological indices in an area of pyrethroid resistant Anopheles gambiae in south-western Nigeria

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background PermaNet® 3.0 is an insecticide synergist-combination long-lasting insecticidal net designed to have increased efficacy against malaria vectors with metabolic resistance, even when combined with kdr. The current study reports on the impact of this improved tool on entomological indices in an area with pyrethroid-resistant malaria vectors in Nigeria. Methods Baseline entomological indices across eight villages in Remo North LGA of Ogun State provided the basis for selection of three villages (Ilara, Irolu and Ijesa) for comparing the efficacy of PermaNet® 3.0 (PN3.0), PermaNet® 2.0 (PN2.0) and untreated polyester nets as a control (UTC). In each case, nets were distributed to cover all sleeping spaces and were evaluated for insecticidal activity on a 3-monthly basis. Collection of mosquitoes was conducted monthly via window traps and indoor resting catches. The arithmetic means of mosquito catches per house, entomological inoculation rates before and during the intervention were compared as well as three other outcome parameters: the mean mosquito blood feeding rate, mean mortality and mean parity rates. Results Anopheles gambiae s.l. was the main malaria vector in the three villages, accounting for >98% of the Anopheles population and found in appreciable numbers for 6–7 months. Deltamethrin, permethrin and lambdacyhalothrin resistance were confirmed at Ilara, Irolu and Ijesa. The kdr mutation was the sole resistance mechanism at Ilara, whereas kdr plus P450-based metabolic mechanisms were detected at Irolu and Ijesa. Bioassays repeated on domestically used PN 2.0 and PN 3.0 showed persistent optimal (100%) bio-efficacy for both net types after the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th month following net distribution. The use of PN 3.0 significantly reduced mosquito densities with a ‘mass killing’ effect inside houses. Households with PN 3.0 also showed reduced blood feeding as well as lower mosquito parity and sporozoite rates compared to the PN 2.0 and the UTC villages. A significant reduction in the entomological inoculation rate was detected in both the PN 2.0 village (75%) and PN 3.0 village (97%) post LLIN-distribution and not in the UTC village. Conclusion The study confirms the efficacy of PN 3.0 in reducing malaria transmission compared to pyrethroid-only LLINs in the presence of malaria vectors with P450-based metabolic- resistance mechanisms. PMID:24886399

Economic and social activities on ancient Cypriot terraced landscapes.

PubMed

Ridder, Elizabeth; Galletti, Christopher S; Fall, Patricia L; Falconer, Steven E

2017-11-01

We investigate ancient agricultural terraces and their associated social and economic activities across the site complex consisting of the village at Politiko-Troullia and its more extensive associated taskscape. Surface artifact distributions mapped over 12 ha are integrated with evidence excavated from this Bronze Age settlement in central Cyprus. Contrary to expectations, artifact densities do not diminish with distance from the village architecture. In particular, concentrations of Prehistoric Bronze Age ceramics and ground stone artifacts are most pronounced on nearby terraced hillsides. These terraces were not utilized for domestic structures, but for extensive processing of agricultural crops and copper ore. Bronze Age excavated plant remains indicate cultivation of olives, grapes and figs, with wood resources dominated by olive and pine. Larger, non-portable ground stones and gaming stones are associated with communal social and economic activities in open courtyard settings in Politiko-Troullia. This category of ground stone also is particularly common on the terraced hillsides around Troullia, suggesting that similar behaviors occurred beyond village structures. The terraced landscape of Politiko-Troullia exemplifies a multi-faceted taskscape with a range of agricultural, metallurgical and social activities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studies on indoor radon activity concentration in two villages of West-Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khardewsaw, A.; Maibam, D.; Sharma, Y.; Saxena, A.

2018-04-01

Studies on radon aregenerally perceived from two perspectives, one from the aspect of hazard and the other as a tracer, of which in this paper our study is focused on the former. In this paper, we estimate whether the level of measured indoor radon activity concentration of the two villages under the study area has any impact on the well-being of the populace. The measured average radon activity concentration in the two villages (Nongkasen and Markasa) is found to be 101.74 ± 2.42Bq.m-3(G.M.) and 148.26 ± 2.57 Bq.m-3(G.M.)respectively. We have also measured its seasonal variation and found that the radon concentration is maximum during winter seasonviz.181.34±1.69 Bq.m-3 and 226.22±1.63 Bq.m-3 and minimum viz.66.31±2.75 Bq.m-3 and 83.32±3.26 Bq.m-3 during the rainy season for Nongkasen and Markasa respectively.

Implementation of geotourism concept in developing natural tourist attraction at parbaba village, Toba’s caldera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginting, Nurlisa; Febriandy

2018-03-01

Toba’s Caldera is considered as a unique tourist destination as it was formed by the vulcanic eruption of Toba’s volcano, with Parbaba Village as its attraction. Geotourism, which consist of the administrator, education, uniqueness, accessibility, supporting facilities, and the increase of local people’s economy as it’s elements, is one of the concepts which can be implemented in this case. The objective of this research is to find a solution to increase natural tourist attraction in Parbaba village by making a tourist area development recommendation based on geotourism elements above. This research uses mix method, as the qualitative data will be collected by observation and interview with stakeholders, and the quantitative data will be collected by giving out 100 questionnaires to tourists and local people.The data then will be analyzed by using triangulation method. The result of this research is a concept of tourist attraction development recommendation. This research is expected to give benefits in the form of education and travel experience for tourist and also increases the economy of local people as a developer. The uniqueness element of this village is quite strong, whereas the supporting facilities are still lacking.

Analysis of cattle breeder’s income in South Kualuh sub-district of Labuhan Batu Utara Regency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasnudi; Berutu, I. S.; Daulay, A. H.; Ginting, N.; Sembiring, I.

2018-02-01

Beef cattle breeding is a business of the majority people in South Kualuh Subdistrict among others business. Therefore it is necessary to know the people income of beef cattle farms in the district. This research was conducted in South Kualuh Subdistrict of Labuhan Batu Utara Regency of North Sumatera Province from October to December 2016. This research used survey method with family respondent unit that raising beef cattle. The sample was obtained through Proportional Stratified Random Sampling method and obtained by 97 farmers such as, from Tanjung Pasir village, 64 respondents, Simangalam village was 24 respondents and Lobu Huala village was 9 respondents. Data was analysed by multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that scale of business, education of farmers positively affect the income of beef cattle farms while the age, breeding experience and the number of family dependents negatively affect to the income of beef cattle farms.

Toxic metal levels in children residing in a smelting craft village in Vietnam: a pilot biomonitoring study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In Vietnam, environmental pollution caused by small-scale domestic smelting of automobile batteries into lead ingot is a growing concern. The village of Nghia Lo is a smelting craft village located roughly 25 km southeast of Hanoi in the Red River Delta. Despite the concern of toxic metal exposure in the village, biomonitoring among susceptible populations, such as children, has not been previously conducted. The aim of this study was to determine the body burden of toxic metals in children residing in a smelting craft village. Methods Twenty children from Nghia Lo, Vietnam, ages 18 months to four years were selected for capillary whole blood and toenail biomonitoring. Whole blood lead levels (BLLs) were measured using a portable lead analyzer, and toenail levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, and mercury were analyzed with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Results The findings show that all of the 20 children had detectable BLLs, and every child had levels that exceeded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline level of 5 μg/dL. Eighty percent of tested subjects had BLLs higher than 10 μg/dL. Five children (25%) had BLLs greater than 45 μg/dL, the level of recommended medical intervention. In addition to blood lead, all of the children had detectable levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, and mercury in toenail samples. Notably, average toenail lead, manganese, and mercury levels were 157 μg/g, 7.41 μg/g, and 2.63 μg/g respectively, well above levels previously reported in children. Significant Spearman’s rank correlations showed that there were relationships between blood and toenail lead levels (r = 0.65, p < 0.05), toenail levels of lead and cadmium (r = 0.66, p < 0.05), and toenail levels of manganese and chromium (r = 0.72, p < 0.001). Linear regression showed that reducing the distance to the nearest active smelter by half was associated with a 116% increase in BLL (p < 0.05). Conclusions The results suggest that children in battery recycling and smelting craft villages in Vietnam are co-exposed to toxic metals. There is an urgent need for mitigation to control metal exposure related to domestic smelting. PMID:24495283

Monitoring of "urban villages" in Shenzhen, China from high-resolution GF-1 and TerraSAR-X data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Chunzhu; Blaschke, Thomas; Taubenböck, Hannes

2015-10-01

Urban villages comprise mainly low-rise and congested, often informal settlements surrounded by new constructions and high-rise buildings whereby structures can be very different between neighboring areas. Monitoring urban villages and analyzing their characteristics are crucial for urban development and sustainability research. In this study, we carried out a combined analysis of multispectral GaoFen-1 (GF-1) and high resolution TerraSAR-X radar (TSX) imagery to extract the urban village information. GF-1 and TSX data are combined with the Gramshmidt spectral sharpening method so as to provide new input data for urban village classification. The Grey-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) approach was also applied to four directions to provide another four types (all, 0°, 90°, 45° directions) of TSX-based inputs for urban village detection. We analyzed the urban village mapping performance using the Random Forest approach. The results demonstrate that the best overall accuracy and the best producer accuracy of urban villages reached with the GLCM 90° dataset (82.33%, 68.54% respectively). Adding single polarization TSX data as input information to the optical image GF-1 provided an average product accuracy improvement of around 7% in formal built-up area classification. The SAR and optical fusion imagery also provided an effective means to eliminate some layover, shadow effects, and dominant scattering at building locations and green spaces, improving the producer accuracy by 7% in urban area classification. To sum up, the added value of SAR information is demonstrated by the enhanced results achievable over built-up areas, including formal and informal settlements.

Indigenous utilization of termite mounds and their sustainability in a rice growing village of the central plain of Laos.

PubMed

Miyagawa, Shuichi; Koyama, Yusaku; Kokubo, Mika; Matsushita, Yuichi; Adachi, Yoshinao; Sivilay, Sengdeaune; Kawakubo, Nobumitsu; Oba, Shinya

2011-08-18

The objective of this study was to investigate the indigenous utilization of termite mounds and termites in a rain-fed rice growing village in the central plain of Laos, where rice production is low and varies year-to-year, and to assess the possibility of sustainable termite mound utilization in the future. This research was carried out from 2007 to 2009. The termites were collected from their mounds and surrounding areas and identified. Twenty villagers were interviewed on their use of termites and their mounds in the village. Sixty-three mounds were measured to determine their dimensions in early March, early July and middle to late November, 2009. Eleven species of Termitidae were recorded during the survey period. It was found that the villagers use termite mounds as fertilizer for growing rice, vegetable beds and charcoal kilns. The villagers collected termites for food and as feed for breeding fish. Over the survey period, 81% of the mounds surveyed increased in volume; however, the volume was estimated to decrease by 0.114 m3 mound(-1) year(-1) on average due to several mounds being completely cut out. It was concluded that current mound utilization by villagers is not sustainable. To ensure sustainable termite utilization in the future, studies should be conducted to enhance factors that promote mound restoration by termites. Furthermore, it will be necessary to improve mound conservation methods used by the villagers after changes in the soil mass of mounds in paddy fields and forests has been measured accurately. The socio-economic factors that affect mound utilization should also be studied.

[Population genetics of the inhabitants of Northern European USSR. II. Blood group distribution and antropogenetic characteristics in 6 villages in Archangel Oblast].

PubMed

Revazov, A A; Pasekov, V P; Lukasheva, I D

1975-01-01

The paper deals with the distribution of genetic markers (systems ABO, MN, Rh (D), Hp, PTC) and a number of demographic (folding of arms, hand clasping, tongue rolling, right- and left-handedness, of the type of ear lobe, of the types of dermatoglyphic patterns) in the inhabitants of 6 villages in the Mezen District of the Archangelsk Region of the RSFSR (river Peosa basin). The data presented in this work were obtained in the course of examination of over 800 persons. Differences in the interpretation of the results of generally adopted methods of statistical analysis of samples from small populations are discussed. Among the systems analysed in one third of all the cases there was a statistically significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg's ratios. For the MN blood groups and haptoglobins this was caused by the excess of heterozygotes. The test of Hardy--Weinberg's ratios at the level of two-loci phenotypes revealed no statistically significant deviations either in separate villages or in all the villages taken together. The analysis of heterogeneity with respect to markers inherited according to Mendel's law revealed statistically significant differences between villages in all the systems except haptoglobins. A considerable heterogeneity in the distribution of family names, the frequencies of some of them varying from village to village from 0 to 90%. Statistically significant differences between villages were shown for all the anthropogenetic characters except arm folding, hand clasping and right-left-handedness. Considering the uniformity of the environmental pressure in the region examined, the heterogeneity of the population studied is apparently associated with a random genetic differentiation (genetic drift) and, possibly, with the effect of the progenitor.

Village family planning volunteers in Indonesia: their role in the family planning programme.

PubMed

Utomo, Iwu Dwisetyani; Arsyad, Syahmida S; Hasmi, Eddy Nurul

2006-05-01

Family planning was once a sensitive issue in Indonesia, but today it is considered essential. This paper reports on a study in 1997-98 of the role of village family planning volunteers and the cadres who worked under them in West Java, Central Java and DI Yogyakarta, in implementing the national family planning programme in Indonesia. A total of 108 village family planning volunteers, 108 family planning cadres, 108 local leaders and 324 couples eligible for family planning from 36 villages in the three provinces were interviewed. The volunteers and cadres have made a significant contribution to the implementation of the family planning programme. They promote family planning, organise meetings, provide information, organise income-generation activities, give savings and credit assistance, collect and report data and deliver other family welfare services. Teachers, wives of government officials and others recognised by the community as better off in terms of education and living conditions were most often identified to become family planning volunteers. Because they are women and because they are the most distant arm of the programme, their work is taken for granted. As their activities are directed towards women, especially in women's traditional roles, the programme tends to entrench the existing gender gap in responsibility for family planning and family welfare.

If you come from a well-known organisation, I will trust you: Exploring and understanding the community's attitudes towards healthcare research in Cambodia.

PubMed

Pol, Sreymom; Fox-Lewis, Shivani; Neou, Leakhena; Parker, Michael; Kingori, Patricia; Turner, Claudia

2018-01-01

To explore Cambodian community members' understanding of and attitudes towards healthcare research. This qualitative study generated data from semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. This study was conducted at a non-governmental paediatric hospital and in nearby villages in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. A total of ten semi-structured interviews and four focus group discussions were conducted, involving 27 participants. Iterative data collection and analysis were performed concurrently. Data were analysed by thematic content analysis and the coding structure was developed using relevant literature. Participants did not have a clear understanding of what activities related to research compared with those for routine healthcare. Key attitudes towards research were responsibility and trust: personal (trust of the researcher directly) and institutional (trust of the institution as a whole). Villagers believe the village headman holds responsibility for community activities, while the village headman believes that this responsibility should be shared across all levels of the government system. It is essential for researchers to understand the structure and relationship within the community they wish to work with in order to develop trust among community participants. This aids effective communication and understanding among all parties, enabling high quality ethical research to be conducted.

Quantifying the association between bovine and human trypanosomiasis in newly affected sleeping sickness areas of Uganda.

PubMed

von Wissmann, Beatrix; Fyfe, Jenna; Picozzi, Kim; Hamill, Louise; Waiswa, Charles; Welburn, Susan C

2014-06-01

Uganda has active foci of both chronic and acute HAT with the acute zoonotic form of disease classically considered to be restricted to southeast Uganda, while the focus of the chronic form of HAT was confined to the northwest of the country. Acute HAT has however been migrating from its traditional disease focus, spreading rapidly to new districts, a spread linked to movement of infected cattle following restocking. Cattle act as long-term reservoirs of human infective T. b. rhodesiense showing few signs of morbidity, yet posing a significant risk to human health. It is important to understand the relationship between infected cattle and infected individuals so that an appropriate response can be made to the risk posed to the community from animals infected with human pathogens in a village setting. This paper examines the relationship between human T. b. rhodesiense infection and human infective and non-human T. brucei s.l. circulating in cattle at village level in Kaberamaido and Dokolo Districts, Uganda. The study was undertaken in villages that had reported a case of sleeping sickness in the six months prior to sample collection and those villages that had never reported a case of sleeping sickness. The sleeping sickness status of the villages had a significant effect with higher odds of infection in cattle from case than from non-case villages for T. brucei s.l. (OR: 2.94, 95%CI: 1.38-6.24). Cattle age had a significant effect (p<0.001) on the likelihood of T. brucei s.l. infection within cattle: cattle between 18-36 months (OR: 3.51, 95%CI: 1.63-7.51) and cattle over 36 months (OR: 4.20, 95%CI: 2.08-8.67) had significantly higher odds of T. brucei s. l. infection than cattle under 18 months of age. Furthermore, village human sleeping sickness status had a significant effect (p<0.05) on the detection of T. b. rhodesiense in the village cattle herd, with significantly higher likelihood of T. b. rhodesiense in the village cattle of case villages (OR: 25, 95%CI: 1.2-520.71). Overall a higher than average T. brucei s.l. prevalence (>16.3%) in a village herd over was associated with significantly higher likelihood of T. b. rhodesiense being detected in a herd (OR: 25, 95%CI: 1.2-520.71).

The psychological consequences of the Chernobyl accident--findings from the International Atomic Energy Agency Study.

PubMed Central

Ginzburg, H M

1993-01-01

In October 1989, more than 3 years after the nuclear power plant accident at Chernobyl, in the Ukraine, the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics requested that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) evaluate the medical and psychological health of residents living in areas identified as being contaminated with radioactive fallout. The IAEA designed and conducted a collaborative study to examine whether there were any measurable effects of exposure to the low levels of ionizing radiation resulting from the accident. The study, using structured interviews and IAEA laboratory equipment, collected data on more than 1,350 residents of 13 villages. IAEA clinical staff members concluded that they could not identify any health disorders in either the contaminated or nearby (uncontaminated) control villages that could be attributed directly to radiation exposure. The clinical staff, however, did note that the levels of anxiety and stress of the villagers appeared to be disproportionate to the biological significance of the levels of IAEA-measured radio-active contamination. Almost half the adults in all the villages were unsure if they had a radiation-related illness. More than 70 percent of persons in the contaminated villages wanted to move away, and approximately 83 percent believed that the government should relocate them. The IAEA effort indicates that the villagers need to be educated about their actual risks, and they need to understand what types of illnesses are, and are not, associated with exposure to radioactive contamination. Unfortunately, the villagers' needs may exceed the available resources of their local and central governments. PMID:8464974

An evaluation of a nutrition intervention in Kapinga Village on Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.

PubMed

Hanson, Michelle; Englberger, Lois; Duncan, Burris; Taren, Douglas; Mateak, Henrich; Johnson, Emihner

2011-03-01

The people of Kapinga Village are suffering from chronic diseases as a result of their lifestyles and eating habits, similar to many Pohnpeians. Kapinga Village is an urban area on the island of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, settled by people from Kapingamarangi, a remote atoll. The villagers have limited access to traditional staple foods, including breadfruit, banana, and taro, fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. The Island Food Community of Pohnpei (IFCP) carried out several nutrition interventions in Kapinga Village to prevent disease, including promotion of physical activity through growing local food, a nutritious diet of local foods, cooking classes, container gardening, and charcoal oven workshops. This study evaluated the effect of those interventions on dietary intake. A 7-day Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was administered in June-July, 2010 to participants from 68 households and data were compared to 2009 baseline data. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed to identify salient themes that were associated with changes in dietary intake. The FFQ data indicated that there was an increase in consumption of local fruits and vegetables compared with the baseline. Qualitative data revealed that participants viewed the interventions positively. The data also revealed that some of the new foods and drinks consumed were those already available in the village, but for which their uses had not previously been known (such as banana flower and hibiscus tea). Such improvements are likely to be sustainable. Recommendations are for more education, in the Kapingan language if possible, and future research to determine what culturally appropriate interventions are still needed to improve nutrition in Kapinga Village.

[Investigation of wild feces pollution in schistosomiasis endemic areas in Yunnan Province].

PubMed

Zhang, Yun; Feng, Xi-guang; Xiong, Meng-tao; Sun, Jia-yu; Song, Jing

2014-08-01

To understand the status of wild feces distribution and pollution in schistosomiasis endemic areas in Yunnan Province. According to the distribution of Oncomelania hupensis snails and characteristics of human and animal activities in recent five years, 6 schistosomiasis endemic villages in Weishan, Nanjian and Midu counties (2 villages each county) were selected as the investigated areas and. more than 4 hm2 area with snails around each village were investigated for the types and densities of wild feces. The schistosome infested feces was detected with the hatching method. Totally 63 hm2 were investigated and 420 wild feces were found in all kinds of environments. The densities of wild feces were 0.066 7 piles/100 nm2, and the densities of wild feces of the road and the hillside were the highest (0.098 7 piles/100 m2 and 0.088 0 piles/100 m2 respectively). Totally 260 fresh wild feces were collected, including the feces of human being, cattle, horse, dog, sheep and pig, and the feces of cattle and dog was the most (37.38% and 30.71%, respectively). No schistosome positive feces was found. There are a lot of wild feces in snail areas in Yunnan Province, and the risk of schistosomiasis transmission is still high. Therefore, we should strengthen the banning grazing measures and the investigation of dogs.

Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA) Of Transport Disadvantage Variables on Social Exclusion in a Rural Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larasati, Ophilia; Puspita Dirgahayani, Eng., Dr.

2018-05-01

Transport services are essential to support daily life. A lack of transport supply leads to the existence of transport disadvantaged (TDA) groups who are vulnerable to social exclusion, which happens when a particular group or individual is having difficulties to access certain activities that are considered normal in society. To tackle this phenomenon, the understanding of the influence of TDA variables on social exclusion is needed. The aim of this study is to analyze the influences of TDA variables on social exclusion in a rural context, with Cibeureum Village (Bandung Barat Regency) and Bunikasih Village (Subang Regency) as the study case. Both case studies provide different characteristics of accessibility. Partial Least Squares (PLS) Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is chosen as the method to analyze the influences of TDA variables on social exclusion. The PLS-SEM model is developed according to the social exclusion variable and four TDA variables, i.e., accessibility, individual characteristics, private vehicle existence, and travel behavior. IPMA is done after the PLS-SEM model is evaluated. The study reveals that among four of the TDA variables, accessibility has the most influence on social exclusion, hence interventions related to improving accessibility are needed to tackle social exclusion. More specifically, the provision of alternative modes is needed in both study areas, while in Bunikasih Village the cost of travel is also an important variable to consider.

Advantages and Challenges of A Village Doctor-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Late-Life Depression in Rural China: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Tang, Tan; Yang, Xuemei; Zhang, Weijun; Wang, Xiaohua; Ji, Li; Xiao, Yun; Ma, Kun; Wang, Ying; Kong, Xianglei; Wang, Jianping; Liu, Jun; Xu, Qian; Tian, Donghua; Qu, Zhiyong

2015-01-01

Background The delivery of mental health services in rural China has been notably limited due to lack of qualified mental health professionals among other impeding factors. A village doctor-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention may be one way of improving accessibility. The purpose of this study was to explore the advantages and challenges of implementing this intervention, as delivered by trained village doctors, to treat late-life depression in rural China. Methods We conducted one focus group discussion with 10 village doctors, 10 individual interviews with each of the village doctors, and individual interviews with 19 older adults. The topic guides were advantages and challenges of the intervention program from the perspective of the village doctors and older adults. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded using NVivo 8, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results The village doctors stressed the importance of role-playing and using instructive manuals in the training. Proper supervision was also a key component of the program. The benefits received from the intervention for the village doctors and the elders were positive such that both the doctors and the older adults were willing to implement/receive this intervention. Cultural and political factors (renqing and perceived policy consideration) facilitated the elders’ access to mental health services. Challenges included a lack of real therapy (in contrast to role-playing) demonstrated in the training and lack of a step-by-step manual based on different types of problems encountered. Other impediments to the successful implementation of the intervention included the time constraints of village doctors and the presence of other people when conducting the intervention. Conclusions The present study has demonstrated that the intervention program is likely to be an acceptable geriatric depression intervention in rural China if several challenges are appropriately addressed. PMID:26371473

Cancer Mortality Following Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Contamination of a Guam Village

PubMed Central

Badowski, Grazyna; Bordallo, Renata

2011-01-01

Beginning more than 10 years after the release of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in the favored fishing grounds of Merizo village, an increase in the proportional cancer mortality rate was observed among residents of the village. This increased rate continued for approximately 20 years after which it returned to near island-wide Guam levels. Although the temporal association between PCB contamination of the environment of this village and an increase in cancer mortality is intriguing, it does not necessarily demonstrate a cause and effect relationship. Objective To investigate a possible temporal relationship between PCB contamination of the Cocos Lagoon and cancer deaths in the adjoining village of Merizo. Methods Data utilized in the study included deaths recorded by the Guam Cancer Registry (years 2000 to 2007) and data collected from original death certificates (years 1968–1999). To check whether there was a significant difference in the proportion of deaths due to cancer in Merizo compared with the rest of Guam, deaths were grouped in four 10-year periods, 1968–1977, 1978–1987, 1988–1997, and 1998–2007, and the Pearson Chi-Square test was calculated for each period separately Results While the number of new cancer cases recorded in the village of Merizo were insufficient in number to draw a statistically significant conclusion when single year incidence rates were compared to the rest of the island, a proportional mortality study showed a distinct increase for the village of Merizo compared to other villages for the period 1978–1997. Conclusion While it is not possible to conclude with certainty that PCB contamination of the Cocos Lagoon was responsible for the observed increase in the proportion of cancer deaths in Merizo village beginning during the 10-year period 1978–1987, that increase and the subsequent decrease as PCB levels also decreased presents the possibility that these trends may be related. PMID:22235158

[Identification of anopheles breeding sites in the residual foci of low malaria transmission «hotspots» in Central and Western Senegal].

PubMed

Sy, O; Konaté, L; Ndiaye, A; Dia, I; Diallo, A; Taïrou, F; Bâ, E L; Gomis, J F; Ndiaye, J L; Cissé, B; Gaye, O; Faye, O

2016-02-01

Malaria incidence has markedly declined in the Mbour, Fatick, Niakhar and Bambey districts (central and western Senegal) thanks to a scaling up of effective control measures namely LLINs (Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Net), ACTs (Artesunate Combination Therapy) and promoting care seeking. However malaria cases are now maintained by foci of transmission called hotspots. We evaluate the role of anopheles breeding sites in the identification of malaria hotspots in the health districts of Mbour, Fatick, Niakhar and Bambey. Surveys of breeding sites were made in 6 hotspot villages and 4 non-hotspot villages. A sample was taken in each water point with mosquito larvae by dipping method and the collected specimens were identified to the genus level. Additional parameters as name of the village and breeding sites, type of collection, original water turbidity, presence of vegetation, proximity to dwellings, geographic coordinates, sizes were also collected. Sixty-two water collections were surveyed and monitored between 2013 and 2014. Temporary natural breeding sites were predominant regardless of the epidemiological status of the village. Among the 31 breeding sites located within 500 meters of dwellings in hotspots villages, 70% carried Anopheles larvae during the rainy season while 43% of the 21 breeding sites located at similar distances in non-hotspot villages carried Anopheles larvae during the same period (P = 0.042). At the end of the rainy season, the trend is the same with 27% of positive breeding sites in hotspots and 14% in non-hotspots villages. The breeding sites encountered in hotspots villages are mostly small to medium size and are more productive by Anopheles larvae than those found in non-hotspot area. This study showed that the high frequency of smallest and productive breeding sites around and inside the villages can create conditions of residual transmission.

Effect of an Educational Intervention Related to Health and Nutrition on Pregnant Women in the Villages of Central Java Province, Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wijaya-Erhardt, Maria; Muslimatun, Siti; Erhardt, Juergen G.

2014-01-01

Objective: To assess the effects of a health and nutrition educational intervention on maternal knowledge, attitudes and practices. Design: Pre- and post-test design using structured interviews of pregnant women. Setting: Thirty-nine villages in Central Java Province, Indonesia. Method: Pregnant women (N = 252) at 12-20 weeks of gestation were…

Gender-related impacts of improved agricultural technologies: identification of indicators from a case study.

PubMed

Kolli, R D; Bantilan, C

1997-01-01

This study examines the gender-related consequences of adoption of a groundnut production technology (GPT) package introduced in Umra village for increasing the production of legumes in India. GPT affected household labor activity patterns, decision making, and distribution of benefits. The package offered improved varieties and improved practices. Data were obtained from surveys conducted among 26 farm households in each Umra and Karanji village during 1992-94 and among 15 agricultural wage laborer households from Umra and 21 from Karanji. Men and women both cooperated in certain groundnut production activities and specialized in other activities. Men used agricultural equipment and tools and performed hard labor. Women used hand skills or small tools. Villages differed in gender task specificity. Umra women after GPT reported more work in field cleaning, fertilizer application, and sowing by hand dibbling. A new GPT activity of gypsum application was handled in almost 60% of farm households by women. Large yield gains changed harvesting activities in Umra. The number of exclusive activities performed only by women rose after GPT. GPT was not designed to eliminate drudgery performed by women. Umra women spent more time than Karanji women in production. More labor was needed with GPT. Wage rates for women workers were similar in both villages. Wages were less in Umra for men compared to Karanji. Men and women jointly decided on resource allocations in 53% of households in Karanji and only 36% in Umra. The adoption of GPT reduced the control of women over resource use. More joint and sole decisions by women were made in Umra on the use of the main product. Women gained control over products for home use in Umra. Men retained control over the value of 80% of the crop. Both men and women were satisfied with GPT, but specific perceptions differed by gender.

Ethnoichthyology of the indigenous Truká people, Northeast Brazil.

PubMed

Santos, Carlos Alberto Batista; Alves, Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega

2016-01-06

Historically, fishing is an important activity for riverine communities established along the São Francisco River, including indigenous communities. In the present study, we researched fishing activities in two villages of the Truká ethnic group, both located in the State of Pernambuco along the sub-middle section of the São Francisco River, Northeast Brazil. We recorded the richness and uses of the fished species and the ecological knowledge on these species, the fishing techniques employed and the perception of the indigenous people regarding current environmental impacts on the São Francisco River that influence local fishing. The information was obtained through interviews with 33 Truká fishers (27 men and six women), including 17 interviewees from Central Village (Cabrobó) and 16 from Tapera Village (Orocó). Using five fishing techniques, the interviewees caught 25 fish species, including 21 native and four exotic species. All species are used as food, and two species are used in traditional Truká medicine. The interviewees revealed that fishing currently has less importance in their subsistence. They indicated that this situation is occurring because of several factors, such as the introduction of exotic species, pollution and urbanization, that have impacted the São Francisco River, resulting in a decline of fishing resources. Nevertheless, we found that the indigenous people who are still fishing have a broad knowledge of the habitat and ecology of the target fishing. Although fishing is declining in importance among the Truká, we found that the individuals who are still practicing this activity have a broad knowledge about the habitat and ecology of the target species and apply that knowledge to fishing methods. Knowledge about the ecology of the species and the environmental impacts that have affected them can support basic research on local fish populations and research investigating the environmental impacts, resource management and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources.

Outbreak of Fatal Childhood Lead Poisoning Related to Artisanal Gold Mining in Northwestern Nigeria, 2010

PubMed Central

Neri, Antonio; Lo, Yi-Chun; Durant, James; Dargan, Paul I.; Swarthout, Todd; Biya, Oladayo; Gidado, Saheed O.; Haladu, Suleiman; Sani-Gwarzo, Nasir; Nguku, Patrick M.; Akpan, Henry; Idris, Sa’ad; Bashir, Abdullahi M.; Brown, Mary Jean

2011-01-01

Background: In May 2010, a team of national and international organizations was assembled to investigate children’s deaths due to lead poisoning in villages in northwestern Nigeria. Objectives: Our goal was to determine the cause of the childhood lead poisoning outbreak, investigate risk factors for child mortality, and identify children < 5 years of age in need of emergency chelation therapy for lead poisoning. Methods: We administered a cross-sectional, door-to-door questionnaire in two affected villages, collected blood from children 2–59 months of age, and obtained soil samples from family compounds. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed with survey, blood lead, and environmental data. Multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to determine risk factors for childhood mortality. Results: We surveyed 119 family compounds. Of 463 children < 5 years of age, 118 (25%) had died in the previous year. We tested 59% (204/345) of children < 5 years of age, and all were lead poisoned (≥ 10 µg/dL); 97% (198/204) of children had blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥ 45 µg/dL, the threshold for initiating chelation therapy. Gold ore was processed inside two-thirds of the family compounds surveyed. In multivariate modeling, significant risk factors for death in the previous year from suspected lead poisoning included the age of the child, the mother’s work at ore-processing activities, community well as primary water source, and the soil lead concentration in the compound. Conclusion: The high levels of environmental contamination, percentage of children < 5 years of age with elevated BLLs (97%, > 45 µg/dL), and incidence of convulsions among children before death (82%) suggest that most of the recent childhood deaths in the two surveyed villages were caused by acute lead poisoning from gold ore–processing activities. Control measures included environmental remediation, chelation therapy, public health education, and control of mining activities. PMID:22186192

Community participation for malaria elimination in Tafea Province, Vanuatu: Part I. Maintaining motivation for prevention practices in the context of disappearing disease

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In the 1990s, the experience of eliminating malaria from Aneityum Island, Vanuatu is often given as evidence for the potential to eliminate malaria in the south-west Pacific. This experience, however, cannot provide a blueprint for larger islands that represent more complex social and environmental contexts. Community support was a key contributor to success in Aneityum. In the context of disappearing disease, obtaining and maintaining community participation in strategies to eliminate malaria in the rest of Tafea Province, Vanuatu will be significantly more challenging. Method Nine focus group discussions (FGDs), 12 key informant interviews (KIIs), three transect walks and seven participatory workshops were carried out in three villages across Tanna Island to investigate community perceptions and practices relating to malaria prevention (particularly relating to bed nets); influences on these practices including how malaria is contextualized within community health and disease priorities; and effective avenues for channelling health information. Results The primary protection method identified by participants was the use of bed nets, however, the frequency and motivation for their use differed between study villages on the basis of the perceived presence of malaria. Village, household and personal cleanliness were identified by participants as important for protection against malaria. Barriers and influences on bed net use included cultural beliefs and practices, travel, gender roles, seasonality of mosquito nuisance and risk perception. Health care workers and church leaders were reported to have greatest influence on malaria prevention practices. Participants preferred receiving health information through visiting community health promotion teams, health workers, church leaders and village chiefs. Conclusion In low malaria transmission settings, a package for augmenting social capital and sustaining community participation for elimination will be essential and includes: 'sentinel sites' for qualitative monitoring of evolving local socio-cultural, behavioural and practical issues that impact malaria prevention and treatment; mobilizing social networks; intersectoral collaboration; integration of malaria interventions with activities addressing other community health and disease priorities; and targeted implementation of locally appropriate, multi-level, media campaigns that sustain motivation for community participation in malaria elimination. PMID:20380748

Evaluation of a pre-existing, 3-year household water treatment and handwashing intervention in rural Guatemala

PubMed Central

Arnold, Benjamin; Arana, Byron; Mäusezahl, Daniel; Hubbard, Alan; Colford, John M

2009-01-01

Background The promotion of household water treatment and handwashing with soap has led to large reductions in child diarrhoea in randomized efficacy trials. Currently, we know little about the health effectiveness of behaviour-based water and hygiene interventions after the conclusion of intervention activities. Methods We present an extension of previously published design (propensity score matching) and analysis (targeted maximum likelihood estimation) methods to evaluate the behavioural and health impacts of a pre-existing but non-randomized intervention (a 3-year, combined household water treatment and handwashing campaign in rural Guatemala). Six months after the intervention, we conducted a cross-sectional cohort study in 30 villages (15 intervention and 15 control) that included 600 households, and 929 children <5 years of age. Results The study design created a sample of intervention and control villages that were comparable across more than 30 potentially confounding characteristics. The intervention led to modest gains in confirmed water treatment behaviour [risk difference = 0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02–0.09]. We found, however, no difference between the intervention and control villages in self-reported handwashing behaviour, spot-check hygiene conditions, or the prevalence of child diarrhoea, clinical acute lower respiratory infections or child growth. Conclusions To our knowledge this is the first post-intervention follow-up study of a combined household water treatment and handwashing behaviour change intervention, and the first post-intervention follow-up of either intervention type to include child health measurement. The lack of child health impacts is consistent with unsustained behaviour adoption. Our findings highlight the difficulty of implementing behaviour-based household water treatment and handwashing outside of intensive efficacy trials. PMID:19574492

Evaluating the feasibility and uptake of a community-led HIV testing and multi-disease health campaign in rural Uganda

PubMed Central

Kabami, Jane; Chamie, Gabriel; Kwarisiima, Dalsone; Biira, Edith; Ssebutinde, Peter; Petersen, Maya; Charlebois, Edwin D.; Kamya, Moses R.; Havlir, Diane V.; Clark, Tamara D.

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Multi-disease community health campaigns can be effective for population-wide HIV testing in a research setting (SEARCH: NCT01864603). We sought to evaluate feasibility and uptake of a community-led health campaign (CLHC) planned and implemented by village leaders and local clinic workers in Uganda. Methods: Over five months in 2014, locally elected village leaders and Ministry of Health (MoH) clinic staff in a rural parish in Uganda planned a census followed by a CLHC, after training by two SEARCH trial consultants and by leaders from a neighbouring parish that had previously participated in a SEARCH health campaign. We defined feasibility as: (1) elected leaders’ participation in training and implementation of pre-campaign census and mobilization activities; (2) implementation of all campaign activities by MoH-funded, local clinic staff; and (3) community participation in the campaign, including point-of-care screening for HIV, malaria, hypertension and diabetes, and same-day referral for male circumcision and family planning (FP). Costing of all salaries and supplies was conducted. Results: Elected leaders from all eight villages in the parish participated in CLHC training. They and local clinic staff met monthly to select and plan CLHC services. Village leaders then leveraged existing volunteer health teams to perform a door-to-door census, enumerating 5,202 parish residents over 2 weeks. 2,753 (53%) residents participated in the 6-day CLHC. Of 1,584 adult participants, 1,474 (93%) tested for HIV: 105/1,474 (7.1%) tested HIV positive. 27% (751/2,753) of participants reported fever and underwent malaria rapid diagnostic testing: 5.3% (40/751) tested positive. Among adults screened, 19% (271/1,452) were hypertensive, and 3% (18/637) had a random blood sugar >11.1 mmol/L. Of 805 men and boys (>10 years), 91 (11%) accepted same-day clinic referral and underwent medical circumcision. Of 900 women offered same-day long-term FP referrals, 25 accepted. The CLHC cost, including census, mobilization and testing services, was $23,597 ($8.57/participant). Conclusions: Elected village leaders successfully planned and conducted a 6-day multi-disease health campaign with service provision by local clinic staff that reached over half of a rural Ugandan community. These data suggest it is feasible for local leaders and clinics to adopt a multi-disease health campaign approach to scale-up HIV testing in rural Africa. PMID:28406269

NASA Photovoltaic Village Project in Arizona

NASA Image and Video Library

1978-11-21

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. NASA signed an agreement with the Papago tribe in May 1978 to provide the village with solar-generated electricity within the year. The project was funded by the Department of Energy and managed by NASA Lewis. Lewis provided all of the equipment and technical assistance while the tribe’s construction team built the arrays and support equipment, seen here. The 3.5-kilowatt system was modest in scope, but resulted in the first solar electric village. The system provided power to operate a refrigerator, freezer, washing machine, and water pump for the village and lights in each of the 16 homes. The system was activated on December 16, 1978. During the next year officials from around the world travelled to Schuchuli to ascertain if the system was applicable to their areas. The major television networks and over 100 publications covered the story. Less than one percent of the cells failed during the first year of operation.

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

Census and vaccination coverage of owned dog populations in four resource-limited rural communities, Mpumalanga province, South Africa.

PubMed

Conan, Anne; Geerdes, Joy A C; Akerele, Oluyemisi A; Reininghaus, Bjorn; Simpson, Gregory J G; Knobel, Darryn

2017-09-22

Dogs (Canis familiaris) are often free-roaming in sub-Saharan African countries. Rabies virus circulates in many of these populations and presents a public health issue. Mass vaccination of dog populations is the recommended method to decrease the number of dog and human rabies cases. We describe and compare four populations of dogs and their vaccination coverage in four different villages (Hluvukani, Athol, Utah and Dixie) in Bushbuckridge Municipality, Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in the villages of Athol, Utah and Dixie, while data from a Health and Demographic Surveillance System were used to describe the dog population in Hluvukani village. All households of the villages were visited to obtain information on the number, sex, age and rabies vaccination status of dogs. From May to October 2013, 2969 households were visited in the four villages and 942 owned dogs were reported. The populations were all young and skewed towards males. No differences were observed in the sex and age distributions (puppies 0-3 months excluded) among the villages. Athol had a higher proportion of dog-owning households than Hluvukani and Utah. Vaccination coverages were all above the 20% - 40% threshold required for herd immunity to rabies (38% in Hluvukani, 51% in Athol, 65% in Dixie and 74% in Utah). For the preparation of vaccination campaigns, we recommend the use of the relatively stable dog:human ratio (between 1:12 and 1:16) to estimate the number of dogs per village in Bushbuckridge Municipality.

Village midwives and their changing roles in Brunei Darussalam: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Abdul-Mumin, Khadizah Haji

2016-10-01

There are lay midwives worldwide, interchangeably and universally called traditional birth attendants or traditional midwives by organisations such as the World Health Organization and the International Confederation of Midwives. This study aimed to explore the history of lay midwives (village midwives) in Brunei, describe the evolution from their previous to current roles and determine if they are still needed by women today. This qualitative, descriptive study included in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eight women who had received care from village midwives. Data analysis was based on the principles underpinning thematic analysis and used a constant comparative method. Village midwives have been popular in Brunei since the 1900s, with their major role being to assist women with childbirth. However, since the 1960s, their roles and practices have changed to focus on pre-conception, antenatal, postnatal and women's general healthcare. Traditional practices were influenced by religion, culture and the social context of and within Brunei. The major changes in village midwives' roles and practices resulted from the enforcement of the Brunei Midwives' Act in 1956. Village midwives' traditional practices became juxtaposed with modern complementary alternative medicine practices, and they began charging a fee for their services. Brunei village midwives are trusted by women, and their practices may still be widely accepted in Brunei. Further research is necessary to confirm their existence, determine the detailed scope and appropriateness of their practices and verify the feasibility of them working together with healthcare professionals. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A social epidemiological study on HIV/AIDS in a village of Henan Province, China.

PubMed

Yan, Jin; Xiao, Shuiyuan; Zhou, Liang; Tang, Yong; Xu, Guangming; Luo, Dan; Yi, Qifeng

2013-01-01

The HIV/AIDS epidemic caused by commercial blood donation in rural Henan Province of China in the early- to mid-1990s is the largest known cohort in the world related to blood donation but is not fully described. The objectives of this study were to describe the epidemic, epidemiology, and social epidemiology of commercial blood donation and HIV/AIDS. Both qualitative and quantitative mixed methods were used. A village was randomly selected from the 38 key HIV/AIDS pandemic villages in Henan Province. "Demographic Data Form" was applied to collect demographic information of each resident. Focus groups were held for the managers, some residents, members of "HIV/AIDS Work-Team" (organized by the Henan Provincial Government) in the village. Every village physician, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), school header, and other stakeholders were interviewed individually. The social epidemiology of HIV/AIDS was analyzed under three perspectives of the framework: individual, social, and structural perspectives. In this village, there were 2335 residents, 484 (20.3%) were former donors, 107 (4.6%) were PLWHA, and 96.3% of PLWHA were infected through commercial blood donation. Individually, low education and plasma donation were the risky factors of HIV/AIDS infection. Socially, the epidemic was geography-, kinship-, and conformity-related. Structurally, the related macrostructure factor was policy endorsement of national blood products. The microstructure factors were poverty and value belief on male child in passing down generations. It is concluded that commercial blood donation and HIV/AIDS epidemic in the village are symbiotically related. The epidemic is temporary and socially determined.

Barriers to Participation in a Community-Based Program to Control Transmission of Taenia solium in Peru.

PubMed

Beam, Michelle; Spencer, Angela; Fernandez, Lauralee; Atto, Ruth; Muro, Claudio; Vilchez, Percy; Gamboa, Ricardo; Olaya, Sandra; Ayvar, Viterbo; Gonzalez, Armando E; Garcia, Hector H; O'Neal, Seth E; For The Cysticercosis Working Group In Peru

2018-04-16

Infection of the brain with Taenia solium larvae (neurocysticercosis) is a leading cause of preventable epilepsy worldwide. Effective and sustainable strategies to control parasite transmission in rural endemic communities are needed to prevent the disease. Surveillance and targeted intervention around infected pigs (ring control strategy) have been shown to be effective when carried out by research teams. However, this strategy has not been implemented or tested as a community-based program. In this small trial in northern Peru, eight villages were randomly assigned to community-led surveillance and treatment (five villages, 997 residents) or control (three villages, 1,192 residents). In intervention villages, community-led surveillance and reporting were promoted by community health workers, radio advertisement, and school and household education. Each suspected pig infection was verified, with confirmed cases resulting in treatment with niclosamide for taeniasis and oxfendazole for pigs in clusters of homes nearby. No incentives beyond human and pig treatment were offered. Control villages received basic disease education but no treatment intervention in response to reports. Despite 14 case reports, community-based replication of ring control strategy did not replicate prior results. After 12 months, there was no change in seroincidence in intervention villages between the baseline and study end, and no difference compared with control villages. There was no difference in prevalence of taeniasis or porcine cysticercosis at study end. Community members described lack of knowledge as the main reason for not reporting infected pigs. Further exploration of methods to transfer ring strategy and other control interventions for cysticercosis to the community is needed.

Taking education to the hills.

PubMed

1991-10-01

The Population and Community Development Association (PDA) of Thailand operates a health education program in 30 hilltribe villages in Chiang Rai province. The 1st village to benefit from the PDA program is Baan Huay Krai (population of 400), a Lisu village in Mae Suay district. It began with a presentation and films on primary health care and improving rice productivity shown at the public health center. The films, the presentation, and music played before the showing of the film entertained and educated the villagers. The Lisu hilltribe constitutes 5% of the tribal population in Thailand. The Lisu think that evil spirits cause illness and do not seek care from a Western medical practitioner. If they believe the illness was caused by natural causes, however, they do go to a medical practitioner. Further, they believe vampires exist where many people are ill or dying and that the vampires will bite, so they are fearful of going to a hospital. The headman of Baan Huay Krai is a PDA health care volunteer and has familiarized villagers with Western health care practices. To be such a volunteer, he attended a PDA seminar which focused on family planning (FP) in the community and on sound agricultural practices. He has since informed villagers about different FP methods: condoms, oral contraceptives, injection, IUD, and sterilization. He also educates them about personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, nutrition, infectious disease control and prevention, 1st aid, and drug abuse. PDA regional coordinators visit all volunteers' villages each month at which time the volunteers can ask any questions that arise and discuss problems and successes.

Community perceptions on the community-directed treatment and school-based approaches for the control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis among school-age children in Lushoto District, Tanzania.

PubMed

Massa, K; Magnussen, P; Sheshe, A; Ntakamulenga, R; Ndawi, B; Olsen, A

2009-01-01

The success of the Community-Directed Treatment (ComDT) approach in the control of onchocerciasis and filariasis has caught the attention of other disease control programmes. In this study the ComDT approach was implemented and compared with the school-based approach for control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis among school-age children in Lushoto District, Tanzania. This was a qualitative study, consisting of in-depth interviews with village leaders, community drug distributors (CDDs) and schoolteachers, as well as focus group discussions with separate groups of mothers and fathers to assess the perceptions and experiences of the villagers on the implementation of the two approaches. It was found that the villagers accepted the ComDT approach and took the responsibility of selecting the CDDs, organizing and implementing their own method of distributing drugs to the school-age children in their villages. The ComDT approach was well received and was successfully implemented in the villages. Although the villagers pointed out the limitation in reaching the non-enrolled children in the school-based approach, they also expressed satisfaction with this approach. This study suggests that the ComDT approach is well accepted and can be implemented effectively to ensure better coverage of especially non-enrolled school-age children.

Can social dancing prevent falls in older adults? a protocol of the Dance, Aging, Cognition, Economics (DAnCE) fall prevention randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Merom, Dafna; Cumming, Robert; Mathieu, Erin; Anstey, Kaarin J; Rissel, Chris; Simpson, Judy M; Morton, Rachael L; Cerin, Ester; Sherrington, Catherine; Lord, Stephen R

2013-05-15

Falls are one of the most common health problems among older people and pose a major economic burden on health care systems. Exercise is an accepted stand-alone fall prevention strategy particularly if it is balance training or regular participation in Tai chi. Dance shares the 'holistic' approach of practices such as Tai chi. It is a complex sensorimotor rhythmic activity integrating multiple physical, cognitive and social elements. Small-scale randomised controlled trials have indicated that diverse dance styles can improve measures of balance and mobility in older people, but none of these studies has examined the effect of dance on falls or cognition. This study aims to determine whether participation in social dancing: i) reduces the number of falls; and ii) improves cognitive functions associated with fall risk in older people. A single-blind, cluster randomised controlled trial of 12 months duration will be conducted. Approximately 450 participants will be recruited from 24 self-care retirement villages that house at least 60 residents each in Sydney, Australia. Village residents without cognitive impairment and obtain medical clearance will be eligible. After comprehensive baseline measurements including physiological and cognitive tests and self-completed questionnaires, villages will be randomised to intervention sites (ballroom or folk dance) or to a wait-listed control using a computer randomisation method that minimises imbalances between villages based on two baseline fall risk measures. Main outcome measures are falls, prospectively measured, and the Trail Making cognitive function test. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses will be performed. This study offers a novel approach to balance training for older people. As a community-based approach to fall prevention, dance offers older people an opportunity for greater social engagement, thereby making a major contribution to healthy ageing. Providing diversity in exercise programs targeting seniors recognises the heterogeneity of multicultural populations and may further increase the number of taking part in exercise. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612000889853The trial is now in progress with 12 villages already have been randomised.

Environmental Lead Pollution and Elevated Blood Lead Levels Among Children in a Rural Area of China

PubMed Central

Lin, Sihao; Yu, Ignatius Tak Sun; Tang, Wenjuan; Miao, Jianying; Li, Jin; Wu, Siying; Lin, Xing

2011-01-01

Objectives. We investigated environmental lead pollution and its impact on children's blood lead levels (BLLs) in a rural area of China. Methods. In 2007, we studied 379 children younger than 15 years living in 7 villages near lead mines and processing plants, along with a control group of 61 children from another village. We determined their BLLs and collected environmental samples, personal data, and information on other potential exposures. We followed approximately 86% of the children who had high BLLs (> 15 μg/dL) for 1 year. We determined factors influencing BLLs by multivariate linear regression. Results. Lead concentrations in soil and household dust were much higher in polluted villages than in the control village, and more children in the polluted area than in the control village had elevated BLLs (87%, 16.4 μg/dL vs 20%, 7.1 μg/dL). Increased BLL was independently associated with environmental lead levels. We found a significant reduction of 5 micrograms per deciliter when we retested children after 1 year. Conclusions. Our data show that the lead industry caused serious environmental pollution that led to high BLLs in children living nearby. PMID:21421950

Strategie de commande optimale de la production electrique dans un site isole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barris, Nicolas

Hydro-Quebec manages more than 20 isolated power grids all over the province. The grids are located in small villages where the electricity demand is rather small. Those villages being far away from each other and from the main electricity production facilities, energy is produced locally using diesel generators. Electricity production costs at the isolated power grids are very important due to elevated diesel prices and transportation costs. However, the price of electricity is the same for the entire province, with no regards to the production costs of the electricity consumed. These two factors combined result in yearly exploitation losses for Hydro-Quebec. For any given village, several diesel generators are required to satisfy the demand. When the load increases, it becomes necessary to increase the capacity either by adding a generator to the production or by switching to a more powerful generator. The same thing happens when the load decreases. Every decision regarding changes in the production is included in the control strategy, which is based on predetermined parameters. These parameters were specified according to empirical studies and the knowledge base of the engineers managing the isolated power grids, but without any optimisation approach. The objective of the presented work is to minimize the diesel consumption by optimizing the parameters included in the control strategy. Its impact would be to limit the exploitation losses generated by the isolated power grids and the CO2 equivalent emissions without adding new equipment or completely changing the nature of the strategy. To satisfy this objective, the isolated power grid simulator OPERA is used along with the optimization library NOMAD and the data of three villages in northern Quebec. The preliminary optimization instance for the first village showed that some modifications to the existing control strategy must be done to better achieve the minimization objective. The main optimization processes consist of three different optimization approaches: the optimization of one set of parameters for all the villages, the optimization of one set of parameters per village, and the optimization of one set of parameters per diesel generator configuration per village. In the first scenario, the optimization of one set of parameters for all the villages leads to compromises for all three villages without allowing a full potential reduction for any village. Therefore, it is proven that applying one set of parameters to all the villages is not suitable for finding an optimal solution. In the second scenario, the optimization of one set of parameters per village allows an improvement over the previous results. At this point, it is shown that it is crucial to remove from the production the less efficient configurations when they are next to more efficient configurations. In the third scenario, the optimization of one set of parameters per configuration per village requires a very large number of function evaluations but does not result in any satisfying solution. In order to improve the performance of the optimization, it has been decided that the problem structure would be used. Two different approaches are considered: optimizing one set of parameters at a time and optimizing different rules included in the control strategy one at a time. In both cases, results are similar but calculation costs differ, the second method being much more cost efficient. The optimal values of the ultimate rules parameters can be directly linked to the efficient transition points that favor an efficient operation of the isolated power grids. Indeed, these transition points are defined in such a way that the high efficiency zone of every configuration is used. Therefore, it seems possible to directly identify on the graphs these optimal transition points and define the parameters in the control strategy without even having to run any optimization process. The diesel consumption reduction for all three villages is about 1.9%. Considering elevated diesel costs and the existence of about 20 other isolated power grids, the use of the developed methods together with a calibration of OPERA would allow a substantial reduction of Hydro-Quebec's annual deficit. Also, since one of the developed methods is very cost effective and produces equivalent results, it could be possible to use it during other processes; for example, when buying new equipment for the grid it could be possible to assess its full potential, under an optimized control strategy, and improve the net present value.

Rank aggregation of local expert knowledge for conservation planning of the critically endangered saola.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Nicholas M; Van Duc, Luong

2017-06-01

There has been much recent interest in using local knowledge and expert opinion for conservation planning, particularly for hard-to-detect species. Although it is possible to ask for direct estimation of quantities such as population size, relative abundance is easier to estimate. However, an expert's knowledge is often geographically restricted relative to the area of interest. Combining (or aggregating) experts' assessments of relative abundance is difficult when each expert only knows a part of the area of interest. We used Google's PageRank algorithm to aggregate ranked abundance scores elicited from local experts through a rapid rural-appraisal method. We applied this technique to conservation planning for the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), a poorly known bovid. Near a priority landscape for the species, composed of 3 contiguous protected areas, we asked groups of local people to indicate relative abundances of saola and other species by placing beans on community maps. For each village, we used this information to rank areas within the knowledge area of that village for saola abundance. We used simulations to compare alternative methods to aggregate the rankings from the different villages. The best-performing method was then used to produce a single map of relative abundance across the entire landscape, an area larger than that known to any one village. This map has informed prioritization of surveys and conservation action in the continued absence of direct information about the saola. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

The Effort of Education Management in Conducting Deradicalization of Boarding School (Study in the Village of Tenggulun Subdistrict Solokuro Lamongan East Java Province)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Setiobudi, Eko

2017-01-01

This study, generally aims to know the background of the rise of radicalism and a portrait of the role, the Education Management reduced the radical movements, especially in the village of Tenggulun Subdistrict Solokuro Lamongan East Java Province. The study used a qualitative approach with grounded theory method. Analysis of data using open…

Model of slums rejuvenation in Telaga Tujuh village: the case of Langsa city, Aceh, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irwansyah, Mirza; Caisarina, Irin; Solehati, Dini

2018-05-01

Telaga Tujuh village is the only island inhabited compared to other islands in Langsa City, Aceh. Most of the houses are on stilts with very limited infrastructure such as lack of road facilities, local drainage, drinking water, wastewater, and garbage disposals. In determining the model of the slum settlements arrangement of Telaga Tujuh Village, there are some things to know that the characteristics of slums themselves and the causes of slum settlement. The aim of this study is to determine model of slum settlement arrangement that is suitable to be applied in the location. The method used is qualitative with sampling technique and qualitative analysis. To obtain the primary data used observation method, questionnaires, and interview. Secondary data obtained from agencies related to slum settlement arrangement. Based on characteristic analysis found that 365 residential buildings are irregular with the percentage of 100%, 365 residential buildings do not have safe drinking water supply, 365 residential buildings do not have waste water management. From the analysis shows that the appropriate model to be applied to Telaga Tujuh village is the rejuvenation model with the land consolidation system through the re-arrangement divided by two, 60% for the existing residential development and 40% for commercial development.

The Thai Business Initiative in Rural Development (TBIRD): a new dimension in rural development.

PubMed

Viravaidya, M

1990-04-01

The Population and Community Development Association (PDA) promotes family planning (FP) throughout Thailand through a community-based approach. The Thai government actively supports rural development. In 1986, 80% of Thailand's people who lived below the poverty line were in rural areas. The poverty line in rural areas is an annual per capita income of 3823 baht, or US $153; in urban areas, it is more. Since 1984, Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) has increased by more than 50%. Per capita GDP has risen dramatically, also, with the success of FP efforts. This economic achievement, however, has not been shared by most of the Thai population. Incomes in the agriculture sector are far below those in the nonagricultural sector. The government and the nonprofit organizations, however, do not have skills. The corporate sector does have these skills. The Thailand Business Initiative in Rural Development (TBIRD) helps companies sponsor villages and aids them in developing business skills, whereupon income levels and local living standards are improved. Companies thus help in the employment transfer from agriculture to nonagriculture. There is a "one-company-one- village" formula. Company employees have the skills needed in the villages. They are directly involved. Since 1988, PDA has been working with companies in Thailand to help villages develop business skills. In Saraburi province, PDA and Volvo Swedish Motors have been aiding villagers to grow saplings and sell them to golf course and housing developers. In Ayutthaya Province, PDA and the same company are helping the residents with needlepoint and embroidery to supply a wedding dress manufacturing operation. These programs have succeeded. PDA wants to expand the program by September 1990, to include 50 companies. It is hoped that once the companies are comfortable with their relationship to the village, they will start associations with additional villages. PDA has established the "Ten Steps to Adopt a Village."

DOE/NREL supported wind energy activities in Alaska

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

Drouilhet, S.

1997-12-01

This paper describes three wind energy projects implemented in Alaska. The first, a sustainable technology energy partnerships (STEP) wind energy deployment project in Kotzebue will install 6 AOC 15/50 wind turbines and connect to the existing village diesel grid, consisting of approximately 1 MW average load. It seeks to develop solutions to the problems of arctic wind energy installations (transport, foundations, erection, operation, and maintenance), to establish a wind turbine test site, and to establish the Kotzebue Electric Association as a training and deployment center for wind/diesel technology in rural Alaska. The second project, a large village medium-penetration wind/diesel system,more » also in Kotzebue, will install a 1-2 MW windfarm, which will supplement the AOC turbines of the STEP project. The program will investigate the impact of medium penetration wind energy on power quality and system stability. The third project, the Alaska high-penetration wind/diesel village power pilot project in Wales will install a high penetration (80-100%) wind/diesel system in a remote Alaskan village. The system will include about 180 kW installed wind capacity, meeting an average village load of about 60 kW. This program will provide a model for high penetration wind retrofits to village diesel power systems and build the capability in Alaska to operate, maintain, and replicate wind/diesel technology. The program will also address problems of: effective use of excess wind energy; reliable diesel-off operation; and the role of energy storage.« less

Banpo Village: Gone but Not Forgotten. Sixth Grade Activity. Revised. Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE): Connecting California's Classrooms to the World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Tim

Banpo is a village that existed 6,000 years ago near Xi'an in the Shaanxi Province of China. Artifacts unearthed from the Banpo site are all that remains of this prehistoric clan-based community. Five excavations conducted from 1953 to 1957 revealed the remains of 45 houses, 200-odd storage pits, six kilns, 250 tombs, and more than 10,000 stone…

Cultural perceptions and the productive roles of rural Pakistani women.

PubMed

Ibraz, T S

1992-01-01

The roles of rural Pakistani women in agricultural production are described with numerous examples from a village study by Anwar and Bilquees, and the author's research in a Punjabi village (Rajpur) to show cultural perceptions of women and their work, and the nature of productive activities inside the house and outside on the farm. The cultural perceptions are related to the image of women as dependent/private wives and mothers. A broad definition of production is used to include activities, such as churning milk which generates income and saves expenditures and making butter which fulfills household needs and is sold in the market for cash. Rajpur is a village engaged in social change. Men seek work outside the villages, and women take on work previously assumed by men. Women contribute considerably to the year-round production and processing of major crops. The productive labor of women by major crop type and activity type are described and charted. Tending livestock is performed exclusively by men. Handicraft activity at home reduces expenditure for buying these items in the local markets. Most women were unaware of the savings and "indirect" income their work contributed to the household. Work for wages is viewed as men's work. Women's mobility beyond the fields and home is still limited; market activity must be conducted with a male present and women do not earn cash. The division of labor is conceived by men for women because of women's cultural identity. Women are perceived as "chase daughters/sisters, fertile wives, and nurturing mothers." There are punishments or social rewards for proper behavior. Women in their private domain are expected to "look good within the house," which is viewed as a feminine world. The outside world is masculine. Women are also seen as lacking reasoning ability and their motherhood roles limit their capability to cope with external affairs. There is great value attached to the invisibility of women physically, socially, and economically.

Landslide Hazard Analysis and Damage Assessment for Tourism Destination at Candikuning Village, Tabanan Regency, Bali, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunarta, I. N.; Susila, K. D.; Kariasa, I. N.

2018-02-01

Landslide is a movement down the slope by the soil mass or slope constituent rock, a result of disturbance of the stability of the soil or rocks that make up the slope.Bali as one of the best tourism destinations in the world, also has landslide prone areas. Tourism attraction in Bali that is prone to landslides are Lake Beratan and Pura Ulun Danu Beratan in Candikuning Village, Tabanan Regency, Bali Province, Indonesia. Candikunig village area has tourismdestination, settlements and agricultural land. This study aims to analyze landslide- prone areas and the losses caused by landslides include damage analysis for the attractions of Beratan Lake and Ulun Danu Beratan Temple and settlements. The method used is matching and scoring with parameters of rainfall, soil type, slope and land use.The result is, Beratan Lake area has moderate to high landslide prone areas in the eastern and southern parts where most of the settlements in Candikuning Village are located in areas prone to moderate and high landslides hazard.

Village environs as source of nitrate contamination in groundwater: a case study in basaltic geo-environment in central India.

PubMed

Reddy, D V; Nagabhushanam, P; Peters, Edward

2011-03-01

Nitrate is one of the common contaminants in the present day groundwaters resulting from increased population associated with poor sanitary conditions in the habitat area and increased agricultural activity. The hydrochemical measurements on water samples from a virgin watershed, situated in the basaltic geo-environment, have become necessary as the groundwater is the only source of drinking water for the villagers of the area. High preferential recharge conditions prevail in the area due to fractures in the solid basaltic lava flows. Instead of dilution due to fresh recharge, the post-monsoon hydrochemical concentrations in the groundwater are observed to have increased probably due to fast migration of pollutants to the aquifer through preferential recharge. As a result, the deep aquifer waters are more contaminated with hazardous nitrate than the shallow waters. Further, the village environ wells are more polluted with nitrate than the agriculture areas which could be attributed to the unhygienic sanitary conditions and livestock waste dump pits in the villages. This study suggests proper management of the sewage system and creation of suitable dump yard for the livestock and household waste to minimize the level of nitrate pollution in the well waters of village environs.

Nuclear and analytical methods for investigation of high quality wines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonev, D.; Geleva, E.; Grigorov, T.; Goutev, N.; Protohristov, H.; Stoyanov, Ch; Bashev, V.; Tringovska, I.; Kostova, D.

2018-05-01

Nuclear and analytical methods can help to determine the year of production – vintage and the geographical provenance of high quality wines. A complex analytical investigation of Melnik fine wines from “Artarkata” vineyards, Vinogradi village near Melnik in Southwest Bulgaria using different methods and equipment were performed. Nuclear methods, based on measured gamma-ray activity of 137Cs and specific activity of 3H can be used to determine the year of wine production. The specific activity of 137Cs was measured in wines from different vintages using Low-Background High-Resolution Gamma-Spectrometry. Tritium measurements in wine samples were carried out by using a low level liquid scintillation counting in a Packard Tri-Carb 2770 TR/SL liquid scintillation analyzer. The identification of the origin of wines using their chemical fingerprints is of great interest for wine consumers and producers. Determination of 16 chemical elements in samples from soil, wine stems, wine leaves and fine wine from the type Shiroka Melnishka, which are grown in typical Melnik vineyard was made, using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES).

Commercial activities and subsistence utilization of mangrove forests around the Wouri estuary and the Douala-Edea reserve (Cameroon)

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Worldwide there is growing research interest in the ethnobiology of mangrove forests. Notwithstanding that, little information has been published about ethnobiology of mangrove forests in Cameroon. The aims of this study were a) to analyze the harvesting methods and the local selling of mangrove wood products by loggers in the vicinity of Wouri estuary and b) to investigate the patterns of subsistence uses of mangrove wood products around the Douala-Edea reserve. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 120 active mangrove loggers in 23 Douala wood markets and 103 households located in three villages (Mbiako, Yoyo I and Yoyo II) close to Douala-Edea reserve. In each of the three densely populated villages, every second household was chosen for sampling while in all markets, mangrove loggers were chosen randomly. In addition, log diameters were measured in each market using a wooden foldable tape measure. A post hoc analysis (Newman-Keuls test) was performed in order to detect the common wood class diameter sold in the Douala wood markets. Results The analysis of the loggers' survey data has shown that large logs of Rhizophora with diameter greater than 40 cm were common in the Douala wood markets and were more closely associated with loggers who used chainsaws. In addition to the general mangroves wood products selling, the analysis on a subsistence level (households' survey) suggests the local population's dependence on mangroves, with multiple uses of Rhizophora racemosa Meyer, R. harrisonii Leechman, Avicennia germinans L. Stearn., Laguncularia racemosa Gaertn. f. and Conocarpus erectus L. timbers for furniture, fences, smoking fish, and fuelwood. Finally, Nypa fruticans (Thunb.) Wurmb. leaves were used as thatching material for house walls and roofs. Conclusion Our findings revealed that big logs of Rhizophora were commonly sold by the loggers. A majority of loggers (60%) reported that mangrove marketed wood constitute a principal source of income. Most of the villagers (85.83%) often depend on mangroves for subsistence needs and for them there is no substitute for mangrove wood. Therefore, more efforts should be undertaken at the national level to implement conservation, management and sustainable use of these coastal forests. PMID:19919680

A Spatial Approach to Identify Slum Areas in East Wara Sub-Districts, South Sulawesi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anurogo, W.; Lubis, M. Z.; Pamungkas, D. S.; Hartono; Ibrahim, F. M.

2017-12-01

Spatial approach is one of the main approaches of geography, its analysis emphasizes the existence of space that serves to accommodate human activities. The dynamic development of the city area brings many impacts to the urban community’s own life patterns. The development of the city center which is the center of economic activity becomes the attraction for the community that can bring influence to the high flow of labor both from within the city itself and from outside the city area, thus causing the high flow of urbanization. Urbanization has caused an explosion in urban population and one implication is the occurrence of labor-clumping in major cities in Indonesia. Another impact of the high urbanization flow of cities is the problem of urban settlements. The more populations that come in the city, the worse the quality of the existing settlements in the city if not managed properly. This study aims to determine the location of slum areas in East Wara Sub-Districts using remote sensing technology tools and Geographic Information System (GIS). Parameters used to identify slum areas partially extracted using remote sensing data and for parameters that cannot be extracted using remote sensing data, information obtained from field surveys with information retrieval based on reference data. Analysis results for slum settlements taken from the parameters indicate that the East Wara Sub-District has the largest slum areas located in Pontap village. The village of Pontap has two classes of slums that are very shabby and slums. Slum classes are also in Surutangga Village. The result of the analysis shows that the slum settlement area has 46,324 Ha, which is only located in Pontap Village, whereas for the slum class are found in some villages of Pontap and Surutangga Urban Village, there are 37.797 Ha area. The class of slum settlement areas has the largest proportion of the area among other classes in East Wara Subdistrict. The class of slum settlement areas has an area of 74,481 Ha. This class is located in Kelurahan Salekoe and Kelurahan Benteng. The less grungy and quite shabby class is the rest which each has an area of 29,144 Ha and 18,228 Ha. There is quite a slum class in Kelurahan Ponjale and Less Slum Class Available in Malatunrung Urban Village.

Blue carbon content of mangrove vegetation in Subang district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurruhwati, I.; Purwita, S. D.; Sunarto; Zahidah

2018-04-01

The purpose of this research was to know the carbon content of mangrove parts such as leave, stems and roots and to know its ability to absorb carbondioxide (CO2). The research was conducted in 27th April until 16th May 2017 in Blanakan Village, Langensari Village and Jayamukti Village. The samples are dried at Pilotplane Laboratory Faculty of Industrial Engineering Padjadjaran University. The method in this research is explorative survey method. The results showed that there were two dominant mangroves species in three research stations, they are Avicennia marina and Rhizophora mucronata. Index of Important value of each mangrove type on the three stations in the medium criterion with a range of values is 106,86 %- 193,13 %. The highest carbon content was found in Rhizophora mucronata at station 1 (93,43 %) which was equivalent with 342,87 % absorption of CO2 which was The lowest carbon content was in Avicennia marina at station 1 (67,49 %) which was equivalent with 247,70 % absorption of CO2.

Risk assessment of metals in road-deposited sediment along an urban-rural gradient.

PubMed

Zhao, Hongtao; Li, Xuyong

2013-03-01

We applied the traditional risk assessment methods originally designed for soils and river sediments to evaluation of risk associated with metals in road-deposited sediment (RDS) along an urban-rural gradient that included central urban (UCA), urban village (UVA), central suburban county (CSA), rural town (RTA), and rural village (RVA) areas in the Beijing metropolitan region. A new indicator RI(RDS) was developed which integrated the RDS characteristics of mobility, grain size and amount with the potential ecological risk index. The risk associated with metals in RDS in urban areas was generally higher than that in rural areas based on the assessment using traditional methods, but the risk was higher in urban and rural village areas than the areas with higher administration units based on the indicator RI(RDS). These findings implied that RDS characteristics variation with the urban-rural gradient must be considered in metal risk assessment and RDS washoff pollution control. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adult population as potential reservoir of NTD infections in rural villages of Kwale district, Coastal Kenya: implications for preventive chemotherapy interventions policy

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are major public health problems in developing countries where they contribute to suffering of populations living in poor settings. As part of a research project started in September 2009 in Kwale district, Coast Region, Kenya, a baseline cross-sectional survey was conducted in 5 rural villages to provide information on the status of NTDs, including urinary schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), and lymphatic filariasis. This paper presents the results of a parasitological investigation among adults in the study villages. Methods A total of 599 adults in the 5 study villages were tested for NTD infections in urine, stool and blood. The presence of Schistosoma haematobium infection was determined by the urine filtration method. The presence of STH in stool was determined by Kato-Katz method while filarial antigenaemia was determined using immunochromatographic (ICT) test. Results The study revealed high prevalence of hookworm (41.7%) and schistosomiasis (18.2%) infections among adults in the study villages. Of the 599 individuals examined, 50.1% had one or more helminthic infections. There was low level of polyparasitism with helminthic NTDs in the study population with 9.5% and 1.7% of the participants having two and three infections, respectively. Conclusions In the current study, hookworm and schistosomiasis infections were identified as important infections among adults living in areas of high endemicity for these infections. Thus, if this section of the population is left untreated it may remain an important potential reservoir and a source of re-infection for school-age children treated in school deworming programmes. Therefore, there is a need to design novel strategies for preventive chemotherapy interventions that could allow inclusion of adults in an effort to reduce force of infection in high endemic communities. PMID:21917166

Experimental control of Triatoma infestans in poor rural villages of Bolivia through community participation

PubMed Central

Lardeux, Frédéric; Depickère, Stéphanie; Aliaga, Claudia; Chavez, Tamara; Zambrana, Lilian

2015-01-01

Background Triatoma infestans is the main vector of Chagas disease in the southern cone countries. Present control strategies based on indoor and outdoor residual insecticide spraying are not sufficient to control disease transmission, particularly in Bolivia. Techniques based on the management of the human environment may be good alternatives or supplements. Methods Social and entomological surveys were carried out in four villages of Bolivia situated in the dry inter-Andean Valleys and the Chaco region. Risk factors for house infestation by T. infestans were identified, and an eco-health intervention based on education and community participation was carried out to reduce the risks of house infestation. It consisted of implementing simple and low cost vector control techniques such as coating of mud walls, cleaning activities and removal of poultry that enter rooms to lay eggs. Results The eco-health intervention significantly reduced the number of infested bedrooms, the mean abundance of T. infestans in bedrooms and beds, especially in the Chaco region. Mud wall coating was well accepted and could be proposed as a supplementary tool to the National Program of Chagas Disease Control to enhance the effects of insecticide sprayings. Conclusions Even if cleaning activities were still neglected, community participation proved to be effective in reducing house infestation. PMID:25604766

Prevalence of hypertension and hypertension control rates among elderly adults during the cold season in rural Northeast China: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Kawazoe, Nobuo; Zhang, Xiumin; Chiang, Chifa; Liu, Hongjian; Li, Jinghua; Hirakawa, Yoshihisa; Aoyama, Atsuko

2018-01-01

Objective: The burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing in China, together with economic development and social changes. The prevalence of risk factors for NCDs, such as overweight/obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, is reported to be high even among poor residents of rural areas. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of hypertension among elderly adults in rural Northeast China and the proportion with controlled hypertension among those on antihypertensive medication (hypertension control rate). We also aimed to examine the association of hypertension control with health facilities that provide treatment. Methods: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in six rural villages of Northeast China from February to early March, 2012. We interviewed 1593 adults aged 50–69 years and measured their blood pressure. We examined the differences in mean blood pressure between participants who obtained antihypertensive medication from village clinics and those who obtained medication from other sources, using analysis of covariance adjusted for several covariates. Results: The prevalence of hypertension among participants was as high as 63.3%, but the hypertension control rate was only 8.4%. Most villagers (98.1%) were not registered in the chronic disease treatment scheme of the public rural health insurance. The mean systolic blood pressure, adjusted for the covariates, of participants who obtained antihypertensive medication from village clinics was significantly lower than that of participants who obtained medication from township hospitals (by 16.5 mmHg) or from private pharmacies (by 7.3 mmHg). Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension was high and the hypertension control rate low among elderly villagers during the cold season. As treatment at village clinics, which villagers can access during the cold season seems to be more effective than self-medication or treatment at distant hospitals, improving the quality of treatment in village clinics is urgently needed. PMID:29875899

Prevalence of hypertension and hypertension control rates among elderly adults during the cold season in rural Northeast China: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Kawazoe, Nobuo; Zhang, Xiumin; Chiang, Chifa; Liu, Hongjian; Li, Jinghua; Hirakawa, Yoshihisa; Aoyama, Atsuko

2018-05-01

Objective: The burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing in China, together with economic development and social changes. The prevalence of risk factors for NCDs, such as overweight/obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, is reported to be high even among poor residents of rural areas. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of hypertension among elderly adults in rural Northeast China and the proportion with controlled hypertension among those on antihypertensive medication (hypertension control rate). We also aimed to examine the association of hypertension control with health facilities that provide treatment. Methods: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in six rural villages of Northeast China from February to early March, 2012. We interviewed 1593 adults aged 50-69 years and measured their blood pressure. We examined the differences in mean blood pressure between participants who obtained antihypertensive medication from village clinics and those who obtained medication from other sources, using analysis of covariance adjusted for several covariates. Results: The prevalence of hypertension among participants was as high as 63.3%, but the hypertension control rate was only 8.4%. Most villagers (98.1%) were not registered in the chronic disease treatment scheme of the public rural health insurance. The mean systolic blood pressure, adjusted for the covariates, of participants who obtained antihypertensive medication from village clinics was significantly lower than that of participants who obtained medication from township hospitals (by 16.5 mmHg) or from private pharmacies (by 7.3 mmHg). Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension was high and the hypertension control rate low among elderly villagers during the cold season. As treatment at village clinics, which villagers can access during the cold season seems to be more effective than self-medication or treatment at distant hospitals, improving the quality of treatment in village clinics is urgently needed.

Evaluating the prospects for sustainable energy development in a sample of Chinese villages.

PubMed

Mortimer, Nigel D; Grant, John F

2008-04-01

This paper describes the methods used to evaluate the potential for achieving sustainable energy development in six Chinese villages included in the Sustainable Users' Concepts for China Engaging Scientific Scenarios (SUCCESS) Project by examining energy efficiency potential and local renewable energy prospects. The approaches needed to obtain and analyse information on possible energy efficiency measures and renewable energy resources are summarised. Results are presented in terms of cumulative net savings in primary energy consumption, as an indicator of energy resource depletion, and associated carbon dioxide emissions, as an indicator of global climate change. Options for sustainable energy development are ranked in order of likely implementation and practical actions which could be considered in each village are identified.

Unexpected selections of Plasmodium falciparum polymorphisms in previously treatment-naïve areas after monthly presumptive administration of three different anti-malarial drugs in Liberia 1976-78.

PubMed

Jovel, Irina T; Björkman, Anders; Roper, Cally; Mårtensson, Andreas; Ursing, Johan

2017-03-13

To assess the effect on malaria prevalence, village specific monthly administrations of pyrimethamine, chlorproguanil, chloroquine or placebo were given to children in four previously treatment-naïve Liberian villages, 1976-78. Plasmodium falciparum in vivo resistance developed to pyrimethamine only. Selection of molecular markers of P. falciparum resistance after 2 years of treatment are reported. Blood samples were collected from 191 study children in a survey in 1978. Polymorphisms in pfcrt, pfmdr1, pfdhfr, pfdhps, pfmrp1 and pfnhe1 genes were determined using PCR-based methods. Pfcrt 72-76 CVIET was found in one chloroquine village sample, all remaining samples had pfcrt CVMNK. Pfmdr1 N86 prevalence was 100%. A pfmdr1 T1069 ACT→ACG synonymous polymorphism was found in 30% of chloroquine village samples and 3% of other samples (P = 0.008). Variations in pfnhe1 block I were found in all except the chloroquine treated village (P < 0.001). Resistance associated pfdhfr 108N prevalence was 2% in the pyrimethamine village compared to 45-65% elsewhere, including the placebo village (P = 0.001). Chloroquine treatment possibly resulted in the development of pfcrt 72-76 CVIET. Selection of pfmdr1 T1069 ACG and a pfnhe1 block 1 genotypes indicates that chloroquine treatment exerted a selective pressure on P. falciparum. Pyrimethamine resistance associated pfdhfr 108N was present prior to the introduction of any drug. Decreased pfdhfr 108N frequency concurrent with development of pyrimethamine resistance suggests a non-pfdhfr polymorphisms mediated resistance mechanism.

Prevalence of soil-transmitted helminths in remote villages in East Kwaio, Solomon Islands

PubMed Central

Harrington, Humpress; Bradbury, Richard; Taeka, James; Asugeni, James; Asugeni, Vunivesi; Igeni, Tony; Gwala, John; Newton, Lawrence; Fa, Chillion Evan; Kilivisi, Fawcett Laurence; Esau, Dorothy; Flores, Angelica; Ribeyro, Elmer; Liku, Daisy; Muse, Alwin; Asugeni, Lyndel; Talana, Jeptha; Shield, Jennifer; MacLaren, David J; Massey, Peter D; Muller, Reinhold

2015-01-01

Objective Although soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are endemic in Solomon Islands, there are few recent reports on their prevalence. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of STH in residents of remote communities in Solomon Islands. Methods A cross-sectional convenience-sampled survey of residents of four adjacent villages in Malaita, Solomon Islands was performed in Atoifi and Na’au in April 2011 and in Abitona and Sifilo in April 2012. All residents older than one year were invited to participate, which involved providing a single sample of faeces examined using a modified Kato-Katz technique and completing a questionnaire that asked demographic and STH-related behaviour questions. Results The overall participation rate was 52.8%, with 402 participants comprising 49.8% males. Hookworm was the predominant STH with only a single case of trichuriasis found in Atoifi. The total prevalence of hookworm was 22.6% (95% confidence interval: 18.6–27.1); the prevalence of hookworm in Abitona, Na’au and Sifilo was 20.0%, 29.9% and 27.4%, respectively, whereas in Atoifi it was 2.3% (P < 0.001). Intensity was low in all villages. Although health behaviours differed significantly between Atoifi and the other three villages, the type of toilet used was the only significant association with hookworm. Discussion Residents of Atoifi have a relative freedom from STH compared to the other three villages. Rather than a region-wide morbidity control approach, a “one village at a time” approach aiming to eliminate STH and dealing with each village as a separate autonomous unit empowered to manage its own challenges may be a preferred option. PMID:26668767

Can Geographical Factors Determine the Choices of Farmers in the Ethiopian Highlands to Trade in Livestock Markets?

PubMed Central

Ortiz-Pelaez, Angel; Ashenafi, Getaneh; Roger, Francois; Waret-Szkuta, Agnes

2012-01-01

Proximity and affiliation to the local market appear to be two of the most relevant factors to explain farmer's choices to select a particular trading point. Physical barriers may limit the options , especially in developing countries. A network of villages linked by traders/farmer-traders sharing livestock markets was built with field data collected in 75 villages from 8 kebelles in the Wassona Werna wereda of the Ethiopian Highlands. Two exponential random graph models were fitted with various geographical and demographic attributes of the nodes (dyadic independent model) and three internal network structures (dyadic dependent model). Several diagnostic methods were applied to assess the goodness of fit of the models. The odds of an edge where the distance to the main market Debre Behran and the difference in altitude between two connected villages are both large increases significantly so that villages far away from the main market and at different altitude are more likely to be linked in the network than randomly. The odds of forming an edge between two villages in Abamote or Gudoberet kebelles are approximately 75% lower than an edge between villages in any other kebelles (p<0.05). The conditional log-odds of two villages forming a tie that is not included in a triangle, a 2-star or a 3-star is extremely low, increasing the odds significantly (p<0.05) each time a node is in a 2-star structure and decreasing it when a node is in a 3-star (p<0.05) or in a triangle formation (p<0.05)), conditional on the rest of the network. Two major constraining factors, namely distance and altitude, are not deterrent for the potential contact of susceptible small ruminant populations in the Highlands of Ethiopia. PMID:22355324

The impact of fathers' clubs on child health in rural Haiti.

PubMed

Sloand, Elizabeth; Astone, Nan Marie; Gebrian, Bette

2010-02-01

In recognition of the important role that fathers play in the lives of young children in Haiti, a public health organization instituted fathers' clubs in 1994 as a strategy to improve the health outcomes of children. Fathers' clubs focus on child and family health education. To evaluate the effectiveness of fathers' clubs, we examined the health of children born in Haitian villages with and without active fathers' clubs and compared results for the two groups. The presence of a fathers' club in a child's birth village had a positive effect on vaccination status, growth monitoring, and vitamin A supplementation after we controlled for socioeconomic status, time, and the quality of the village health agent. Child weights and mortality were not affected by the fathers' clubs.

Determinants of unwanted pregnancies in India using matched case-control designs

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In India, while the total fertility rate has been declined from 3.39 in 1992–93 to 2.68 in 2005–06, the prevalence of unintended pregnancy is still stagnant over the same period. A review of existing literature shows that within the country, there are variations in fertility preferences between different regions. Also there is a strong argument that the availability of a health facility at the village level plays an important role in reshaping the fertility behavior of women. Keeping in mind the fact that there is no information at the village level (which is the lowest geographical boundary) in the recent round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), the specific objective of this study is to examine the impact of individual and household level variables on unwanted pregnancies without controlling the village level variation. Further, once the village level variation (i.e. unobserved variation) has been controlled, it is necessary to study whether there has been any alteration in the contribution of factors from earlier results of without adjusting the village level variation. Methods This paper attempts to examine the associated factors of unwanted pregnancies, without matching the village and after matching the village, by using the matched case–control design. Nationwide data from India’s latest NFHS-3 conducted during 2005–06 was used for the present study. Frequency and pair wise matching has been applied in the present paper and conditional logistic regression analysis was used to work out the models and to find out the factors associated with unwanted pregnancies. Results A major finding of this study was that 1:3 case–control study (without matching the village) shows that women belonging to non Hindu/Muslim religion, Scheduled Tribe, women who have experienced child loss and if the previous birth interval is 24 through 36 months were significant predictors of unwanted pregnancy. However, this relationship did not hold significant after village wise matching. Other factors such as Muslim religion, women and their partners with high school education and above, women belonging to the richest wealth index and if the sex of the last child was female, emerge as significant predictors of unwanted pregnancies. Conclusions This study clearly underscores the importance of adjusting the village (PSU) level variation in explaining unwanted pregnancies. PMID:22883933

Nightly biting cycles of malaria vectors in a heterogeneous transmission area of eastern Amazonian Brazil

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The biting cycle of anopheline mosquitoes is an important component in the transmission of malaria. Inter- and intraspecific biting patterns of anophelines have been investigated using the number of mosquitoes caught over time to compare general tendencies in host-seeking activity and cumulative catch. In this study, all-night biting catch data from 32 consecutive months of collections in three riverine villages were used to compare biting cycles of the five most abundant vector species using common statistics to quantify variability and deviations of nightly catches from a normal distribution. Methods Three communities were selected for study. All-night human landing catches of mosquitoes were made each month in the peridomestic environment of four houses (sites) for nine consecutive days from April 2003 to November 2005. Host-seeking activities of the five most abundant species that were previously captured infected with Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae or Plasmodium vivax, were analysed and compared by measuring the amount of variation in numbers biting per unit time (co-efficient of variation, V), the degree to which the numbers of individuals per unit time were asymmetrical (skewness = g1) and the relative peakedness or flatness of the distribution (kurtosis = g2). To analyse variation in V, g1, and g2 within species and villages, we used mixed model nested ANOVAs (PROC GLM in SAS) with independent variables (sources of variation): year, month (year), night (year X month) and collection site (year X month). Results The biting cycles of the most abundant species, Anopheles darlingi, had the least pronounced biting peaks, the lowest mean V values, and typically non-significant departures from normality in g1 and g2. By contrast, the species with the most sharply defined crepuscular biting peaks, Anopheles marajoara, Anopheles nuneztovari and Anopheles triannulatus, showed high to moderate mean V values and, most commonly, significantly positive skewness (g1) and kurtosis (g2) moments. Anopheles intermedius was usually, but not always, crepuscular in host seeking, and showed moderate mean V values and typically positive skewness and kurtosis. Among sites within villages, significant differences in frequencies of departures from normality (g1 and g2) were detected for An. marajoara and An. darlingi, suggesting that local environments, such as host availability, may affect the shape of biting pattern curves of these two species. Conclusions Analyses of co-efficients of variation, skewness and kurtosis facilitated quantitative comparisons of host-seeking activity patterns that differ among species, sites, villages, and dates. The variable and heterogeneous nightly host-seeking behaviours of the five exophilic vector species contribute to the maintenance of stable malaria transmission in these Amazonian villages. The abundances of An. darlingi and An. marajoara, their propensities to seek hosts throughout the night, and their ability to adapt host-seeking behaviour to local environments, contribute to their impact as the most important of these vector species. PMID:23890413

Potential use of neem leaf slurry as a sustainable dry season management strategy to control the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) in west African villages.

PubMed

Luong, Kyphuong; Dunkel, Florence V; Coulibaly, Keriba; Beckage, Nancy E

2012-11-01

Larval management of the malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae Giles s.s., has been successful in reducing disease transmission. However, pesticides are not affordable to farmers in remote villages in Mali, and in other material resource poor countries. Insect resistance to insecticides and nontarget toxicity pose additional problems. Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) is a tree with many beneficial, insect bioactive compounds, such as azadirachtin. We tested the hypothesis that neem leaf slurry is a sustainable, natural product, anopheline larvicide. A field study conducted in Sanambele (Mali) in 2010 demonstrated neem leaf slurry can work with only the available tools and resources in the village. Laboratory bioassays were conducted with third instar An. gambiae and village methods were used to prepare the leaf slurry. Experimental concentration ranges were 1,061-21,224 mg/L pulverized neem leaves in distilled water. The 50 and 90% lethal concentrations at 72 h were 8,825 mg/L and 15,212 mg/L, respectively. LC concentrations were higher than for other parts of the neem tree when compared with previous published studies because leaf slurry preparation was simplified by omitting removal of fibrous plant tissue. Using storytelling as a medium of knowledge transfer, villagers combined available resources to manage anopheline larvae. Preparation of neem leaf slurries is a sustainable approach which allows villagers to proactively reduce mosquito larval density within their community as part of an integrated management system.

The role of community participation for sustainable integrated neglected tropical diseases and water, sanitation and hygiene intervention programs: A pilot project in Tanzania.

PubMed

Madon, Shirin; Malecela, Mwele Ntuli; Mashoto, Kijakazi; Donohue, Rose; Mubyazi, Godfrey; Michael, Edwin

2018-04-01

Strategies aimed at reducing the prevalence of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Tanzania including those attributed to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) problems have been largely top-down in nature. They have focused on strengthening the governance of NTD-WASH programs by integrating different vertical disease programs and improving the efficiency of report-generation. In this paper, we argue for community participation as an effective strategy for developing sustainable village health governance. We present the results of a pilot undertaken between November 2015 and April 2016 in which we adopted a mixed methods case study approach to implement an Enhanced Development Governance (EDG) model using existing village governance structures. Our results show that the EDG model was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the prevalence of schistosomiasis and diarrhoea, and has led to an increase in awareness of WASH interventions for sustaining gains in NTD control. We identify five key social processes enacted by the EDG model that have led to improved health benefits related to frequency of meetings and attendance, promotion of health and sanitation awareness, income-generating activities, self-organising capabilities, and interaction between village bodies. These findings hold important implications for conceptualising the role of community participation in sustaining NTD-WASH intervention programs and for sensitising institutional and policy reform. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Community-Based Disaster Management: A Lesson Learned From Community Emergency Response Management in Banyumas, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratama, A. Y.; Sariffuddin, S.

2018-02-01

This article aimed to review community-based disaster management in terms of its independent coordination and disaster management. Community resilience was tested during disaster emergency. While panic, the community is required to be viable and able to evacuate, manage logistic, collect data on damage and the victim, and coordinate with outsiders independently. The community in Gununglurah Village, Banyumas Regency which was hit by a landslide in 2015 provides a lesson learned about community based disaster management. This research used qualitative descriptive methodology with in-depth interview with 23 informants from the community, donor institution, village officers, and government officers. Through traditional and informal methods, the community implemented disaster management that was categorized into 3 mechanisms that were social, functional, and sequential mechanism. These mechanisms controlled different portion in which social mechanism holds the most important role in disaster management, then functional mechanism and sequential mechanism. Various community activities in the village equipped the community with organizational experience to manage logistic, human resource and other coordination. In 2007, in fact, there was vulnerability risk assessment done by the local government, which recommended efforts to be done by the community to reduce the disaster risk, yet it was not implemented. It was interesting to note that in spite of the independent disaster management there was a scientific assessment neglected. Based on this research, a new discussion on how to synchronize the endogenous knowledge with scientific modern knowledge was opened.

Creating kampong as tourist attractions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sari, N.; Utama, R.; Hidayat, A. R. T.; Zamrony, A. B.

2017-06-01

Tourism attractions become one of the main components and they drive the tourism activity in a region. The quality of tourism attractions would affect tourists’ visits. Tourism power can basically be built on any conditions which can attract people to visit. Towns is full of activities which include their economic, social, cultural and physical features, if they are presented properly, they can be a tourist attraction. Kampung City, as a form of urban settlement, has the potential to be developed as a tourism attraction. Kampung is not only a physical area of housing but it has also productive activities. Even the city’s economic activities are also influenced by the productive activities of its Kampung. The shape of Kampung which varies in physical, social, economic and cultural raises special characteristics of each Kampung. When it is linked with the city’s tourism activities, these special characteristics of course could be one of the attractions to attract tourists. This paper studies about one of Kampung in the Malang City. Administratively located in the Penanggungan Village Lowokwaru District, but the potential will just be focused on RW 4. Main productive activities of this village are pottery. In contrast to ceramics, pottery is made from clay and its uniqueness in color and shape. Based on the history of pottery in the Malang, it is concentrated in Penanggungan Village. But along with its development, pottery is decreasingly in demand and number of craftsmen is dwindling. Based on these circumstances, a concept is prepared to raise the image of the region as the Kampung of pottery and to repack it as a tourism attraction of the city.

Towards A Moon Village: Vision and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foing, Bernard

2016-04-01

The new DG of ESA, Jan Wörner, has expressed from the very beginning of his duty a clear ambition towards a Moon Village, where Europe could have a lead role. The concept of Moon Village is basically to start with a robotic lunar village and then develop a permanent station on the Moon with different countries and partners that can participate and contribute with different elements, experiments, technologies, and overall support. ESA's DG has communicated about this programme and invited inputs from all the potential stakeholders, especially member states, engineers, industry, scientists, innovators and diverse representatives from the society. In order to fulfill this task, a series of Moon Village workshops have been organized first internally at ESA and then at international community events, and are also planned for the coming months, to gather stakeholders to present their ideas, their developments and their recommendations on how to put Moon Village into the minds of Europeans, international partners and prepare relevant actions for upcoming International Lunar Decade. Moon Village Workshop: The Moon Village Workshop in ESTEC on the 14th December was organized by ILEWG & ESTEC Staff Association in conjunction with the Moon 2020-2030 Symposium. It gathered people coming from all around the world, with many young professionals involved, as well as senior experts and representatives, with a very well gender balanced and multidisciplinary group. Engineers, business experts, managers, scientists, architects, artists, students presented their views and work done in the field of Lunar Exploration. Participants included colleagues from ESA, SGAC Space Generation Advisory Council, NASA, and industries such as OHB SE, TAS, Airbus DS, CGI, etc… and researchers or students from various Universities in Europe, America, and Asia. Working groups include: Moon Habitat Design, Science and Technology potentials on the Moon Village, and Engaging Stakeholders. The Moon Habitat Design group discussed principles and concepts for a minimum base that would start with 4-10 crew, allowing a later evolution to 50 crew and elements contributed by Moon Village partners at large. Various aspects were assessed including habitats, laboratories, EVAs, pressurized vehicles, core modules, inflatable extensions, power systems, life support systems and bioreactors, ISRU using regolith, emergency, services, medical, escape, shelters. The Science and Technology group analyzed the importance and readiness level of technologies needed for lunar robotic landers and for the Moon Village. The current ESA lunar exploration activities focus on the contribution within ISS operations barter of the ESA service module to bring Orion capsule to the Moon starting with an automatic demonstration in 2018. It is encouraged to consolidate this path for using the ser-vice module for crewed missions EM2 and EM3 giving also the possibility of an ESA astronaut, together with advanced technology, operations and science utilization. They noted the interesting contribution of instruments, drill, communications, and landing in support to Russian lunar polar lander missions Luna 27. The Engaging Stakeholders working group started by identifying the main stakeholders and groups that play a role or that could play a role towards the Moon Village project. These stakeholders were classified on their influence towards the programme, and their attitude towards it. One clear conclusion was that most of the stakeholders showed a positive view towards the Moon Village programme, and that the most important step within a short term strategy should focus on the actions to be taken to engage stakeholders for the next ESA Ministerial to support the programme. Finally the group came up with some recommendations on which should be the actions to be taken by the ESA DG to engage the most direct stakeholders: ESA delegations, media, national governments, citizens, taxpayers, and to invite partners. Building on previous studies (EuroMoon, lunar polar lander) ESA should develop a mid-class lunar lander (affordable in cost 300 Meu class), demonstrating the expertise at system level for a platform, that could carry innovative competitive robotic payload contributed and already with advance development from member states and international or commercial partners. With teleoperations from Earth and cis-lunar orbit, this will advance progress towards the next steps of Moon Village and beyond. Recommendations: The participants encourage the design and operations of a Moon base simulation at EAC with facility and activities in the context of SpaceShip EAC, with the support of EAC, DLR, ESTEC, ISU and other partners, and collaborations with other Lunar Research Parks worldwide. It was also proposed to have an "ESTEC Moon Village pilot project" where 20 young professional in-terns could be hosted to work concurrently on various aspects (technology, science, instruments platforms, Moon base design, human factors, programmatics, outreach, community events) with links and support activities from ESTEC senior experts, and interactions with colleagues in member states, academia and industries . The workshop finalized with some hands-on experiments, organized with some students demonstrating their work on a lunar lander with tele-operated instruments and systems, and on the measuring spectra of Moon-Mars analogue minerals. The day ended with a refreshing lunar music session, and a networking event on ESTEC ESCAPE where the last informal conversations marked a great wrap up of such exciting day. Follow up Moon Village events are planned in 2016 at ESTEC, EAC and at international community venues. New means of outreach, communications and social media must be developed. You can follow Moon Village tweets, using #MoonVillage, and contribute to the virtual discussions. ESA is really looking forward to engage all stakeholders into the discussion, no matter of their background, nationality or interest. Just let us know your views! Highlights and recommendations can be found on https://ildwg.wordpress.com/ *Moon Village Workshops Organisers Team: Bernard Foing (ESA/ESTEC & ILEWG), Aidan Cowley, Guillermo Ortega, Linda van Hilten (ESA), Vid Beldavs, David Dunlop, Jim Crisafulli (International Lunar Decade), ESTEC Moon Village workshop 2015 WGs co-conveners: Peter Batenburg, Andrea Jaime, Abigail Calzada, Angeliki Kapoglou, Chris Welch, Susanne Pieterse, Daniel Esser, Audrey Berquand, Daniel Winter, Dmitri Ivanov, Simone Paternostro, Matias Hazadi, Oscar Kamps, Marloes Offringa

Adult population as potential reservoir of NTD infections in rural villages of Kwale district, Coastal Kenya: implications for preventive chemotherapy interventions policy.

PubMed

Njenga, Sammy M; Mwandawiro, Charles S; Muniu, Erastus; Mwanje, Mariam T; Haji, Fatma M; Bockarie, Moses J

2011-09-14

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are major public health problems in developing countries where they contribute to suffering of populations living in poor settings. As part of a research project started in September 2009 in Kwale district, Coast Region, Kenya, a baseline cross-sectional survey was conducted in 5 rural villages to provide information on the status of NTDs, including urinary schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), and lymphatic filariasis. This paper presents the results of a parasitological investigation among adults in the study villages. A total of 599 adults in the 5 study villages were tested for NTD infections in urine, stool and blood. The presence of Schistosoma haematobium infection was determined by the urine filtration method. The presence of STH in stool was determined by Kato-Katz method while filarial antigenaemia was determined using immunochromatographic (ICT) test. The study revealed high prevalence of hookworm (41.7%) and schistosomiasis (18.2%) infections among adults in the study villages. Of the 599 individuals examined, 50.1% had one or more helminthic infections. There was low level of polyparasitism with helminthic NTDs in the study population with 9.5% and 1.7% of the participants having two and three infections, respectively. In the current study, hookworm and schistosomiasis infections were identified as important infections among adults living in areas of high endemicity for these infections. Thus, if this section of the population is left untreated it may remain an important potential reservoir and a source of re-infection for school-age children treated in school deworming programmes. Therefore, there is a need to design novel strategies for preventive chemotherapy interventions that could allow inclusion of adults in an effort to reduce force of infection in high endemic communities.

Forest-dweller demographics in West Kalimantan, Indonesia.

PubMed

Fox, J; Atok, K

1997-03-01

This study sought to ascertain, from census and other data, the number of people living on state-claimed forest land (SCFL) in West Kalimantan in the outer islands of Indonesia. One aim was to determine why data collection is problematic. In 1990 the outer islands accounted for 38% of total population, 93% of its land mass, and 98% of its forests. 72% of the land mass of the outer islands was designated SCFL. Kalimantan has 38.5 million hectares of SCFL, while West Kalimantan has 9.2 million hectares, or 63% of the land area of the province. In 1990, 3.2 million people lived in West Kalimantan. Two sets of forest cover maps and census statistics at the village level were integrated into the geographic information system (GIS) technology by district and regency boundaries and the location of villages. The fieldwork was conducted in Sengah Temila District in Pontianak Regency and Simpang Hulu District in Ketapang Regency. Four methods were used to estimate forest populations: 1) estimating gross population density, 2) mapping forest villages, 3) adjusting density to account for uneven population distribution, and 4) estimating population densities for specific villages and generalizing to the province level. Methods 3 and 4 gave the most reasonable estimates. Population varied from 650,000 to 1 million. Government census statistics proved to be accurate representations of human population. The 1:50,000 scale of topological maps of West Kalimantan correctly identified the location of villages listed in the census. The Indonesian Ministry of Forestry's forest-planning maps and the RePPProT maps both reported similar SCFL. The GIS technology was useful in integrating data from several sources. The lack of knowledge was not due to political or institutional interests.

[Investigation of work-related acute pesticide poisoning among farmers in Jiangsu Province and the risk factors].

PubMed

Cui, Meng-jing; Tu, Zhi-bin; Gu, Yue; Zhang, Xu-jun

2013-01-01

To determine the incidence of work-related acute pesticide poisoning among farmers in Jiangsu Province and to identify the risk factors. Multi-stage stratified sampling and cluster sampling methods were used to randomly select 1490 farmers from the south (Z village), centre (Y village) and north (X village) of Jiangsu Province. The database was established by EpiData 3.1. SPSS 17.0 and SAS 9.13 were used to do chi-square test, trend chi-square test, single factor and multi-factor logistic regression analysis. Among 1490 farmers, 121 people had work-related acute pesticide poisoning in the past year. The incidence rate in Jiangsu Province was 8.1%. 118 farmers (97.5%) were mild pesticide poisoning.3 farmers (2.5%) were moderate pesticide poisoning. The incidence rate of Work-related acute pesticide poisoning in X village of North Jiangsu Province (13.5%, 68/505) is obviously higher than that in Y village of Central Jiangsu Province (4.8%, 19/399) and Z village of South Jiangsu Province (5.8%, 34/586), and the difference is statistically significant (χ(2) = 29.60, P < 0.01). The incidence rate of Work-related acute pesticide poisoning in female (10.4%, 58/557) is obviously higher than that in male (6.8%, 63/933), and the difference is statistically significant (χ(2) = 6.26, P < 0.05). There are lack of safety guidance, unsafety application methods (without alternate row spraying, without backward application, without down-wind application) and risk behaviors in the spraying (without read labels, preparing pesticides without gloves, wiping sweat with hand (s), equipment leakage, body pollution by pesticide, working when feeling sick, without bath after work). If farmers have risk behaviors above, the incidence rate of Work-related acute pesticide poisoning will be obviously higher than farmers who receive safety guidance and have no such dangerous behaviors, and all the differences are statistically significant (P < 0.05). The group of 24 ∼ 34 years old has the highest risk of work-related acute pesticide poisoning (OR = 7.15). The incidence rate of work-related acute pesticide poisoning among farmers in Jiangsu Province was higher. Effective measures are needed to prevent and reduce the occurrence of work-related acute pesticide poisoning. We can teach the farmers who spray pesticides about safety guidance, safety application methods and avoiding risky behaviors.

Malaria entomological risk factors in relation to land cover in the Lower Caura River Basin, Venezuela

PubMed Central

Rubio-Palis, Yasmin; Bevilacqua, Mariapia; Medina, Domingo Alberto; Moreno, Jorge Ernesto; Cárdenas, Lya; Sánchez, Víctor; Estrada, Yarys; Anaya, William; Martínez, Ángela

2013-01-01

To explore the effects of deforestation and resulting differences in vegetation and land cover on entomological parameters, such as anopheline species composition, abundance, biting rate, parity and entomological inoculation rate (EIR), three villages were selected in the Lower Caura River Basin, state of Bolívar, Venezuela. All-night mosquito collections were conducted between March 2008-January 2009 using CDC light traps and Mosquito Magnet(r) Liberty Plus. Human landing catches were performed between 06:00 pm-10:00 pm, when anophelines were most active. Four types of vegetation were identified. The Annual Parasite Index was not correlated with the type of vegetation. The least abundantly forested village had the highest anopheline abundance, biting rate and species diversity. Anopheles darlingi and Anopheles nuneztovari were the most abundant species and were collected in all three villages. Both species showed unique biting cycles. The more abundantly forested village of El Palmar reported the highest EIR. The results confirmed previous observations that the impacts of deforestation and resulting changes in vegetation cover on malaria transmission are complex and vary locally. PMID:23579803

Malaria entomological risk factors in relation to land cover in the Lower Caura River Basin, Venezuela.

PubMed

Rubio-Palis, Yasmin; Bevilacqua, Mariapia; Medina, Domingo Alberto; Moreno, Jorge Ernesto; Cárdenas, Lya; Sánchez, Víctor; Estrada, Yarys; Anaya, William; Martínez, Ángela

2013-04-01

To explore the effects of deforestation and resulting differences in vegetation and land cover on entomological parameters, such as anopheline species composition, abundance, biting rate, parity and entomological inoculation rate (EIR), three villages were selected in the Lower Caura River Basin, state of Bolívar, Venezuela. All-night mosquito collections were conducted between March 2008-January 2009 using CDC light traps and Mosquito Magnet® Liberty Plus. Human landing catches were performed between 06:00 pm-10:00 pm, when anophelines were most active. Four types of vegetation were identified. The Annual Parasite Index was not correlated with the type of vegetation. The least abundantly forested village had the highest anopheline abundance, biting rate and species diversity. Anopheles darlingi and Anopheles nuneztovari were the most abundant species and were collected in all three villages. Both species showed unique biting cycles. The more abundantly forested village of El Palmar reported the highest EIR. The results confirmed previous observations that the impacts of deforestation and resulting changes in vegetation cover on malaria transmission are complex and vary locally.

The development status and protection of traditional qiang ethnic minority villages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Yanping; He, Yunxiao; Yu, Chunhua; Chen, Mengxin

2018-03-01

This study is to focus on the protection of development countermeasures on the development status of Yinling village,and to provide beneficial suggestions for the development of the village. It is approached by analyzing the traditional village deeply from the situation of Yinling village, development status and protection countermeasures,taking the traditional Qiang Ethnic Minority village of Yinling village in Pinwu county, Sichuan province as an example,which is under the background that the protection and development of traditional ethnic villages have became the focus of attention,because traditional ethnic villages are living villages of traditional Chinese culture, retaining old and historic material remains.

Phylogenetic analysis of different breeds of domestic chickens in selected area of Peninsular Malaysia inferred from partial cytochrome b gene information and RAPD markers.

PubMed

Yap, Fook Choy; Yan, Yap Jin; Loon, Kiung Teh; Zhen, Justina Lee Ning; Kamau, Nelly Warau; Kumaran, Jayaraj Vijaya

2010-10-01

The present investigation was carried out in an attempt to study the phylogenetic analysis of different breeds of domestic chickens in Peninsular Malaysia inferred from partial cytochrome b gene information and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Phylogenetic analysis using both neighbor-joining (NJ) and maximum parsimony (MP) methods produced three clusters that encompassed Type-I village chickens, the red jungle fowl subspecies and the Japanese Chunky broilers. The phylogenetic analysis also revealed that majority of the Malaysian commercial chickens were randomly assembled with the Type-II village chickens. In RAPD assay, phylogenetic analysis using neighbor-joining produced six clusters that were completely distinguished based on the locality of chickens. High levels of genetic variations were observed among the village chickens, the commercial broilers, and between the commercial broilers and layer chickens. In this study, it was found that Type-I village chickens could be distinguished from the commercial chickens and Type-II village chickens at the position of the 27th nucleotide of the 351 bp cytochrome b gene. This study also revealed that RAPD markers were unable to differentiate the type of chickens, but it showed the effectiveness of RAPD in evaluating the genetic variation and the genetic relationships between chicken lines and populations.

Evaluation of land suitability for shallot (A. ascalonicum L.) and orange (Orange sp.) at Harian District of Samosir Regency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bintang; Supriadi; Tampubolon, E.

2018-02-01

Evaluation of land suitability for shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) and lemon (Citrus sp.) aimed to determine the level of suitability to the plants that would be cultivated at Harian District, Samosir Regency. Operation of soil type, altitude map and slope maps with scale of 1:50000 obtained nine Land Map Units namely LMU1 and 2 - Sampur Toba village; LMU3 - Janji Martahan village; LMU4 - Turpuk Limbong village; LMU5 - Sosor Dolok village; LMU6,7,8 and 9 in Partungkox Na Ginjang village. Land suitability assessment criteria based on Bogor Soil Research Center Staff 1983 and the limit method by Djaenuddin 2011. The results showed that shallot crop, there is only on LMU 2 (Sampur Toba) that has barier that can be overcome, such as actual class S3 (n, r); S2 (eh) had an inhibiting factor pH and slope that can be managed with liming and terracing. Orange crop on LMU 1 can be overcome by giving organic material; it might be overcome with terracing on LMU 3; and managed by liming and terracing on LMU 8. On the other LMU (4, 5, 6, 7, 9) are not suggested for orange cultivation.

Location priority for non-formal early childhood education school based on promethee method and map visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayu Nurul Handayani, Hemas; Waspada, Indra

2018-05-01

Non-formal Early Childhood Education (non-formal ECE) is an education that is held for children under 4 years old. The implementation in District of Banyumas, Non-formal ECE is monitored by The District Government of Banyumas and helped by Sanggar Kegiatan Belajar (SKB) Purwokerto as one of the organizer of Non-formal Education. The government itself has a program for distributing ECE to all villages in Indonesia. However, The location to construct the ECE school in several years ahead is not arranged yet. Therefore, for supporting that program, a decision support system is made to give some recommendation villages for constructing The ECE building. The data are projected based on Brown’s Double Exponential Smoothing Method and utilizing Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (Promethee) to generate priority order. As the recommendations system, it generates map visualization which is colored according to the priority level of sub-district and village area. The system was tested with black box testing, Promethee testing, and usability testing. The results showed that the system functionality and Promethee algorithm were working properly, and the user was satisfied.

The environment, attitudes and activities of rural women: a case study of a village in Punjab.

PubMed

Khan, S A; Bilquees, F

1976-01-01

This narrative case study describes: the environment and living conditions of rural women in a Pakistani village; their attitudes towards education, marriage, family planning, and their role in life; and analyzes their daily and annual activities. It is felt that little work has been done in this area and understanding of rural women is a necessary 1st step before instituting policy measures. The village chosen has a 1961 census population of 811 people, 41.7% of whom are under age 14. Only 9.4% were over 50. 3 large landowners control 69.9% of the land; they live in Lahore and come to the village only long enough to attend to business. The nearest medical facilities are 8 miles away. 79% are illiterate and health and sanitation standards are poor. Only 4 women in the village are literate, 2 from the wealthy families and 2 city girls who came to the village after marriage. 55.5% want education for their daughters or granddaughters but 43% do not, citing such reasons as expense, need for help around the house, and custom. 6 girls are currently attending the boys' school, suffering great disapproval from the community. Only 4 women wanted daughters to finish secondary school and only 1 wanted daughters to complete college. 84% consider equal education absurd. The girls themselves accept boys as superior and deserving education advantages. 79% had heard of family planning, only 38% approved, and most had a negative opinion of the lady health visitors who came with the family planning supplies. Pressure from older relatives for more sons is intense. Brides are still being given in marriage at ages 12-14 despite national law. Women are economically productive, helping in the fields during planting and harvest and making many items for use in the home and for sale. There is a clear demarcation between ''not-for-sale'' skills and skills which may be sold for cash. Animal care and collecting and preparing fodder as well as household chores are other major occupations. The daily routine and the routine by seasons are described in detail.

Condition of karangkepatihan village community balong district ponorogo regency in supporting development of community based tourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutedjo, A.; Prasetyo, K.; Sudaryono, L.

2018-01-01

In Karangkepatihan village, it can be found some attractions that have the potential to develop. Some attractions have been developed by involving the community in its management, but its development has not been as expected. The purpose of this research is to know the attitude of the community and the level of human resources of the community of Karangkepatihan village in supporting the development of community-based tourism and the right strategy for its development. Subjects in this study were the head of the family and the physical condition of tourist objects, with a sample of 100 family heads taken randomly. Research data which are knowledge, understanding, participation, support to the development of tourism and level of education and skill obtained by interview while observation is done to get potential data of tourism object. The data obtained are analyzed by using scoring technique and SWOT analysis. The results show that community attitudes are positive in supporting community-based tourism development, but have not been shown to participate in developing tourism in Karangkepatihan village. The level of human resources in Karangkepatihan village to support the development of tourism is low so that the development of tourism is slow. An appropriate strategy for developing tourism development in Karangkepatihan village is to grow and build. Improving the skills of the community to fill the job opportunities in the field of tourism, increase the participation or involvement of the community in tourism activities, increasing the accessibility of tourism objects, increasing the facilities and infrastructure of tourism needs to be done.

Setulang forest conservation strategy in safeguarding the conservation of non-timber forest products in Malinau District

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutauruk, T. R.; Lahjie, A. M.; Simarangkir, B. D. A. S.; Aipassa, M. I.; Ruslim, Y.

2018-04-01

Some research on human relationships with forests shows that human activities for the forests are sufficient to meet demand or to meet demand. Both will directly or indirectly change the perceptions of the people who exploit them against the forests being utilized. Setulang community one of the community groups that intensively utilize NTFP as one of the source of fulfillment and fulfill the demand of handicraft product. For needs and demand of livelihood the people of Setulang choose to make the existing forest in the Tane Olen area into. The analysis method used in this research with Stength Weakness Opportunity and Threat (SWOT). The results of this study show the extent to which the commitment of Setulang community and the conservation efforts of Setulang community both self-help and donor assistance and the local government, as well as what strategic steps can be taken by the stakeholders to conserve so that the village forest can provide benefits in the short or long term. Strategic measures need to be set up save Setulang State Forest from degradation and deforestation occurring around the village.

Development of and Adherence to a Computer-Based Gamified Environment Designed to Promote Health and Wellbeing in Older People with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Scase, Mark; Marandure, Blessing; Hancox, Jennie; Kreiner, Karl; Hanke, Sten; Kropf, Johannes

2017-01-01

The older population of Europe is increasing and there has been a corresponding increase in long term care costs. This project sought to promote active ageing by delivering tasks via a tablet computer to participants aged 65-80 with mild cognitive impairment. An age-appropriate gamified environment was developed and adherence to this solution was assessed through an intervention. The gamified environment was developed through focus groups. Mixed methods were used in the intervention with the time spent engaging with applications recorded supplemented by participant interviews to gauge adherence. There were two groups of participants: one living in a retirement village and the other living separately across a city. The retirement village participants engaged in more than three times the number of game sessions compared to the other group possibly because of different social arrangements between the groups. A gamified environment can help older people engage in computer-based applications. However, social community factors influence adherence in a longer term intervention.

Data on fluoride concentration level in villages of Asara (Alborz, Iran) and daily fluoride intake based on drinking water consumption.

PubMed

Akhavan, Giti; Dobaradaran, Sina; Borazjani, Jaleh Mohajeri

2016-12-01

In the present data article, fluoride concentration levels of drinking water (with spring or groundwater sources) in 10 villages of Asara area located in Alborz province were determined by the standard SPADNS method using a spectrophotometer (DR/2000 Spectrophotometer, USA). Daily fluoride intakes were also calculated based on daily drinking water consumption. The fluoride content were compared with EPA and WHO guidelines for drinking water.

Pathogenicity and molecular analysis of an infectious bursal disease virus isolated from Malaysian village chickens.

PubMed

Tan, D Y; Hair-Bejo, M; Omar, A R; Aini, I

2004-01-01

The characteristics of the pathogenic infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) that infected avian species other than commercial chickens were largely unknown. In this study, by using in vivo and molecular methods, we had characterized an IBDV isolate (named 94268) isolated from an infectious bursal disease (IBD) outbreak in Malaysian village chickens--the adulterated descendant of the Southeast Asian jungle fowl (Gallus bankiva) that were commonly reared in the backyard. The 94268 isolate was grouped as the very virulent IBDV (vvIBDV) strain because it caused severe lesions and a high mortality rate in village chickens (>88%) and experimentally infected specific-pathogen-free chickens (>66%). In addition, it possessed all of the vvIBDV molecular markers in its VP2 gene. Phylogenetic analysis using distance, maximum parsimony, and maximum likelihood methods revealed that 94268 was monophyletic with other vvIBDV isolates and closely related to the Malaysian vvIBDV isolates. Given that the VP2 gene of 94268 isolate was almost identical and evolutionarily closely related to other field IBDV isolates that affected the commercial chickens, we therefore concluded that IBD infections had spread across the farm boundary. IBD infection in the village chicken may represent an important part of the IBD epidemiology because these birds could harbor the vvIBDV strain and should not be overlooked in the control and prevention of the disease.

Geographic Correlation between Tapeworm Carriers and Heavily Infected Cysticercotic Pigs

PubMed Central

O'Neal, Seth E.; Moyano, Luz M.; Ayvar, Viterbo; Gonzalvez, Guillermo; Diaz, Andre; Rodriguez, Silvia; Wilkins, Patricia P.; Tsang, Victor C. W.; Gilman, Robert H.; Garcia, Hector H.; Gonzalez, Armando E.

2012-01-01

Background Neurocysticercosis is a leading cause of preventable epilepsy in the developing world. Sustainable community-based interventions are urgently needed to control transmission of the causative parasite, Taenia solium. We examined the geospatial relationship between live pigs with visible cysticercotic cysts on their tongues and humans with adult intestinal tapeworm infection (taeniasis) in a rural village in northern Peru. The objective was to determine whether tongue-positive pigs could indicate high-risk geographic foci for taeniasis to guide targeted screening efforts. This approach could offer significant benefit compared to mass intervention. Methods We recorded geographic coordinates of all village houses, collected stool samples from all consenting villagers, and collected blood and examined tongues of all village pigs. Stool samples were processed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for presence of Taenia sp. coproantigens indicative of active taeniasis; serum was processed by enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot for antibodies against T. solium cysticercosis (EITB LLGP) and T. solium taeniasis (EITB rES33). Findings Of 548 pigs, 256 (46.7%) were positive for antibodies against cysticercosis on EITB LLGP. Of 402 fecal samples, 6 (1.5%) were positive for the presence of Taenia sp. coproantigens. The proportion of coproantigen-positive individuals differed significantly between residents living within 100-meters of a tongue-positive pig (4/79, 5.1%) and residents living >100 meters from a tongue-positive pig (2/323, 0.6%) (p = 0.02). The prevalence of taeniasis was >8 times higher among residents living within 100 meters of a tongue-positive pig compared to residents living outside this range (adjusted PR 8.1, 95% CI 1.4–47.0). Conclusions Tongue-positive pigs in endemic communities can indicate geospatial foci in which the risk for taeniasis is increased. Targeted screening or presumptive treatment for taeniasis within these high-risk foci may be an effective and practical control intervention for rural endemic areas. PMID:23285305

‘If no one else stands up, you have to’: a story of community participation and water in rural Guatemala

PubMed Central

Lorena Ruano, Ana; Dahlblom, Kjerstin; Hurtig, Anna-Karin; San Sebastián, Miguel

2011-01-01

Background Access to water is a right and a social determinant of health that should be provided by the state. However, when it comes to access to water in rural areas, the current trend is for communities to arrange for the service themselves through locally run projects. This article presents a narrative of a single community's process of participation in implementing and running a water project in the village of El Triunfo, Guatemala. Methods Using an ethnographic approach, we conducted a series of interviews with five village leaders, field visits, and participant observations in different meetings and activities of the community. Findings El Triunfo has had a long tradition of community participation, where it has been perceived as an important value. The village has a council of leaders who have worked together in various projects, although water has always been a priority. When it comes to participation, this community has achieved its goals when it collaborated with other stakeholders who provided the expertise and/or the funding needed to carry out a project. At the time of the study, the challenge was to develop a new phase of the water project with the help of other stakeholders and to maintain and sustain the tradition of participation by involving new generations in the process. Discussion This narrative focuses on the participation in this village's efforts to implement a water project. We found that community participation has substituted the role of the central and local governments, and that the collaboration between the council and other stakeholders has provided a way for El Triunfo to satisfy some of its demand for water. Conclusion El Triunfo's case shows that for a participatory scheme to be successful it needs prolonged engagement, continued support, and successful experiences that can help to provide the kind of stable participatory practices that involves community members in a process of empowered decision-making and policy implementation. PMID:21977011

Supportive supervision for volunteers to deliver reproductive health education: a cluster randomized trial.

PubMed

Singh, Debra; Negin, Joel; Orach, Christopher Garimoi; Cumming, Robert

2016-10-03

Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) can be effective in improving pregnancy and newborn outcomes through community education. Inadequate supervision of CHVs, whether due to poor planning, irregular visits, or ineffective supervisory methods, is, however, recognized as a weakness in many programs. There has been little research on best practice supervisory or accompaniment models. From March 2014 to February 2015 a proof of concept study was conducted to compare training alone versus training and supportive supervision by paid CHWs (n = 4) on the effectiveness of CHVs (n = 82) to deliver education about pregnancy, newborn care, family planning and hygiene. The pair-matched cluster randomized trial was conducted in eight villages (four intervention and four control) in Budondo sub-county in Jinja, Uganda. Increases in desired behaviors were seen in both the intervention and control arms over the study period. Both arms showed high retention rates of CHVs (95 %). At 1 year follow-up there was a significantly higher prevalence of installed and functioning tippy taps for hand washing (p < 0.002) in the intervention villages (47 %) than control villages (35 %). All outcome and process measures related to home-visits to homes with pregnant women and newborn babies favored the intervention villages. The CHVs in both groups implemented what they learnt and were role models in the community. A team of CHVs and CHWs can facilitate families accessing reproductive health care by addressing cultural norms and scientific misconceptions. Having a team of 2 CHWs to 40 CHVs enables close to community access to information, conversation and services. Supportive supervision involves creating a non-threatening, empowering environment in which both the CHV and the supervising CHW learn together and overcome obstacles that might otherwise demotivate the CHV. While the results seem promising for added value with supportive supervision for CHVs undertaking reproductive health activities, further research on a larger scale will be needed to substantiate the effect.

Using Soil and Water Conservation Contests for Extension: Experiences from the Bolivian Mountain Valleys

PubMed Central

de Graaff, Jan

2007-01-01

Soil and water conservation (SWC) contests among farmer groups were organized in five rural villages in the Bolivian mountain valleys. The contests were aimed at quickly achieving widespread sustainable results. This article analyzes the effectiveness of these contests as an extension tool. Mixed results were obtained. In three villages, participation rates in the SWC activities introduced in the contests were still high even 2 years after project withdrawal. These were all villages where a solid foundation for sustainable development had been laid before the contests were held. Two years later, most families were still involved in maintenance of the SWC practices introduced in the contests, and many farmers had started to experiment with different soil management practices. However, replications of these SWC practices were not widespread, Conservation Leaders did not continue with their training activities, and the quality of maintenance of the practices was often not satisfactory. In order to become a more effective extension tool and achieve widespread impact, SWC contests must receive continued support by a catalyst agency. Moreover, other SWC contests should also be organized in which practices are not predefined. Given that SWC contests are a low-budget extension tool, local municipalities could become more actively involved. PMID:17846829

Characterization of Lactobacillus fermentum PL9988 Isolated from Healthy Elderly Korean in a Longevity Village.

PubMed

Park, Jong-Su; Shin, Eunju; Hong, Hyunjin; Shin, Hyun-Jung; Cho, Young-Hoon; Ahn, Ki-Hyun; Paek, Kyungsoo; Lee, Yeonhee

2015-09-01

In this work, we wanted to develop a probiotic from famous longevity villages in Korea. We visited eight longevity villages in Korea to collect fecal samples from healthy adults who were aged above 80 years and had regular bowel movements, and isolated lactic-acid-producing bacteria from the samples. Isolated colonies that appeared on MRS agar containing bromophenol blue were identified by means of 16S rRNA sequencing, and 102 of the isolates were identified as lactic-acid-producing bacteria (18 species). Lactobacillus fermentum was the most frequently found species. Eight isolates were selected on the basis of their ability to inhibit the growth of six intestinal pathogens (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Typhimurium, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Enteritidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes) and their susceptibility to 15 antimicrobial agents. Among these eight isolates, four Lactobacillus fermentum isolates were found not to produce any harmful enzymes or metabolites. Among them, Lactobacillus fermentum isolate no. 24 showed the strongest binding to intestinal epithelial cells, the highest immune-enhancing activity, anti-inflammation activity, and anti-oxidation activity as well as the highest survival rates in the presence of artificial gastric juice and bile solution. This isolate, designated Lactobacillus fermentum PL9988, has all the characteristics for a good probiotic.

Reuse of Material Containing Natural Radionuclides - 12444

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

Metlyaev, E.G.; Novikova, N.J.

2012-07-01

Disposal of and use of wastes containing natural radioactive material (NORM) or technologically enhanced natural radioactive material (TENORM) with excessive natural background as a building material is very important in the supervision body activity. At the present time, the residents of Octyabrsky village are under resettlement. This village is located just near the Priargunsky mining and chemical combine (Ltd. 'PPGHO'), one of the oldest uranium mines in our country. The vacated wooden houses in the village are demolished and partly used as a building material. To address the issue of potential radiation hazard of the wooden beams originating from demolitionmore » of houses in Octyabrsky village, the contents of the natural radionuclides (K-40, Th-232, Ra-226, U- 238) are being determined in samples of the wooden beams of houses. The NORM contents in the wooden house samples are higher, on average, than their content in the reference sample of the fresh wood shavings, but the range of values is rather large. According to the classification of waste containing the natural radionuclides, its evaluation is based on the effective specific activity. At the effective specific activity lower 1.5 kBq/kg and gamma dose rate lower 70 μR/h, the material is not considered as waste and can be used in building by 1 - 3 classes depending upon A{sub eff} value. At 1.5 kBq/kg < A{sub eff} ≤ 4 kBq/kg (4 class), the wooden beams might be used for the purpose of the industrial building, if sum of ratios between the radionuclide specific activity and its specific activity of minimum significance is lower than unit. The material classified as the waste containing the natural radionuclides has A{sub eff} higher 1.5 kBq /kg, and its usage for the purpose of house-building and road construction is forbidden. As for the ash classification and its future usage, such usage is unreasonable, because, according to the provided material, more than 50% of ash samples are considered as radioactive waste containing natural radionuclides. All materials originated from demolition of houses in Octyabrsky village are subjected to the obligatory radiation control. The decision to use the wooden beams shall enter into force after agreement with the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision bodies. Conclusions: 1 - The wooden beam originated from the house demolition in Octyabrsky village might be used as the construction material only in case of compliance with the requirements of the regulatory documents, as well as under approval of the authorities responsible for the state sanitary and epidemiological supervision in this area. 2 - The industrial control is introduced to verify the compliance with the current regulations. 3 - The material originated from the house demolition might be used only if such usage does not cause increasing radiation exposure to the public. (authors)« less

Leveraging community health worker system to map a mountainous rural district in low resource setting: a low-cost approach to expand use of geographic information systems for public health.

PubMed

Munyaneza, Fabien; Hirschhorn, Lisa R; Amoroso, Cheryl L; Nyirazinyoye, Laetitia; Birru, Ermyas; Mugunga, Jean Claude; Murekatete, Rachel M; Ntaganira, Joseph

2014-12-06

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become an important tool in monitoring and improving health services, particularly at local levels. However, GIS data are often unavailable in rural settings and village-level mapping is resource-intensive. This study describes the use of community health workers' (CHW) supervisors to map villages in a mountainous rural district of Northern Rwanda and subsequent use of these data to map village-level variability in safe water availability. We developed a low literacy and skills-focused training in the local language (Kinyarwanda) to train 86 CHW Supervisors and 25 nurses in charge of community health at the health center (HC) and health post (HP) levels to collect the geographic coordinates of the villages using Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Data were validated through meetings with key stakeholders at the sub-district and district levels and joined using ArcMap 10 Geo-processing tools. Costs were calculated using program budgets and activities' records, and compared with the estimated costs of mapping using a separate, trained GIS team. To demonstrate the usefulness of this work, we mapped drinking water sources (DWS) from data collected by CHW supervisors from the chief of the village. DWSs were categorized as safe versus unsafe using World Health Organization definitions. Following training, each CHW Supervisor spent five days collecting data on the villages in their coverage area. Over 12 months, the CHW supervisors mapped the district's 573 villages using 12 shared GPS devices. Sector maps were produced and distributed to local officials. The cost of mapping using CHW supervisors was $29,692, about two times less than the estimated cost of mapping using a trained and dedicated GIS team ($60,112). The availability of local mapping was able to rapidly identify village-level disparities in DWS, with lower access in populations living near to lakes and wetlands (p < .001). Existing national CHW system can be leveraged to inexpensively and rapidly map villages even in mountainous rural areas. These data are important to provide managers and decision makers with local-level GIS data to rapidly identify variability in health and other related services to better target and evaluate interventions.

Toward an assessment of the social role of rural midwives and its implication for the family planning program: an Iranian case study.

PubMed

Beeman, W O; Bhattacharyya, A K

1978-01-01

An axiom of family planning programming is the importance of culturally-appropriate communicators and motivators. Traditional midwives seem ideal for this task but few studies have been done to verify this assumption by analyzing the midwife's social role as perceived by the community. 325 married women and 81 unmarried girls from a "model village" near Shiraz were interviewed by female undergraduates. 82.5% of the women are of childbearing age; 66% married before 14 years; 33% use contraception, mostly the pill, but most want large families because they expect high child mortality rates. Most of the older women are able to assist in childbirth but none, except the village's one recognized midwife, who is considered to have divine backing, will do so except in an emergency. The midwife's activities cause her to be held in low esteem by the community because 1) she has contact with a woman's sexual parts and this fact is public; 2) she has contact with vaginal excretia which are, in Islam, polluting; and 3) she is paid for her services, which labels her as a woman "without shame". The midwife is, however, widely used since women and their husbands fear the trip to the hospital and treatment by a male doctor much more than a midwife-supervised birth. The midwife in the study village had been there only 2 years and feels that she is not fully trusted. She is not consulted on birth control at all, because women expect the pill to be dispensed by doctors and consider other methods as a matter strictly between husband and wife. The midwife's role seems to complement that of the government health authorities rather than compete. The midwife's low status and circumscribed sphere of activity, the weak respect in which her advice is held and the pattern of having only 1 recognized midwife in a village at a time make the midwife a poor agent for family planning services. Her effectiveness as an agent of social change could be improved by training her in hygienic practices of childbirth and by redefining her role-relationship with the community. Studies should be done to identify the areas where traditional birth attendants are the best family planning communicators and those where that role is best left to others.

Space architecture for MoonVillage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherwood, Brent

2017-10-01

The concept of a multinational MoonVillage, as proposed by Jan Wörner of ESA, is analyzed with respect to diverse factors affecting its implementation feasibility: potential activities and scale as a function of location, technology, and purpose; potential participants and their roles; business models for growth and sustainability as compared to the ISS; and implications for the field of space architecture. Environmental and operations constraints that govern all types of MoonVillage are detailed. Findings include: 1) while technically feasible, a MoonVillage would be more distributed and complex a project than the ISS; 2) significant and distinctive opportunities exist for willing participants, at all evolutionary scales and degrees of commercialization; 3) the mixed-use space business park model is essential for growth and permanence; 4) growth depends on exporting lunar material products, and the rate and extent of growth depends on export customers including terrestrial industries; 5) industrial-scale operations are a precondition for lunar urbanism, which goal in turn dramatically drives technology requirements; but 6) industrial viability cannot be discerned until significant in situ operations occur; and therefore 7) government investment in lunar surface operations is a strictly enabling step. Because of the resources it could apply, the U.S. government holds the greatest leverage on growth, no matter who founds a MoonVillage. The interplanetary business to be built may because for engagement.

Introduction to EGU session "Lunar Science and Exploration Towards Moon Village"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foing, Bernard

2017-04-01

The EGU PS2.2 session "Lunar Science and Exploration" Towards Moon Village" will address: - Recent lunar results: geochemistry, geophysics in the context of open planetary science and exploration - Synthesis of results from SMART-1, Kaguya, Chang'e 1, 2 and 3, Chandrayaan-1, LCROSS, LADEE, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and, Artemis and GRAIL - Goals and Status of missions under preparation: orbiters, Luna-Glob, Google Lunar X Prize, Luna Resurs polar lander, SLIM, Chandrayaan2, Chang'E 4 & 5, Lunar Resource Prospector, Future landers, Lunar sample return missions - Precursor missions, instruments and investigations for landers, rovers, sample return, and human cis-lunar activities and human lunar surface sorties - Preparation for International Lunar Decade: databases, instruments, missions, terrestrial field campaigns, support studies - ILEWG and Global Exploration roadmaps towards a global robotic/human Moon village - Strategic Knowledge Gaps, and key science Goals relevant to Lunar Global Exploration Lunar science and exploration are developing further with new and exciting missions being developed by China, the US, Japan, India, Russia, Korea and Europe, and with new stakeholders. The Moon Village is an open concept proposed by ESA DG with the goal of a sustainable human and robotic presence on the lunar surface as an ensemble where multiple users can carry out multiple activities. Multiple goals of the Moon Village include planetary science, life sciences, astronomy, fundamental research, resources utilisation, human spaceflight, peaceful cooperation, economical development, inspiration, training and capacity building. ESA director general has revitalized and enhanced the original concept of MoonVillage discussed in the last decade. Space exploration builds on international collaboration. COSPAR and its ILEWG International Lunar Exploration Working Group (created in 1994) have fostered collaboration between lunar missions [4-8]. A flotilla of lunar orbiters has flown in the last international lunar decade (SMART-1, Kaguya, Chang'Eal1 &2, Chandrayaan-1, LCROSS, LRO, GRAIL, LADEE). Chinese Chang'E 3 lander and Yutu rover, and upcoming 2017 other landers from 2017 (GLXP, Chang'E 4 & 5, SLIM, Luna , LRP) will constitute a Robotic Village on the Moon. A number of MoonVillage talks and/or interactive jam sessions have been conducted at International workshops and symposia 2016. Moon Village Workshops were held at ESA centres: they were held with senior experts as well as Young ESA professionals to discuss general topics and specific issues ( habitat design, technology, science and precursor missions; public and stakeholder engagement) . Many workshops were complemented with ILEWG EuroMoonMars simulation campaigns. Moon Village Workshops or Jam sessions were also conducted at international symposia or in collaboration with specific universities or institutes. The PS2.2 session will include invited and contributed talks as well as a panel discussion and interactive posters with short oral introduction. Acknowledgements We thank Prof J. Woerner (ESA DG) for energizing the concept of MoonVillage. We thank co-conveners of MoonVillage Workshops and ILEWG EuroMoonMars field campaigns in 2016 (including C. Jonglez, V.Guinet, M.Monnerie, A. Kleinschneider, A. Kapoglou, A. Kolodziejczyk, M. Harasymczuk, I. Schlacht, C. Heinicke, D. Esser, M.Grulich, T. Siruguet, H.Vos, M.Mirino, D.Sokolsky, J.Blamont) and participants to these events. We thank A.Cowley, C. Haigneré, P. Messina, G. Ortega, S.Cristoforetti, ESA colleagues involved in MoonVillage related activities. We thank colleagues from ILEWG, Young Lunar Explorers, the International Lunar Decade Group, the Moon Village Association and Moon Village Support Groups and "MoonVillagers" at large. [1] Jan Wörner, Driving #MoonVillage http://www.iafastro.org/events/iac/iac-2015/plenaryprogramme/the-moon-a-continent-and-a-gateway-for-ourfuture/ (IAC 2015, Jerusalem); [2]http://www.iafastro.org/events/iac/iac2016/globalnetworking-forum/making-the-moon-village-and-marsjourney-accessible-and-affordable-for-all/ (IAC 2016) ; [3] B. Foing et al , Highlights from Moon Village Workshop, held at ESTEC in December 2015, http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2016/pdf/2719.pdf, http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2016/pdf/2798.pdf [4] P. Ehrenfreund et al. "Toward a Global Space Exploration Program: A Stepping Stone Approach" (Advances in Space Research, 49, n°1, January 2012), prepared by COSPAR Panel on Exploration (PEX) [5] http://www.lpi.usra.edu/leag/GER_2011.pdf; [6] http://sci.esa.int/ilewg/47170-gluc-iceum11- beijing-2010lunar-declaration/; [7] http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/leagilewg2008/ [8] http://sci.esa.int/ilewg/41506-iceum9-sorrento- 2007-lunar-declaration/ [9] National Research Council (2007), The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon [10] P. Ehrenfreund , B.H. Foing, A. Cellino Editors, The Moon and Near Earth Objects), Advances in Space Research, Volume 37, Issue 1, pp 1-192, 2006 [11] http://sci.esa.int/ilewg/38863-iceum8-beijing- 2006declaration/ [12] W. Huntress, D. Stetson, R. Farquhar, J. Zimmerman, B. Clark, W. O'Neil, R. Bourke& B. Foing,'The next steps in exploring deep space - A cosmic study by the IAA', Acta Astronautica, Vol 58, Issues 6-7, 2006, p302-377 [13]http://sci.esa.int/ilewg/38178-iceum7-toronto-2005-declaration/ [14] H. Balsiger et al. Eds, International Lunar Workshop, 1994 May 31-June 3, Beatenberg, Switzerland. Proceedings. Ed. European Space Agency, 1994. ESA-SP-1170 [15] R.M. Bonnet et al, 'Mission to the Moon, Europe's Priorities for Scientific Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon', European Space Agency, ESA SP-1150, June 1992 [16] http://www.iafastro.org/events/iaf-spring-meetings/spring-meetings-2016/ [17] https://www.spacesymposium.org/ [18] http://www.egu2016.eu/ http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2016/session/20378 [19] https://els2016.arc.nasa.gov/ [20] https://nesf2016.arc.nasa.gov/ [21] https://www.cospar-assembly.org/abstractcd/COSPAR-16/ [22] https://www.iac2016.org/, [23] http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/leag2016/presentations/ [24] http://newworlds2016.space/ [25] http://www.stx.ox.ac.uk/happ/events/history-moon [26] https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/events/events-2016/manufacturing-2075#

Detection of multiple drug-resistant Trypanosoma congolense populations in village cattle of south-east Mali

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Tsetse fly-transmitted African animal trypanosomosis causes annual losses that run into billions of dollars. The disease is assumed to cause hunger and poverty in most sub-Saharan countries since it represents a serious impediment to sustainable livestock production. Both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study were carried out from November to December 2007 to evaluate trypanosomosis risk and susceptibility of trypanosomes to trypanocidal drug treatment in village cattle populations in south-east Mali. Methods Eight purposively selected villages participated in the study. In each village, eight traps deployed along drainage lines over 24hour duration were used to catch tsetse. One hundred systematically selected cattle in the study villages were examined for trypanosomes. All trypanosome-positive cattle were randomly allocated into two treatment groups: a group treated with 0.5 mg/kg bw. isometamidium chloride (ISMM) and a group treated with 3.5 mg/kg bw. diminazene aceturate (DIM). The cattle were monitored for trypanosomes at day 14 and 28 post-treatment. Results Of the 796 cattle examined, 125 (15.7%) were trypanosome-positive. Village trypanosome prevalences ranged between 11% and 19%. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences in the village trypanosome prevalences. Trypanosoma congolense was the dominant trypanosome species accounting for 73% (91/125) of the infections and T. vivax the remainder. Twenty (31.7%) of the 63 cattle on 0.5 mg/kg bw. ISMM treatment were still positive14 days post-treatment. Of the 43 aparasitaemic cattle monitored to day 28, 25.6% (11) became parasitaemic, resulting in a cumulative failure rate of 49.2% (31/63). Trypanosoma congolense accounted for 77.4% (24/31) of failed ISMM treatments. The 62 cattle treated with 3.5 mg/kg bw. DIM resulted in 30.6% (19/62) failed treatments. Although 42.2% (19/45) of T. congolense positive cattle did not respond to DIM treatment, all T. vivax positive cattle responded positively to DIM treatment. Conclusions The overreliance on trypanocides in the control of trypanosomosis will ultimately lead to multiple drug-resistant trypanosome populations as detected in villages in south-east Mali rendering the use of drugs doubtful. Effective alternative methods for trypanosomosis control ought to substitute chemotherapy to ensure sustainable cattle production in these villages. Since there is no single strategy for containing trypanocidal drug resistance, promotion of an integrated approach combining proven trypanosomosis control approaches in high trypanosomosis risk areas is most desirous. The best-bet strategy this study recommended for areas with multiple drug resistance included area-wide community tsetse control, control of co-infections to exploit self-cure against resistant trypanosome populations and the rational use of trypanocidal drugs which should be urgently promoted at all levels as a way of containing or reversing resistance. PMID:22852796

Arsenic contamination of groundwater and its health impact on residents in a village in West Bengal, India.

PubMed Central

Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Sengupta, Mrinal Kumar; Ahamed, Sad; Chowdhury, Uttam Kumar; Lodh, Dilip; Hossain, Amir; Das, Bhaskar; Roy, Niladri; Saha, Kshitish Chandra; Palit, Shyamal Kanti; Chakraborti, Dipankar

2005-01-01

An in-depth study was carried out in Rajapur, an arsenic-affected village in West Bengal, India, to determine the degree of groundwater contamination with arsenic and the impact of this contamination on residents. The flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HG-AAS) method was used to measure arsenic concentrations in water and biological samples. Dermatologists recorded the dermatological features of arsenicosis. Out of a total of 336 hand-pumped tube-wells in Rajapur, 91% (307/336) contained arsenic at concentrations > 10 microg/l, and 63% (213/336) contained arsenic at > 50 microg/l. The type of arsenic in groundwater, the variation in concentrations of arsenic as the depth of tube-wells changed, and the iron concentration in the wells were also measured. Altogether 825 of 3500 residents were examined for skin lesions; of these, 149 had lesions caused by exposure to arsenic. Of the 420 biological samples collected and analysed, 92.6% (389) contained arsenic at concentrations that were above normal. Thus many villagers might be subclinically affected. Although five arsenic-filtering devices had been installed in Rajapur, it appears that villagers are still exposed to raised concentrations of arsenic in their drinking-water. Detailed village-level studies of arsenic-affected areas in West Bengal are required in order to understand the magnitude of contamination and its effects on people. Villagers are ill-informed about the dangers of drinking arsenic-contaminated water. The contamination could be brought under control by increasing community awareness of the dangers and implementing proper watershed management techniques that involve local people. PMID:15682249

Migration and Gene Flow Among Domestic Populations of the Chagas Insect Vector Triatoma dimidiata (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Detected by Microsatellite Loci

PubMed Central

Stevens, Lori; Monroy, M. Carlota; Rodas, Antonieta Guadalupe; Hicks, Robin M.; Lucero, David E.; Lyons, Leslie A.; Dorn, Patricia L.

2015-01-01

Triatoma dimidiata (Latreille, 1811) is the most abundant and significant insect vector of the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi in Central America, and particularly in Guatemala. Tr. cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, and successful disease control requires understanding the geographic distribution and degree of migration of vectors such as T. dimidiata that frequently re-infest houses within months following insecticide application. The population genetic structure of T. dimidiata collected from six villages in southern Guatemala was studied to gain insight into the migration patterns of the insects in this region where populations are largely domestic. This study provided insight into the likelihood of eliminating T. dimidiata by pesticide application as has been observed in some areas for other domestic triatomines such as Triatoma infestans. Genotypes of microsatellite loci for 178 insects from six villages were found to represent five genetic clusters using a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. Individual clusters were found in multiple villages, with multiple clusters in the same house. Although migration occurred, there was statistically significant genetic differentiation among villages (FRT = 0.05) and high genetic differentiation among houses within villages (FSR = 0.11). Relatedness of insects within houses varied from 0 to 0.25, i.e., from unrelated to half-sibs. The results suggest that T. dimidiata in southern Guatemala moves between houses and villages often enough that recolonization is likely, implying the use of insecticides alone is not sufficient for effective control of Chagas disease in this region and more sustainable solutions are required. PMID:26334816

The integrated project: a promising promotional strategy for primary health care.

PubMed

Daniel, C; Mora, B

1985-10-01

The integrated project using parasite control and nutrition as entry points for family planning practice has shown considerable success in promoting health consciousness among health workers and project beneficiaries. This progress is evident in the Family Planning, Parasite Control and Nutrition (FAPPCAN) areas. The project has also mobilized technical and financial support from the local government as well as from private and civic organizations. The need for integration is underscored by the following considerations: parasite control has proved to be effective for preventive health care; the integrated project uses indigenous community health workers to accomplish its objectives; the primary health care (PHC) movement depends primarily on voluntary community participation and the integrated project has shown that it can elicit this participation. The major health problems in the Philippines are: a prevalence of communicable and other infectious diseases; poor evironmental sanitation; malnutrition; and a rapid population growth rate. The integrated program utilizes the existing village health workers in identifying problems related to family planning, parasite control and nutrition and integrates these activities into the health delivery system; educates family members on how to detect health and health-related problems; works out linkages with government agencies and the local primary health care committee in defining the scope of health-related problems; mobilizes community members to initiate their own projects; gets the commitment of village officials and committe members. The integrated project operates within the PHC. A health van with a built-in video playback system provides educational and logistical support to the village worker. The primary detection and treatment of health problems are part of the village health workers' responsibilities. Research determines the project's capability to reactivate the village primary health care committees and sustain community commitment. The project initially covered 4 villages. Implementation problems included: inactive village health workers, inadequate supervision and monitoring of PHC, a lack of commitment of committee members, and the lack of financial support.

24 CFR 1003.207 - Ineligible activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS FOR INDIAN TRIBES AND ALASKA NATIVE VILLAGES Eligible... repair of streets, parks, playgrounds, water and sewer facilities, neighborhood facilities, senior...

Malaria transmission risk variations derived from different agricultural practices in an irrigated area of northern Tanzania.

PubMed

Ijumba, J N; Mosha, F W; Lindsay, S W

2002-03-01

Malaria vector Anopheles and other mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) were monitored for 12 months during 1994-95 in villages of Lower Moshi irrigation area (37 degrees 20' E, 3 degrees 21' S; approximately 700 m a.s.l.) south of Mount Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania. Adult mosquito populations were sampled fortnightly by five methods: human bait collection indoors (18.00-06.00 hours) and outdoors (18.00-24.00 hours); from daytime resting-sites indoors and outdoors; by CDC light-traps over sleepers. Anopheles densities and rates of survival, anthropophily and malaria infection were compared between three villages representing different agro-ecosystems: irrigated sugarcane plantation; smallholder rice irrigation scheme, and savannah with subsistence crops. Respective study villages were Mvuleni (population 2200), Chekereni (population 3200) and Kisangasangeni (population approximately/= 1000), at least 7 km apart. Anopheles arabiensis Patton was found to be the principal malaria vector throughout the study area, with An. funestus Giles sensu lato of secondary importance in the sugarcane and savannah villages. Irrigated sugarcane cultivation resulted in water pooling, but this did not produce more vectors. Anopheles arabiensis densities averaged four-fold higher in the ricefield village, although their human blood-index was significantly less (48%) than in the sugarcane (68%) or savannah (66%) villages, despite similar proportions of humans and cows (ratio 1:1.1-1.4) as the main hosts at all sites. Parous rates, duration of the gonotrophic cycle and survival rates of An. arabiensis were similar in villages of all three agro-ecosystems. The potential risk of malaria, based on measurements of vectorial capacity of An. arabiensis and An.funestus combined, was four-fold higher in the ricefield village than in the sugarcane or savannah villages nearby. However, the more realistic estimate of malaria risk, based on entomological inoculation rates, indicated that exposure to infective vectors was 61-68% less for people in the ricefield village, due to the much lower sporozoite rate in An. arabiensis (ricefield 0.01%, sugarcane 0.1%, savannah 0.12%). This contrast was attributed to better socio-economic conditions of rice farmers, facilitating relatively more use of antimalarials and bednets for their families. Our findings show that, for a combination of reasons, the malaria challenge is lower for villagers associated with an irrigated rice-growing scheme (despite greater malaria vector potential), than for adjacent communities with other agro-ecosystems bringing less socio-economic benefits to health. This encourages the development of agro-irrigation schemes in African savannahs, provided that residents have ready access to antimalaria materials (i.e. effective antimalaria drugs and insecticidal bednets) that they may better afford for protection against the greater vectorial capacity of An. arabiensis from the ricefield agro-ecosystem.

Understanding the shortage of village doctors in China and solutions under the policy of basic public health service equalization: evidence from Changzhou.

PubMed

Li, Xiaohong; Cochran, Christopher; Lu, Jun; Shen, Jay; Hao, Chao; Wang, Ying; Sun, Mei; Li, Chengyue; Chang, Fengshui; Hao, Mo

2015-01-01

As the most important public health service providers in rural China, village doctors are facing a new challenge of heavier workload resulting from the recent policy of public health service equalization. Studies on the shortage of village doctors, mainly based on the national statistics, have so far been very broad. This study conducted detailed field surveys to identify specific factors of and potential solutions to the shortage in village doctors. Eight hundred forty-four village doctors and 995 health decision makers and providers were surveyed through a questionnaire, and some of them were surveyed by in-depth face-to-face interviews and focus group interviews. Opinions on the shortage in village doctors and the potentially effective approaches to addressing the problem were sought. Some village doctors (51.3%) were at least 50 years old. Some village doctors (92.3%) did not want their children to become a village doctor, and the main reasons were "low salary" and "lack of social security". Village doctors felt that it was difficult to provide all the required public health services. Local residents indicated that they established good relationships with village doctors. Some health decision makers and providers (74.0%) thought that they needed more village doctors. The shortage in village doctors presents a major obstacle toward the realization of China's policy of public health service equalization. The aging of current village doctors exacerbates the problem. Policies and programs are needed to retain the current and attract new village doctors into the workforce. Separate measures are also needed to address disparities in socioeconomic circumstance from village to village. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Buruli ulcer disease prevalence in Benin, West Africa: Associations with land use/cover and the identification of disease clusters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, T.; Benbow, M.E.; Brenden, T.O.; Qi, J.; Johnson, R.C.

2008-01-01

Background: Buruli ulcer (BU) disease, caused by infection with the environmental mycobacterium M. ulcerans, is an emerging infectious disease in many tropical and sub-tropical countries. Although vectors and modes of transmission remain unknown, it is hypothesized that the transmission of BU disease is associated with human activities in or around aquatic environments, and that characteristics of the landscape (e.g., land use/cover) play a role in mediating BU disease. Several studies performed at relatively small spatial scales (e.g., within a single village or region of a country) support these hypotheses; however, if BU disease is associated with land use/cover characteristics, either through spatial constraints on vector-host dynamics or by mediating human activities, then large-scale (i.e., country-wide) associations should also emerge. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate associations between BU disease prevalence in villages in Benin, West Africa and surrounding land use/cover patterns and other map-based characteristics, and (2) identify areas with greater and lower than expected prevalence rates (i.e., disease clusters) to assist with the development of prevention and control programs. Results: Our landscape-based models identified low elevation, rural villages surrounded by forest land cover, and located in drainage basins with variable wetness patterns as being associated with higher BU disease prevalence rates. We also identified five spatial disease clusters. Three of the five clusters contained villages with greater than expected prevalence rates and two clusters contained villages with lower than expected prevalence rates. Those villages with greater than expected BU disease prevalence rates spanned a fairly narrow region of south-central Benin. Conclusion: Our analyses suggest that interactions between natural land cover and human alterations to the landscape likely play a role in the dynamics of BU disease. For example, urbanization, potentially by providing access to protected water sources, may reduce the likelihood of becoming infected with BU disease. Villages located at low elevations may have higher BU disease prevalence rates due to their close spatial proximity to high risk environments. In addition, forest land cover and drainage basins with variable wetness patterns may be important for providing suitable growth conditions for M. ulcerans, influencing the distribution and abundance of vectors, or mediating vector-human interactions. The identification of disease clusters in this study provides direction for future research aimed at better understanding these and other environmental and social determinants involved in BU disease outbreaks. ?? 2008 Wagner et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Buruli ulcer disease prevalence in Benin, West Africa: associations with land use/cover and the identification of disease clusters

PubMed Central

Wagner, Tyler; Benbow, M Eric; Brenden, Travis O; Qi, Jiaguo; Johnson, R Christian

2008-01-01

Background Buruli ulcer (BU) disease, caused by infection with the environmental mycobacterium M. ulcerans, is an emerging infectious disease in many tropical and sub-tropical countries. Although vectors and modes of transmission remain unknown, it is hypothesized that the transmission of BU disease is associated with human activities in or around aquatic environments, and that characteristics of the landscape (e.g., land use/cover) play a role in mediating BU disease. Several studies performed at relatively small spatial scales (e.g., within a single village or region of a country) support these hypotheses; however, if BU disease is associated with land use/cover characteristics, either through spatial constraints on vector-host dynamics or by mediating human activities, then large-scale (i.e., country-wide) associations should also emerge. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate associations between BU disease prevalence in villages in Benin, West Africa and surrounding land use/cover patterns and other map-based characteristics, and (2) identify areas with greater and lower than expected prevalence rates (i.e., disease clusters) to assist with the development of prevention and control programs. Results Our landscape-based models identified low elevation, rural villages surrounded by forest land cover, and located in drainage basins with variable wetness patterns as being associated with higher BU disease prevalence rates. We also identified five spatial disease clusters. Three of the five clusters contained villages with greater than expected prevalence rates and two clusters contained villages with lower than expected prevalence rates. Those villages with greater than expected BU disease prevalence rates spanned a fairly narrow region of south-central Benin. Conclusion Our analyses suggest that interactions between natural land cover and human alterations to the landscape likely play a role in the dynamics of BU disease. For example, urbanization, potentially by providing access to protected water sources, may reduce the likelihood of becoming infected with BU disease. Villages located at low elevations may have higher BU disease prevalence rates due to their close spatial proximity to high risk environments. In addition, forest land cover and drainage basins with variable wetness patterns may be important for providing suitable growth conditions for M. ulcerans, influencing the distribution and abundance of vectors, or mediating vector-human interactions. The identification of disease clusters in this study provides direction for future research aimed at better understanding these and other environmental and social determinants involved in BU disease outbreaks. PMID:18505567

Village health volunteers’ social capital related to their performance in Lao People’s Democratic Republic: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Improving the performance of community health workers (CHWs) is a global issue. The relationship between CHWs and their community may impact their performance. In Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), CHW are called village health volunteers (VHV). Lao PDR has a problem with VHV inactivity, especially in rural areas. This study focused on which aspects of social capital are related to VHV performance. Methods This research represents a cross-sectional study with a quantitative survey based primarily on interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Interviews were conducted with 149 VHVs living and working in the Sepon District. VHV performance evaluation was measured with scores on a 5-point scale, and the cutoff point for designating performance as good or poor was set at the median score. This evaluation of VHV performance was conducted as a self-evaluation by VHVs and by health center staff who were supervisors of the VHVs. Measurement of social capital was accomplished using the short version of the Adapted Social Capital Assessment Tool (SASCAT). For statistical analyses, logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results The results of multiple logistic regression adjusted by moderator variables showed that citizenship activities in the structural social capital component of SASCAT were significantly related to performance in self-evaluation by VHVs (adjusted OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.19-3.71) and the evaluations by health center staff (adjusted OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.01-2.77). Support from groups (adjusted OR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.27-2.76) and cognitive social capital (adjusted OR: 7.48, 95% CI: 2.14-26.10) were found to be significantly associated but only for VHV self-evaluation. Conclusions The results suggest that individuals who interact with important figures in the community and who cooperate with other villagers whenever problems arise, i.e., have social capital, exhibit good performance as VHVs. These findings suggest that increasing citizenship activities could increase the retention rate of CHWs and help improve their performance. Citizenship activities could also be used as a predictive indicator when selecting new CHWs. PMID:24620729

Are village health sanitation and nutrition committees fulfilling their roles for decentralised health planning and action? A mixed methods study from rural eastern India.

PubMed

Srivastava, Aradhana; Gope, Rajkumar; Nair, Nirmala; Rath, Shibanand; Rath, Suchitra; Sinha, Rajesh; Sahoo, Prabas; Biswal, Pavitra Mohan; Singh, Vijay; Nath, Vikash; Sachdev, H P S; Skordis-Worrall, Jolene; Haghparast-Bidgoli, Hassan; Costello, Anthony; Prost, Audrey; Bhattacharyya, Sanghita

2016-01-22

In India, Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs) are participatory community health forums, but there is little information about their composition, functioning and effectiveness. Our study examined VHSNCs as enablers of participatory action for community health in two rural districts in two states of eastern India - West Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Kendujhar, in Odisha. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 169 VHSNCs and ten qualitative focus group discussions with purposively selected better and poorer performing committees, across the two states. We analysed the quantitative data using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data using a Framework approach. We found that VHSNCs comprised equitable representation from vulnerable groups when they were formed. More than 75 % members were women. Almost all members belonged to socially disadvantaged classes. Less than 1 % members had received any training. Supervision of committees by district or block officials was rare. Their work focused largely on strengthening village sanitation, conducting health awareness activities, and supporting medical treatment for ill or malnourished children and pregnant mothers. In reality, 62 % committees monitored community health workers, 6.5 % checked sub-centres and 2.4 % monitored drug availability with community health workers. Virtually none monitored data on malnutrition. Community health and nutrition workers acted as conveners and record keepers. Links with the community involved awareness generation and community monitoring of VHSNC activities. Key challenges included irregular meetings, members' limited understanding of their roles and responsibilities, restrictions on planning and fund utilisation, and weak linkages with the broader health system. Our study suggests that VHSNCs perform few of their specified functions for decentralized planning and action. If VHSNCs are to be instrumental in improving community health, sanitation and nutrition, they need education, mobilisation and monitoring for formal links with the wider health system.

Ancient village fire escape path planning based on improved ant colony algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Wei; Cao, Kang; Hu, QianChuan

2017-06-01

The roadways are narrow and perplexing in ancient villages, it brings challenges and difficulties for people to choose route to escape when a fire occurs. In this paper, a fire escape path planning method based on ant colony algorithm is presented according to the problem. The factors in the fire environment which influence the escape speed is introduced to improve the heuristic function of the algorithm, optimal transfer strategy, and adjustment pheromone volatile factor to improve pheromone update strategy adaptively, improve its dynamic search ability and search speed. Through simulation, the dynamic adjustment of the optimal escape path is obtained, and the method is proved to be feasible.

Improving mapping for Ebola response through mobilising a local community with self-owned smartphones: Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, January 2015.

PubMed

Nic Lochlainn, Laura M; Gayton, Ivan; Theocharopoulos, Georgios; Edwards, Robin; Danis, Kostas; Kremer, Ronald; Kleijer, Karline; Tejan, Sumaila M; Sankoh, Mohamed; Jimissa, Augustin; Greig, Jane; Caleo, Grazia

2018-01-01

During the 2014-16 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, the Magburaka Ebola Management Centre (EMC) operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone, identified that available district maps lacked up-to-date village information to facilitate timely implementation of EVD control strategies. In January 2015, we undertook a survey in chiefdoms within the MSF EMC catchment area to collect mapping and village data. We explore the feasibility and cost to mobilise a local community for this survey, describe validation against existing mapping sources and use of the data to prioritise areas for interventions, and lessons learned. We recruited local people with self-owned Android smartphones installed with open-source survey software (OpenDataKit (ODK)) and open-source navigation software (OpenStreetMap Automated Navigation Directions (OsmAnd)). Surveyors were paired with local motorbike drivers to travel to eligible villages. The collected mapping data were validated by checking for duplication and comparing the village names against a pre-existing village name and location list using a geographic distance and text string-matching algorithm. The survey teams gained sufficient familiarity with the ODK and OsmAnd software within 1-2 hours. Nine chiefdoms in Tonkolili District and three in Bombali District were surveyed within two weeks. Following de-duplication, the surveyors collected data from 891 villages with an estimated 127,021 households. The overall survey cost was €3,395; €3.80 per village surveyed. The MSF GIS team (MSF-OCG) created improved maps for the MSF Magburaka EMC team which were used to support surveillance, investigation of suspect EVD cases, hygiene-kit distribution and EVD survivor support. We shared the mapping data with OpenStreetMap, the local Ministry of Health and Sanitation and Sierra Leone District and National Ebola Response Centres. Involving local community and using accessible technology allowed rapid implementation, at moderate cost, of a survey to collect geographic and essential village information, and creation of updated maps. These methods could be used for future emergencies to facilitate response.

Understanding the failure of a behavior change intervention to reduce risk behaviors for avian influenza transmission among backyard poultry raisers in rural Bangladesh: a focused ethnography.

PubMed

Rimi, Nadia Ali; Sultana, Rebeca; Ishtiak-Ahmed, Kazi; Rahman, Md Zahidur; Hasin, Marufa; Islam, M Saiful; Azziz-Baumgartner, Eduardo; Nahar, Nazmun; Gurley, Emily S; Luby, Stephen P

2016-08-24

The spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus among poultry and humans has raised global concerns and has motivated government and public health organizations to initiate interventions to prevent the transmission of HPAI. In Bangladesh, H5N1 became endemic in poultry and seven human H5N1 cases have been reported since 2007, including one fatality. This study piloted messages to increase awareness about avian influenza and its prevention in two rural communities, and explored change in villagers' awareness and behaviors attributable to the intervention. During 2009-10, a research team implemented the study in two rural villages in two districts of Bangladesh. The team used a focused ethnographic approach for data collection, including informal interviews and observations to provide detailed contextual information about community response to a newly emerging disease. They collected pre-intervention qualitative data for one month. Then another team disseminated preventive messages focused on safe slaughtering methods, through courtyard meetings and affixed posters in every household. After dissemination, the research team collected post-intervention data for one month. More villagers reported hearing about 'bird flu' after the intervention compared to before the intervention. After the intervention, villagers commonly recalled changes in the color of combs and shanks of poultry as signs of avian influenza, and perceived zoonotic transmission of avian influenza through direct contact and through inhalation. Consequently the villagers valued covering the nose and mouth while handling sick and dead poultry as a preventive measure. Nevertheless, the team did not observe noticeable change in villagers' behavior after the intervention. Villagers reported not following the recommended behaviors because of the perceived absence of avian influenza in their flocks, low risk of avian influenza, cost, inconvenience, personal discomfort, fear of being rebuked or ridiculed, and doubt about the necessity of the intervention. The villagers' awareness about avian influenza improved after the intervention, however, the intervention did not result in any measurable improvement in preventive behaviors. Low cost approaches that promote financial benefits and minimize personal discomfort should be developed and piloted.

Men Traveling Away from Home Are More Likely to Bring Malaria into High Altitude Villages, Northwest Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Alemu, Kassahun; Worku, Alemayehu; Berhane, Yemane; Kumie, Abera

2014-01-01

Background Information about malaria risk factors at high altitudes is scanty. Understanding the risk factors that determine the risk of malaria transmission at high altitude villages is important to facilitate implementing sustainable malaria control and prevention programs. Methods An unmatched case control study was conducted among patients seeking treatment at health centers in high altitude areas. Either microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests were used to confirm the presence of plasmodium species. A generalized linear model was used to identify the predictors of malaria transmission in high altitude villages. Results Males (AOR = 3.11, 95%CI: 2.28, 4.23), and those who traveled away from the home in the previous month (AOR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.56, 2.58) were strongly associated with presence of malaria in high altitude villages. Other significant factors, including agriculture in occupation (AOR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.93), plants used for fencing (AOR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.52) and forests near the house (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.47), were found predictors for malaria in high altitude villages. Conclusion Travel outside of their home was an important risk of malaria infections acquisition. Targeting males who frequently travel to malarious areas can reduce malaria transmission risks in high altitude areas. PMID:24748159

Ethics position towards the exploitation of manganese material in Oenbit Village, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fios, Frederikus

2017-04-01

Oenbit village is an area that is located in the district of Timor Tengah Utara (TTU), Timor Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. In Oenbit ongoing a conflict between the economic interests of some parties namely the government, corporation and the local indigenous community. Government of Timor Tengah Utara give legal permission to the Elgari Resources Indonesia (ERI) Company to exploit the mining of Manganese in Oenbit Village which informally is the ancestral land of indigenous peoples Oenbit hereditary called pusuf kelef and Kot-tau niap-tau (king land). Oenbit society has an ethical belief that the ancestral land Oenbit should not be produced by outside parties besides the local community on the orders of the king. Manganese exploitation in Oenbit Village cause problems contradictorily interesting to reflect on the ethical-philosophical. This paper aims to reflect the ethical position against cases of exploitation of manganese in the Oenbit Village with focuses on the local government’s decision to issue a permit exploitation and ERI Company exploit Mangan assumed unethical traditional indigenous tribe Oenbit. The study found that the district government and ERI Company has violated the public ethics and society traditional law, especially the rights of local indigenous communities by exploiting manganese material. The method used is the reflection of philosophy with ethical approaches and relevant ethical theories.

78 FR 30765 - Safety Zone; Bay Village Independence Day Fireworks, Lake Erie, Bay Village, OH

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-23

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Bay Village Independence Day Fireworks, Lake Erie, Bay Village, OH AGENCY: Coast... zone on Lake Erie, Bay Village, OH. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Erie during the Bay Village Independence Day Fireworks display. This temporary safety zone is...

77 FR 39420 - Safety Zone; Bay Village Independence Day Fireworks, Lake Erie, Bay Village, OH

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-03

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Bay Village Independence Day Fireworks, Lake Erie, Bay Village, OH AGENCY: Coast... zone on Lake Erie, Bay Village, OH. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Erie during the Bay Village Independence Day Fireworks display. This temporary safety zone is...

Community Acceptance of Tsetse Control Baits: A Qualitative Study in Arua District, North West Uganda

PubMed Central

Kovacic, Vanja; Tirados, Inaki; Esterhuizen, Johan; Mangwiro, Clement T. N.; Torr, Stephen J.; Lehane, Michael J.; Smith, Helen

2013-01-01

Background There is renewed vigour in efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases including sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis or HAT), including attempts to develop more cost-effective methods of tsetse control. In the West Nile region of Uganda, newly designed insecticide-treated targets are being deployed over an area of ∼500 km2. The operational area covers villages where tsetse control has not been conducted previously. The effectiveness of the targets will depend, in part, on their acceptance by the local community. Methodology/Principal Findings We assessed knowledge, perceptions and acceptance of tsetse baits (traps, targets) in villages where they had or had not been used previously. We conducted sixteen focus group discussions with male and female participants in eight villages across Arua District. Discussions were audio recorded, translated and transcribed. We used thematic analysis to compare the views of both groups and identify salient themes. Conclusions/Significance Despite the villages being less than 10 km apart, community members perceived deployed baits very differently. Villagers who had never seen traps before expressed fear, anxiety and panic when they first encountered them. This was related to associations with witchcraft and “ghosts from the river” which are traditionally linked with physical or mental illness, death and misfortune. By contrast, villagers living in areas where traps had been used previously had positive attitudes towards them and were fully aware of their purpose and benefits. The latter group reported that they had similar negative perceptions when tsetse control interventions first started a decade ago. Our results suggest that despite their proximity, acceptance of traps varies markedly between villages and this is related to the duration of experience with tsetse control programs. The success of community-based interventions against tsetse will therefore depend on early engagements with communities and carefully designed sensitization campaigns that reach all communities, especially those living in areas new to such interventions. PMID:24349593

Revisiting current “barefoot doctors” in border areas of China: system of services, financial issue and clinical practice prior to introducing integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI)

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Under-5-years child mortality remains high in rural China. Integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) was introduced to China in 1998, but only a few rural areas have been included. This study aimed at assessing the current situation of the health system of rural health care and evaluating the clinical competency of village doctors in management of childhood illnesses prior to implementing IMCI programme in remote border rural areas. Methods The study was carried out in the border areas of Puer prefecture of Yunnan province. There were 182 village doctors in the list of the health bureau in these border areas. Of these, 154 (84.6%) were recruited into the study. The local health system components were investigated using a qualitative approach and analyzed with triangulation of information from different sources. The clinical component was assessed objectively and quantitatively presented using descriptive statistics. Results The study found that the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) coordinated the health insurance system and the provider service through 3 tiers: village doctor, township and county hospitals. The 30 RMB per person per year premium did not cover the referral cost, and thereby decreased the number of referrals. In contrast to available treatment facilities and drug supply, the level of basic medical education of village doctors and township doctors was low. Discontent among village doctors was common, especially concerning low rates of return from the service, exceptions being procedures such as injections, which in fact may create moral hazards to the patients. Direct observation on the assessment and management of paediatric patients by village doctors revealed inadequate history taking and physical examination, inability to detect potentially serious complications, overprescription of injection and antibiotics, and underprescription of oral rehydration salts and poor quality of counseling. Conclusion There is a need to improve health finance and clinical competency of the village doctors in the study area. PMID:22871045

Employing moderate resolution sensors in human rights and international humanitarian law monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marx, Andrew J.

Organizations concerned with human rights are increasingly using remote sensing as a tool to improve their detection of human rights and international humanitarian law violations. However, as these organizations have transitioned to human rights monitoring campaigns conducted over large regions and extended periods of time, current methods of using fine- resolution sensors and manpower-intensive analyses have become cost- prohibitive. To support the continued growth of remote sensing in human rights and international humanitarian law monitoring campaigns, this study researches how moderate resolution land observatories can provide complementary data to operational human rights monitoring efforts. This study demonstrates the capacity of moderate resolutions to provide data to monitoring efforts by developing an approach that uses Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) as part of a system for the detection of village destruction in Darfur, Sudan. Village destruction is an indicator of a human rights or international humanitarian law violations in Darfur during the 2004 study period. This analysis approach capitalizes on Landsat's historical archive and systematic observations by constructing a historic spectral baseline for each village in the study area that supports automated detection of a potentially destroyed village with each new overpass of the sensor. Using Landsat's near-infrared band, the approach demonstrates high levels of accuracy when compared with a U.S. government database documenting destroyed villages. This approach is then applied to the Darfur conflict from 2002 to 2008, providing new data on when and where villages were destroyed in this widespread and long-lasting conflict. This application to the duration of a real-world conflict illustrates the abilities and shortcomings of moderate resolution sensors in human rights monitoring efforts. This study demonstrates that moderate resolution satellites have the capacity to contribute complementary data to operational human rights monitoring efforts. While this study validates this capacity for the burning of villages in arid environments, this approach can be generalized to detect other human rights violations if an observable signal that represents the violation is identified.

On the Borders: Surgeons and their Activities in the Venetian State (1540–1640)

PubMed Central

Bartolini, Donatella

2015-01-01

Through the biographies of a dynasty of practitioners who were active in some of the mountainous villages of the Venetian Terraferma the article brings to light unknown aspects of the professional world of surgeons. Their activities were profoundly influenced by the economic and geographic peculiarities of the territory where they lived and worked. Provincial towns and their territories offered professional opportunities both to licensed and to non-university trained practitioners. However, it was generally in small villages, especially those situated in border areas and part of the main commercial networks, that surgeons preferred to establish their practices, thus supplementing the medical services supplied by the town. Normally their knowledge was largely empirical and was transmitted from father to son. The apprenticeship-based training does not appear alternative to the academic education typical of learned practitioners: much evidence points to the existence of ‘scientific autodidacts’, self-taught practitioners who possessed and read medical texts or had attended academic courses, even if only in part. Practising surgery in this area was a highly mobile activity, stretching from the village to the neighbouring valleys, and even to areas outside the boundaries of the city and across the border of the Venetian state. Surgeons, furthermore, were able to transfer their skills and knowledge across a range of different occupations such as shoemakers, leather workers and tailors, a fact that confirms their close ties with the local artisan milieu. PMID:25498439

Analysis of tsunami disaster map by Geographic Information System (GIS): Aceh Singkil-Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farhan, A.; Akhyar, H.

2017-02-01

Tsunami risk map is used by stakeholder as a base to decide evacuation plan and evaluates from disaster. Aceh Singkil district of Aceh- Indonesia’s disaster maps have been developed and analyzed by using GIS tool. Overlay methods through algorithms are used to produce hazard map, vulnerability, capacity and finally created disaster risk map. Spatial maps are used topographic maps, administrative map, SRTM. The parameters are social, economic, physical environmental vulnerability, a level of exposed people, parameters of houses, public building, critical facilities, productive land, population density, sex ratio, poor ratio, disability ratio, age group ratio, the protected forest, natural forest, and mangrove forest. The results show high-risk tsunami disaster at nine villages; moderate levels are seventeen villages, and other villages are shown in the low level of tsunami risk disaster.

An analysis of factors contributing to household water security problems and threats in different settlement categories of Ngamiland, Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kujinga, Krasposy; Vanderpost, Cornelis; Mmopelwa, Gagoitseope; Wolski, Piotr

Globally, water security is negatively affected by factors that include climatic and hydrological conditions, population growth, rural-urban migration, increased per-capita water use, pollution and over-abstraction of groundwater. While Botswana has made strides in providing safe and clean water to its population since independence in 1966, over the years, a combination of factors have contributed to water security problems in different settlement categories of the country (i.e., primary, secondary, tertiary and ungazetted settlements) in general and in the district of Ngamiland in particular. To study water security problems differentiated by settlement category, this study employed quantitative data collection methods (i.e. household structured questionnaires) and qualitative data collection methods (i.e. key informant interviews, observation, focus group discussions and informal interviews), complemented by a review of relevant literature. Water security in all settlements is affected by status of the settlement, i.e. gazetted or ungazetted, climatic and hydrological factors and water governance challenges. In large villages such as Maun, factors threatening water security include population growth, urbanization, management challenges, old water supply and distribution infrastructure, increased demand for individual connections and changing lifestyles. Small gazetted and ungazetted settlements encounter problems related to limited sources of water supply as well as salinity of groundwater resources. In order to enhance water security in different settlement categories, Botswana has to develop a comprehensive water resources management strategy underpinned by integrated water resources management principles aimed at addressing factors contributing to water security problems. The strategy has to be settlement category specific. Large villages have to address factors related to demographic changes, urbanization, management challenges, water supply infrastructure and the introducing of water demand management activities. Households in small villages need provision of water from more sustainable sources while ungazetted settlements need better access to clean water.

Social status of the rural girl child in Tamil Nadu.

PubMed

Ananthakrishnan, Shanthi; Nalini, P

2002-07-01

The social status of the girl child in school age was assessed in a village in Tamil Nadu applying both qualitative and quantitative methods. The home milieu was taken as the social context for the study purpose since home is the first societal unit a child comes into contact with. The various issues considered to study the social status were (1) Gender preference in having children (2) Nutrition and health care given to them (3) Importance given to their education (4) Activity pattern in daily life (5) Attitude of the community towards (a) girl child after menarche and (b) marriage. In the study village, although there was desire to have sons, a girl child is not ignored. The value of having a girl in the family was appreciated. There was no gender discrimination in giving nutrition and health care. However the workload in girls was found to be marginally higher than in boys. The educational status of girls was lower than that of boys in terms of school enrollment and attendance. But menarche, was not an important cause of the lower educational status of girls. In the sociocultural context of the study village the priority in a girl's life during school going age was marriage. Soon after attaining puberty in a girl's life during school going age was marriage, not education and this perhaps reveals the lesser importance given to a girl's education by the community. The need of the hour is to improve her educational status by changing the attitude of the community so that a girl child's priority in her school age is not marriage but education.

[Current status on storage, processing and risk communication of medical radioactive waste in Japan].

PubMed

Watanabe, Hiroshi; Yamaguchi, Ichiro; Kida, Tetsuo; Hiraki, Hitoshi; Fujibuchi, Toshioh; Maehara, Yoshiaki; Tsukamoto, Atsuko; Koizumi, Mitsue; Kimura, Yumi; Horitsugi, Genki

2013-03-01

Decay-in-storage for radioactive waste including that of nuclear medicine has not been implemented in Japan. Therefore, all medical radioactive waste is collected and stored at the Japan Radioisotope Association Takizawa laboratory, even if the radioactivity has already decayed out. To clarify the current situation between Takizawa village and Takizawa laboratory, we investigated the radiation management status and risk communication activities at the laboratory via a questionnaire and site visiting survey in June 2010. Takizawa laboratory continues to maintain an interactive relationship with local residents. As a result, Takizawa village permitted the acceptance of new medical radioactive waste containing Sr-89 and Y-90. However, the village did not accept any non-medical radioactive waste such as waste from research laboratories. To implement decay-in-storage in Japan, it is important to obtain agreement with all stakeholders. We must continue to exert sincere efforts to acquire the trust of all stakeholders.

Susceptibility mapping of visceral leishmaniasis based on fuzzy modelling and group decision-making methods.

PubMed

Rajabi, Mohamadreza; Mansourian, Ali; Bazmani, Ahad

2012-11-01

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector-borne disease, highly influenced by environmental factors, which is an increasing public health problem in Iran, especially in the north-western part of the country. A geographical information system was used to extract data and map environmental variables for all villages in the districts of Kalaybar and Ahar in the province of East Azerbaijan. An attempt to predict VL prevalence based on an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) module combined with ordered weighted averaging (OWA) with fuzzy quantifiers indicated that the south-eastern part of Ahar is particularly prone to high VL prevalence. With the main objective to locate the villages most at risk, the opinions of experts and specialists were generalised into a group decision-making process by means of fuzzy weighting methods and induced OWA. The prediction model was applied throughout the entire study area (even where the disease is prevalent and where data already exist). The predicted data were compared with registered VL incidence records in each area. The results suggest that linguistic fuzzy quantifiers, guided by an AHP-OWA model, are capable of predicting susceptive locations for VL prevalence with an accuracy exceeding 80%. The group decision-making process demonstrated that people in 15 villages live under particularly high risk for VL contagion, i.e. villages where the disease is highly prevalent. The findings of this study are relevant for the planning of effective control strategies for VL in northwest Iran.

Biogas Implementation as Waste Management Effort in Lembang Sub-district, West Bandung District

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alberdi, H. A.; Sagala, S. A. H.; Wulandari, Y.; Srajar, S. L.; Nugraha, D.

2018-05-01

As the population and economic activities increase, energy demand will increase significantly too. In the near future, Indonesia will have more limitations on fossil fuel based energy. Therefore, sources of renewable energy have to be found. On the other hand, rural areas in Indonesia suffer from lack of energy supply. Therefore, energy resilient villages need to be created. Kampung Areng in Cibodas Village, Lembang sub-district is one of the locations declared as an energy resilient village. This study focused on Kampung Areng due to previous information and studies that have shown that the farmers in this area are capable of generating renewable energy through conversion of animal waste using biogas digesters. Biogas adoption was also initiated due to the issue of Cikapundung river pollution. Some people pointed their finger at Kampung Areng as the upstream source of this pollution due to irresponsible handling of animal waste. Thus, the idea emerged that biogas digester adoption in this area could solve the waste management issue while providing an alternative energy source for the community. In this paper, the authors aimed to identify the benefit and impact of biogas adoption in Cibodas Village, particularly regarding waste management.

Mercury Levels in Women and Children from Interior Villages in Suriname, South America.

PubMed

Ouboter, Paul E; Landburg, Gwendolyn; Satnarain, Gaitrie U; Starke, Sheryl Y; Nanden, Indra; Simon-Friedt, Bridget; Hawkins, William B; Taylor, Robert; Lichtveld, Maureen Y; Harville, Emily; Wickliffe, Jeffrey K

2018-05-17

Natural sources of mercury, historical gold mining, and contemporary artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) activities have led to mercury contamination in Suriname. Our primary objective was to evaluate mercury levels in hair of women and children from interior villages in Suriname where mercury levels in fish are elevated. We also estimated blood levels of mercury using an established mathematical conversion to facilitate comparison with other biomonitoring programs in the United States. Estimated levels of mercury in the blood of participants from Suriname were significantly higher than those in women from a heavy marine fish-consuming population in southeast Louisiana and estimates of the US national average. This includes women from Surinamese villages well upstream of ASGM activities. Since residents in these areas rely heavily on local fish, this is likely the source of their exposure to mercury. The levels in hair are similar to those seen in women from longitudinal studies finding neurological impairments in children exposed pre- and postnatally. Additional biomonitoring and neurodevelopmental assessments are warranted in these areas, as well as other areas of the Suriname. Mercury levels in hair (Suriname) and blood (southeast LA USA) were determined using cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy (CVAAS).

Art and theatre for health in rural Cambodia.

PubMed

Nguon, Chea; Dysoley, Lek; Davoeung, Chan; Sovann, Yok; Sanann, Nou; Sareth, Ma; Kunthea, Pich; Vuth, San; Sovann, Kem; Kol, Kayna; Heng, Chhouen; Sary, Rouen; Peto, Thomas J; Tripura, Rupam; Lim, Renly; Cheah, Phaik Yeong

2018-01-01

This article describes our experience using art and theatre to engage rural communities in western Cambodia to understand malaria and support malaria control and elimination. The project was a pilot science-arts initiative to supplement existing engagement activities conducted by local authorities. In 2016, the project was conducted in 20 villages, involved 300 community members and was attended by more than 8000 people. Key health messages were to use insecticide-treated bed-nets and repellents, febrile people should attend village malaria workers, and to raise awareness about the risk of forest-acquired malaria. Building on the experience and lessons learnt in the year prior, the 2017 project which was conducted in 15 villages involved 600 community members and attracted more than 12,000 people. In addition to the malaria theme, upon discussion with local health authorities, secondary theme (infant vaccination) was added to the 2017 project. We learnt the following lessons from our experience in Cambodia: involving local people including children from the beginning of the project and throughout the process is important; messages should be kept simple; it is necessary to take into consideration practical issues such as location and timing of the activities; and that the project should offer something unique to communities.

Study Design of the Maycoba Project: Obesity and Diabetes in Mexican Pimas

PubMed Central

Urquidez-Romero, Rene; Esparza-Romero, Julian; Chaudhari, Lisa S.; Begay, R. Cruz; Giraldo, Mario; Ravussin, Eric; Knowler, William C.; Hanson, Robert L.; Bennett, Peter H.; Schulz, Leslie O.; Valencia, Mauro E.

2016-01-01

Objective To focus on the rationale and methods of the Maycoba Project. Methods Study population included Mexican Pima Indians (MPI) and Blancos aged ≥20-years, living in the village of Maycoba and surrounding area. Surveys in 1995 and 2010 included a medical history, biochemical and anthropometric measurements. Additionally, socioeconomic, physical activity, and dietary interviews were conducted. The 2010 study incorporated investigations on type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity-associated genetic alleles and human-environment changes. Results The study results are limited to demographic data and description of the eligible and examined sample. Conclusions This study may yield important information on T2D and obesity etiology in a traditional population exposed to environmental changes. PMID:24636033

Feasibility of pedigree recording and genetic selection in village sheep flocks of smallholder farmers.

PubMed

Gizaw, Solomon; Goshme, Shenkute; Getachew, Tesfaye; Haile, Aynalem; Rischkowsky, Barbara; van Arendonk, Johan; Valle-Zárate, Anne; Dessie, Tadelle; Mwai, Ally Okeyo

2014-06-01

Pedigree recording and genetic selection in village flocks of smallholder farmers have been deemed infeasible by researchers and development workers. This is mainly due to the difficulty of sire identification under uncontrolled village breeding practices. A cooperative village sheep-breeding scheme was designed to achieve controlled breeding and implemented for Menz sheep of Ethiopia in 2009. In this paper, we evaluated the reliability of pedigree recording in village flocks by comparing genetic parameters estimated from data sets collected in the cooperative village and in a nucleus flock maintained under controlled breeding. Effectiveness of selection in the cooperative village was evaluated based on trends in breeding values over generations. Heritability estimates for 6-month weight recorded in the village and the nucleus flock were very similar. There was an increasing trend over generations in average estimated breeding values for 6-month weight in the village flocks. These results have a number of implications: the pedigree recorded in the village flocks was reliable; genetic parameters, which have so far been estimated based on nucleus data sets, can be estimated based on village recording; and appreciable genetic improvement could be achieved in village sheep selection programs under low-input smallholder farming systems.

Measurement of internal radiation exposure among decontamination workers in villages near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

PubMed

Tsubokura, Masaharu; Nihei, Masahiko; Sato, Katsumi; Masaki, Shin; Sakuma, Yu; Kato, Shigeaki; Sugimoto, Amina; Nomura, Shuhei; Matsumura, Tomoko; Miyazaki, Makoto; Hayano, Ryugo; Shibuya, Kenji; Kami, Masahiro; Sasaki, Taro

2013-10-01

Decontamination workers may face a high risk of exposure to internal irradiation through inhalation during decontamination activities; there is, however, little previous research on the levels of internal contamination during decontamination procedures. The authors reviewed the medical records, including whole body counter measurements, of decontamination workers in villages near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to assess their levels of internal radiation exposure. In total, 83 decontamination workers were enrolled in this study. They were regularly engaged in decontamination activities in highly contaminated areas where surface 137Cs deposition density was over 100 kBq m-2. The present study showed low levels of internal exposure among the decontamination workers near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The cesium burdens of all the decontamination workers were below detection limits. They had reported no acute health problems. The resuspension of radioactive materials may cause minimal internal contamination during decontamination activities.

Pito Seamount revisited: the discovery and mapping of new black smoker vents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheadle, M. J.; John, B. E.; German, C. R.; Gee, J. S.; Coogan, L. A.; Gillis, K. M.; Swapp, S.

2017-12-01

In February 2017, the RV Atlantis PMaG (PaleoMagnetism and Gabbro) cruise re-visited a black smoker site originally discovered 24 years ago on Pito Seamount, by the submersible Nautile during the French Pito expedition (1993). Pito Seamount (111.639oW, 23.333oS) marks the northern tip of the propagating East Pacific Rise, bounding the east side of the Easter Microplate. There the seafloor rises to 2250mbsl and has a 900m wide, 50m deep axial valley, which hosts at least two separate fields of active hydrothermal vents. AUV Sentry mapping of the summit of Pito seamount (0.5-1m resolution) highlights over 50 active and inactive chimneys amid recent basaltic sheet flows, pillow mounds and ponded lava. The vents occur in two fields/sub-fields; the first covers an area of 800 x 200m, and lies parallel to the ridge axis, along incipient faults forming on the northeastern flank of the axial valley. The second field occurs in a 250m diameter area in the centre of the axial valley. Jason II dive 961 visited, sampled, measured vent orifice temperatures, and acquired 4k video of the chimneys, and re-discovered the active (Magnificent Village) vent first found by Nautile, in the now named Nautile vent field, together with five additional active hydrothermal vents (Jason, Medea, Sentry, Abe and Scotty's Castle). The Magnificent Village, the largest active vent, is 25m tall and has multiple active spires in three main groups surrounding a hollow amphitheater. Measured vent orifice temperatures ranged from 338oC (Magnificent Village) to 370oC (Jason). The vents host a fauna of alvinellid worms, bythograidid crabs, alvincardid shrimps, phymorhynchus gastropods, Corallimorphid anenomes and bathymodiolid mussels, but no vestimentiferan worms. Brisingid brittle stars colonize inactive chimneys.

Rural-urban migration in Zambia and migrant ties to home villages.

PubMed

Ogura, M

1991-06-01

Rural to urban migration patterns in Zambia and migrant ties to home villages are discussed 1st in terms of a statistical overview of migration and urbanization, and followed by an examination of lengthening stays in towns and ties to the home village based on other studies and the author's field research and random sampling in 6 urban areas of Zambia. The primary population centers are the copperbelt which comprises 45% of the total urban population, and Lusaka which is 24% of the total urban population. 31% of the total population reside in Lusaka, 7 mining towns, Kabwe, and Livingstone. Migration and a high rate of natural population growth are responsible for the urban growth. Recent economic difficulties have reduced the flow of migration to urban areas and lead to the out migration in copper towns. independence also has had an effect on migration, such that female migration increased along with male migration. Female migration reflects female educational advances and the changing practice of housewives accompanying husbands. The informal sector absorbs a great number of the migrant labor force. Income gaps between urban and rural areas also contribute to migration flows. Other magnets in urban areas are better educational opportunities, a water supply, and the lure of city lights. Since independence, migrants have increased their length of stay in towns but continue to maintain links with their home villages. 87.5% of mine workers are estimated as intending to go back to their villages. Before the mid-1970s it is estimated in a Ngombe squatter camp that 65% of employed male household heads had sent money home the prior year, 58% had visited home within the past 5 years, but 25% had never visited in 10 years. 58% intended to return home and 36% intended to stay permanently. The author's research between 1987-89 found 3 types of squatter villages: those retired and not returning to home villages such as Kansusuwa, those workers living in compounds where farm laborers had lived such as Kamanga, and those inhabiting and building upon unutilized land. There are also planned areas with home sites and services, called site and service schemes areas, which includes Chawama, Kansusuwa, and Kantashi. Between 1987-89, the number born in villages dropped from 87% to 84% and the number visiting villages was reduced. Many were school leavers rather than those involved in agriculture. 9-10% planned to stay permanently in Lusaka and Mufulira in 1987 and 16% in 1989. Even 2nd-generation urbanites retain ties to their parents' villages. Many engage in informal economic activity. Rural development policy change could lead to political problems in urban areas.

Evaluation of a women group led health communication program in Haryana, India.

PubMed

Kaur, Manmeet; Jaswal, Nidhi; Saddi, Anil Kumar

2017-12-01

Sakshar Mahila Smooh (SMS) program was launched in rural areas of Haryana in India during 2008. A total of 6788 SMSs, each having 5-10 literate women, were equipped to enhance health communication. We carried out process evaluation of this program as an external agency. After a review of program documents, a random sample survey of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), SMS members, and village women was conducted. Out of four divisions of the state, one was randomly chosen, which had five districts. From 330 randomly chosen villages, 283 ANMs, 1164 SMS members, and 1123 village women were interviewed using a semi- structured interview schedule. Program inputs, processes, and outputs were compared in the five districts. Chi square was used for significance test. In the sampled division, out of 2009 villages, 1732 (86%) had functional SMS. In three years, SMS conducted 15036 group meetings, 2795 rallies, 2048 wall writings, and 803 competitions, and 44.5% of allocated budget was utilized. Most ANMs opined that SMSs are better health communicators. SMS members were aware about their roles and responsibilities. Majority of village women reported that SMS carry out useful health education activities. The characteristics of SMS members were similar but program performance was better in districts where health managers were proactive in program planning and monitoring. SMS Program has communicated health messages to majority of rural population, however, better planning & monitoring can improve program performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patterns of activity and use of time in rural Bangladesh: class, gender, and seasonal variations.

PubMed

Zaman, H

1995-04-01

Tarapur is a village in the district of Rajshahi, Bangladesh, covering an area of 821.05 acres. 342 households with a total population of 1981 were identified in the village by the 1985 census. The author investigated the use of time during 1984 and 1985 in busy, intermediate, and slack seasons among the village population to examine the variation in time use by gender and social class. Activity patterns were found to vary from one season to another, and also across social classes. The study highlights the need to refine some of the conceptual and methodological issues in the collection of data on women and work. The study also presents useful data on home-based production and market-oriented work. It could be useful to adopt an anthropological approach in order to understand the allocation of time by men and women from the perspective of household production and the local economy and culture. Study findings focus upon the following policy issues: the need for a better understanding and recognition of the significant role of women in field agriculture and postharvest processing, creation of further nontraditional employment and business opportunities for poor women in rural areas, and consciousness-raising and the challenge of cultural barriers affecting women. Rural women, especially those in need of employment and involved in market-oriented production, should be the target of mainstream development activities in future planning.

Use of market data to assess bushmeat hunting sustainability in Equatorial Guinea.

PubMed

Allebone-Webb, S M; Kümpel, N F; Rist, J; Cowlishaw, G; Rowcliffe, J M; Milner-Gulland, E J

2011-06-01

Finding an adequate measure of hunting sustainability for tropical forests has proved difficult. Many researchers have used urban bushmeat market surveys as indicators of hunting volumes and composition, but no analysis has been done of the reliability of market data in reflecting village offtake. We used data from urban markets and the villages that supply these markets to examine changes in the volume and composition of traded bushmeat between the village and the market (trade filters) in Equatorial Guinea. We collected data with market surveys and hunter offtake diaries. The trade filters varied depending on village remoteness and the monopoly power of traders. In a village with limited market access, species that maximized trader profits were most likely to be traded. In a village with greater market access, species for which hunters gained the greatest income per carcass were more likely to be traded. The probability of particular species being sold to market also depended on the capture method and season. Larger, more vulnerable species were more likely to be supplied from less-accessible catchments, whereas there was no effect of forest cover or human population density on probability of being sold. This suggests that the composition of bushmeat offtake in an area may be driven more by urban demand than the geographic characteristics of that area. In one market, traders may have reached the limit of their geographical exploitation range, and hunting pressure within that range may be increasing. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to model the trade filters that bias market data, which opens the way to developing more robust market-based sustainability indices for the bushmeat trade. ©2011 Society for Conservation Biology.

78 FR 10128 - Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-13

...: [email protected] . Title: Emergency and Imminent Community Water Assistance Grants. OMB Control..., incorporated towns and villages, boroughs, authorities, districts, and other political subdivisions of a state...

Sustainability of fisherman village in urban area case study : untia fisherman village, makassar, indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noegroho, N.; Ardiani, Y. M.

2017-12-01

Major cities in Indonesia, many of which have a fisherman village in the city area. One of them is the village of Untia in Makassar which keeps the story about relocation history of fishermen’s settlement in Makassar city. Initially, this village is very ‘friendly’ for the fishermen, especially the existence of canals that can be passed by the fishing boat to the front of the each house. However, the sustainability of this fisherman village is threatened by the development of urban functions that are urging towards it. From day to day, this village is segregated with the surrounding area, not only from its function but also from social point of view. This condition will be more severe related to the local government plan to reclaim sea far to the west side, thus threatening the sustainability of fisherman life in this village. How does a fisherman village in an urban area have to survive? The research begins by highlighting the conditions and problems that exist, data was collected by field survey. This data combined with some literatures then analyzed to propose a direction how fisherman’s village respond to the surrounding development. Become a Tourism village is a one way for fisherman’s village to survive in urban area.

What drives inappropriate antibiotic dispensing? A mixed-methods study of pharmacy employee perspectives in Haryana, India.

PubMed

Barker, Anna K; Brown, Kelli; Ahsan, Muneeb; Sengupta, Sharmila; Safdar, Nasia

2017-03-02

There are only 0.70 licensed physicians per 1000 people in India. Thus, pharmacies are a primary source of healthcare and patients often seek their services directly, especially in village settings. However, there is wide variability in a pharmacy employee's training, which contributes to inappropriate antibiotic dispensing and misuse. These practices increase the risk of antibiotic resistance and poor patient outcomes. This study seeks to better understand the factors that drive inappropriate antibiotic dispensing among pharmacy employees in India's village communities. We conducted a mixed-methods study of the antibiotic dispensing practices, including semistructured interviews and a pilot cross-sectional Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice survey. All data were transcribed, translated from Hindi into English, and coded for themes. Community pharmacies in villages in Haryana, India. We recruited 24 community pharmacy employees (all male) by convenience sampling. Participants have a range of characteristics regarding village location, monthly income, baseline antibiotic knowledge, formal education and licensure. 75% of pharmacy employees in our study were unlicensed practitioners, and the majority had very limited understanding of antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, only half could correctly define the term antibiotics. All reported that at times they dispensed antibiotics without a prescription. This practice was more common when treating patients who had limited access to a licensed physician because of economic or logistic reasons. Many pharmacy workers also felt pressure to provide shortened medication courses to poorer clientele, and often dispensed only 1 or 2 days' worth of antibiotics. Such patients rarely returned to the pharmacy for the complete course. This study highlights the need for short-term, intensive training programmes on antibiotic prescribing and resistance that can be disseminated to village pharmacies. Programme development should take into account the realities of working with poor clientele, especially in areas of limited healthcare access. 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/.

Analysis of risk factors for T. brucei rhodesiense sleeping sickness within villages in south-east Uganda

PubMed Central

Zoller, Thomas; Fèvre, Eric M; Welburn, Susan C; Odiit, Martin; Coleman, Paul G

2008-01-01

Background Sleeping sickness (HAT) caused by T.b. rhodesiense is a major veterinary and human public health problem in Uganda. Previous studies have investigated spatial risk factors for T.b. rhodesiense at large geographic scales, but none have properly investigated such risk factors at small scales, i.e. within affected villages. In the present work, we use a case-control methodology to analyse both behavioural and spatial risk factors for HAT in an endemic area. Methods The present study investigates behavioural and occupational risk factors for infection with HAT within villages using a questionnaire-based case-control study conducted in 17 villages endemic for HAT in SE Uganda, and spatial risk factors in 4 high risk villages. For the spatial analysis, the location of homesteads with one or more cases of HAT up to three years prior to the beginning of the study was compared to all non-case homesteads. Analysing spatial associations with respect to irregularly shaped geographical objects required the development of a new approach to geographical analysis in combination with a logistic regression model. Results The study was able to identify, among other behavioural risk factors, having a family member with a history of HAT (p = 0.001) as well as proximity of a homestead to a nearby wetland area (p < 0.001) as strong risk factors for infection. The novel method of analysing complex spatial interactions used in the study can be applied to a range of other diseases. Conclusion Spatial risk factors for HAT are maintained across geographical scales; this consistency is useful in the design of decision support tools for intervention and prevention of the disease. Familial aggregation of cases was confirmed for T. b. rhodesiense HAT in the study and probably results from shared behavioural and spatial risk factors amongmembers of a household. PMID:18590541

Prevalence Study of Yaws in the Democratic Republic of Congo Using the Lot Quality Assurance Sampling Method

PubMed Central

Gerstl, Sibylle; Kiwila, Gédeon; Dhorda, Mehul; Lonlas, Sylvaine; Myatt, Mark; Ilunga, Benoît Kebela; Lemasson, Denis; Szumilin, Elisabeth; Guerin, Philippe J.; Ferradini, Laurent

2009-01-01

Background Until the 1970s the prevalence of non-venereal trepanomatosis, including yaws, was greatly reduced after worldwide mass treatment. In 2005, cases were again reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We carried out a survey to estimate the village-level prevalence of yaws in the region of Equator in the north of the country in order to define appropriate strategies to effectively treat the affected population. Methodology/Principal Findings We designed a community-based survey using the Lot Quality Assurance Sampling method to classify the prevalence of active yaws in 14 groups of villages (lots). The classification into high, moderate, or low yaws prevalence corresponded to World Health Organization prevalence thresholds for identifying appropriate operational treatment strategies. Active yaws cases were defined by suggestive clinical signs and positive rapid plasma reagin and Treponema pallidum hemagglutination serological tests. The overall prevalence in the study area was 4.7% (95% confidence interval: 3.4–6.0). Two of 14 lots had high prevalence (>10%), three moderate prevalence (5–10%) and nine low prevalence (<5%.). Conclusions/Significance Although yaws is no longer a World Health Organization priority disease, the presence of yaws in a region where it was supposed to be eradicated demonstrates the importance of continued surveillance and control efforts. Yaws should remain a public health priority in countries where previously it was known to be endemic. The integration of sensitive surveillance systems together with free access to effective treatment is recommended. As a consequence of our study results, more than 16,000 people received free treatment against yaws. PMID:19623266

The Influence of Environmental Change on Village Safety in Mountain Area: A Case Study of Haucha Village in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ji-Shang; Huang, Wen-Shun; Jan, Chyan-Deng; Yeh, Nai-Ching

2015-04-01

Haucha Village is an indigenous tribe of Rukai people in Pingtung County, Taiwan. Due to the difficulty of providing transportation, education, medical services and jobs, residents were migrated from "Kochapongan" to Haucha village by local authorities in 1980. The site of the relocation is located three km away from Haucha. The new residents in Haucha village lived safely and peacefully before 1996. However, Typhoon Herb brought the first debris flow hazard in 1996, and it caused four deaths. Then, several typhoons caused some damage to the village. Recently, Haucha village was destroyed during typhoon Morakot in 2009 when 128 buildings were buried by sediments. In this study, we used historical map, typhoon records, rainfall data, and the change of river bed elevation to determine the environmental change and the safety of Haucha village. Our results show that Haucha village was located on sand bar of Southern Ailiao stream before 1924, and formed a river terrace between 1925~1960 that was 30m higher than the river bed. Local authorities decided to move Rukai people from Kochapongan to Haucha in 1970. After 30 years, the elevation of Haucha village was equal to the river bed, in other words, the village formed a flood plain of Southern Ailiao stream after typhoon Morakot in 2009. The present landscape of Haucha village looks similar to the one 100 years ago. Morphological changes of mountain area is more rapid than plain changes, hence, we should considered larger temporal and spatial scales to evaluate the village`s safety in the mountain area.

Childhood lead poisoning associated with gold ore processing: a village-level investigation-Zamfara State, Nigeria, October-November 2010.

PubMed

Lo, Yi-Chun; Dooyema, Carrie A; Neri, Antonio; Durant, James; Jefferies, Taran; Medina-Marino, Andrew; de Ravello, Lori; Thoroughman, Douglas; Davis, Lora; Dankoli, Raymond S; Samson, Matthias Y; Ibrahim, Luka M; Okechukwu, Ossai; Umar-Tsafe, Nasir T; Dama, Alhassan H; Brown, Mary Jean

2012-10-01

During May-June 2010, a childhood lead poisoning outbreak related to gold ore processing was confirmed in two villages in Zamfara State, Nigeria. During June-September of that year, villages with suspected or confirmed childhood lead poisoning continued to be identified in Zamfara State. We investigated the extent of childhood lead poisoning [≥ 1 child with a blood lead level (BLL) ≥ 10 µg/dL] and lead contamination (≥ 1 soil/dust sample with a lead level > 400 parts per million) among villages in Zamfara State and identified villages that should be prioritized for urgent interventions. We used chain-referral sampling to identify villages of interest, defined as villages suspected of participation in gold ore processing during the previous 12 months. We interviewed villagers, determined BLLs among children < 5 years of age, and analyzed soil/dust from public areas and homes for lead. We identified 131 villages of interest and visited 74 (56%) villages in three local government areas. Fifty-four (77%) of 70 villages that completed the survey reported gold ore processing. Ore-processing villages were more likely to have ≥ 1 child < 5 years of age with lead poisoning (68% vs. 50%, p = 0.17) or death following convulsions (74% vs. 44%, p = 0.02). Soil/dust contamination and BLL ≥ 45 µg/dL were identified in ore-processing villages only [50% (p < 0.001) and 15% (p = 0.22), respectively]. The odds of childhood lead poisoning or lead contamination was 3.5 times as high in ore-processing villages than the other villages (95% confidence interval: 1.1, 11.3). Childhood lead poisoning and lead contamination were widespread in surveyed areas, particularly among villages that had processed ore recently. Urgent interventions are required to reduce lead exposure, morbidity, and mortality in affected communities.

Carbon Value Analysis of Batang Gadis National Park, Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatera Province, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daulay, Dini Novalanty Ohara; Hidayat, Jafron Wasiq

2018-02-01

Global warming is an important issue in the world which it gives a negative effect on human life. One indicator of global warming is increasing greenhouse gas i.e. carbondioxide from human activities. Deforestation and forest degradation are the second largest contributor of carbon into the atmosphere, after the use of fossil fuels by industry and transportation. As lungs of the world, forest is enable to produce renewable energy sources i.e. biomass. Forest carbon stock in above ground biomass (AGB) is the greatest effect source on deforestation and forest degradation. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a study the potential of carbon in forest. The purpose of this research is to determine carbon stock value in Batang Gadis National Park, Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatera Province, Indonesia. The carbon potential stored in this forest vegetation is calculated using AGB allometric equation by using data in diameter at breast height (dbh = 1.3 m), height, and density of the wood for trees. Data obtained from secondary data is Asset Assessment Report which State Controlled Forest Natural Resources Batang Gadis National Park, 2016. Study locations were Pagar Gunung and Sopo Tinjak Villages. Carbon stock values were calculated and analyzed with assumption that a half of biomass part is carbon stock which using Australian carbon price about AUD 11.82 Australia (Australian dollars) and EU € 5 (US 6). The results showed that the total biomass in Pagar Gunung and Sopo Tinjak Villages amounted to 259.83 tonnes and 160.89 tonnes. From the results of the total biomass, the total carbon stocks (C) and CO2 stocks in both villages are 210.36 tonnes (129.92 tonnes in Pagar Gunung Village and 80.45 tonnes in Sopo Tinjak Village) and 772.03 tonnes (476.79 tonnes in Pagar Gunung Village and 295.24 tonnes in Sopo Tinjak Village). By using the carbon price prevailing in the market place Australia Emission Trading System (ETS) and the EU ETS (AUD 11.82/t CO2e and € 5 (US 6)/t CO2e), the value of carbon stock that can be produced from Batang Gadis National Park (Pagar Gunung and Sopo Tinjak Villages) is about Rp. 92,499,921.72 (in AUD ) or Rp. 61,654,433.67 (in US ).

[Water fungi occurence in the River Supraśl-bath Jurowce near Białystok].

PubMed

Kiziewicz, Bozena; Kozłowska, Mariola; Godlewska, Anna; Muszyńvska, Elzbieta; Mazalska, Bozenna

2004-01-01

Studies on the occurrence of aquatic fungi in the bathing sites of the Supraśl River in Jurowce village were collected in years 2000-2003. Hydrochemical analysis was performed using standard methods. Bait method was used to isolate the fungi. In the Supraśl River at Jurowce village 36 fungi species were identified, among them fish pathogens Achlya orion, Aphanomyces laevis, Dictyuchus monosporus, Saprolegnia ferax, Saprolegnia monoica, S. parasitica, human pathogens Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans, Lagenidium humanum, Penicillium mycetomagenum, Rhizophydium keratinophilum and Trichosporon cutaneum, phytopathogens Achlya racemosa, Phytophthora gonapodoides, Pythium butleri, P. myriotylum and P. debaryanum. Physicochemical parameters of waters in Supraśl River-bathing sites had no important effect on the occurrence of fungi.

Indonesia. B. The building of a successful population-family planning programme.

PubMed

Suyono, H

1984-01-01

Indonesia's population and family planning program is one of the most successful in the world, but much work must be done to meet the reduction in fertility targets set by the government. The goal is a birthrate of 22/1000 by the year 1990, a 50% decrease from the 1970 birthrate. With eligible couples entering the program at a rate of 600,000-750,000, a hard job lies ahead. The basic tenets which have made the Indonesia program strong will be used to meet the goals for 1990. The first of these is political commitment, meaning that all government leaders, from the President to the village chief, back the program and work actively for its success. Along with political commitment is the use of cultural values. The javanese society is feudal, in the sense that people try to respect elders, both leaders in the village and beyond. Thus, when the President speaks in favor of family planning, it carries considerable weight and significance. The village chief speaks favorably of family planning and that means the villagers are receptive to trying it. Another important cultural tenet is that of mutual help, or what is termed "gotong royong." This system goes back for centuries and forms the basis of village interaction. It is simply that people help each other for the common good. The National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN), with the help of the formal and informal leaders, has defined family planning as something which is for the mutual benefit of the entire community. A 3rd tenet of the program is flexibility. The BKKBN has continually experimented with various approaches. With flexibility comes some risk. The BKKBN has managed to maintain a system whereby it is possible to take risks, and this element of flexibility has benefitted the program greatly. Ownership is another important tenet of the program. The community feels that the program is theirs and that they can decide the activities of the acceptor groups and that they are responsible for maintaining and sustaining one another. The final tenet, which has aided in the development of a successful program, is that the BKKBN is the sole coordinator of the program, responsible for all family planning activities in both the public and private sector. These tenets and others will be used in the future in an effort to meet the 1990 targets.

Large-scale environmental degradation results in inequitable impacts to already impoverished communities: A case study from the floating villages of Cambodia.

PubMed

Althor, Glenn; Mahood, Simon; Witt, Bradd; Colvin, Rebecca M; Watson, James E M

2018-02-19

Cambodian subsistence communities within the Tonle Sap Great Lake area rely on resource extraction from the lake to meet livelihood needs. These fishing communities-many of which consist of dwellings floating on the lake-face potentially profound livelihood challenges because of climate change and changing hydrology due to dam construction for hydroelectricity within the Mekong Basin. We conducted interviews across five village communities, with local subsistence fisher people in the Tonle Sap in 2015, and used thematic analysis methods to reveal a fishery system that is undergoing rapid ecological decline, with local fishing communities increasingly experiencing reductions in available fish stocks. As a result, over 100 000 people living in these communities are experiencing a direct loss of well-being and livelihood. We discuss these losses and consider their implications for the future viability of Cambodian floating village communities.

Study of Goat Herdering System in Sawohan Village, Buduran District, Sidoarjo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasich, M.; Suyadi; Ciptadi, G.; Budiarto, A.

2018-02-01

The aim of this research was to evaluate and analyze goat herdering system in group of goat “Oro-oro” in Sawohan Village, Buduran District, Sidoarjo. This research was conducted by case study method, using 5 members of goat farmers “Oro-oro” with 298 goats. The results of this study indicate that the average number of goat ownership was more than 50 head/farmer. The goat breed that raising by the farmers was Kacang goats. Average daily gains was 53.32 + 36.01 gram, litter size 1.34 + 0.51 head, mean of kidding interval 7,41 + 0,99 month and mortality of kid prenatal period was 20,4%. From this research can be concluded that productivity of goat in Sawohan village was good with herdering system, so it can be used as one of alternative in developing goat farming system in other area.

Pupal habitat productivity of Anopheles gambiae complex mosquitoes in a rural village in western Kenya.

PubMed

Mutuku, Francis M; Bayoh, M Nabie; Gimnig, John E; Vulule, John M; Kamau, Luna; Walker, Edward D; Kabiru, Ephantus; Hawley, William A

2006-01-01

The productivity of larval habitats of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae for pupae (the stage preceding adult metamorphosis) is poorly known, yet adult emergence from habitats is the primary determinant of vector density. To assess it, we used absolute sampling methods in four studies involving daily sampling for 25 days in 6 habitat types in a village in western Kenya. Anopheles gambiae s.s. comprised 82.5% of emergent adults and Anopheles arabiensis the remainder. Pupal production occurred from a subset of habitats, primarily soil burrow pits, and was discontinuous in time, even when larvae occupied all habitats continuously. Habitat stability was positively associated with pupal productivity. In a dry season, pupal productivity was distributed between burrow pits and pools in streambeds. Overall, these data support the notion that source reduction measures against recognizably productive habitats would be a useful component of an integrated management program for An. gambiae in villages.

76 FR 50952 - Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-17

... Suttons Bay, Village of Empire. Lake Michigan Entire shoreline within +583 +584 Village of Suttons Bay..., MI 49682. Village of Empire Maps are available for inspection at the Empire Village Office, 11518 South LaCore Street, Empire, MI 49630. Village of Suttons Bay Maps are available for inspection at the...

Developing challenges in the urbanisation of village doctors in economically developed regions: A survey of 844 village doctors in Changzhou, China.

PubMed

Chen, Minxing; Lu, Jun; Hao, Chao; Hao, Mo; Yao, Fang; Sun, Mei

2015-03-25

To reveal the challenges of village doctors' survival and training in economically developed areas in eastern China. A field survey was used to assess the challenges of village doctors. The study was conducted in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, which is an economically developed region in eastern China. The participants included 844 village doctors, 15 township hospital staff members and 6 health bureau leaders. The main challenges in Changzhou include an insufficient amount of village doctors, difficulties in obtaining professional qualification for village doctors, low salaries and benefits, and difficulties in recruitment. With increasing urbanisation in China, the gap between actual and expected income and social security has been increasing. Changes to training have influenced the stability of village doctor teams. Declining attachment of young people to their hometown village has contributed to recruitment difficulties. © 2015 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

Perspective view over the Grand Canyon, Arizona

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-10-22

This simulated true color perspective view over the Grand Canyon was created from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data acquired on May 12, 2000. The Grand Canyon Village is in the lower foreground; the Bright Angel Trail crosses the Tonto Platform, before dropping down to the Colorado Village and then to the Phantom Ranch (green area across the river). Bright Angel Canyon and the North Rim dominate the view. At the top center of the image the dark blue area with light blue haze is an active forest fire. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01908

NASA Lewis Research Center photovoltaic application experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ratajczak, A.; Bifano, W.; Martz, J.; Odonnell, P.

1978-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center has installed 16 geographically dispersed terrestrial photovoltaic systems as part of the DOE National Photovoltaic Program. Four additional experiments are in progress. Currently, operating systems are powering refrigerators, a highway warning sign, forest lookout towers, remote weather stations, a water chiller and insect survey traps. Experiments in progress include the world's first village power system, an air pollution monitor and seismic sensors. Under a separate activity, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, a PV-powered water pump and grain grinder is being prepared for an African village. System descriptions and status are included in this report.

The Rise of Syria’s Urban Poor: Why the War for Syria’s Future Will Be Fought Over the Country’s New Urban Villages

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

those urban poor living in the slums sprouting up around Syria’s cities. This “village-izing” of Syria’s ancient cit- ies has changed the complexion...1986 to 20.8 million in 2010.6 This population rose predominantly in the slums surrounding Syria’s cities. From 2000 to 2010, Syria grew by 4.92...opposition activity. Baba Amr, a slum of Homs adjacent to the orchards that once fed the city, is synonymous with the THE RISE OF SYRIA’S POOR

Songs and storytelling: bringing health messages to life in Uganda.

PubMed

Silver, D

2001-01-01

In villages without doctors and hospitals in the remote eastern Ugandan district of Pallisa, traditional birth attendants and mothers are solving the most serious health problems through the teaching power of songs and stories. The village's rich oral tradition was enlisted as the principal means not only for transmitting these important health messages, but also for supporting their practice throughout the community. Utilizing existing community traditions such as songs and storytelling offers culturally appropriate ways of enhancing the communications component of the health care system to make it serve the poor majority in a readily comprehensible, credible, affordable, and accessible form. These non-formal active-learning methods are highly compatible with and promotive of the general principles of primary health care, especially for their empowering, participatory and sustainable qualities. It is only a natural extension for health educators to more fully employ the use of the time-honored oral traditions of songs and storytelling as a vehicle for communicating health messages. For students in the health professions, awareness of these proven principles for engaging people at the local levels will contribute to more effective training, strategic program design, and advocacy.

Community engagement and the social context of targeted malaria treatment: a qualitative study in Kayin (Karen) State, Myanmar.

PubMed

Sahan, Kate; Pell, Christopher; Smithuis, Frank; Phyo, Aung Kyaw; Maung, Sai Maung; Indrasuta, Chanida; Dondorp, Arjen M; White, Nicholas J; Day, Nicholas P J; von Seidlein, Lorenz; Cheah, Phaik Yeong

2017-02-14

The spread of artemisinin-resistance in Plasmodium falciparum is a threat to current global malaria control initiatives. Targeted malaria treatment (TMT), which combines mass anti-malarial administration with conventional malaria prevention and control measures, has been proposed as a strategy to tackle this problem. The effectiveness of TMT depends on high levels of population coverage and is influenced by accompanying community engagement activities and the local social context. The article explores how these factors influenced attitudes and behaviours towards TMT in Kayin (Karen) State, Myanmar. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with villagers from study villages (N = 31) and TMT project staff (N = 14) between March and July 2015. Community engagement consisted of a range of activities to communicate the local malaria situation (including anti-malarial drug resistance and asymptomatic malaria), the aims of the TMT project, and its potential benefits. Community engagement was seen by staff as integral to the TMT project as a whole and not a sub-set of activities. Attitudes towards TMT (including towards community engagement) showed that developing trusting relationships helped foster participation. After initial wariness, staff received hospitality and acceptance among villagers. Offering healthcare alongside TMT proved mutually beneficial for the study and villagers. A handful of more socially-mobile and wealthy community members were reluctant to participate. The challenges of community engagement included time constraints and the isolation of the community with its limited infrastructure and a history of conflict. Community engagement had to be responsive to the local community even though staff faced time constraints. Understanding the social context of engagement helped TMT to foster respectful and trusting relationships. The complex relationship between the local context and community engagement complicated evaluation of the community strategy. Nonetheless, the project did record high levels of population coverage.

Deforestation, agriculture and farm jobs: a good recipe for Plasmodium vivax in French Guiana.

PubMed

Basurko, Célia; Demattei, Christophe; Han-Sze, René; Grenier, Claire; Joubert, Michel; Nacher, Mathieu; Carme, Bernard

2013-03-11

In a malaria-endemic area the distribution of patients is neither constant in time nor homogeneous in space. The WHO recommends the stratification of malaria risk on a fine geographical scale. In the village of Cacao in French Guiana, the study of the spatial and temporal distribution of malaria cases, during an epidemic, allowed a better understanding of the environmental factors promoting malaria transmission. A dynamic cohort of 839 persons living in 176 households (only people residing permanently in the village) was constituted between January 1st, 2002 and December 31st, 2007.The information about the number of inhabitants per household, the number of confirmed cases of Plasmodium vivax and house GPS coordinates were collected to search for spatial or temporal clustering using Kurlldorff's statistical method. Of the 839 persons living permanently in the village of Cacao, 359 persons presented at least one vivax malaria episode between 2002 and 2007. Five temporal clusters and four spatial clusters were identified during the study period. In all temporal clusters, April was included. Two spatial clusters were localized at the north of the village near the Comté River and two others localized close to orchards. The spatial heterogeneity of malaria in the village may have been influenced by environmental disturbances due to local agricultural policies: deforestation, cultures of fresh produce, or drainage of water for agriculture. This study allowed generating behavioural, entomological, or environmental hypotheses that could be useful to improve prevention campaigns.

Online platform for applying space-time scan statistics for prospectively detecting emerging hot spots of dengue fever.

PubMed

Chen, Chien-Chou; Teng, Yung-Chu; Lin, Bo-Cheng; Fan, I-Chun; Chan, Ta-Chien

2016-11-25

Cases of dengue fever have increased in areas of Southeast Asia in recent years. Taiwan hit a record-high 42,856 cases in 2015, with the majority in southern Tainan and Kaohsiung Cities. Leveraging spatial statistics and geo-visualization techniques, we aim to design an online analytical tool for local public health workers to prospectively identify ongoing hot spots of dengue fever weekly at the village level. A total of 57,516 confirmed cases of dengue fever in 2014 and 2015 were obtained from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (TCDC). Incorporating demographic information as covariates with cumulative cases (365 days) in a discrete Poisson model, we iteratively applied space-time scan statistics by SaTScan software to detect the currently active cluster of dengue fever (reported as relative risk) in each village of Tainan and Kaohsiung every week. A village with a relative risk >1 and p value <0.05 was identified as a dengue-epidemic area. Assuming an ongoing transmission might continuously spread for two consecutive weeks, we estimated the sensitivity and specificity for detecting outbreaks by comparing the scan-based classification (dengue-epidemic vs. dengue-free village) with the true cumulative case numbers from the TCDC's surveillance statistics. Among the 1648 villages in Tainan and Kaohsiung, the overall sensitivity for detecting outbreaks increases as case numbers grow in a total of 92 weekly simulations. The specificity for detecting outbreaks behaves inversely, compared to the sensitivity. On average, the mean sensitivity and specificity of 2-week hot spot detection were 0.615 and 0.891 respectively (p value <0.001) for the covariate adjustment model, as the maximum spatial and temporal windows were specified as 50% of the total population at risk and 28 days. Dengue-epidemic villages were visualized and explored in an interactive map. We designed an online analytical tool for front-line public health workers to prospectively detect ongoing dengue fever transmission on a weekly basis at the village level by using the routine surveillance data.

Developing tourism facilities based on geotourism in Silalahi Village, Geopark Toba Caldera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginting, Nurlisa; Sasmita, Anggun

2018-03-01

Toba Caldera is one of the biggest lakes in Indonesia with supervolcano geology phenomenon, and its result amazing natural resources. It makes Toba Lake become the number one tourism in North Sumatera. However, tourism in Toba Lake is still needed development. Geotourism is one of the concept that suitable for this case. It is because geotourism is a new development tourism concept that focuses on the natural and geological phenomenon. Silalahi Village is one of the areas in Toba Caldera that still needs development, especially in tourism facilities sector. This research aims to investigation the facilities concept based on geotourism in Silalahi Village that would be analyzed by three element of tourism facilities namely, accommodation, support facilities and tourism auxiliary facilities. The method used for this research is mixed methods by distributing 100 questionnaires, observations directly to the area and interviews with three informants related parties interested in tourism, such as local people, government, and academics. The data would be processed and analyzed with techniques of exploration. The result shows that the three elements of tourism facilities are still lacking and needs to improve to increase the economy and tourism in the area.

78 FR 58332 - Changes in Flood Hazard Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-23

... Street, Hempstead, NY 11550. Nassau (FEMA Docket No.: B- Village of Cedarhurst The Honorable Andrew J. Village Hall, 200 July 16, 2013 360460 1313). (12-02-1677P). Parise, Mayor, Village Cedarhurst Avenue, of...- Village of Lynbrook The Honorable William J. Village Hall, 1 July 16, 2013 360478 1313). (12-02-1677P...

Involving a Village: Student Teachers' Sense of Belonging in Their School-Based Placement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ussher, Bill

2010-01-01

Educating a student on teaching placement involves a "village", just as it takes a whole "village" to raise a child. Creating a "village" around each student teacher gives them greater agency, a sense of belonging and being valued as a member of that professional "village". Participating students, teachers…

The total body length and body weight examination among gabus Sentani fish population, Oxyeleotris heterodon, Weber 1907 (Pisces: Eleotridae) of Sentani lake, Papua, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sriyani, E. D.; Abinawanto, Bowolaksono, A.

2017-07-01

The gabus Sentani fish lived in the Sentani Lake, Papua, since million years ago. Nowadays, the population of those species is getting extinct because of the overexploitation, whereas the culture effort of this species has not been developed, yet. The purpose of the study was to examine the total body length and body weight collected from some villages surrounding Sentani Lake such as Ifar village, Sosiri village, and Putali village. The body weight average of gabus fish from Ifar village, Sosiri village, and Putali village were 373.53 g, 426.86 g, and 118.34 g respectively. While the total body length average of gabus Sentani fish from Ifar village, Sosiri village, and Putali village were 279.30 mm, 223.30 mm and 222.06 mm, respectively. The growth model was W = 0.021067L3.086 with R2 value was 35.8 %, and r value was 0.598. Gabus Sentani fish, Oxyeleotris heterodon (Weber 1907) exhibited positive allometric (b > 3).

Fluoride Alters Serum Elemental (Calcium, Magnesium, Copper, and Zinc) Homeostasis Along with Erythrocyte Carbonic Anhydrase Activity in Fluorosis Endemic Villages and Restores on Supply of Safe Drinking Water in School-Going Children of Nalgonda District, India.

PubMed

Khandare, Arjun L; Validandi, Vakdevi; Boiroju, Naveen

2018-02-17

The present study aimed to determine the serum trace elements (copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg)) along with erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity and effect of intervention with safe drinking water for 5 years in the school children of fluorosis endemic area. For this purpose, three categories of villages were selected based on drinking water fluoride (F): Category I (control, F = 1.68 mg/L), category II (affected F = 3.77 mg/L), and category III (intervention village) where initial drinking water F was 4.51 mg/L, and since the last 5 years, they were drinking water containing < 1.0 mg/L F. The results revealed that urinary F was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in category II compared to categories I and III. A significant (P < 0.05) increase in serum Cu and Mg was observed in category II compared to category I. Serum Zn and Ca was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in categories II and III compared to category I. The erythrocyte CA activity was decreased in the category II compared to category I. However, in the category III, erythrocyte CA activity was comparable to the control group. In conclusion, F exposure altered elemental homeostasis which has restored to some extent on intervention by safe drinking water for 5 years in school-going children.

Rural environment study for water from different sources in cluster of villages in Mehsana district of Gujarat.

PubMed

Khatri, Nitasha; Tyagi, Sanjiv; Rawtani, Deepak

2017-12-07

Water pollution and water scarcity are major environmental issues in rural and urban areas. They lead to decline in the quality of water, especially drinking water. Proper qualitative assessment of water is thus necessary to ensure that the water consumed is potable. This study aims to analyze the physicochemical parameters in different sources of water in rural areas and assess the quality of water through a classification system based on BIS and CPCB standards. The classification method has defined water quality in six categories, viz., A, B, C, D, E, and F depending on the levels of physicochemical parameters in the water samples. The proposed classification system was applied to nine villages in Kadi Taluka, Mehsana district of Gujarat. The water samples were collected from borewells, lakes, Narmada Canal, and sewerage systems and were analyzed as per APHA and IS methods. It was observed that most of the physicochemical parameters of Narmada Canal and borewell water fell under class A, thus making them most suitable for drinking. Further, a health camp conducted at Karannagar village, Mehsana revealed no incidents of any waterborne diseases. However, there were certain incidents of kidney stones and joint pain in few villages due to high levels of TDS. Toxic metal analysis in all the water sources revealed low to undetectable concentration of toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium in all the water sources. It is also recommended that the regular treatment of the Narmada Canal water be continued to maintain its excellent quality.

Field evaluation of a rapid, visually-read colloidal dye immunofiltration assay for Schistosoma japonicum for screening in areas of low transmission.

PubMed Central

Xiao, Xiang; Wang, Tianping; Ye, Hongzhuan; Qiang, Guangxiang; Wei, Haiming; Tian, Zhigang

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity of a recently developed rapid test--a colloidal dye immunofiltration assay (CDIFA)--used by health workers in field settings to identify villagers infected with Schistosoma japonicum. METHODS: Health workers in the field used CDIFA to test samples from 1553 villagers in two areas of low endemicity and an area where S. japonicum was not endemic in Anhui, China. All the samples were then tested in the laboratory by laboratory staff using a standard parasitological method (Kato-Katz), an indirect haemagglutination assay (IHA), and CDIFA. The results of CDIFA performed by health workers were compared with those obtained by Kato-Katz and IHA. FINDINGS: Concordance between the results of CDIFA performed in field settings and in the laboratory was high (kappa index, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.93-0.97). When Kato-Katz was used as the reference test, the overall sensitivity and specificity of CDIFA were 98.5% and 83.6%, respectively in the two villages in areas of low endemicity, while the specificity was 99.8% in the nonendemic village. Compared with IHA, the overall specificity and sensitivity of CDIFA were greater than 99% and 96%, respectively. With the combination of Kato-Katz and IHA as the reference standard, CDIFA had a sensitivity of 95.8% and a specificity of 99.5%, and an accuracy of 98.6% in the two areas of low endemicity. CONCLUSION: CDIFA is a specific, sensitive, and reliable test that can be used for rapid screening for schistosomiasis by health workers in field settings. PMID:16175827

Operational feasibility of lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) as a tool in routine process monitoring of filariasis control programmes.

PubMed

Vanamail, P; Subramanian, S; Srividya, A; Ravi, R; Krishnamoorthy, K; Das, P K

2006-08-01

Lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) with two-stage sampling plan was applied for rapid monitoring of coverage after every round of mass drug administration (MDA). A Primary Health Centre (PHC) consisting of 29 villages in Thiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu was selected as the study area. Two threshold levels of coverage were used: threshold A (maximum: 60%; minimum: 40%) and threshold B (maximum: 80%; minimum: 60%). Based on these thresholds, one sampling plan each for A and B was derived with the necessary sample size and the number of allowable defectives (i.e. defectives mean those who have not received the drug). Using data generated through simple random sampling (SRSI) of 1,750 individuals in the study area, LQAS was validated with the above two sampling plans for its diagnostic and field applicability. Simultaneously, a household survey (SRSH) was conducted for validation and cost-effectiveness analysis. Based on SRSH survey, the estimated coverage was 93.5% (CI: 91.7-95.3%). LQAS with threshold A revealed that by sampling a maximum of 14 individuals and by allowing four defectives, the coverage was >or=60% in >90% of villages at the first stage. Similarly, with threshold B by sampling a maximum of nine individuals and by allowing four defectives, the coverage was >or=80% in >90% of villages at the first stage. These analyses suggest that the sampling plan (14,4,52,25) of threshold A may be adopted in MDA to assess if a minimum coverage of 60% has been achieved. However, to achieve the goal of elimination, the sampling plan (9, 4, 42, 29) of threshold B can identify villages in which the coverage is <80% so that remedial measures can be taken. Cost-effectiveness analysis showed that both options of LQAS are more cost-effective than SRSH to detect a village with a given level of coverage. The cost per village was US dollars 76.18 under SRSH. The cost of LQAS was US dollars 65.81 and 55.63 per village for thresholds A and B respectively. The total financial cost of classifying a village correctly with the given threshold level of LQAS could be reduced by 14% and 26% of the cost of conventional SRSH method.

Steps on a journey to TB control in Solomon Islands: a cross-sectional, mixed methods pre-post evaluation of a local language DVD.

PubMed

Massey, Peter D; Asugeni, Rowena; Wakageni, John; Kekeubata, Esau; Maena'aadi, John; Laete'esafi, John; Waneagea, Jackson; Asugeni, Vunivesi; MacLaren, David; Speare, Richard

2015-02-03

In Solomon Islands many people with Tuberculosis (TB) have challenges in accessing services because of socio-cultural, geographic and health service reasons, resulting in delays in TB treatment and low detection rates. The purpose of this project was to (i) develop a local language audio-visual resource (DVD) about TB (ii) share this resource with people in remote villages and (iii) evaluate the process and outcomes. The project involved the development and evaluation of a DVD in local Kwaio language. The DVD included five short videos based on the Australian Respiratory Council TB Education Flipchart. The DVD also included short videos of: traditional music/chanting (ai'imae); drama that presented an allegory of TB; and a short documentary on the redevelopment of the local TB Ward. A mixed-methods approach evaluated changes in TB knowledge and investigated the impact of the DVD. The DVD was recorded and produced in March-June 2013 and screened in 41 villages and hamlets. The pre-post DVD survey was completed by 64% (255/400) of people who viewed the DVD in the villages. Pre-DVD survey responses showed a moderate to high knowledge about TB signs, symptoms and treatment but 76/255 (30%) stated TB was caused by sorcery and 85/255 (33%) incorrectly stated that TB medication should be stopped when a patient feels better. The post-DVD survey showed a significant increase in people in coastal villages reporting (i) a 3-week cough would trigger a medical assessment and (ii) TB is mainly spread through the air. Statements that TB is not caused by sorcery increased post-DVD in both coastal and mountain villages, however belief in sorcery in mountain villages remained high at 20/70 (29%). The local DVD resource was developed within local cultural understandings and oral traditions of Kwaio people. Using modern but accessible DVD technology generated a lot of interest about the disease and the stories. The project evaluation indicates that current delays in seeking treatment may be more due to socio-cultural and health service factors than awareness of the disease. Therefore the development of TB services, including TB education, which are culturally sensitive, remains important.

25 CFR 91.11 - Domestic animals in village reserves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Domestic animals in village reserves. 91.11 Section 91.11... VILLAGES, OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLAHOMA § 91.11 Domestic animals in village reserves. (a) No livestock shall... owner of the animal, if known, by certified mail or by posting in the village square. The notice shall...

25 CFR 91.11 - Domestic animals in village reserves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Domestic animals in village reserves. 91.11 Section 91.11... VILLAGES, OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLAHOMA § 91.11 Domestic animals in village reserves. (a) No livestock shall... owner of the animal, if known, by certified mail or by posting in the village square. The notice shall...

25 CFR 91.11 - Domestic animals in village reserves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Domestic animals in village reserves. 91.11 Section 91.11... VILLAGES, OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLAHOMA § 91.11 Domestic animals in village reserves. (a) No livestock shall... owner of the animal, if known, by certified mail or by posting in the village square. The notice shall...

25 CFR 91.11 - Domestic animals in village reserves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Domestic animals in village reserves. 91.11 Section 91.11... VILLAGES, OSAGE RESERVATION, OKLAHOMA § 91.11 Domestic animals in village reserves. (a) No livestock shall... owner of the animal, if known, by certified mail or by posting in the village square. The notice shall...

Sustainable tourism and harmonious culture: a case study of cultic model at village tourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astawa, I. P.; Triyuni, N. N.; Santosa, I. D. M. C.

2018-01-01

The research aims to analyze an event model of Culture and Tourism International Camp (Cultic) from two aspects, harmonious culture and sustainable tourism. Currently, Indonesian government promotes village tourism by involving more villagers to achieve village independence in its development. The program has faced various obstacles, such as the eroded local cultures due to the development of a massive and money-oriented tourism with less attention on the environmental damage. One of the offered programs is a green tourism model for an event named Culture and Tourism International Camps - Cultic. The research is conducted in several stages. The first stage is the development of model based on the theoretical study. The second stage is the implementation of the model with 85 participants. The third stage is the evaluation of the model through harmonious culture and sustainable tourism approaches. The data is collected through a direct observation and a questionnaire. The result of qualitative analysis indicates that the developed event model supports the harmonious culture, especially the natural environment. Whereas, the result of quantitative analysis indicates that the participants enjoy the activities, such as green food, material natural, waste management, and ecosystem. Another finding is that the community strongly supports the concept of sustainable tourism.

75 FR 55324 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; 2011 Drinking...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-10

... water systems serving more than 3,300 persons and from American Indian and Alaskan Native Village... Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; 2011 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and... submitting comments. E-mail: [email protected] . Fax: 202-564-3757. Mail: Water Docket, EPA Docket Center...

Intestinal Parasitic Infections and Environmental Water Contamination in a Rural Village of Northern Lao PDR.

PubMed

Ribas, Alexis; Jollivet, Chloé; Morand, Serge; Thongmalayvong, Boupha; Somphavong, Silaphet; Siew, Chern-Chiang; Ting, Pei-Jun; Suputtamongkol, Saipin; Saensombath, Viengsaene; Sanguankiat, Surapol; Tan, Boon-Huan; Paboriboune, Phimpha; Akkhavong, Kongsap; Chaisiri, Kittipong

2017-10-01

A field survey studying intestinal parasites in humans and microbial pathogen contamination at environment was performed in a Laotian rural village to identify potential risks for disease outbreaks. A parasitological investigation was conducted in Ban Lak Sip village, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR involving fecal samples from 305 inhabitants as well as water samples taken from 3 sites of the local stream. Water analysis indicated the presence of several enteric pathogens, i.e., Aeromonas spp., Vibrio spp., E. coli H7, E. coli O157: H7, verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC), Shigella spp., and enteric adenovirus. The level of microbial pathogens contamination was associated with human activity, with greater levels of contamination found at the downstream site compared to the site at the village and upstream, respectively. Regarding intestinal parasites, the prevalence of helminth and protozoan infections were 68.9% and 27.2%, respectively. Eight helminth taxa were identified in fecal samples, i.e., 2 tapeworm species (Taenia sp. and Hymenolepis diminuta), 1 trematode (Opisthorchis sp.), and 5 nematodes (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis, trichostrongylids, and hookworms). Six species of intestinal protists were identified, i.e., Blastocystis hominis, Cyclospora spp., Endolimax nana, Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar, Entamoeba coli, and Giardia lamblia. Questionnaires and interviews were also conducted to determine risk factors of infection. These analyses together with a prevailing infection level suggested that most of villagers were exposed to parasites in a similar degree due to limited socio-economic differences and sharing of similar practices. Limited access to effective public health facilities is also a significant contributing factor.

Intestinal Parasitic Infections and Environmental Water Contamination in a Rural Village of Northern Lao PDR

PubMed Central

Ribas, Alexis; Jollivet, Chloé; Morand, Serge; Thongmalayvong, Boupha; Somphavong, Silaphet; Siew, Chern-Chiang; Ting, Pei-Jun; Suputtamongkol, Saipin; Saensombath, Viengsaene; Sanguankiat, Surapol; Tan, Boon-Huan; Paboriboune, Phimpha; Akkhavong, Kongsap; Chaisiri, Kittipong

2017-01-01

A field survey studying intestinal parasites in humans and microbial pathogen contamination at environment was performed in a Laotian rural village to identify potential risks for disease outbreaks. A parasitological investigation was conducted in Ban Lak Sip village, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR involving fecal samples from 305 inhabitants as well as water samples taken from 3 sites of the local stream. Water analysis indicated the presence of several enteric pathogens, i.e., Aeromonas spp., Vibrio spp., E. coli H7, E. coli O157: H7, verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC), Shigella spp., and enteric adenovirus. The level of microbial pathogens contamination was associated with human activity, with greater levels of contamination found at the downstream site compared to the site at the village and upstream, respectively. Regarding intestinal parasites, the prevalence of helminth and protozoan infections were 68.9% and 27.2%, respectively. Eight helminth taxa were identified in fecal samples, i.e., 2 tapeworm species (Taenia sp. and Hymenolepis diminuta), 1 trematode (Opisthorchis sp.), and 5 nematodes (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis, trichostrongylids, and hookworms). Six species of intestinal protists were identified, i.e., Blastocystis hominis, Cyclospora spp., Endolimax nana, Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar, Entamoeba coli, and Giardia lamblia. Questionnaires and interviews were also conducted to determine risk factors of infection. These analyses together with a prevailing infection level suggested that most of villagers were exposed to parasites in a similar degree due to limited socio-economic differences and sharing of similar practices. Limited access to effective public health facilities is also a significant contributing factor. PMID:29103267

Analysis of seaweed marketing in warbal village, Southeast Maluku Regency, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tumiwa, Bruri B.; Renjaan, Meiskyana R.; B. A Somnaikubun, Glen; Betauubun, Kamilius D.; Hungan, Marselus

2017-10-01

Seaweed in Warbal Village, West Kei Kecil Subdistrict, Southeast Maluku Regency has prospects and business opportunities are adequate to give hope to farmers in improving welfare. The fact that seaweed farming has not yet provided better and maximum results as desired by the farmers. This study aims to evaluation the marketing channels, marketing margins and profit share of marketing agencies. The research is located in Warbal Village, West Kei Kecil Subdistrict, Southeast Maluku Regency which is determined purposively. The number of sample is 30 farmers taken by simple random sampling, 2 wholesaler traders and 2 collector traders taken by using snowball method. The data collection methods is interview and questionnaire directly to farmers and marketing agencies, literary method or data collector from institutions related to the research’s aims. The research results show that there is two marketing channel, as follows: Channel I: farmers, wholesaler traders, collector traders, PAP; Channel II: farmers, collector traders, PAP. The magnitude of marketing margins is different between the marketing channels, and so it is with profit share of a marketing agency. On channel I, magnitude margin is IDR 3,250 and profit share is 71.11% on farmers, 17.76% on wholesaler traders and 11.09% on collector traders. On channel II, the magnitude of marketing margin is IDR 1,250 and profit share is 88.88% on farmers and 11.09% to collector traders.

Improving community development by linking agriculture, nutrition and education: design of a randomised trial of "home-grown" school feeding in Mali.

PubMed

Masset, Edoardo; Gelli, Aulo

2013-02-21

Providing food through schools has well documented effects in terms of the education, health and nutrition of school children. However, there is limited evidence in terms of the benefits of providing a reliable market for small-holder farmers through "home-grown" school feeding approaches. This study aims to evaluate the impact of school feeding programmes sourced from small-holder farmers on small-holder food security, as well as on school children's education, health and nutrition in Mali. In addition, this study will examine the links between social accountability and programme performance. This is a field experiment planned around the scale-up of the national school feeding programme, involving 116 primary schools in 58 communities in food insecure areas of Mali. The randomly assigned interventions are: 1) a school feeding programme group, including schools and villages where the standard government programme is implemented; 2) a "home-grown" school feeding and social accountability group, including schools and villages where the programme is implemented in addition to training of community based organisations and local government; and 3) the control group, including schools and household from villages where the intervention will be delayed by at least two years, preferably without informing schools and households. Primary outcomes include small-holder farmer income, school participation and learning, and community involvement in the programme. Other outcomes include nutritional status and diet-diversity. The evaluation will follow a mixed method approach, including household, school and village level surveys as well as focus group discussions with small-holder farmers, school children, parents and community members. The impact evaluation will be incorporated within the national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system strengthening activities that are currently underway in Mali. Baselines surveys are planned for 2012. A monthly process monitoring visits, spot checks and quarterly reporting will be undertaken as part of the regular programme monitoring activities. Evaluation surveys are planned for 2014. National governments in sub-Saharan Africa have demonstrated strong leadership in the response to the recent food and financial crises by scaling-up school feeding programmes. "Home-grown" school feeding programmes have the potential to link the increased demand for school feeding goods and services to community-based stakeholders, including small-holder farmers and women's groups. Alongside assessing the more traditional benefits to school children, this evaluation will be the first to examine the impact of linking school food service provision to small-holder farmer income, as well as the link between community level engagement and programme performance. ISRCTN76705891.

Community participation for malaria elimination in Tafea Province, Vanuatu: Part I. Maintaining motivation for prevention practices in the context of disappearing disease.

PubMed

Atkinson, Jo-An M; Fitzgerald, Lisa; Toaliu, Hilson; Taleo, George; Tynan, Anna; Whittaker, Maxine; Riley, Ian; Vallely, Andrew

2010-04-12

In the 1990s, the experience of eliminating malaria from Aneityum Island, Vanuatu is often given as evidence for the potential to eliminate malaria in the south-west Pacific. This experience, however, cannot provide a blueprint for larger islands that represent more complex social and environmental contexts. Community support was a key contributor to success in Aneityum. In the context of disappearing disease, obtaining and maintaining community participation in strategies to eliminate malaria in the rest of Tafea Province, Vanuatu will be significantly more challenging. Nine focus group discussions (FGDs), 12 key informant interviews (KIIs), three transect walks and seven participatory workshops were carried out in three villages across Tanna Island to investigate community perceptions and practices relating to malaria prevention (particularly relating to bed nets); influences on these practices including how malaria is contextualized within community health and disease priorities; and effective avenues for channelling health information. The primary protection method identified by participants was the use of bed nets, however, the frequency and motivation for their use differed between study villages on the basis of the perceived presence of malaria. Village, household and personal cleanliness were identified by participants as important for protection against malaria. Barriers and influences on bed net use included cultural beliefs and practices, travel, gender roles, seasonality of mosquito nuisance and risk perception. Health care workers and church leaders were reported to have greatest influence on malaria prevention practices. Participants preferred receiving health information through visiting community health promotion teams, health workers, church leaders and village chiefs. In low malaria transmission settings, a package for augmenting social capital and sustaining community participation for elimination will be essential and includes: 'sentinel sites' for qualitative monitoring of evolving local socio-cultural, behavioural and practical issues that impact malaria prevention and treatment; mobilizing social networks; intersectoral collaboration; integration of malaria interventions with activities addressing other community health and disease priorities; and targeted implementation of locally appropriate, multi-level, media campaigns that sustain motivation for community participation in malaria elimination.

Utility of local health registers in measuring perinatal mortality: A case study in rural Indonesia

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Perinatal mortality is an important indicator of obstetric and newborn care services. Although the vast majority of global perinatal mortality is estimated to occur in developing countries, there is a critical paucity of reliable data at the local level to inform health policy, plan health care services, and monitor their impact. This paper explores the utility of information from village health registers to measure perinatal mortality at the sub district level in a rural area of Indonesia. Methods A retrospective pregnancy cohort for 2007 was constructed by triangulating data from antenatal care, birth, and newborn care registers in a sample of villages in three rural sub districts in Central Java, Indonesia. For each pregnancy, birth outcome and first week survival were traced and recorded from the different registers, as available. Additional local death records were consulted to verify perinatal mortality, or identify deaths not recorded in the health registers. Analyses were performed to assess data quality from registers, and measure perinatal mortality rates. Qualitative research was conducted to explore knowledge and practices of village midwives in register maintenance and reporting of perinatal mortality. Results Field activities were conducted in 23 villages, covering a total of 1759 deliveries that occurred in 2007. Perinatal mortality outcomes were 23 stillbirths and 15 early neonatal deaths, resulting in a perinatal mortality rate of 21.6 per 1000 live births in 2007. Stillbirth rates for the study population were about four times the rates reported in the routine Maternal and Child Health program information system. Inadequate awareness and supervision, and alternate workload were cited by local midwives as factors resulting in inconsistent data reporting. Conclusions Local maternal and child health registers are a useful source of information on perinatal mortality in rural Indonesia. Suitable training, supervision, and quality control, in conjunction with computerisation to strengthen register maintenance can provide routine local area measures of perinatal mortality for health policy, and monitoring of newborn care interventions. Similar efforts are required to strengthen routine health data in all developing countries, to guide planned progress towards reduction in the local, national and international burden from perinatal mortality. PMID:21410993

Heat and hydration status: Predictors of repeated measures of urine specific gravity among Tsimane' adults in the Bolivian Amazon.

PubMed

Rosinger, Asher

2015-12-01

Hydration status is critical to physiological and cognitive health, yet it is unclear how populations living in hot-humid environments experiencing lifestyle transitions manage this underexplored facet of heat adaptation. This study assesses the predictors of repeated measures of hydration status for adults from two villages (close and distant from a market town) in the Bolivian Amazon. Interviews and focal follows were conducted with 36 Tsimane' (50% male). Urine samples, temperature, activity levels, and anthropometrics were measured pre-interview and post-follow and yielded a small panel (72 observations). Urine samples were analyzed for urine specific gravity (USG), a biomarker of hydration, with a refractometer. The mean USG was 1.020 g/ml (SD ± 0.008) with men (1.022 ± 0.008) slightly more dehydrated than women (1.018 ± 0.007). Using 1.020 as the criteria for clinical dehydration, 42% of the participants were dehydrated at both intervals and 21% were extremely dehydrated. Controlling for activity level, village membership, and covariates in random-effects linear regression models, each degree centigrade increase was associated with a USG increase of 0.0008 g/ml (P = 0.000). Adults from the village closer to the market town had significantly higher USG (B = 0.0041; P = 0.04) than those in the distant village. Dehydration was predicted to occur at 29°C, just above the thermoneutral range, and extreme dehydration at 37°C. These findings suggest that hotter temperatures coupled with lifestyle transitions may create conditions that increase vulnerability to dehydration among rural populations through landscape modifications and diet changes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

9. DETAIL OF BRICKWORK ON SOUTHEAST SIDE OF GERMAN VILLAGE. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

9. DETAIL OF BRICKWORK ON SOUTHEAST SIDE OF GERMAN VILLAGE. - Dugway Proving Ground, German-Japanese Village, German Village, South of Stark Road, in WWII Incendiary Test Area, Dugway, Tooele County, UT

8. VIEW OF SOUTHWEST END OF GERMAN VILLAGE LOOKING NORTHEAST. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

8. VIEW OF SOUTHWEST END OF GERMAN VILLAGE LOOKING NORTHEAST. - Dugway Proving Ground, German-Japanese Village, German Village, South of Stark Road, in WWII Incendiary Test Area, Dugway, Tooele County, UT

4. VIEW OF NORTHWEST SIDE OF GERMAN VILLAGE LOOKING SOUTHEAST. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. VIEW OF NORTHWEST SIDE OF GERMAN VILLAGE LOOKING SOUTHEAST. - Dugway Proving Ground, German-Japanese Village, German Village, South of Stark Road, in WWII Incendiary Test Area, Dugway, Tooele County, UT

"What do you know?"--knowledge among village doctors of lead poisoning in children in rural China.

PubMed

Huang, Ruixue; Ning, Huacheng; Baum, Carl R; Chen, Lei; Hsiao, Allen

2017-11-23

This study evaluates the extent of village doctors' knowledge of lead poisoning in children in rural China and assesses the characteristics associated with possessing accurate knowledge. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey of 297 village doctors in Fenghuang County, Hunan Province, China was conducted. All village doctors were interviewed face-to-face using a "What do you know" test questionnaire focusing on prevention strategies and lead sources in rural children. A total of 287 (96.6%) village doctors completed the survey in full. Most village doctors had an appropriate degree of general knowledge of lead poisoning; however, they had relatively poor knowledge of lead sources and prevention measures. Village doctors with an undergraduate level education scored an average of 2.7 points higher than those who had a junior college level education (p = 0.033). Village doctors with an annual income ≤ 10,000 RMB yuan scored 1.03 points lower than those whose income was >10,001 RMB yuan. Ethnic Han village doctors scored 1.12 points higher, on average, than ethnic Tujia village doctors (p = 0.027). This study identified important gaps in knowledge concerning lead poisoning in children among a rural population of village doctors. There is a clear need for multifaceted interventions that target village doctors to improve their knowledge regarding lead poisoning in children. The "What do you know" questionnaire is a new tool to evaluate lead poisoning knowledge and education projects.

[Evaluation of primary health care activities at the Albert Schweitzer hospital in Lambarene, Gabon].

PubMed

Diallo, M; Ninteretse, B

2007-06-01

In 1999 the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambrene, Gabon set up a community health care service that provides immunization campaigns and mother/child health care and manages 9 village health care centers in a district with a population of approximately 64000 inhabitants. An evaluation conducted in April 2006 showed that collection of a consultation charge (15 euros) could cover the basic costs of operating these centers and purchasing necessary medicines. Three of the four centers evaluated demonstrated good quality indicators including properly kept records, posting of information bulletins for patients, appropriate referrals, and good relations with village authorities. At the center that performed poorly, the nurse apparently received no pay or lodging. Analysis of data about pediatric activity showed that diagnosis of diarrhea, malnutrition and anemia has fallen while hospitalization for tuberculosis and urinary schistomiasis is now being recorded. At the same time, village health centers are increasingly concerned with problems related to management and prevention of AIDS, malaria and urinary schistomiasis. This service shows that with good supervision it is possible to improve the quality of primary health care with partial but adequate recovery of costs and that basic health care workers are able to provide overall management for complicated patients, facilitate the work of reference hospital, and report new health problems.

Participatory approach in planning for low carbon and eco-village: A case of Felda Taib Andak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngah, I.; Zulkifli, A. S.

2014-02-01

Participatory approaches have becoming an important tool in planning of sustainable communities. Although participation is conceived as a malleable concept there are certain methods that planners can adopt to ensure a meaningful participation. This paper will provide some experiences and lessons on how participatory planning could be carried out with local people, the role of planners in the process of plan preparation, implementation and the outcome. This paper first explores some of the meanings of participation, the criteria of participation and the approaches of participation in planning for sustainable community. The second part is a description and discussion of how participatory approach in planning was applied in planning for low carbon and eco-village in Iskandar Malaysia based on a case study of planning of Felda Taib Andak scheme. The participatory approach involved a series of meetings, site visit and focus group discussions with representative of the Felda Village to come out with action plan and actual implementation. From focus group discussions a roadmap consisted of a vision and objectives and a dozen actions were formulated and adopted. In the process of implementation the main implementation & coordination committee was form in which the author (planner) is one of its members to look into fund raising & implementation strategies together with the local people. Several task forces or sub committees responsible to implement the dozen actions were also formed. The outcome was encouraging in which some of the actions such as planting of bamboo trees, reduction of pollution from oil palm factory and bicycling activities has been implemented and shown progress. The paper also highlights some of the issues and challenges in participatory planning.

Introducing rapid diagnostic tests for malaria to drug shops in Uganda: a cluster-randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Fink, Günther; Maloney, Kathleen; Berg, Katrina; Jordan, Matthew; Svoronos, Theodore; Aber, Flavia; Dickens, William

2015-01-01

Abstract Objective To evaluate the impact – on diagnosis and treatment of malaria – of introducing rapid diagnostic tests to drug shops in eastern Uganda. Methods Overall, 2193 households in 79 study villages with at least one licensed drug shop were enrolled and monitored for 12 months. After 3 months of monitoring, drug shop vendors in 67 villages randomly selected for the intervention were offered training in the use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests and – if trained – offered access to such tests at a subsidized price. The remaining 12 study villages served as controls. A difference-in-differences regression model was used to estimate the impact of the intervention. Findings Vendors from 92 drug shops successfully completed training and 50 actively stocked and performed the rapid tests. Over 9 months, trained vendors did an average of 146 tests per shop. Households reported 22 697 episodes of febrile illness. The availability of rapid tests at local drug shops significantly increased the probability of any febrile illness being tested for malaria by 23.15% (P = 0.015) and being treated with an antimalarial drug by 8.84% (P = 0.056). The probability that artemisinin combination therapy was bought increased by a statistically insignificant 5.48% (P = 0.574). Conclusion In our study area, testing for malaria was increased by training drug shop vendors in the use of rapid tests and providing them access to such tests at a subsidized price. Additional interventions may be needed to achieve a higher coverage of testing and a higher rate of appropriate responses to test results.

Temporal variations and spatial distributions of heavy metals in a wastewater-irrigated soil-eggplant system and associated influencing factors.

PubMed

Ai, Shiwei; Liu, Bailin; Yang, Ying; Ding, Jian; Yang, Wenzhi; Bai, Xiaojuan; Naeem, Sajid; Zhang, Yingmei

2018-05-30

Heavy metal pollution in farmlands is highly concerned as crops' easy-uptake of heavy metal can ultimately affect consumers. In order to offer suggestions on cultivating safe quality vegetable, specifically eggplant which is widely consumed for its nutritional value and antioxidant activity, a field study was undertaken to investigate the temporal variations and spatial distributions of heavy metals in a wastewater-irrigated soil-eggplant system. In the present study, eggplants were planted in the farmlands of Weichuan village (WC) (relatively unpolluted field), Liangzhuang village (LZ) (moderately polluted field) and Minqin village (MQ) (seriously polluted field) to elucidate their temporal uptake processes of heavy metals described by the sigmoid model. Eggplant tissues from severely polluted farmlands were found with higher heavy metal concentrations and lower yields compared with other two groups. What is more, 25 farmlands along the Dongdagou stream (heavy metals polluted stream) were chosen to analyze the spatial distribution of heavy metals in soils and eggplants. Heavy metal concentrations in eggplants decreased with the decline of heavy metal concentrations in soil from upstream (pollution source) to downstream. Moreover, several methods were employed to assess bioavailability of heavy metals in soils. All the bioavailable heavy metals were found in linear positive correlations with heavy metal concentrations. Meanwhile, linear correlations were found between heavy metals in soils and eggplants. At last, redundancy analysis was used to investigate the effects of soil properties (pH, organic matter and texture of soils) and heavy metals on eggplants' uptake. The results indicated that soil heavy metals had a dominant impact on their accumulations in eggplant fruit, with a variance contribution of 78.0%, while soil properties had a regulatory effect, with a variance contribution of 5.2%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Why do some women still prefer traditional birth attendants and home delivery?: a qualitative study on delivery care services in West Java Province, Indonesia

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Trained birth attendants at delivery are important for preventing both maternal and newborn deaths. West Java is one of the provinces on Java Island, Indonesia, where many women still deliver at home and without the assistance of trained birth attendants. This study aims to explore the perspectives of community members and health workers about the use of delivery care services in six villages of West Java Province. Methods A qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews was conducted in six villages of three districts in West Java Province from March to July 2009. Twenty FGDs and 165 in-depth interviews were conducted involving a total of 295 participants representing mothers, fathers, health care providers, traditional birth attendants and community leaders. The FGD and in-depth interview guidelines included reasons for using a trained or a traditional birth attendant and reasons for having a home or an institutional delivery. Results The use of traditional birth attendants and home delivery were preferable for some community members despite the availability of the village midwife in the village. Physical distance and financial limitations were two major constraints that prevented community members from accessing and using trained attendants and institutional deliveries. A number of respondents reported that trained delivery attendants or an institutional delivery were only aimed at women who experienced obstetric complications. The limited availability of health care providers was reported by residents in remote areas. In these settings the village midwife, who was sometimes the only health care provider, frequently travelled out of the village. The community perceived the role of both village midwives and traditional birth attendants as essential for providing maternal and health care services. Conclusions A comprehensive strategy to increase the availability, accessibility, and affordability of delivery care services should be considered in these West Java areas. Health education strategies are required to increase community awareness about the importance of health services along with the existing financing mechanisms for the poor communities. Public health strategies involving traditional birth attendants will be beneficial particularly in remote areas where their services are highly utilized. PMID:20701762

Mosaics of Change: Cross-Scale Forest Cover Dynamics and Drivers in Tibetan Yunnan, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Den Hoek, Jamon

In reaction to devastating floods on the Yangtze River in the summer of 1998, the Chinese Central Government introduced a logging ban as part of the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) with the goal of dramatically increasing national forest cover. Since then, over 11 billion USD has been allocated to the program, but the NFPP's success at promoting reforestation is unclear as neither the extent of forest cover change, nor the potential factors influencing the spatial variability of change have been examined. This research employs a case study in northwest Yunnan Province, southwest China, to evaluate the spatial variability of forest cover change under the NFPP and investigate drivers that have influenced recent patterns of change. I employ a mixed methods, cross-scale research framework that includes the analysis of areal trajectories and spatial variability of Landsat-5 imagery-derived forest cover change at three administrative levels before and after the NFPP's introduction; landscape ecology-based metrics to measure the shifting patterns of forest cover change at the patch level; and household interview data on village-level forest resource use patterns and processes in three neighboring villages. Prefecture- and county-level analyses suggest rather stable forest cover across the three-county study area since the introduction of the ban, though township-level measures of forest cover change show a degree of spatial variability as well as a temporal delay in policy implementation effectiveness. Village-level remote sensing analysis shows comparable amounts of forest cover change between study villages but disparate forest resource use patterns in terms of location and amount. Though all research villages continue to exploit local forests for firewood and timber relatively unfettered by policy restrictions, villagers with tourism-derived income are able to buy forest products collected in outside forests much more often; this redistributes local-scale deforestation to the benefit of local and detriment of distant forests. Tourism is often heralded as the solution to rural development challenges in China's southwest, but this research shows the unintended consequences that may result from inconsistent participation at the village-level, consequences which merely redirect, not reduce, forest use pressures, and that are contrary to the goals of state policy.

[Surveillance on drinking-water-born endemic fluorosis in China, 2013].

PubMed

Zhao, L J; Pei, J R; Zhang, W; Wang, W; Yu, G Q; Sun, D J; Gao, Y H

2016-06-01

To investigate the prevalence of fluorosis and related control measures on drinking water type of endemic fluorosis in China. According to the national program- "Surveillance Scheme of Drinking-Water-Borne Endemic Fluorosis" , 136 counties were selected in 29 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Three epidemic villages were randomly selected as fixed monitoring sites in each county. Dental fluorosis of all the children aged 8-12 living in the villages under the monitoring program, was identified under the ariteria from "Diagnosis of dental fluorosis" (WS/T 208-2011). Operating conditions and contents of fluoride in all the'water-improved projects' were investigated. Contents of fluoride in drinking water were tested in villages without the 'water-improved projects'. "Standard Test Method for Drinking Water" (GB/T 5750.5-2006) was used to detect the water fluoride. The overall prevalence of dental fluorosis among children aged 8-12 in all the villages under monitor program, was 28.58% (7 950/27 817), with the dental fluorosis index (DFI) as 0.58. Among them, the prevalence was 22.28% (3 917/17 583) and DFI was 0.44 in the'water-improved projects' villages that under normal operation and with qualified fluoride contents. The prevalence appeared as 38.74% (1 926/4 971) with DFI as 0.84 in those villages with 'water-improved projects' but mal-operated or with excessive fluoride. The prevalence was 40.03% (2 107/5 263), and DFI was 0.81 in those villages without 'water-improved projects'. The prevalence rates of dental fluorosis in children from the three types of endemic areas were significantly different. For 'water-improved projects', the normal opration rate was 93.77% (286/305) and the qualification rate of fluoride content was 76.77% (228/297). Dental fluorosis in children living in the drinking-water-born endemic fluorosis areas was on the edge of epidemics in China. Effective improvement on the quality of drinking water can significantly reduce the severity of dental fluorosis in children. The rate of proper operation on 'water-improved projects' was near to 95% in the endemic area. However, rate that met the criteria on qualified fluoride contents of these projects was still below 80%.

Factors Associated with Severe Human Rift Valley Fever in Sangailu, Garissa County, Kenya

PubMed Central

LaBeaud, A. Desirée; Pfeil, Sarah; Muiruri, Samuel; Dahir, Saidi; Sutherland, Laura J.; Traylor, Zachary; Gildengorin, Ginny; Muchiri, Eric M.; Morrill, John; Peters, C. J.; Hise, Amy G.; Kazura, James W; King, Charles H.

2015-01-01

Background Mosquito-borne Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) causes acute, often severe, disease in livestock and humans. To determine the exposure factors and range of symptoms associated with human RVF, we performed a population-based cross-sectional survey in six villages across a 40 km transect in northeastern Kenya. Methodology/Principal Findings: A systematic survey of the total populations of six Northeastern Kenyan villages was performed. Among 1082 residents tested via anti-RVFV IgG ELISA, seroprevalence was 15% (CI95%, 13–17%). Prevalence did not vary significantly among villages. Subject age was a significant factor, with 31% (154/498) of adults seropositive vs. only 2% of children ≤15 years (12/583). Seroprevalence was higher among men (18%) than women (13%). Factors associated with seropositivity included a history of animal exposure, non-focal fever symptoms, symptoms related to meningoencephalitis, and eye symptoms. Using cluster analysis in RVFV positive participants, a more severe symptom phenotype was empirically defined as having somatic symptoms of acute fever plus eye symptoms, and possibly one or more meningoencephalitic or hemorrhagic symptoms. Associated with this more severe disease phenotype were older age, village, recent illness, and loss of a family member during the last outbreak. In multivariate analysis, sheltering livestock (aOR = 3.5 CI95% 0.93–13.61, P = 0.065), disposing of livestock abortus (aOR = 4.11, CI95% 0.63–26.79, P = 0.14), and village location (P = 0.009) were independently associated with the severe disease phenotype. Conclusions/Significance Our results demonstrate that a significant proportion of the population in northeastern Kenya has been infected with RVFV. Village and certain animal husbandry activities were associated with more severe disease. Older age, male gender, herder occupation, killing and butchering livestock, and poor visual acuity were useful markers for increased RVFV infection. Formal vision testing may therefore prove to be a helpful, low-technology tool for RVF screening during epidemics in high-risk rural settings. PMID:25764399

Research on the historic preservation of Zhaojiashan village

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Li

2018-03-01

Through field investigation and field visiting, we studied and analyzed the ancient villages of Zhaojiashan in Jiancaoping District, Taiyuan City of Shanxi Province. We learned that Zhaojiashan Village is on the only way of the Shanxi Merchants The Tea Road starting from Taiyuan to Xinzhou. It occupies an indispensable and important position in camel road. There are many historical and cultural relics in the village. The analysis of the historical value and the environment of the village has provided the basis for the protection and exploitation of ancient villages.

Primary health care, community participation and community-financing: experiences of two middle hill villages in Nepal.

PubMed

Sepehri, A; Pettigrew, J

1996-03-01

Although community involvement in health related activities is generally acknowledged by international and national health planners to be the key to the successful organization of primary health care, comparatively little is known about its potential and limitations. Drawing on the experiences of two middle hill villages in Nepal, this paper reports on research undertaken to compare and contrast the scope and extent of community participation in the delivery of primary health care in a community run and financed health post and a state run and financed health post. Unlike many other health posts in Nepal these facilities do provide effective curative services, and neither of them suffer from chronic shortage of drugs. However, community-financing did not appear to widen the scope and the extent of participation. Villagers in both communities relied on the health post for the treatment of less than one-third of symptoms, and despite the planners' intentions, community involvement outside participation in benefits was found to be very limited.

Diverse and abundant multi-drug resistant E. coli in Matang mangrove estuaries, Malaysia

PubMed Central

Ghaderpour, Aziz; Ho, Wing Sze; Chew, Li-Lee; Bong, Chui Wei; Chong, Ving Ching; Thong, Kwai-Lin; Chai, Lay Ching

2015-01-01

E.coli, an important vector distributing antimicrobial resistance in the environment, was found to be multi-drug resistant, abundant, and genetically diverse in the Matang mangrove estuaries, Malaysia. One-third (34%) of the estuarine E. coli was multi-drug resistant. The highest antibiotic resistance prevalence was observed for aminoglycosides (83%) and beta-lactams (37%). Phylogenetic groups A and B1, being the most predominant E. coli, demonstrated the highest antibiotic resistant level and prevalence of integrons (integron I, 21%; integron II, 3%). Detection of phylogenetic group B23 downstream of fishing villages indicates human fecal contamination as a source of E. coli pollution. Enteroaggregative E. coli (1%) were also detected immediately downstream of the fishing village. The results indicated multi-drug resistance among E. coli circulating in Matang estuaries, which could be reflective of anthropogenic activities and aggravated by bacterial and antibiotic discharges from village lack of a sewerage system, aquaculture farms and upstream animal husbandry. PMID:26483759

Improving access to health care amongst vulnerable populations: a qualitative study of village malaria workers in Kampot, Cambodia.

PubMed

Liverani, Marco; Nguon, Chea; Sok, Ra; Kim, Daro; Nou, Panharith; Nguon, Sokhan; Yeung, Shunmay

2017-05-08

There is growing interest in the expansion of community health workers programmes in low- and middle-income countries as a cost-effective approach to address shortages of health professionals. However, our understanding of the reception of large-scale programmes and how to improve them remains limited, with knowledge gaps about factors that may promote or discourage equitable access to services. This paper examines the case of the Village Malaria Workers (VMW) programme in Cambodia, an extensive community-based intervention for the management of malaria cases in remote rural areas. Fieldwork was conducted in Kampot province, in six case villages characterised by different programme configuration, population size, and distance to the nearest public health facility. In these locations, in-depth interviews (n = 71) with VMWs, village authorities, and residents were conducted to identify facilitators and challenges to service utilisation. Data analysis was informed by a conceptual framework based on five domains of access to services: awareness, accessibility, accommodation, availability, and acceptability. Factors that influenced the utilisation of VMW services in our research sites include: the nature of dissemination activities and their ability to reach different population groups; the village topography and the changing road infrastructure; the involvement of VMWs in other community roles and activities; perceptions about the type of disease after the onset of symptoms; the need for comprehensive diagnosis and care; perceptions about the status of VMWs as medical providers; length of VMW appointment. This study highlights the complexity and diversity of contextual factors that may influence the uptake of a community health programme. As in other countries, continued use of lay health workers in Cambodia to deliver diagnostic and curative services has the potential for great health and economic impact. However, further consideration should be given to the problem of access in different categories of residents and different contexts of implementation. In addition, a comprehensive mapping of changes in disease epidemiology, road infrastructure and the geography of access to services is crucial to inform policy development in this area.

The effect of Self-Help Groups on access to maternal health services: evidence from rural India

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction The main challenge for achieving universal health coverage in India is ensuring effective coverage of poor and vulnerable communities in the face of high levels of income and gender inequity in access to health care. Drawing on the social capital generated through women’s participation in community organizations like SHGs can influence health outcomes. To date, evidence about the impact of SHGs on health outcomes has been derived from pilot-level interventions, some using randomised controlled trials and other rigorous methods. While the evidence from these studies is convincing, our study is the first to analyse the impact of SHGs at national level. Methods We analyzed the entire dataset from the third national District Level Household Survey from 601 districts in India to assess the impact of the presence of SHGs on maternal health service uptake. The primary predictor variable was presence of a SHG in the village. The outcome variables were: institutional delivery; feeding new-borns colostrum; knowledge about family planning methods; and ever used family planning. We controlled for respondent education, wealth, heard or seen health messages, availability of health facilities and the existence of a village health and sanitation committee. Results Stepwise logistic regression shows respondents from villages with a SHG were 19 per cent (OR: 1.19, CI: 1.13-1.24) more likely to have delivered in an institution, 8 per cent (OR: 1.08, CI: 1.05-1.14) more likely to have fed newborns colostrum, have knowledge (OR: 1.48, CI 1.39 – 1.57) and utilized (OR: 1.19, CI 1.11 – 1.27) family planning products and services. These results are significant after controlling for individual and village-level heterogeneities and are consistent with existing literature that the social capital generated through women’s participation in SHGs influences health outcome. Conclusion The study concludes that the presence of SHGs in a village is associated with higher knowledge of family planning and maternal health service uptake in rural India. To achieve the goal of improving public health nationally, there is a need to understand more fully the benefits of systematic collaboration between the public health community and these grassroots organizations. PMID:23714337

Assessing potential spatial accessibility of health services in rural China: a case study of Donghai county

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction There is a great health services disparity between urban and rural areas in China. The percentage of people who are unable to access health services due to long travel times increases. This paper takes Donghai County as the study unit to analyse areas with physician shortages and characteristics of the potential spatial accessibility of health services. We analyse how the unequal health services resources distribution and the New Cooperative Medical Scheme affect the potential spatial accessibility of health services in Donghai County. We also give some advice on how to alleviate the unequal spatial accessibility of health services in areas that are more remote and isolated. Methods The shortest traffic times of from hospitals to villages are calculated with an O-D matrix of GIS extension model. This paper applies an enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method to study the spatial accessibility of health services and to determine areas with physician shortages in Donghai County. The sensitivity of the E2SFCA for assessing variation in the spatial accessibility of health services is checked using different impedance coefficient valuesa. Geostatistical Analyst model and spatial analyst method is used to analyse the spatial pattern and the edge effect of potential spatial accessibility of health services. Results The results show that 69% of villages have access to lower potential spatial accessibility of health services than the average for Donghai County, and 79% of the village scores are lower than the average for Jiangsu Province. The potential spatial accessibility of health services diminishes greatly from the centre of the county to outlying areas. Using a smaller impedance coefficient leads to greater disparity among the villages. The spatial accessibility of health services is greater along highway in the county. Conclusions Most of villages are in underserved health services areas. An unequal distribution of health service resources and the reimbursement policies of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme have led to an edge effect regarding spatial accessibility of health services in Donghai County, whereby people living on the edge of the county have less access to health services. Comprehensive measures should be considered to alleviate the unequal spatial accessibility of health services in areas that are more remote and isolated. PMID:23688278

Development Planning of Tourist Village Using Participatory Mapping (Case study: Mambal Village, Badung Regency, Indonesia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arida, I. N. S.; Wiguna, P. P. K.; Narka, I. W.; Febrianti, N. K. O.

2017-12-01

Tourism sector is the highest source of income in Badung Regency so it is interesting to see the development of tourist village as one of the alternative tourist destinations in Badung Regency. Most of the village areas in Badung Regency do not have policies, vision and mission as an effort to develop the village into a tourist village. As a result the role of tourist village does not grow in terms of economic and social community. The purpose of this research is to determine and to map the tourism development plan using participatory mapping. The methodology used in this research is field surveys and interviews for data collection and participatory mapping to map the development plan to support tourism. Mambal village is located in Sub-district of Abiansemal, Badung Regency, Indonesia. Mambal village has the potential to become a tourism village because it is supported by the uniqueness of nature and tradition. Mambal village passed by Ayung river, where along the river there are beautiful cliffs which potential to develop as adventure tourism. There is also Senaung Pengibul Cave with a length of more than 15 meters and is wide enough to pass. Mambal village also has a spiritual tour of Pura Demung and Pancoran Pitu, which has a magical story. Currently farmers in Mambal Village are focusing on developing organic farming, of which 38% of the rice fields present in Mambal are pure organic that produces organic rice. Around the rice field area is also created a jogging track for visitors while enjoying the natural beauty of rice fields. Farmers also cultivate oyster mushrooms. In addition, Mambal Village Community also produces handicraft products that are woven in the form of symmetrical Endek (traditional fabrics) and processed products from used goods such as bags, wallets, pencil boxes and others.

A measure for the promotion of mountain ecological villages in South Korea: focus on the national mountain ecological village investigation of 2014.

PubMed

Choi, Soo Im; Kang, Hag Mo; Kim, Hyun; Lee, Chang Heon; Lee, Chong Kyu

2016-01-01

Although South Korean mountain villages occupy 44 and 55 % of land and forest areas, respectively, these villages account for only 3 % of the national population and they suffer from a declining workforce owing to aging, wage inflation, and low forestry productivity. As a result, the South Korean government implemented a mountain ecological village development project from 1995 to 2013 in 312 of the 4972 mountain villages and investigated project performance in 2014. The present study establishes a measure for the promotion of mountain ecological villages by comparing the situation before and after the project. The analysis found a threefold increase in the inflow of farm/rural-returning and multicultural households compared with before the project, while the average income per farm, local product sales, and experience tourism revenue also grew remarkably every year. In addition, households utilizing forest resources increased by about 30 %, but 45.8 % of the 312 villages had no long-term plan for village development and villagers experienced low satisfaction with job creation and village income. A systematic revision of agroforestry production and forest administration is needed to define the characteristics of farm/rural-returning populations clearly, reorganize urban-rural exchange and experience programs, and reinforce tangible/intangible cultural assets and religious traditions.

Identification of indigenous science in the brick-making process through ethnoscience study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuroso, H.; Supriyadi; Sudarmin, S.; Sarwi

2018-03-01

This study aims to find indigenous science in making bricks. In the brick-making process there are concepts of science used for generations obtained through local wisdom. This research method is descriptive qualitative by collecting data through interviews on brick-making home industries in Penggaron village of Semarang city and in Welahan village of Jepara. The result of the research indicates that the indigenous science is in the process of making bricks which includes materials composing, printing, drying, burning and brick quality testing. These findings can be integrated in the course of environmental physics.

Food expenditure share analysis of household: Case study of food reserved garden area program in Bone Bolango regency of Gorontalo province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buri, N.; Mantau, Z.

2018-05-01

The share of food expenditure is one of food security indicator in communities. It also can be used as an indicator of the success of rural development. The aim of this research was to find the share of food expenditure of farm households before and after the program of Food Reserved Garden Area (KRPL/FRGA) in Suwawa and Tilongkabila districtat Bone Bolango Regency of Gorontalo Province. Analysis method used share of food expenditure method. The method measure the ratio of food expenditure and total expenditure of household for a month. Statistical test used a non-parametric method, especially The Wilcoxon Test (two paired samples test). The results found that KRPL program in Ulanta Village of Suwawa district did not significantly affect the share of food expenditure of farm household. While in the South Tunggulo village of Tilongkabila district, FRGA program significantly affected the share of food expenditure.

Interactive multi-spectral analysis of more than one Sonrai village in Niger, West Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reining, P.; Egbert, D. D.

1975-01-01

Use of LANDSAT data and an interaction system is considered for identifying and measuring small scale compact human settlements (villages) for demographic and anthropological studies. Because village components are not uniformly distributed within any one village, they apparently are multimodal, spectrally. Therefore, the functions of location and enumeration are kept separate. Measurement of a known village is compared with CCT response.

The Status of Information and Communication Technology in a Coastal Village: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Govindaraju, P.; Mabel, M. Maani

2010-01-01

Kovalam is one of the coastal villages in Southern Tamil Nadu, India, and the principal livelihood of the villagers is fishing. The village is equipped with a VKC (Village Knowledge Center), initiated by the local Parish Council, to serve the people with the e-governance, e-agriculture, eeducation, e-health and other services at free of cost. This…

Field Evaluation of Outdoor Ultra-Low Volume (ULV) Applications against Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Al Rabta, North-West of Libya

PubMed Central

Dokhan, Mostafa Ramahdan; Kenawy, Mohamed Amin; Shaibi, Taher; Annajar, Badereddin Bashir

2017-01-01

Background: Al Rabta is a rural area in the North-West of Libya that represents an important focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Ultra Low Volume (ULV) applications in controlling sand flies and its impact on leishmaniasis transmission in this area. Methods: Two neighboring villages were selected: Al Rabta West (RW) as cypermethrin treated village and Al Rabta East (RE) as check one. The ULV was evaluated through 3 spraying cycles during Apr, Jun and Sep 2013. In the two villages, a number of outdoor sites were selected for sampling of sand flies (twice a month) using the CDC light traps. The cases of CL reported in the two villages during the study period were obtained from Al Rabta health center. Results: The two villages were similar where 9 species of sand flies (6 of Phlebotomu and 3 of Sergentomyia) were collected of which S. minuta and P. papatasi were the abundant species. As compared to the pre- ULV spraying, during the post- spraying periods: i) the reduction in abundance of the different species ranged from 20.85 to 77.52% with 46.69% as an overall reduction for all species altogether and, ii) in significantly (P> 0.05) higher mean ratio of males: females for all species altogether (1:2.41). Moreover, ULV spraying resulted in the absence of CL (Leishmania major) cases (Passive Case Detection) Conclusion: The efficiency of ULV spraying in reducing sand fly population, CL cases and consequently limits the disease transmission. PMID:29322056

Are 'Village Doctors' in Bangladesh a curse or a blessing?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Bangladesh is one of the health workforce crisis countries in the world. In the face of an acute shortage of trained professionals, ensuring healthcare for a population of 150 million remains a major challenge for the nation. To understand the issues related to shortage of health workforce and healthcare provision, this paper investigates the role of various healthcare providers in provision of health services in Chakaria, a remote rural area in Bangladesh. Methods Data were collected through a survey carried out during February 2007 among 1,000 randomly selected households from 8 unions of Chakaria Upazila. Information on health-seeking behaviour was collected from 1 randomly chosen member of a household from those who fell sick during 14 days preceding the survey. Results Around 44% of the villagers suffered from an illness during 14 days preceding the survey and of them 47% sought treatment for their ailment. 65% patients consulted Village Doctors and for 67% patients Village Doctors were the first line of care. Consultation with MBBS doctors was low at 14%. Given the morbidity level observed during the survey it was calculated that 250 physicians would be needed in Chakaria if the patients were to be attended by a qualified physician. Conclusions With the current shortage of physicians and level of production in the country it was asserted that it is very unlikely for Bangladesh to have adequate number of physicians in the near future. Thus, making use of existing healthcare providers, such as Village Doctors, could be considered a realistic option in dealing with the prevailing crisis. PMID:20602805

Systematic Motorcycle Management and Health Care Delivery: A Field Trial

PubMed Central

Rerolle, Francois; Rammohan, Sonali V.; Albohm, Davis C.; Muwowo, George; Moseson, Heidi; Sept, Lesley; Lee, Hau L.; Bendavid, Eran

2016-01-01

Objectives. We investigated whether managed transportation improves outreach-based health service delivery to rural village populations. Methods. We examined systematic transportation management in a small-cluster interrupted time series field trial. In 8 districts in Southern Zambia, we followed health workers at 116 health facilities from September 2011 to March 2014. The primary outcome was the average number of outreach trips per health worker per week. Secondary outcomes were health worker productivity, motorcycle performance, and geographical coverage. Results. Systematic fleet management resulted in an increase of 0.9 (SD = 1.0) trips to rural villages per health worker per week (P < .001), village-level health worker productivity by 20.5 (SD = 5.9) patient visits, 10.2 (SD = 1.5) measles immunizations, and 5.2 (SD = 5.4) child growth assessments per health worker per week. Motorcycle uptime increased by 3.5 days per week (P < .001), use by 1.5 days per week (P < .001), and mean distance by 9.3 kilometers per trip (P < .001). Geographical coverage of health outreach increased in experimental (P < .001) but not control districts. Conclusions. Systematic motorcycle management improves basic health care delivery to rural villages in resource-poor environments through increased health worker productivity and greater geographical coverage. PMID:26562131

Childhood Lead Exposure from Battery Recycling in Vietnam

PubMed Central

Van Tung, Lo; Wallace, Ryan M.; Havens, Deborah J.; Karr, Catherine J.; Bich Diep, Nguyen; Croteau, Gerry A.; Beaudet, Nancy J.; Duy Bao, Nguyen

2015-01-01

Background. Battery recycling facilities in developing countries can cause community lead exposure. Objective. To evaluate child lead exposure in a Vietnam battery recycling craft village after efforts to shift home-based recycling outside the village. Methods. This cross-sectional study evaluated 109 children in Dong Mai village, using blood lead level (BLL) measurement, parent interview, and household observation. Blood samples were analyzed with a LeadCare II field instrument; highest BLLs (≥45 μg/dL) were retested by laboratory analysis. Surface and soil lead were measured at 11 households and a school with X-ray fluorescence analyzer. Results. All children had high BLLs; 28% had BLL ≥45 μg/dL. Younger age, family recycling, and outside brick surfaces were associated with higher BLL. Surface and soil lead levels were high at all tested homes, even with no recycling history. Laboratory BLLs were lower than LeadCare BLLs, in 24 retested children. Discussion. In spite of improvements, lead exposure was still substantial and probably associated with continued home-based recycling, legacy contamination, and workplace take-home exposure pathways. There is a need for effective strategies to manage lead exposure from battery recycling in craft villages. These reported BLL values should be interpreted cautiously, although the observed field-laboratory discordance may reflect bias in laboratory results. PMID:26587532

National Tribal Air Association Operations Grant - Closed Announcement FY 2013

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA cooperative agreement to strengthen tribal air programs in order to enhance communication and coordination on policy and regulatory activities between federally recognized tribes, EPA, and Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages.

2. OVERALL VIEW OF GERMAN VILLAGE LOOKING SOUTHWEST TOWARD BUILDING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. OVERALL VIEW OF GERMAN VILLAGE LOOKING SOUTHWEST TOWARD BUILDING T-8100. BUNKER, BUILDING T-8104, IN FOREGROUND. - Dugway Proving Ground, German-Japanese Village, German Village, South of Stark Road, in WWII Incendiary Test Area, Dugway, Tooele County, UT

The prevalences of Wuchereria bancrofti antigenaemia in communities given six rounds of treatment with diethylcarbamazine, ivermectin or placebo tablets.

PubMed

Ramaiah, K D; Vanamail, P; Pani, S P; Das, P K

2003-10-01

The ICT filariasis card test was used to determine the prevalences of Wuchereria bancrofti antigenaemia among villagers in India. Prior to the tests, those living in the 15 study villages had been treated six times, in six rounds of mass treatment (with 54%-75% coverage) spread over 6 years, with single doses of diethylcarbamazine (five villages), ivermectin (five villages) or placebo (five villages). The corresponding overall prevalences (and ranges) of filarial antigenaemia were 20.2% (13.7%-28.6%), 22.6% (15.3%-34.3%) and 25.9% (22.6%-29.3%), respectively. The overall prevalence of antigenaemia in the villages where diethylcarbamazine (DEC) had been distributed (but not that in the 'ivermectin' villages) was significantly lower than that recorded in the 'placebo' villages (z =2.56; P <0.05). The prevalences of antigenaemia among the villagers aged 1-5 years (18.9%, 15.6% and 22.4% in the DEC, ivermectin and placebo villages, respectively) did not differ significantly with treatment (P >0.05). The results indicate that annual mass treatments based on DEC or ivermectin, with 54%-75% treatment coverage, may have only a limited effect on the prevalence of infection with adult W. bancrofti. The possible reasons for the antigenaemias observed are discussed.

A pilot study on quality of artesunate and amodiaquine tablets used in the fishing community of Tema, Ghana

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The ineffectiveness of artesunate and amodiaquine tablets in malaria treatment remains a health burden to WHO and governments of malaria-endemic countries, including Ghana. The proliferation of illegitimate anti-malarial drugs and its use by patients is of primary concern to international and local drug regulatory agencies because such drugs are known to contribute to the development of the malaria-resistant parasites in humans. No data exist on quality of these drugs in the fishing village communities in Ghana although the villagers are likely users of such drugs. A pilot study on the quality of anti-malarial tablets in circulation during the major fishing season at a malarious fishing village located along the coast of Tema in southern Ghana was determined. Methods Blisterpacks of anti-malarial tablets were randomly sampled. The International Pharmacopoeia and Global Pharma Health Fund Minilab protocols were used to assess the quality of anti-malarial tablets per blisterpacks allegedly manufactured by Guilin Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, China (GPCL) and Letap Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Ghana (LPL) and sold in chemical sales outlets at Kpone-on–Sea. Ferric chloride and cobaltous thiocyanate tests confirmed the presence of active ingredients in the tablets. A confirmatory test for the active ingredient was achieved with artesunate (ICRS1409) and amodiaquine (ICRS0209) reference standards. A high performance liquid chromatography analysis confirmed the amount of artesunate found in tablets. Results Based on the International Pharmacopoeia acceptable range of 96/98 to 102% for genuine artesunate per tablet, 10% [relative standard deviation (RSD): 3.2%] of field-selected artesunate blisterpack per tablets manufactured by GPCL, and 50% (RSD: 5.1%) of a similar package per tablet by LPL, passed the titrimetric test. However, 100% (RSD: 2.2%) of amodiaquine blisterpack per tablet by GPCL were found to be within the International Pharmacopeia acceptable range of 90 to 110% for genuine amodiaquine in tablet, whilst 17% of a similar package per tablet by LPL failed spectrophotometric testing. Conclusion Inadequate amounts of artesunate and amodiaquine detected in the tablets suggest that both pharmaceutical companies may not be following recommended drug formulation procedures, or the active pharmaceutical ingredients might have been degraded by improper storage conditions. Thus, drugs being sold at Kpone-on-Sea, Ghana may likely be classified as substandard drugs and not suitable for malaria treatment. PMID:23809666

Availability of Volunteer-Led Home-Based Care System and Baseline Factors as Predictors of Clinical Outcomes in HIV-Infected Patients in Rural Zambia

PubMed Central

Estopinal, Christopher B.; van Dijk, Janneke H.; Sitali, Stanley; Stewart, Hannah; Davidson, Mario A.; Spurrier, John; Vermund, Sten H.

2012-01-01

Background We assessed the impact of home-based care (HBC) for HIV+ patients, comparing outcomes between two groups of Zambians receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) who lived in villages with and without HBC teams. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using medical charts from Macha Mission Hospital, a hospital providing HIV care in Zambia's rural Southern Province. Date of birth, date of ART initiation, place of residence, sex, body mass index (BMI), CD4+ cell count, and hemoglobin (Hgb) were abstracted. Logistic regression was used to test our hypothesis that HBC was associated with treatment outcomes. Results Of 655 patients, 523 (80%) were eligible and included in the study. There were 428 patients (82%) with favorable outcomes (alive and on ART) and 95 patients (18%) with unfavorable outcomes (died, lost to follow-up, or stopped treatment). A minority of the 523 eligible patients (n = 84, 16%) lived in villages with HBC available. Living in a village with HBC was not significantly associated with treatment outcomes; 80% of patients in a village with HBC had favorable outcomes, compared to 82% of patients in a village without HBC (P = 0.6 by χ2). In bivariable analysis, lower BMI (P<0.001), low CD4+ cell count (P = 0.02), low Hgb concentration (P = 0.02), and older age at ART initiation (P = 0.047) were associated with unfavorable outcomes. In multivariable analysis, low BMI remained associated with unfavorable outcomes (P<0.001). Conclusions We did not find that living in a village with HBC available was associated with improved treatment outcomes. We speculate that the ART clinic's rigorous treatment preparation before ART initiation and continuous adherence counseling during ART create a motivated group of patients whose outcomes did not improve with additional HBC support. An alternative explanation is that the quality of the HBC program is suboptimal. PMID:23236351

How much is not enough? A Community Randomized trial of a Water and Health Education program for Trachoma and Ocular C. trachomatis infection in Niger

PubMed Central

Abdou, Amza; Munoz, Beatriz E; Nassirou, Baido; Kadri, Boubacar; Moussa, Fati; Baarè, Ibrahim; Riverson, Joseph; Opong, Emmanuel; West, Sheila K

2009-01-01

Summary Objective To determine the impact after two years of a water and health education (W/HE) program on ocular C. trachomatis infection and trachoma. Methods We randomized 12 trachoma-endemic communities in Maradi, Niger 1:1 to W/HE intervention and control arms and collected data on 10 of the 12 villages. In the intervention villages, at least one clean water well was constructed, and a three-month, modest health education program was provided immediately prior to the two year survey. We censused all households, and 557 children ages 1 to 5 years were randomly selected as sentinel children and examined at baseline and at one and two years from baseline. Trachoma was clinically assessed and a swab taken and analyzed for C. trachomatis. Tetracycline eye ointment was provided to all children in either arm during the surveys who had signs of trachoma. Results Infection with C. trachomatis declined slightly, and not significantly, in the children in the control villages over the two years, from 15% to 11%. The decline in infection was more pronounced, and significant, in the children in the intervention villages, from 26% to 15%. However, the change in infection rates in the intervention villages was not significantly different from the change in infection rates in the control villages (p=0.39, and 0.11 for change from baseline to one year and two year respectively). There was also no difference in the change in overall trachoma rates between the two arms. Conclusion These data suggest that the provision of water plus a modest health education program did not result in a significant difference in trachoma or ocular C. trachomatis infection in endemic communities in Niger. A more substantial health education intervention is likely necessary to produce change. PMID:20409284

Village energy system dynamics of an isolated rural West African village

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Nathan Gregory

This thesis examines the detailed energy system dynamics of an isolated rural agricultural village in West Africa. Every family lives on subsistence agriculture and there is no access to the electric grid. The study is based on a planning visit followed by three one-month studies in different seasons of a one-year period. Methods and findings are presented in three parts: (1) the overall dynamics of village energy supply and use for a one-year period, (2) the factors that influence fuel use for domestic cookstove applications, and (3) an assessment of the costs and benefits of various energy options for meeting domestic cooking needs. Wood and electricity account for 94% and less than 1% of village energy supply, respectively, yet both provide vital needs--cooked meals, hot water, warmth, clean water, lighting, and power for small electronics. The need for small-scale electricity is so great that the 21,000 disposable batteries purchased each year account for 65% of all domestic energy expenditures. Three-quarters of the annual village wood supply is burned within domestic cooking stoves. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify six factors that significantly impacted cooking energy use. These included the cookstove application, family size, total mass of wet and dry ingredients, mass of dry ingredients, use of burning embers as an igniter, and the number of fires used during a cooking event. Analysis indicated that cookstove type may affect fuel consumption but the effect was not statistically significant. Strong evidence was found of "stove stacking" in which improved stoves are used as additional cooking resources rather than a replacement for existing stoves. Sixty combinations of domestic cooking options were compared based on program cost and expected reduction in fuelwood use. Annualized capital costs ranged from zero to US$3,130 per year for reductions in wood use between 10.0% and 86.8% of the 234 metric tons of fuelwood used annually for cooking.

Protocol for a cluster randomised stepped wedge trial assessing the impact of a community-level hygiene intervention and a water intervention using riverbank filtration technology on diarrhoeal prevalence in India

PubMed Central

McGuinness, Sarah L; O'Toole, Joanne E; Boving, Thomas B; Forbes, Andrew B; Sinclair, Martha; Gautam, Sumit K; Leder, Karin

2017-01-01

Introduction Diarrhoea is a leading cause of death globally, mostly occurring as a result of insufficient or unsafe water supplies, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. Our study aims to investigate the impact of a community-level hygiene education program and a water quality intervention using riverbank filtration (RBF) technology on diarrhoeal prevalence. Methods and analysis We have designed a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial to estimate the health impacts of our intervention in 4 rural villages in Karnataka, India. At baseline, surveys will be conducted in all villages, and householders will receive hygiene education. New pipelines, water storage tanks and taps will then be installed at accessible locations in each village and untreated piped river water will be supplied. A subsequent survey will evaluate the impact of hygiene education combined with improved access to greater water volumes for hygiene and drinking purposes (improved water quantity). Villages will then be randomly ordered and RBF-treated water (improved water quality) will be sequentially introduced into the 4 villages in a stepwise manner, with administration of surveys at each time point. The primary outcome is a 7-day period prevalence of self-reported diarrhoea. Secondary outcomes include self-reported respiratory and skin infections, and reported changes in hygiene practices, household water usage and water supply preference. River, tank and tap water from each village, and stored water from a subset of households, will be sampled to assess microbial and chemical quality. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was obtained from the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee in Australia and The Energy and Resources Institute Institutional Ethics Committee in India. The results of the trial will be presented at conferences, published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated to relevant stakeholders. This study is funded by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) project grant. Trial registration number ACTRN12616001286437; pre-results. PMID:28314746

Participatory Mapping for Flood Disaster Zoning based on World View-2 Data in Long Beluah, North Kalimantan Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudaryatno; Awanda, Disyacitta; Eka Pratiwi, Sufiyana

2017-12-01

Flood is one of the most frequent disasters in Indonesia. These conditions cause the necessary efforts to reduce the impact of these hazards. To reduce the impact of these hazards is to understand spatially the impact of previous disasters. Participatory mapping is one of the solutions to be able to assist in reducing the impact of flood disaster by conducting flood zoning so it can be known the range of the flood. The community plays an important role in participatory mapping because the experiences and mental maps of the community are the main sources of information used. North Kalimantan Province has a very large watershed area that is in Kayan watershed, there are several villages, one of them is Long Beluah Village. Kayan watershed has a flood problem annually that affects most of the areas including the Long Beluah Village. This study aims to map the zoning of floods in the village of Long Beluah in a participatory manner using remote sensing World View-2 data within community, so that people also understand the conditions they face. The method for achieving that goal is participatory mapping which means community involvement as well as the ability of community mental maps that will make an important contribution in this research. The results of this study show that flood zoning can be mapped based on experience and community mental maps that the greatest floods in February 2015 inundated most of the community settlements in Long Beluah Village. There are few places from the uninhabited areas of settlements and serve as refugee camps. The participatory zonation map of the participatory floods is quite appropriate with the situation at the time of the greatest flood that hit the village of Long Beluah, so that through the map can be drawn up plans to reduce the impact of such disasters such as evacuation routes and a more strategic refuge point.

Modeling of Cr contamination in the agricultural lands of three villages near the leather industry in Kasur, Pakistan, using statistical and GIS techniques.

PubMed

Shafiq, Muhammad; Shaukat, Tahira; Nazir, Aisha; Bareen, Firdaus-E-

2017-08-01

Kasur is one of the hubs of leather industry in the Punjab, Pakistan, where chrome tanning method of leather processing is extensively being used. Chromium (Cr) accumulation levels in the irrigation water, soil, and seasonal vegetables were studied in three villages located in the vicinity of wastewater treatment plant and solid waste dumping site operated by the Kasur Tanneries Waste Management Agency (KTWMA). The data was interpreted using analysis of variance (ANOVA), clustering analysis (CA), and principal component analysis (PCA). Interpolated surface maps for Cr were generated using the actual data obtained for the 30 sampling sites in each of the three villages for irrigation water, soil, and seasonal vegetables. The level of contamination in the three villages was directly proportional to their distance from KTWMA wastewater treatment plant and the direction of water runoff. The highest level of Cr contamination in soil (mg kg -1 ) was observed at Faqeeria Wala (37.67), intermediate at Dollay Wala (30.33), and the least in Maan (25.16). A gradational variation in Cr accumulation was observed in the three villages from contaminated wastewater having the least contamination level (2.02-4.40 mg L -1 ), to soil (25.16-37.67 mg kg -1 ), and ultimately in the seasonal vegetable crops (156.67-248.33 mg kg -1 ) cultivated in the region, having the highest level of Cr contamination above the permissible limit. The model used not only predicted the current situation of Cr contamination in the three villages but also indicated the trend of magnification of Cr contamination from irrigation water to soil and to the base of the food chain. Among the multiple causes of Cr contamination of vegetables, soil irrigation with contaminated groundwater was observed to be the dominant one.

Animal Reservoirs of Zoonotic Tungiasis in Endemic Rural Villages of Uganda

PubMed Central

Mutebi, Francis; Krücken, Jürgen; Feldmeier, Hermann; Waiswa, Charles; Mencke, Norbert; Sentongo, Elizabeth; von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg

2015-01-01

Background Animal tungiasis is believed to increase the prevalence and parasite burden in humans. Animal reservoirs of Tunga penetrans differ among endemic areas and their role in the epidemiology of tungiasis had never been investigated in Uganda. Methods and Findings To identify the major animal reservoirs of Tunga penetrans and their relative importance in the transmission of tungiasis in Uganda, a cross sectional study was conducted in animal rearing households in 10 endemic villages in Bugiri District. T. penetrans infections were detected in pigs, dogs, goats and a cat. The prevalences of households with tungiasis ranged from 0% to 71.4% (median 22.2) for animals and from 5 to 71.4% (median 27.8%) for humans. The prevalence of human tungiasis also varied among the population of the villages (median 7%, range 1.3–37.3%). Pig infections had the widest distribution (nine out of 10 villages) and highest prevalence (median 16.2%, range 0–64.1%). Pigs also had a higher number of embedded sand fleas than all other species combined (p<0.0001). Dog tungiasis occurred in five out of 10 villages with low prevalences (median of 2%, range 0–26.9%). Only two goats and a single cat had tungiasis. Prevalences of animal and human tungiasis correlated at both village (rho = 0.89, p = 0.0005) and household (rho = 0.4, p<0.0001) levels. The median number of lesions in household animals correlated with the median intensity of infection in children three to eight years of age (rho = 0.47, p<0.0001). Animal tungiasis increased the odds of occurrence of human cases in households six fold (OR = 6.1, 95% CI 3.3–11.4, p<0.0001). Conclusion Animal and human tungiasis were closely associated and pigs were identified as the most important animal hosts of T. penetrans. Effective tungiasis control should follow One Health principles and integrate ectoparasites control in animals. PMID:26473360

75 FR 76979 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-10

... persons and from American Indian and Alaskan Native Village community water systems and not-for-profit non... Activities: Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; 2011 Drinking Water Infrastructure...: Robert Barles, Drinking Water Protection Division (Mail Code 4606M), Office of Ground Water and Drinking...

Process evaluation of a community-based adolescent obesity prevention project in Tonga

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The rising burden of obesity in Tonga is alarming. The promotion of healthy behaviours and environments requires immediate urgent action and a multi-sectoral approach. A three-year community based study titled the Ma'alahi Youth Project (MYP) conducted in Tonga from 2005-2008 aimed to increase the capacity of the whole community (schools, churches, parents and adolescents) to promote healthy eating and regular physical activity and to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst youth and their families. This paper reflects on the process evaluation for MYP, against a set of Best Practice Principles for community-based obesity prevention. Methods MYP was managed by the Fiji School of Medicine. A team of five staff in Tonga were committed to planning, implementation and evaluation of a strategic plan, the key planks of which were developed during a two day community workshop. Intervention activities were delivered in villages, churches and schools, on the main island of Tongatapu. Process evaluation data covering the resource utilisation associated with all intervention activities were collected, and analysed by dose, frequency and reach for specific strategies. The action plan included three standard objectives around capacity building, social marketing and evaluation; four nutrition; two physical activity objectives; and one around championing key people as role models. Results While the interventions included a wide mix of activities straddling across all of these objectives and in both school and village settings, there was a major focus on the social marketing and physical activity objectives. The intervention reach, frequency and dose varied widely across all activities, and showed no consistent patterns. Conclusions The adolescent obesity interventions implemented as part of the MYP program comprised a wide range of activities conducted in multiple settings, touched a broad spectrum of the population (wider than the target group), but the dose and frequency of activities were generally insufficient and not sustained. Also the project confirmed that, while the MYP resulted in increased community awareness of healthy behaviours, Tonga is still in its infancy in terms of conducting public health research and lacks research infrastructure and capacity. PMID:21549018

Ecology and Demography of Free-Roaming Domestic Dogs in Rural Villages near Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

PubMed

Czupryna, Anna M; Brown, Joel S; Bigambo, Machunde A; Whelan, Christopher J; Mehta, Supriya D; Santymire, Rachel M; Lankester, Felix J; Faust, Lisa J

2016-01-01

Free-roaming dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are of public health and conservation concern because of their potential to transmit diseases, such as rabies, to both people and wildlife. Understanding domestic dog population dynamics and how they could potentially be impacted by interventions, such as rabies vaccination, is vital for such disease control efforts. For four years, we measured demographic data on 2,649 free-roaming domestic dogs in four rural villages in Tanzania: two villages with and two without a rabies vaccination campaign. We examined the effects of body condition, sex, age and village on survivorship and reproduction. Furthermore, we compared sources of mortality among villages. We found that adult dogs (>12mos) had higher survival than puppies in all villages. We observed a male-biased sex ratio across all age classes. Overall survival in one non-vaccination village was lower than in the other three villages, all of which had similar survival probabilities. In all villages, dogs in poor body condition had lower survival than dogs in ideal body condition. Sickness and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) predation were the two main causes of dog death. Within vaccination villages, vaccinated dogs had higher survivorship than unvaccinated dogs. Dog population growth, however, was similar in all the villages suggesting village characteristics and ownership practices likely have a greater impact on overall dog population dynamics than vaccination. Free-roaming domestic dogs in rural communities exist in the context of their human owners as well as the surrounding wildlife. Our results did not reveal a clear effect of vaccination programs on domestic dog population dynamics. An investigation of the role of dogs and their care within these communities could provide additional insight for planning and implementing rabies control measures such as mass dog vaccination.

Perceived descriptive safety-related driving norms within and outside Arab towns and villages in Israel.

PubMed

Baron-Epel, Orna; Obid, Samira; Fertig, Shahar; Gitelman, Victoria

2016-01-01

Involvement in car crashes is higher among Israeli Arabs compared to Jews. This study characterized perceived descriptive driving norms (PDDNs) within and outside Arab towns/villages and estimated their association with involvement in car crashes. Arab drivers (594) living in 19 towns and villages were interviewed in face-to-face interviews. The questionnaire included questions about involvement in car crashes, PDDNs within and outside the towns/villages, attitudes toward traffic safety laws, traffic law violations, and socioeconomic and demographic variables. PDDNs represent individuals' perceptions on how safe other people typically drive. The low scores indicate a low percentage of drivers performing unsafe behaviors (safer driving-related norms). A structural equation modeling analysis was applied to identify factors associated with PDDNs and involvement in car crashes. A large difference was found in PDDNs within and outside the towns/villages. Mostly, the respondents reported higher rates of unsafe PDDNs within the towns/villages (mean = 3.76, SD = 0.63) and lower rates of PDDNs outside the towns/villages (mean = 2.12, SD = 0.60). PDDNs outside the towns/villages were associated with involvement in a car crash (r = -0.12, P <.01), but those within the towns/villages were not. Within the towns/villages, attitudes toward traffic laws and PDDNs were positively associated with traffic law violations (r = 0.56, P <.001; r = 0.11, P <.001 respectively), where traffic law violations were directly associated with involvement in a car crash (r = -0.14, P <.001). Unsafe PDDNs may add directly and indirectly to unsafe driving and involvement in car crashes in Arab Israelis. Because PDDNs outside towns/villages were better, increased law enforcement within towns/villages may improve these norms and decrease involvement in car crashes.

Ecology and Demography of Free-Roaming Domestic Dogs in Rural Villages near Serengeti National Park in Tanzania

PubMed Central

Brown, Joel S.; Bigambo, Machunde A.; Whelan, Christopher J.; Mehta, Supriya D.; Santymire, Rachel M.; Lankester, Felix J.; Faust, Lisa J.

2016-01-01

Free-roaming dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are of public health and conservation concern because of their potential to transmit diseases, such as rabies, to both people and wildlife. Understanding domestic dog population dynamics and how they could potentially be impacted by interventions, such as rabies vaccination, is vital for such disease control efforts. For four years, we measured demographic data on 2,649 free-roaming domestic dogs in four rural villages in Tanzania: two villages with and two without a rabies vaccination campaign. We examined the effects of body condition, sex, age and village on survivorship and reproduction. Furthermore, we compared sources of mortality among villages. We found that adult dogs (>12mos) had higher survival than puppies in all villages. We observed a male-biased sex ratio across all age classes. Overall survival in one non-vaccination village was lower than in the other three villages, all of which had similar survival probabilities. In all villages, dogs in poor body condition had lower survival than dogs in ideal body condition. Sickness and spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) predation were the two main causes of dog death. Within vaccination villages, vaccinated dogs had higher survivorship than unvaccinated dogs. Dog population growth, however, was similar in all the villages suggesting village characteristics and ownership practices likely have a greater impact on overall dog population dynamics than vaccination. Free-roaming domestic dogs in rural communities exist in the context of their human owners as well as the surrounding wildlife. Our results did not reveal a clear effect of vaccination programs on domestic dog population dynamics. An investigation of the role of dogs and their care within these communities could provide additional insight for planning and implementing rabies control measures such as mass dog vaccination. PMID:27893866

Incentives Increase Participation in Mass Dog Rabies Vaccination Clinics and Methods of Coverage Estimation Are Assessed to Be Accurate

PubMed Central

Steinmetz, Melissa; Czupryna, Anna; Bigambo, Machunde; Mzimbiri, Imam; Powell, George; Gwakisa, Paul

2015-01-01

In this study we show that incentives (dog collars and owner wristbands) are effective at increasing owner participation in mass dog rabies vaccination clinics and we conclude that household questionnaire surveys and the mark-re-sight (transect survey) method for estimating post-vaccination coverage are accurate when all dogs, including puppies, are included. Incentives were distributed during central-point rabies vaccination clinics in northern Tanzania to quantify their effect on owner participation. In villages where incentives were handed out participation increased, with an average of 34 more dogs being vaccinated. Through economies of scale, this represents a reduction in the cost-per-dog of $0.47. This represents the price-threshold under which the cost of the incentive used must fall to be economically viable. Additionally, vaccination coverage levels were determined in ten villages through the gold-standard village-wide census technique, as well as through two cheaper and quicker methods (randomized household questionnaire and the transect survey). Cost data were also collected. Both non-gold standard methods were found to be accurate when puppies were included in the calculations, although the transect survey and the household questionnaire survey over- and under-estimated the coverage respectively. Given that additional demographic data can be collected through the household questionnaire survey, and that its estimate of coverage is more conservative, we recommend this method. Despite the use of incentives the average vaccination coverage was below the 70% threshold for eliminating rabies. We discuss the reasons and suggest solutions to improve coverage. Given recent international targets to eliminate rabies, this study provides valuable and timely data to help improve mass dog vaccination programs in Africa and elsewhere. PMID:26633821

Village registers for vital registration in rural Malawi.

PubMed

Singogo, E; Kanike, E; van Lettow, M; Cataldo, F; Zachariah, R; Bissell, K; Harries, A D

2013-08-01

Paper-based village registers were introduced 5 years ago in Malawi as a tool to measure vital statistics of births and deaths at the population level. However, usage, completeness and accuracy of their content have never been formally evaluated. In Traditional Authority Mwambo, Zomba district, Malawi, we assessed 280 of the 325 village registers with respect to (i) characteristics of village headmen who used village registers, (ii) use and content of village registers, and (iii) whether village registers provided accurate information on births and deaths. All village headpersons used registers. There were 185 (66%) registers that were regarded as 95% completed, and according to the registers, there were 115 840 people living in the villages in the catchment area. In 2011, there were 1753 births recorded in village registers, while 6397 births were recorded in health centre registers in the same catchment area. For the same year, 199 deaths were recorded in village registers, giving crude death rates per 100 000 population of 189 for males and 153 for females. These could not be compared with death rates in health centre registers due to poor and inconsistent recording in these registers, but they were compared with death rates obtained from the 2010 Malawi Demographic Health Survey that reported 880 and 840 per 100 000 for males and females, respectively. In conclusion, this study shows that village registers are a potential source for vital statistics. However, considerable inputs are needed to improve accuracy of births and deaths, and there are no functional systems for the collation and analysis of data at the traditional authority level. Innovative ways to address these challenges are discussed, including the use of solar-powered electronic village registers and mobile phones, connected with each other and the health facilities and the District Commissioner's office through the cellular network and wireless coverage. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Seroprevalence of dengue in a rural and an urbanized village: A pilot study from rural western India.

PubMed

Shah, P S; Deoshatwar, A; Karad, S; Mhaske, S; Singh, A; Bachal, R V; Alagarasu, K; Padbidri, V S; Cecilia, D

2017-01-01

Dengue is highly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions. The prevalence of dengue is influenced by number of factors, i.e. host, vector, virus and environmental conditions including urbanization and population density. A cross sectional study was undertaken to determine the seroprevalence of dengue in two selected villages that differed in the level of their urbanization and population density. Two villages with demographically well-defined populations close to Pune, a metropolitan city of western India, were selected for the study. Age stratified serosurvey was carried out during February to May 2011 in the two villages-a rural village A, located 6 km from the national highway with a population density of 159/km2 ; and an urbanized village B, located along the highway with a population density of 779/km2 . Assuming a low seroposi- tivity of 10%, 702 serum samples were collected from village A. Sample size for village B was calculated on the basis of seropositivity obtained in village A, and 153 samples were collected. Serum samples were tested for the presence of dengue virus (DENV)-specific IgG. Simple proportional analyses were used to calculate and compare the seroprevalence. Of the 702 samples collected from village A, 42.8% were found positive for anti-DENV IgG. A significantly higher seropositivity for DENV (58.8%) was found in village B. In village A, there was an age dependent increase in seroprevalence; whereas, in village B, there was a steep increase from 17% positivity in 0-10 yr age group to 72% in the 11-20 yr age group. The seroprevalence was almost similar in the older age groups. The observations suggested that prevalence of dengue is probably associated with urbanization and host population density. Areas that are in the process of urbanization needs to be monitored for prevalence of dengue and its vector, and appropriate vector control measures may be implemented.

Commercial activities and subsistence utilization of mangrove forests around the Wouri estuary and the Douala-Edea reserve (Cameroon).

PubMed

Atheull, Adolphe Nfotabong; Din, Ndongo; Longonje, Simon N; Koedam, Nico; Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid

2009-11-17

Worldwide there is growing research interest in the ethnobiology of mangrove forests. Notwithstanding that, little information has been published about ethnobiology of mangrove forests in Cameroon. The aims of this study were a) to analyze the harvesting methods and the local selling of mangrove wood products by loggers in the vicinity of Wouri estuary and b) to investigate the patterns of subsistence uses of mangrove wood products around the Douala-Edea reserve. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 120 active mangrove loggers in 23 Douala wood markets and 103 households located in three villages (Mbiako, Yoyo I and Yoyo II) close to Douala-Edea reserve. In each of the three densely populated villages, every second household was chosen for sampling while in all markets, mangrove loggers were chosen randomly. In addition, log diameters were measured in each market using a wooden foldable tape measure. A post hoc analysis (Newman-Keuls test) was performed in order to detect the common wood class diameter sold in the Douala wood markets. The analysis of the loggers' survey data has shown that large logs of Rhizophora with diameter greater than 40 cm were common in the Douala wood markets and were more closely associated with loggers who used chainsaws. In addition to the general mangroves wood products selling, the analysis on a subsistence level (households' survey) suggests the local population's dependence on mangroves, with multiple uses of Rhizophora racemosa Meyer, R. harrisonii Leechman, Avicennia germinans L. Stearn., Laguncularia racemosa Gaertn. f. and Conocarpus erectus L. timbers for furniture, fences, smoking fish, and fuelwood. Finally, Nypa fruticans (Thunb.) Wurmb. leaves were used as thatching material for house walls and roofs. Our findings revealed that big logs of Rhizophora were commonly sold by the loggers. A majority of loggers (60%) reported that mangrove marketed wood constitute a principal source of income. Most of the villagers (85.83%) often depend on mangroves for subsistence needs and for them there is no substitute for mangrove wood. Therefore, more efforts should be undertaken at the national level to implement conservation, management and sustainable use of these coastal forests.

Study on the “3F-in-1” Sustainable Reconstruction of Rural Architecture from Placeality Perspective--A Case Study of Caiyuan Village in Jingmen City, Hubei Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fangyu, Fu; Yu, Cao

2017-05-01

This paper takes Caiyuan Village in Jingmen City of Hubei Province as the research object, analyzes the production, life and ecological functions of rural buildings and the “3F-in-1” inherent mechanism from the local perspective. Based on the concept analysis of placeality and “3F-in-1”, this paper clarifies the relationship among the value of life function, production function, ecological function so as to analyze the “3F-in-1” mode of rural architecture with placeality. On this basis, this thesis puts forward the strategy of sustainable spatial transformation (1) preserve the traditional overall spatial structure of villages, (2) improve the adaptability and function of rural architecture, (3) extend the rural social culture, (4) pay attention to local perception, with a view to explore an organic system design method for the exhibition of placeality and sustainable development of beautiful countryside.

Ordinal logistic regression analysis on the nutritional status of children in KarangKitri village

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohyver, Margaretha; Yongharto, Kimmy Octavian

2015-09-01

Ordinal logistic regression is a statistical technique that can be used to describe the relationship between ordinal response variable with one or more independent variables. This method has been used in various fields including in the health field. In this research, ordinal logistic regression is used to describe the relationship between nutritional status of children with age, gender, height, and family status. Nutritional status of children in this research is divided into over nutrition, well nutrition, less nutrition, and malnutrition. The purpose for this research is to describe the characteristics of children in the KarangKitri Village and to determine the factors that influence the nutritional status of children in the KarangKitri village. There are three things that obtained from this research. First, there are still children who are not categorized as well nutritional status. Second, there are children who come from sufficient economic level which include in not normal status. Third, the factors that affect the nutritional level of children are age, family status, and height.

A Model of Small Capacity Power Plant in Tateli Village, North Sulawesi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangari, F. J.; Rompas, P. T. D.

2017-03-01

The electricity supply in North Sulawesi is still very limited so ubiquitous electric current outage. It makes rural communities have problems in life because most uses electrical energy. One of the solutions is a model of power plants to supply electricity in Tateli village, Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The objective of this research is to get the model that generate electrical energy for household needs through power plant that using a model of Picohydro with cross flow turbine in Tateli village. The method used the study of literature, survey the construction site of the power plant and the characteristics of the location being a place of research, analysis of hydropower ability and analyzing costs of power plant. The result showed that the design model of cross flow turbines used in pico-hydro hydropower installations is connected to a generator to produce electrical energy maximum of 3.29 kW for household needs. This analyze will be propose to local government of Minahasa, North Sulawesi, Indonesia to be followed.

[Epidemiological investigation of fascioliasis and analysis of a chronic human fascioliasis case in Binchuan County, Yunnan Province].

PubMed

Chen, Feng; Yang, Hui; Liu, Yu-hua; Duan, Yu-chun; Yang, Jing; Cui, Yu-hua; Yang, Li-qun; Yang, Qiong; Zhang, Jian-guo; Luo, Jia-jun

2014-12-01

From February to March 2014, six natural villages in Zhoucheng Town, Binchuan County of Yunan Province, were randomly selected by cluster sampling. Serum anti-fascioliasis IgG was detected by ELISA. The sero-positive individuals were further tested for Fasciola infection using sediment detection with nylon bag (260 meshes) and Kato-Katz method. Among 1207 sampled persons, the sero-positive rate was 3.0% (36/1207). The rate in males and females was 2.3% (12/530) and 3.6% (24/677) (u=1.46, P>0.05). The sero-positive rate in Zhoucheng Village and Baizhuang Village was 4.0% (24/616) and 2.0% (12/591), respectively (u=2.07, P<0.05). The positive rate of stool examination in serum-positive persons was 6.5% (2/31). One stool-egg-positive patients was the case in 2012 outbreak, and the eggs were stale. The other patient was newly infected, and further clinical diagnosis indicated that it was a case of chronic fascioliasis.

Rapid intervention to reduce Ebola transmission in a remote village - Gbarpolu County, Liberia, 2014.

PubMed

Blackley, David J; Lindblade, Kim A; Kateh, Francis; Broyles, Laura N; Westercamp, Matthew; Neatherlin, John C; Pillai, Satish K; Tucker, Anthony; Mott, Joshua A; Walke, Henry; Nyenswah, Tolbert

2015-02-27

As late as September 14, 2014, Liberia's Gbarpolu County had reported zero cases of Ebola virus disease (Ebola). On October 25, the Bong County Health Team, a local health department in the Liberian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW), received confirmation of Ebola in a man who had recently left Geleyansiesu, a remote village of approximately 800 residents, after his wife and daughter had died of illnesses consistent with Ebola. MOHSW requested assistance from CDC, the World Health Organization, and other international partners to investigate and confirm the outbreak in Geleyansiesu and begin interventions to interrupt transmission. A total of 22 cases were identified, of which 18 (82%) were laboratory confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. There were 16 deaths (case-fatality rate = 73%). Without road access to or direct telecommunications with the village, interventions had to be tailored to the local context. Public health interventions included 1) education of the community about Ebola, transmission of the virus, signs and symptoms, the importance of isolating ill patients from family members, and the potential benefits of early diagnosis and treatment; 2) establishment of mechanisms to alert health authorities of possibly infected persons leaving the village to facilitate safe transport to the closest Ebola treatment unit (ETU); 3) case investigation, contact tracing, and monitoring of contacts; 4) training in hygienic burial of dead bodies; 5) active case finding and diagnosis; and 6) isolation and limited no-touch treatment in the village of patients unwilling or unable to seek care at an ETU. The findings of this investigation could inform interventions aimed at controlling focal outbreaks in difficult-to-reach communities, which has been identified as an important component of the effort to eliminate Ebola from Liberia.

Engaging the Athabascan Native American students of Venetie, Alaska in the auroral research occurring over their village

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michell, R. G.; Powell, D.; Samara, M.; Jahn, J.; Pfeifer, M.; Ibarra, S.; Hampton, D. L.

2012-12-01

During February 2012, an optical auroral obversing campaign was conducted from the remote village of Venetie, located in North-central Alaska. The approximately 200 people in the village of are mostly Gwich'in Athabaskan. Venetie is in a unique location in that it is one of the only villages that has sounding rockets launched directly over it. While there for the research campaign of approximately one week, I spent several days meeting with and talking to the students about the auroral research that occurs literaly over their village. The John Fredson School in Venetie is a K-12 school and I was able to talk with all of the classes. They were very receptive and interested in science, but have very limited connectivity with the rest of the world, even with a slow internet connection at the school. Their perspective about the aurora is completely different, for them, the aurora is a nearly everyday experience in the winter and therefore they do not think much of it, much like students in the lower 48 would think of clouds. Using the internet, we were able to connect the 4th and 5th grade students in Venetie (through Skype) with a group of 4th and 5th grade students at Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children in San Antonio, TX. This was very successful on both ends and resulted in many ideas for future activities. We will discuss the experiences from this trip and the lessons learned for conducting K-12 outreach in such remote schools.; Dr. Michell presenting to the students in Venetie, AK. ; Tribal office building in Venetie, AK, with the aurora overhead.

Factors affecting perception of beneficiaries of National Programme on Improved Cookstoves regarding cost-benefit of adoption of Mamta Stove

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

George, R.; Yadla, V.L.

1995-10-01

Perceived levels of cost-benefit of adoption of Mamta Stove (MS) was investigated on a sample of 390 beneficiaries of National Programme on Improved Cookstoves (NPIC) drawn through multistage random sampling technique from 3 villages in Gujarat State, viz., Kanjari, Vadadla, and Sindhrot. A standardized cost-benefit scale that exhibited a reliability coefficient of 0.92 was used in the study. The main cooks revealed a mean age of 36 years. Regarding perception on available sources of cooking fuel and accessibility to those, a wide disparity was observed, not only with reference to commercial sources and fuel forms but also with reference tomore » free fuels gathered from forest land and waste land. MSs were installed in rural kitchens with the active involvement of about 50% of the main cooks. Majority of the cooks in Sindhrot village attended user education camps. The mean perceived cost-benefit ratio (PCBR) was computed to be 0.14. However, PCBR of the cooks from Sindhrot village was 0.51 while those of Vadadla and Kanjari were 0.09 and {minus}0.19 respectively. The correlation coefficient computed between PCBR and selected variables revealed that there existed a significant positive correlation between PCBR of the cook and their participation in NPIC and quality of installation of MS. The observation of the highest PCBR in Sindhrot village, a model smokeless village developed by TBU Baroda, could be attributed to the implementation of NPIC in a systematic manner adopting participatory model. The paper discusses at length the implications of the study and outlines the strategies for achieving widespread adoption of MS by beneficiaries of NPIC.« less

Modeling of Soil Water Availability for Agricultural Planning at Pelaga Village, Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suyarto, R.; Sunarta, I. N.; Wiyanti; Padmayani, N. K. H.

2017-12-01

Pelaga Village is located in Badung regency which has the advantage in agriculture with the cultivation of coffee plants, oranges, carrots, cabbage, and chili. The physical condition of Pelaga Village which has high rainfall, bumpy areas, and sandy-sandy ground texture causes air to air to be available for plants. Based on these questions then conducted a study to determine the comparison between the available water and water requirement for agriculture. Available water was difference field capacity and permanent wilting point method and crop water requirement was using Blaney-Criddle method. The results from this research was deficit between available air and crop water requirements. Available water was 12,12% and crop water requirement in initial stage, dev. Stage, mid-season stage, and late season stage respectively, coffee 11.28%, 24.19%, 35.49%, 29.04%; cabbage 19.58%, 19.58%, 33.10%, 27.74%: carrot 14.82%, 28.61%, 28.61%, 27.95%: Orange 14.82%, 28.61%, 28.61%, 27.23%; chili, 17.37%,17.37%, 34.80%, 30.46%. Soil management that must be done is by short-term land management by sprinkling long-term soil management by means of organic material valuation, irrigation making, and terracing making.

Quality of drinking water from ponds in villages of Kolleru Lake region.

PubMed

Rao, A S; Rao, P R; Rao, N S

2001-01-01

Kolleru Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in the districts of East and West Godavari of Andhra Pradesh. The major population centres in the Kolleru Lake region are the 148 villages of which 50 bed villages and 98 belt villages. All bed and belt villages in lake region have at least one drinking water pond. Drinking water ponds are filled with lake water during monsoon season and directly supplied to the public throughout the year. The water samples were collected from village drinking water ponds in a year by covering three seasons and analysed for different physico-chemical parameters to assess the quality of drinking water.

Health promotion and risk reduction in Malawi, Africa, village women.

PubMed

Gennaro, S; Thyangathyanga, D; Kershbaumer, R; Thompson, J

2001-01-01

A train-the-trainer intervention was evaluated in which village leaders in Malawi, Africa, taught other villagers how to improve their health. Health knowledge and reported health practices were compared before and after the educational intervention in 15 villages in Chimutu, Malawi, Africa. Surveys were completed by trained data gatherers in the village setting. All men and women of childbearing age who were present in the village when data collection occurred were asked to participate. There were 187 participants in the preintervention survey and 175 participants in the postintervention survey. Seventy-six village women were trained, using low literacy techniques, to provide content on health promotion and risk reduction in pregnancy. Over 20,000 persons have received at least one health teaching session from the village trainers. The intervention resulted in reported changes in prenatal and postpartum care and in more births occurring in the hospital or clinic. Some positive nutritional changes were reported, although few changes in beliefs about use of herbal medicines or about the use of witchcraft were reported. A train-the-trainer approach is a sustainable intervention that appears to have positive benefits on the health of village women living in Malawi, Africa.

A new methodology for sampling blackflies for the entomological surveillance of onchocerciasis in Brazil

PubMed Central

do Nascimento-Carvalho, Érika S.; Cesário, Raquel de Andrade; do Vale, Vladimir Fazito; Aranda, Arion Tulio; Valente, Ana Carolina dos Santos; Maia-Herzog, Marilza

2017-01-01

The effectiveness of the MosqTent® trap was evaluated in endemic area to onchocerciasis in Brazil. This study seeks to provide subsidies for the monitoring of the onchocerciasis transmission in the country. The study was carried out at the Homoxi and Thirei villages, located in the Yanomami Indigenous Land, in the state of Roraima. This area presents hyperendemicity, high blackflies densities, large population migrations and mining activities. The Homoxi and Thirei villages are assisted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. To conduct the present study, the village leader, health leaders and the Brazilian Ethics Committee were consulted. Blackflies captures were carried out simultaneously at the Homoxi and Thirei, using systematized methods to allow for comparisons between the traditional Human Landing Catch (HLC) and HLC protected by the MosqTent®. The female blackflies were captured at two equidistant capture stations per locality, by two collectors per station, for five consecutive days. Individuals captured by interval/station/day were counted, identified and maintained at -20°C. The underlying probability distributions and the differences between the methods for the independent sample data were verified in a comparative statistical analysis between the use of the MosqTent® and the HLC. A total of 10,855 antropophilic blackflies were captured by both methodologies. A total of 7,367 (67.87%) blackflies belonging to seven species were captured by MosqTent® —Simulium incrustatum s.l (99.06%); S. guianense s.l (0.74%), S. oyapockense s.l (0.01%), S. exiguum (0.10%), S. metallicum (0.05%), S. ochraceum (0.03%) and S. minusculum s.l (0.01%). Moreover, 3,488 (32.14%) blackflies belonging to four species were captured by HLC—S. incrustatum s.l (98.33%); S. guianense s.l (1.38%), S. oyapockense s.l (0.26%) and S. metallicum (0.03%). The MosqTent® was more effective and efficient when compared to HLC. When comparing total blackflies captured/day, the MosqTent® was more efficient than HLC (p = 0.031) with a means of 799.4 blackflies/day versus 217.6 blackflies/day by HLC. The results demonstrated improved performance and high reliability of the MosqTent® compared to the traditional HLC method. PMID:28727733

A new methodology for sampling blackflies for the entomological surveillance of onchocerciasis in Brazil.

PubMed

Nascimento-Carvalho, Érika S do; Cesário, Raquel de Andrade; do Vale, Vladimir Fazito; Aranda, Arion Tulio; Valente, Ana Carolina Dos Santos; Maia-Herzog, Marilza

2017-01-01

The effectiveness of the MosqTent® trap was evaluated in endemic area to onchocerciasis in Brazil. This study seeks to provide subsidies for the monitoring of the onchocerciasis transmission in the country. The study was carried out at the Homoxi and Thirei villages, located in the Yanomami Indigenous Land, in the state of Roraima. This area presents hyperendemicity, high blackflies densities, large population migrations and mining activities. The Homoxi and Thirei villages are assisted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. To conduct the present study, the village leader, health leaders and the Brazilian Ethics Committee were consulted. Blackflies captures were carried out simultaneously at the Homoxi and Thirei, using systematized methods to allow for comparisons between the traditional Human Landing Catch (HLC) and HLC protected by the MosqTent®. The female blackflies were captured at two equidistant capture stations per locality, by two collectors per station, for five consecutive days. Individuals captured by interval/station/day were counted, identified and maintained at -20°C. The underlying probability distributions and the differences between the methods for the independent sample data were verified in a comparative statistical analysis between the use of the MosqTent® and the HLC. A total of 10,855 antropophilic blackflies were captured by both methodologies. A total of 7,367 (67.87%) blackflies belonging to seven species were captured by MosqTent® -Simulium incrustatum s.l (99.06%); S. guianense s.l (0.74%), S. oyapockense s.l (0.01%), S. exiguum (0.10%), S. metallicum (0.05%), S. ochraceum (0.03%) and S. minusculum s.l (0.01%). Moreover, 3,488 (32.14%) blackflies belonging to four species were captured by HLC-S. incrustatum s.l (98.33%); S. guianense s.l (1.38%), S. oyapockense s.l (0.26%) and S. metallicum (0.03%). The MosqTent® was more effective and efficient when compared to HLC. When comparing total blackflies captured/day, the MosqTent® was more efficient than HLC (p = 0.031) with a means of 799.4 blackflies/day versus 217.6 blackflies/day by HLC. The results demonstrated improved performance and high reliability of the MosqTent® compared to the traditional HLC method.

Sanitation and income improvement by local community as sustainable participatory development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikemi, M.

2017-03-01

Most people in low-income areas such as rural village in Africa and urban slum in Southeast Asia live with limited economic resources and poor sanitation conditions. In order to deal with the situation, many of the people have formed community-based organizations and joined the organization activities for the common purpose of improving these conditions as participatory development. This study attempts to examine and evaluate the impact of the activities in their respective local communities. From the case study in two villages of rural Senegal, self-help effort is considered essential to solve the people’s income and hygiene problems through their community participation for sustainable development. For the implementation, the organizational solidarity, adequate water supply and water management are crucially needed. It is suggested to encourage community-based organizations effectively working for income improvement to also consider practicing for sanitation improvement.

Eld's deer translocated to human-inhabited areas become nocturnal.

PubMed

Pan, Duo; Teng, Liwei; Cui, Fangjie; Zeng, Zhigao; Bravery, Benjamin D; Zhang, Qiong; Song, Yanling

2011-02-01

As human populations expand and nonhuman animals decline, understanding the interactions between people and wildlife is essential. For endangered species, appreciating the effect of human disturbance can be important for their conservation. However, a human disturbance angle is often absent from ecological research, despite growing evidence of the negative impact of nonfatal human interference. Here, we monitored Hainan Eld's deer living within a reserve and translocated animals living amongst villagers. We show that translocated deer deviated from a crepuscular activity pattern and became increas-. ingly nocturnal, and most active when villagers were not. It appears that translocated deer adapted over time to human disturbance and this pattern is similar to that of other species during periods of hunting. People do not pose an actual threat to Eld's deer, but their presence triggered a response akin to predator avoidance and may be interfering with broader aspects of their biology and conservation.

Cheapest insertion heuristics algorithm to optimize WIP product distributions in FBS Fashion Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanjung, WN; Nurhasanah, N.; Suri, QA; Jingga; Aribowo, B.; Mardhika, DA; Gayatri, AM; Safitri, R.; Supriyanto, A.

2017-12-01

The textile industry is one of the 10 commodities of industrial products which are still survives in Indonesia due to the crisis in the year 2009 until 2016. Drawback happened in 2017 by increased the number of demand by approximate 3% compares with previous year. In this case, the research conducted in Small Medium Enterprise (SME) called FBS. SME is a business group that is able to absorb a lot of labor and a source of income for society. SME FBS producing clothing boys and domiciled in Jakarta. To complete FBS product, the WIP products are sent to CMT or depot in Sukabumi. In this study, aims to do the shortest route in the determination of the distribution of WIP product to 10 CMT scattered in the area of Sukabumi. After optimization hapened, the route must be started from the Depot SME FBS Sukabumi-Shell Sand Village - village of Sukamaju Village - Margaluyu Village - Narogong Cicurug, - the village of Parakanlima, Cuguha - Padabeunghar Village - Sagaranten Village - village of Ciherang, Ciguyang, Sagaranten - the village of Bojong Waru, Pasirsalam Village, Purabaya - Students - return to Depot SME FBS Sukabumi with mileage in a single trip of 403.6 kilometers. It spents 10 hours 09 minutes and cost distribution issued amounting to IDR 296,928.52. The route length was optimized 47% from 759.1 become 403.6 kilometers.

The search for sand fly adults in a village in southern Egypt

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There are several good papers in the literature describing methods for collecting adult phlebotomine sand flies from habitats putatively used for resting sites. The published data from such searches demonstrate that finding adult sand flies can be quite difficult even when using established methods....

Determining Banjar Boundary and Tourism Planning using Participatory Mapping (Case Study in Pesinggahan Village, Klungkung Regency, Bali, Indonesia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunarta, I. N.; Kusmawati, T.; Hutauruk, J.; Lestari, N. K. D. A.

2017-12-01

Banjar is a legal community unity that has territorial boundaries based on origin and customs in Bali. Banjar is the smallest administrative area in Bali Province, Indonesia. Pesinggahan village located in Dawan Sub-district of Klungkung Regency, Bali, Indonesia which consists of five banjar and each has the potential of different areas. Pesinggahan village also established into a ritual village and has tourist attractions such as Goa Lawah and unique landscape oh Subak’s ricefields. The tourism in Pesinggahan village has not yet develop due to lack of spatial planning that accommodate the tourism development.The purpose of this research is to determine the banjar boundary in Pesinggahan village and to analyse the tourism development plan using participatory mapping. The Pesinggahan Village is consists of five banjar consist of Banjar Kanginan, Banjar Sukahati, Banjar Suwitrayasa, Banjar Belatung, Banjar Pundukdawa. Tourism area in Pesinggahan Village is Goa Lawah in Banjar Kanginan and Agricultural Land in Subak Pesinggahan in Banjar Suwitrayasa. Boundary Analysis of Villages and Banjar with spatial plan regulation of Klungkung Regency results that the Pesinggahan village are divide into Food Crop Agriculture Zone, Dryland Plantation Zone, Green Open Space and Residential Zone. Participatory mapping process produce several locations of tourism development planning such as homestay area, restaurant, road development around Goa Lawah tourism object, and planning of jogging track, cycling track, farm road, fishing pond, and restaurant around Subak Pesinggahan. Tourism development are located in accordance with zoning allotment of Pesinggahan village that is consists of zone of settlement, agriculture and green open space.

Lessons learnt for Public Policy Maker from Relocation of Tsunami Affected Villagers in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamthonkiat, Daroonwan; Thuy Vu, Tuong

2013-04-01

The most notable tsunami in the Indian Ocean was the Indian Ocean Tsunami on 26 December 2004 caused by two strong earthquakes with the magnitudes of 9.3 and 7.3 on the Richter scale near Sumatra, Indonesia. It was the first tsunamis hit the Andaman Coast in southern Thailand, affected six provinces along the Andaman Coast, namely Phang Nga, Phuket, Satun, Krabi, Ranong, and Trang. The highest death toll (78.3% of the total 5,395 including unidentified bodies) and number of homeless victims were reported from Phang Nga Province. Following the December 2004 disaster, financial aids and land donations from many public and private sectors were used to support the renovation of damaged houses and new constructions in both same and new locations. Based on our field surveys and interviews with tsunami impact villagers in Phang Nga during 2005-2010, more than 1,600 houses were constructed in 29 locations and donated to tsunami homeless victims. Although the house supporting from government and other charities had fulfilled the homeless suffer of tsunami impact villagers, some socio-economic problems had revealed as summarized; 1)Many fishermen villages had illegally located in the conservative zones under the Department of Marine and Coastal Resource (DMCR), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), though many villagers stayed in this area long ago. Aftermath of 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, such illegally occupancy has no longer permitted in many locations. In addition, the governmental support especially for house construction and fishing equipments were priority approved for the villagers who occupied the land with certificate of ownership. Some fishermen villages were forced to relocate while a lot of villagers tried to stay illegally at the same locations. 2)Locations of new house donated by government and other charities had located far from the coastal area, moved to upper ground or rubber plantation area (outside tsunami inundated zone). Basic facilities such as water, electricity and dumping area were not enough supported in some donated areas. 3)A lot of fishermen had turned to wage-earners or unfamiliar jobs to earn for their living. Some were jobless more than a year after relocation because of less skill for other jobs, high competition for less vacancies and no capital to start their small business. 4)After a few years of relocation and adaptation in the donated houses, we found that old and young generation became a major residence while much of the working generation fishermen went back to their villages for their fishing career. Some of them leaved the right of living in the donated houses by renting out to non-tsunami impact people or leaving their houses abandoned. As a lesson learnt from the relocation of the tsunami impact villagers in Thailand during 2005 - 2010, we could summarize some critical concerns for government policy makers as listed; 1)The government may support the certificate of the ownership or title deed with some conditions to the villagers who occupied on their lands before the conservative zones were announced. They should have the right to stay further and do eco-friendly activities for earning their lives. The villagers have no right to transfer the title deed or certificate to the third parties. Only eco-friendly equipments are permitted for fishing in this area. 2)After relocation to the higher ground, basic facilities (such as water, electricity and dumping area) should be sufficiently furnished. 3)Not only skill practicing for career options should be supported, finding job vacancy should run in parallel to ensure that the tsunami impact villagers can afford their living. 4)For reducing the right transfer or leaving the donated houses abandoned, annual or continuous survey to these residences should be conducted by government sectors until 80% of them had settled on their careers and adaptations. Location analysis should be conducted before construction of houses for disaster impacted villagers. By using multi-criteria analysis in Geographic Information System (GIS), proper location for new houses could be analyzed based on any concerned physical and socio-economic factors.

The development of community water supplies in Ghana*

PubMed Central

Ferguson, W. R. W.

1962-01-01

Ghana, with a population of 6 700 000, largely distributed in rural districts, is representative of many a country where the problem of water supply is associated with the construction of numerous small supplies for the villages and towns scattered over the whole area. This paper gives a general impression of the various methods in use for tackling the problem. Well-sinking, drilling, and pond-digging, and the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of methods, are described, and the problems met with under different geological conditions are considered. Details of the various systems for pumping the water from the source to the villages and towns are given. The important question of standardization, both in design and equipment, is dealt with, and reference is made to the operation of supplies and to the training of operatives. PMID:13892347

Minority Traders in Thai Village Social Networks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Brian L.

1980-01-01

Examines social networks in three villages in rural Thailand. Demonstrates that Mon (merchant group) villagers, despite their cultural similarity to other Thais, are less strongly linked into the networks of villagers in which they trade. Suggests that ethnicity provides a vehicle for social distance which is beneficial for commerce. (Author/GC)

76 FR 9339 - Village of Swanton, VT; Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-17

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 14085-000] Village of... To Intervene, and Competing Applications On February 4, 2011, the Village of Swanton, Vermont... be located on the Missisquoi River in the Village of Swanton, Franklin County, Vermont. The sole...

Sanitation, Stress, and Life Stage: A Systematic Data Collection Study among Women in Odisha, India.

PubMed

Hulland, Kristyna R S; Chase, Rachel P; Caruso, Bethany A; Swain, Rojalin; Biswal, Bismita; Sahoo, Krushna Chandra; Panigrahi, Pinaki; Dreibelbis, Robert

2015-01-01

Emerging evidence demonstrates how inadequate access to water and sanitation is linked to psychosocial stress, especially among women, forcing them to navigate social and physical barriers during their daily sanitation routines. We examine sanitation-related psychosocial stress (SRPS) across women's reproductive lives in three distinct geographic sites (urban slums, rural villages, and rural tribal villages) in Odisha, India. We explored daily sanitation practices of adolescent, newly married, pregnant, and established adult women (n = 60) and identified stressors encountered during sanitation. Responding to structured data collection methods, women ranked seven sanitation activities (defecation, urination, menstruation, bathing, post-defecation cleaning, carrying water, and changing clothes) based on stress (high to low) and level of freedom (associated with greatest freedom to having the most restrictions). Women then identified common stressors they encountered when practicing sanitation and sorted stressors in constrained piles based on frequency and severity of each issue. The constellation of factors influencing SRPS varies by life stage and location. Overall, sanitation behaviors that were most restricted (i.e., menstruation) were the most stressful. Women in different sites encountered different stressors, and the level of perceived severity varied based on site and life stage. Understanding the influence of place and life stage on SRPS provides a nuanced understanding of sanitation, and may help identify areas for intervention.

Comparison of self-reported and observed water contact in an S. mansoni endemic village in Brazil.

PubMed

Friedman, J F; Kurtis, J D; McGarvey, S T; Fraga, A L; Silveira, A; Pizziolo, V; Gazzinelli, G; LoVerde, P; Corrêa-Oliveira, R

2001-03-30

Estimates of exposure are critical for immuno-epidemiologic and intervention studies in human schistosomiasis. Direct observation of human water contact patterns is both costly and time consuming. To address these issues, we determined whether individuals residing in a Schistosoma mansoni endemic village in Brazil could accurately self-report their water contact patterns. We compared the results of a water contact questionnaire to the present gold standard, direct observation of water contact in 86 volunteers, aged 8--29. We administered a survey to estimate volunteers' frequency and type of water contact and directly measured each volunteers' water contact patterns during 5 weeks of detailed water contact observations. We found a poor correlation between self reported frequency of contact and directly observed exposure (rho=0.119, P=NS). The questionnaire data was supplemented by information about average body surface area of exposure and duration of contact for specific activities derived from observations of this cohort. This 'supplemented questionnaire' data was significantly correlated with their exposure index (rho=0.227, P=0.05). It provides a starting point from which questionnaires may develop to provide a more cost-effective and less labor intensive method of assessing water contact exposure at the level of the individual.

Effectiveness of Group Activity Play Therapy on Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior Problems of Preadolescent Orphans in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ojiambo, Deborah

2011-01-01

This pilot study investigated the impact of group activity play therapy (GAPT) on displaced orphans aged 10 to 12 years living in a large children's village in Uganda. Teachers and housemothers identified 60 preadolescents exhibiting clinical levels of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The participants' ethnicity was African and…

Navigating the science-policy-practice interface in rural SW China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naylor, Larissa; Zheng, Ying; Oliver, David; Buckerfield, Sarah; Peng, Tao; Wang, Shijie; Waldron, Susan

2017-04-01

There is growing academic, funder and government interest in developing effective methods of successfully navigating the science-policy-practice interface. The practice of interaction between the science community and policy and practice is often termed 'knowledge exchange'. This involves the two-way co-production of knowledge between researchers and practitioners to improve the usefulness of science for society. We report here on an examination of current knowledge exchange understanding and practice by critical zone scientists in the UK and China, as well as report on surveys of 24 leaders from county to village levels of governance and 312 farmers. The practitioner data were collected in Puding catchment, Guizhou province, China as part of a joint UK-China funded research programme that is designed to help improve the resiliency of fragile karst agricultural landscapes in this region. We asked each group of participants (scientists, leaders (county, town and village) and farmers) about their experience of knowledge exchange, of working with each other and how they would like to learn. These data show that UK based scientists have more understanding and experience of knowledge exchange than the Chinese scientists. They also demonstrate consistencies in the types of KE processes (farm visits) that were most suitable, and variation between these methods and those that we identified as being suitable in the project proposal (e.g. decision support tool). Semi-structured interviews were used to gain greater insight into the science-policy-practice interface, where it was evident that farmers had little or no direct interaction with scientists, where the majority of training is delivered county-level schemes where scientists are appointed to deliver the training. Between village differences in understanding of critical zone science issues and access to training and advice were evident. All practitioners surveyed were very enthusiastic about the science team returning to work with them, and over 50% of respondents in all groups were interested in learning more. These baseline knowledge exchange data will be used to help inform the knowledge exchange activities within the UK-China CZO projects and aid local policymakers in understanding the types of knowledge exchange that the farming community (n=312) are most interested in receiving. More broadly, these data also demonstrate the importance of engaging with key users early in a project, to help shape the types and styles of activities that are used to help co-produce and share science with practitioners.

Community air monitoring and the Village Green Project

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract: Cost and logistics are practical issues that have historically constrained the number of locations where long-term, active air pollution measurement is possible. In addition, traditional air monitoring approaches are generally conducted by technical experts with limite...

Community air monitoring and the Village Green Project

EPA Science Inventory

Cost and logistics are practical issues that have historically constrained the number of locations where long-term, active air pollution measurement is possible. In addition, traditional air monitoring approaches are generally conducted by technical experts with limited engageme...

43 CFR 2650.5-4 - Village surveys.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Village surveys. 2650.5-4 Section 2650.5-4...: Generally § 2650.5-4 Village surveys. (a) Only the exterior boundaries of contiguous entitlements for each village corporation will be surveyed. Where land within the outer perimeter of a selection is not selected...

43 CFR 2650.5-4 - Village surveys.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Village surveys. 2650.5-4 Section 2650.5-4...: Generally § 2650.5-4 Village surveys. (a) Only the exterior boundaries of contiguous entitlements for each village corporation will be surveyed. Where land within the outer perimeter of a selection is not selected...

43 CFR 2650.5-4 - Village surveys.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Village surveys. 2650.5-4 Section 2650.5-4...: Generally § 2650.5-4 Village surveys. (a) Only the exterior boundaries of contiguous entitlements for each village corporation will be surveyed. Where land within the outer perimeter of a selection is not selected...

43 CFR 2650.5-4 - Village surveys.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Village surveys. 2650.5-4 Section 2650.5-4...: Generally § 2650.5-4 Village surveys. (a) Only the exterior boundaries of contiguous entitlements for each village corporation will be surveyed. Where land within the outer perimeter of a selection is not selected...

Prevalence of Wuchereria bancrofti infection in some coastal villages of Ganjam, Orissa.

PubMed

Kumar, A; Chand, S K

1990-09-01

The endemicity of filariasis was assessed in 42 villages of coastal Keluapalli PHC in Ganjam District of Orissa. Prevalence was found to vary greatly between extreme coastal and subcoastal villages. The infection was non existent in 12 coastal villages. Age and sexwise distribution of filariasis cases have been analysed and presented.

A Community of Practice: Crafts Persons' Learning in Old Bedford Village

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fickes, Patricia D.

2012-01-01

Community of practice provided the theoretical frame to study the Old Bedford Village crafts persons as they reproduced lifestyles of a Southern Alleghenies rural village from 200 to 300 years ago in early America. This study sought the "how" and "why" Old Bedford Village crafts persons engaged in learning processes as…

75 FR 37420 - Village of Morrisville, VT; Notice of Intent To File License Application, Filing of Pre...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-29

... Regulations. h. Potential Applicant Contact: Craig Myotte, Village of Morrisville, Water & Light Department, P... Tuesday, July 20, 2010, starting at 10 a.m. All participants should meet at Village of Morrisville Water... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 2629-008] Village of...

76 FR 45241 - Morrisville Village of, Vermont; Notice of Application for Amendment of License and Soliciting...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-28

...: Craig Myotte, General Manager, Morrisville Village Water & Light Department, 857 Elmore Street... Village of, Vermont; Notice of Application for Amendment of License and Soliciting Comments, Motions To... No: 2629-010. c. Date Filed: May 23, 2011. d. Applicant: Morrisville Village of, Vermont. e. Name of...

Power Distribution and Adoption of Agricultural Innovations: A Structural Analysis of Villages in Pakistan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, David M.; And Others

1982-01-01

Data collected from a sample of farmers representing 15 Pakistani villages show that greater equality in village power distribution is positively related to greater adoption of agricultural technology as analyzed at the village level. When effects of water control are parceled out, the power-adoption relationship is strengthened. (LC)

Assessing the Effects of Indigenous Migration on Zootherapeutic Practices in the Semiarid Region of Brazil

PubMed Central

Santos, Carlos Alberto Batista; de Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino; Souto, Wedson Medeiros Silva; Alves, Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega

2016-01-01

Human migration implies adaptations to new environments, such as ways to benefit from the available biodiversity. This study focused on the use of animal-derived remedies, and we investigated the effects of migration on the traditional medical system of the indigenous Truká people. This ethnic group lives in Northeast Brazil and is currently distributed in four distinct villages. In these villages, the zootherapeutic knowledge of 54 indigenous people was determined through semi-structured questionnaires given from September 2013 to January 2014. The interviewees indicated 137 zootherapeutic uses involving 21 animal species. The variety of species and their uses have a higher similarity between villages that are closer to each other, which can be a reflection of geographic and environmental factors. However, even close villages showed a low similarity in the zootherapeutic uses recorded, which reflects a strong idiosyncrasy regarding the knowledge of each village. Hence, each village may be influenced by the physical environment and contact with other cultures, which may maintain or reduce the contact of younger villages with the original village. PMID:26745882

Ghost illness in a north Indian village.

PubMed

Freed, R S; Freed, S A

1990-01-01

The substantial number of ghost possessions that came to our attention during fieldwork in a North Indian village in 1977-78 led to a thorough study of ghost beliefs as part of a holistic study of village life. Ghosts are not phantoms floating on the periphery of village life, the concern only of children and the credulous. Rather, the study shows that ghosts are linked with basic Hindu beliefs, village lore, ancient curing practices and theories, the diagnosis of illness and treatment of disease, individual stress and anxiety, and family, lineage, and village histories. Ghost possession, a subsidiary and dramatic form of ghost illness, is behavior in which the ghost speaks from its victim who undergoes a range of alternate states. Unpredictable events and heightened personal stress generally precede episodes of ghost possession. Cases of ghost illness and ghost possession include children and adults of both sexes and a range of ages. Our data contradict the village stereotype that only women suffer from ghost possession. Villagers have recourse to both traditional remedies and Western biomedicine to treat ghost illness.

Xia Futou's public bathhouse--a sustainable urbanization experiment in a Chinese village.

PubMed

Lu, Hongyi; Li, Limin; Zhang, Hua

2008-04-01

Xia Futou, a small Chinese village with a unique cultural landscape, consists of two unbalanced parts, an old village up the hill and a new one down the hill. In order to upgrade and preserve the unique cultural landscape of the older village and rebalance the dislocation of the two parts, a small public bathhouse project has been carried out according to sustainable architecture principles. Based on the current cultural landscape of the bathhouse and its surroundings, this approach is attempting to localize an informed, balance-seeking, design process in the village and in so doing develop a series of diverse possibilities and beneficial paths. The experiment of the public bathhouse's design and construction led to two key conceptual questions that need to be examined, the one is to research a village with a dynamic system conception instead of a static one; the other is to research a village with a self-organizing system conception1 instead of an organized one. Furthermore, we can give the sustainable path for the future that such naturally evolved Chinese villages evolve into sustainable towns and cities.

Karen and Lawa medicinal plant use: uniformity or ethnic divergence?

PubMed

Junsongduang, Auemporn; Balslev, Henrik; Inta, Angkhana; Jampeetong, Arunothai; Wangpakapattanawong, Prasit

2014-01-01

We here tease apart the ethnopharmacological knowledge of plants in two Thai villages to determine to which degree the uses are particular to individual ethnic groups and to which degree they are part of a generalized and uniform set of widespread medicinal plants used over a large geographic range. We compared Karen and Lawa knowledge of medicinal plants in the Mae Cheam watershed of northern Thailand, where both ethnic groups have settled and share ecological conditions for resource extraction. We were interested in documenting the degree to which these two ethnic groups use the same or different medicinal plant species. The use of the same plant species by the two groups was considered a sign of uniform and cross-cultural local knowledge, whereas the use of different medicinal plants by each group was considered a sign of culturally specific local knowledge that developed within each ethnic group. We inventoried the plant species in different habitats around one Karen village and one Lawa village using stratified vegetation plots and using semi-structured questionnaires we interviewed 67 key informants regarding their use of plants for medicine. We then calculated the Fidelity level FL (FL values near 100% for a species indicate that almost all use reports refer to the same way of using the species, whereas low FL values indicate that a species is used for many different purposes) and cultural importance index CI (the sum of the proportion of informants that mention each of the use categories for a given species) to estimate the variation in medicinal plant use. We used Jaccard's Index JI (This index relates the number of shared species to the total number of species) to analyze the similarity of medicinal plant use between the two villages. A total of 103 species of medicinal plant species in 87 genera and 41 families were identified and they were used to cure 35 ailments. The FL of the medicinal plant species varied from 10% to 100%, was different for each ailment, and differed between the two ethnic groups. The most important medicinal plant species, those with the highest CI value, were not the same in the two villages. Costus speciosus, which is used to treat urinary infections and wounds in animals, had the highest CI value in the Karen village, whereas Sambucus javanica, which is used to treat wounds, fractures, bloat, and edema in humans, had the highest CI value in the Lawa village. Only 17 medicinal species (16.5%) were shared between the two villages. Methods of preparation and application were significantly different between the two villages, whereas the plant parts used, habit, and route of administration were similar. Our study demonstrates that ethnic groups that live in the same geographic area can have significantly different traditional knowledge systems for medicinal plants, at least when it comes to the species used and their preparation and medicinal application. We assume that differences in cultural history and background in the two villages led to differences in medicinal plant use, preparation, and application. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Identification of risk factors for plague in the West Nile Region of Uganda.

PubMed

Eisen, Rebecca J; MacMillan, Katherine; Atiku, Linda A; Mpanga, Joseph T; Zielinski-Gutierrez, Emily; Graham, Christine B; Boegler, Karen A; Enscore, Russell E; Gage, Kenneth L

2014-06-01

Plague is an often fatal, primarily flea-borne rodent-associated zoonosis caused by Yersinia pestis. We sought to identify risk factors for plague by comparing villages with and without a history of human plague cases within a model-defined plague focus in the West Nile Region of Uganda. Although rat (Rattus rattus) abundance was similar inside huts within case and control villages, contact rates between rats and humans (as measured by reported rat bites) and host-seeking flea loads were higher in case villages. In addition, compared with persons in control villages, persons in case villages more often reported sleeping on reed or straw mats, storing food in huts where persons sleep, owning dogs and allowing them into huts where persons sleep, storing garbage inside or near huts, and cooking in huts where persons sleep. Compared with persons in case villages, persons in control villages more commonly reported replacing thatch roofing, and growing coffee, tomatoes, onions, and melons in agricultural plots adjacent to their homesteads. Rodent and flea control practices, knowledge of plague, distance to clinics, and most care-seeking practices were similar between persons in case villages and persons in control villages. Our findings reinforce existing plague prevention recommendations and point to potentially advantageous local interventions. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Identification of Risk Factors for Plague in the West Nile Region of Uganda

PubMed Central

Eisen, Rebecca J.; MacMillan, Katherine; Atiku, Linda A.; Mpanga, Joseph T.; Zielinski-Gutierrez, Emily; Graham, Christine B.; Boegler, Karen A.; Enscore, Russell E.; Gage, Kenneth L.

2014-01-01

Plague is an often fatal, primarily flea-borne rodent-associated zoonosis caused by Yersinia pestis. We sought to identify risk factors for plague by comparing villages with and without a history of human plague cases within a model-defined plague focus in the West Nile Region of Uganda. Although rat (Rattus rattus) abundance was similar inside huts within case and control villages, contact rates between rats and humans (as measured by reported rat bites) and host-seeking flea loads were higher in case villages. In addition, compared with persons in control villages, persons in case villages more often reported sleeping on reed or straw mats, storing food in huts where persons sleep, owning dogs and allowing them into huts where persons sleep, storing garbage inside or near huts, and cooking in huts where persons sleep. Compared with persons in case villages, persons in control villages more commonly reported replacing thatch roofing, and growing coffee, tomatoes, onions, and melons in agricultural plots adjacent to their homesteads. Rodent and flea control practices, knowledge of plague, distance to clinics, and most care-seeking practices were similar between persons in case villages and persons in control villages. Our findings reinforce existing plague prevention recommendations and point to potentially advantageous local interventions. PMID:24686743

Knowledge and beliefs about malaria transmission and practices for vector control in southern Mexico.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Américo David; Penilla, Rosa Patricia; Henry-Rodríguez, Mario; Hemingway, Janet; Francisco Betanzos, Angel; Hernández-Avila, Juan Eugenio

2003-01-01

To investigate the knowledge and beliefs about malaria transmission and practices for vector control in eight villages on the coastal plain of Chiapas, Mexico. A cross-sectional survey was conducted during May and June 1995 in Chiapas, Mexico. A questionnaire to investigate family structure, knowledge on malaria transmission, preventive measures and attitudes towards seeking treatment was applied to both family heads of a sample of households. Associations were analyzed by estimating odds ratios with confidence intervals and p values, using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression methods. Malaria knowledge was poor and only 48% associated malaria with mosquito bites. The perceived benefit of indoor residual spraying was associated to a reduction of mosquitoes, a reduction in the numbers of cockroaches and rats, but only 3% associated it directly with the prevention of malaria transmission. Most villagers (97.6%) agreed with the indoor residual spraying of insecticides. Ninety nine percent of villagers had mosquito bednets, 75.7% used them all year round. Other measures used by villagers to prevent mosquito bites were smoke and mosquito coils. Above 40% of villagers self-medicated when any member of the family had a fever episode, but 51% attended proper health services (community dispensary, private physician, health worker). About 61% used pesticides for agricultural or livestock purposes and 55% applied themselves. Women had a greater participation as family health promoters, with 70% of the housewives being in charge of the application of self-protection preventive measures. Educational programs aimed at increasing awareness on the participation of mosquitoes on malaria transmission could promote community participation in malaria control in the region. The English version of this paper is available too at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.

Broadband Ground Motion Observation and Simulation for the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyake, H.; Chimoto, K.; Yamanaka, H.; Tsuno, S.; Korenaga, M.; Yamada, N.; Matsushima, T.; Miyakawa, K.

2016-12-01

During the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, strong motion data were widely recorded by the permanent dense triggered strong motion network of K-NET/KiK-net and seismic intensity meters installed by local government and JMA. Seismic intensities close to the MMI 9-10 are recorded twice at the Mashiki town, and once at the Nishihara village and KiK-net Mashiki (KMMH16 ground surface). Near-fault records indicate extreme ground motion exceeding 400 cm/s in 5% pSv at a period of 1 s for the Mashiki town and 3-4 s for the Nishihara village. Fault parallel velocity components are larger between the Mashiki town and the Nishihara village, on the other hand, fault normal velocity components are larger inside the caldera of the Aso volcano. The former indicates rupture passed through along-strike stations, and the latter stations located at the forward rupture direction (e.g., Miyatake, 1999). In addition to the permanent observation, temporary continuous strong motion stations were installed just after the earthquake in the Kumamoto city, Mashiki town, Nishihara village, Minami-Aso village, and Aso town, (e.g., Chimoto et al., 2016; Tsuno et al., 2016; Yamanaka et al. 2016). This study performs to estimate strong motion generation areas for the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence using the empirical Green's function method, then to simulate broadband ground motions for both the permanent and temporary strong motion stations. Currently the target period range is between 0.1 s to 5-10 s due to the signal-to-noise ratio of element earthquakes used for the empirical Green's functions. We also care fault dimension parameters N within 4 to 10 to avoid spectral sags and artificial periodicity. The simulated seismic intensities as well as fault normal and parallel velocity components will be discussed.

Availability of Village Health and Nutrition Day services in Uttarakhand, India

PubMed Central

Saxena, Vartika; Kumar, Praveer; Kumari, Ranjeeta; Nath, Bhola; Pal, Ranabir

2015-01-01

Background: Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND) was identified to provide primary care services (health, nutrition and sanitation) at village level under National Rural Health Mission. Aim: The study aimed to assess availability of health, nutrition and sanitation services, required instruments/equipment and medicines at VHND with client satisfaction from the VHND services. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three districts of Uttarakhand at Nainital, Tehri-Garhwal and Chamoli involving 24 villages in six blocks using multistage stratified sampling using predesigned pretested observation checklists (quantitative data). All the concerned functionaries of health, Integrated Child Development Services and Panchayati Raj Institution were interviewed (qualitative data) to understand the gap in services and remediation. Results: Of the 24 VHNDs observed, blood pressure measurement was done at 11 (45.83%) and weight at 13 (54.17%) sites in ante-natal care services; non-availability of blood pressure instrument and adult weighing machine were 45.83% and 41.66% sites, respectively. Immunization for children was provided at 22 sites; however, availability of other services were poor-vitamin A (three), growth monitoring of children (seven); supplementary nutrition (five); identification of households for construction of toilet (eight). Yet, one-third of clients provided three and four for satisfaction from VHND services on the scale score of 1–5. Conclusion: It was noted that none of the VHND site was providing all the stipulated services, though immunization was provided mostly. Anganwadi centers were lacking availability of various essential instruments and equipment. So regular orientation of village functionaries for ensuring all the VHND services with the availability of required logistic is recommended. PMID:25949976

Lifestyle-related diseases following the evacuation after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident: a retrospective study of Kawauchi Village with long-term follow-up

PubMed Central

Ebner, Daniel K; Ohsawa, Megumi; Igari, Keiko; Harada, Kouji H; Koizumi, Akio

2016-01-01

Objectives Kawauchi Village lies 20 km west of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. On 16 March 2011, evacuation was ordered due to the threat of radiological exposure, and was lifted in April 2012. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the predisaster and postdisaster health status of the Kawauchi Villagers, measured by routine yearly physical examinations. Methods We analysed the annual health examination data of residents of Kawauchi Village from 2008 to 2013, as available from the Japanese National Health Insurance system. Data from 2011 were not available due to the disaster. Since the health data included the same participants repeatedly from year to year, the sample was non-independent and generalised estimated equation modelling was used. A predisaster time period (2008–2010) was categorised for comparison with postdisaster 2012 and 2013. The outcome examined was the prevalence of metabolic disease, and was adjusted for confounding factors. Results Data for 20.6%–25.9% of the total residents were available in this period. In 2013, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (from 17.0% to 25.2%, p<0.001), diabetes (from 11.3% to 17.0%, p<0.001), dyslipidaemia (from 43.2% to 56.7%, p<0.0001), hyperuricaemia (from 5.2% to 8.4%, p=0.006) and chronic kidney disease (from 16.1% to 26.7%, p<0.001) was found to be elevated significantly compared to predisaster years, while that of obesity or hypertension did not change. Conclusions The present follow-up study for Kawauchi Village revealed an increase in lifestyle-related disease following the March 2011 disaster and subsequent evacuation, and this trend still continues 2 years later. PMID:27401362

Effect of generalised access to early diagnosis and treatment and targeted mass drug administration on Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Eastern Myanmar: an observational study of a regional elimination programme.

PubMed

Landier, Jordi; Parker, Daniel M; Thu, Aung Myint; Lwin, Khin Maung; Delmas, Gilles; Nosten, François H

2018-05-12

Potentially untreatable Plasmodium falciparum malaria threatens the Greater Mekong subregion. A previous series of pilot projects in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam suggested that mass drug administration was safe, and when added to provision of early diagnosis and treatment, could reduce the reservoir of P falciparum and interrupts transmission. We examined the effects of a scaled-up programme of this strategy in four townships of eastern Myanmar on the incidence of P falciparum malaria. The programme was implemented in the four townships of Myawaddy, Kawkareik, Hlaingbwe, and Hpapun in Kayin state, Myanmar. Increased access to early diagnosis and treatment of malaria was provided to all villages through community-based malaria posts equipped with rapid diagnostic tests, and treatment with artemether-lumefantrine plus single low-dose primaquine. Villages were identified as malarial hotspots (operationally defined as >40% malaria, of which 20% was P falciparum) with surveys using ultrasensitive quantitative PCR either randomly or targeted at villages where the incidence of clinical cases of P falciparum malaria remained high (ie, >100 cases per 1000 individuals per year) despite a functioning malaria post. During each survey, a 2 mL sample of venous blood was obtained from randomly selected adults. Hotspots received targeted mass drug administration with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine plus single-dose primaquine once per month for 3 consecutive months in addition to the malaria posts. The main outcome was the change in village incidence of clinical P falciparum malaria, quantified using a multivariate, generalised, additive multilevel model. Malaria prevalence was measured in the hotspots 12 months after mass drug administration. Between May 1, 2014, and April 30, 2017, 1222 malarial posts were opened, providing early diagnosis and treatment to an estimated 365 000 individuals. Incidence of P falciparum malaria decreased by 60 to 98% in the four townships. 272 prevalence surveys were undertaken and 69 hotspot villages were identified. By April 2017, 50 hotspots were treated with mass drug administration. Hotspot villages had a three times higher incidence of P falciparum at malarial posts than neighbouring villages (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR] 2·7, 95% CI 1·8-4·4). Early diagnosis and treatment was associated with a significant decrease in P falciparum incidence in hotspots (IRR 0·82, 95% CI 0·76-0·88 per quarter) and in other villages (0·75, 0·73-0·78 per quarter). Mass drug administration was associated with a five-times decrease in P falciparum incidence within hotspot villages (IRR 0·19, 95% CI 0·13-0·26). By April, 2017, 965 villages (79%) of 1222 corresponding to 104 village tracts were free from P falciparum malaria for at least 6 months. The prevalence of wild-type genotype for K13 molecular markers of artemisinin resistance was stable over the three years (39%; 249/631). Providing early diagnosis and effective treatment substantially decreased village-level incidence of artemisinin-resistant P falciparum malaria in hard-to-reach, politically sensitive regions of eastern Myanmar. Targeted mass drug administration significantly reduced malaria incidence in hotspots. If these activities could proceed in all contiguous endemic areas in addition to standard control programmes already implemented, there is a possibility of subnational elimination of P falciparum. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Regional Artemisinin Initiative (Global Fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria), and the Wellcome Trust. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing the provision of public health services by village doctors in Hubei and Jiangxi provinces, China.

PubMed

Ding, Yan; Smith, Helen J; Fei, Yang; Xu, Biao; Nie, Shaofa; Yan, Weirong; Diwan, Vinod K; Sauerborn, Rainer; Dong, Hengjin

2013-01-01

The Chinese central government launched the Health System Reform Plan in 2009 to strengthen disease control and health promotion and provide a package of basic public health services. Village doctors receive a modest subsidy for providing public health services associated with the package. Their beliefs about this subsidy and providing public health services could influence the quality and effectiveness of preventive health services and disease surveillance. To understand village doctors' perspectives on the subsidy and their experiences of delivering public health services, we performed 10 focus group discussions with village doctors, 12 in-depth interviews with directors of township health centres and 4 in-depth interviews with directors of county-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study was conducted in four counties in central China, two in Hubei province and two in Jiangxi province. Village doctors prioritize medical services but they do their best to manage their time to include public health services. The willingness of township health centre directors and village doctors to provide public health services has improved since the introduction of the package and a minimum subsidy, but village doctors do not find the subsidy to be sufficient remuneration for their efforts. Improving the delivery of public health services by village doctors is likely to require an increase in the subsidy, improvement in the supervisory relationship between village clinics and township health centres and the creation of a government pension for village doctors.

Indoor residual spraying with micro-encapsulated pirimiphos-methyl (Actellic® 300CS) against malaria vectors in the Lake Victoria basin, Tanzania

PubMed Central

Manjurano, Alphaxard; Kinung’hi, Safari; Martine, Jackline; Lyimo, Eric; Kishamawe, Coleman; Ndege, Chacha; Ramsan, Mahdi M.; Chan, Adeline; Mwalimu, Charles D.; Changalucha, John; Magesa, Stephen

2017-01-01

Background The indoor residual spraying programme for malaria vectors control was implemented in four districts of the Lake Victoria basin of Tanzania namely Ukerewe, Sengerema, Rorya andSerengeti. Entomological monitoring activities were implemented in one sentinel village in each district to evaluate the efficacy of pirimiphos-methyl 300 CS sprayed on different wall surfaces and its impact against malaria vectors post-IRS intervention. Methods The residual decay rate of p-methyl 300 CS applied at a target dosage of 1g a.i./m2 on thesprayed wall surfaces was monitored for a period of 43 weeks post-IRSusing the WHO cone wall bioassay method. The bioassays were performed by exposing 2–5 days old unfed susceptible female Anopheles gambiae s.s. (Kisumu strain) to sprayed wall surfaces for a period of 30 minutes. In each sentinel village, mosquito collection was carried out by trained community mosquito collectors. Monthly mosquito collections were carried out from 6.00pm to 6.00am using CDC light traps and clay pot methods for indoors host seekingand outdoors resting mosquitoes respectively. Six traps (2 CDC light traps and 4 clay pots) were set per sentinel village per night for28 consecutive days in a moon. PCR and ELISA were used for mosquito species identification and sporozoite detection, respectively. Results Based on the WHOPES recommendation, insecticides should have a minimum efficacy of ≥ 80% mosquito mortality at 24 hours post exposure on the sprayed wall surfaces to be considered effective. In this study, p-methyl 300 CS was demonstrated to have a long residual efficacy of 21–43 weeks post-IRS on mud, cement, painted and wood wall surfaces. Numberof anopheline mosquitoes decreased post-IRS interventions in all sentinel villages. The highest numbers ofanopheline mosquitoes were collected in November-December, 38–43 weeks post-IRS. A total of 270 female anopheline mosquitoes were analyzed by PCR; out of which 236 (87.4%) were An. gambiae s.l. and 34 (12.6%) were An. funestus group. Of the 236 An. gambiae s.l.identified 12.6% (n = 34) were An. gambiae s.s. and 68.6% (n = 162) were An. arabiensis. Ofthe 34 An. funestus group indentified 91.2% (n = 31) were An. parensis and 8.8% (n = 3) were An. rivulorum. The overall Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite rate was 0.7% (n = 2,098). Conclusions Pirimiphos-methyl 300 CS was found to be effective for IRS in the Lake Victoria basin,Tanzania. P-methyl 300 CShas a long residual efficacy on sprayed wall surfaces and therefore it is effective in controlling principal malaria vectors of An. gambiae s.l and An. funestus which rest on wall surfaces after and before feeding. PMID:28489935

Reduction of livelihood risk for river bank erosion affected villagers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majumder, S. Sen; Fox, D. M.; Chakrabari, S.; Bhandari, G.

2014-12-01

Bank erosion process of the Ganga River created a serious livelihood risk for the villagers situated on left bank of the river in Malda district of the State of West Bengal, India since last four decades. Due to the erosion of agriculture land by the river, most of the villagers having agriculture as their only means of livelihood became jobless suddenly. Presently they are living in a miserable condition. One of the main objectives of this paper is to find out an alternative means of livelihood for the victims to improve their miserable socio-economic condition. It has been found from field survey that some erosion affected villagers have started to live and practice agriculture temporarily on the riverine islands (large and stable since thirteen years) as these islands have very fertile soil. If the re-emerged land plots can again be demarcated on the newly formed islands and distributed among the landless people to practice agriculture over there, then it will be a useful alternative livelihood strategy for the victims. The demarcation of re-emerged plots can be achieved by georeferencing the cadastral maps and then overlaying the plots on the present river course. In the present study area geo-referencing process of the cadastral maps became a serious issue as the study area has been very dynamic in terms of land cover and land use. Most of the villages were lost into the river course. Thus the common permanent features, required for geo-referencing, shown in the cadastral maps (surveyed during 1954-1962) were not found in the present satellite images. The second important objective of the present study is to develop a proper methodology for geo-referencing the cadastral maps of this area. The Spatial Adjustment Transformation and Automatic Digitization tools of Arc GIS were used to prepare geo-referenced plot maps. In Projective Transformation method the geometrically corrected block maps having village boundaries were used as source file. Then the georeferenced plot maps were overlaid on the present river course and the plots covered by islands or lands were extracted. For e.g., Gopalpur village contains nearly 29% of its total area as riverine island and 36% of total plots are covered by this island area. These plots can be distributed to the land less people so that they can utilize it and reduce their livelihood risk in future.

Natural Radioactivity in Soil and Water from Likuyu Village in the Neighborhood of Mkuju Uranium Deposit

PubMed Central

Mohammed, Najat K.; Mazunga, Mohamed S.

2013-01-01

The discovery of high concentration uranium deposit at Mkuju, southern part of Tanzania, has brought concern about the levels of natural radioactivity at villages in the neighborhood of the deposit. This study determined the radioactivity levels of 30 soil samples and 20 water samples from Likuyu village which is 54 km east of the uranium deposit. The concentrations of the natural radionuclides 238U, 232Th, and 40K were determined using low level gamma spectrometry of the Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission (TAEC) Laboratory in Arusha. The average radioactivity concentrations obtained in soil samples for 238U (51.7 Bq/kg), 232Th (36.4 Bq/kg), and 40K (564.3 Bq/kg) were higher than the worldwide average concentrations value of these radionuclides reported by UNSCEAR, 2000. The average activity concentration value of 238U (2.35 Bq/L) and 232Th (1.85 Bq/L) in water samples was similar and comparable to their mean concentrations in the control sample collected from Nduluma River in Arusha. PMID:23781247

Comparing population structure as inferred from genealogical versus genetic information.

PubMed

Colonna, Vincenza; Nutile, Teresa; Ferrucci, Ronald R; Fardella, Giulio; Aversano, Mario; Barbujani, Guido; Ciullo, Marina

2009-12-01

Algorithms for inferring population structure from genetic data (ie, population assignment methods) have shown to effectively recognize genetic clusters in human populations. However, their performance in identifying groups of genealogically related individuals, especially in scanty-differentiated populations, has not been tested empirically thus far. For this study, we had access to both genealogical and genetic data from two closely related, isolated villages in southern Italy. We found that nearly all living individuals were included in a single pedigree, with multiple inbreeding loops. Despite F(st) between villages being a low 0.008, genetic clustering analysis identified two clusters roughly corresponding to the two villages. Average kinship between individuals (estimated from genealogies) increased at increasing values of group membership (estimated from the genetic data), showing that the observed genetic clusters represent individuals who are more closely related to each other than to random members of the population. Further, average kinship within clusters and F(st) between clusters increases with increasingly stringent membership threshold requirements. We conclude that a limited number of genetic markers is sufficient to detect structuring, and that the results of genetic analyses faithfully mirror the structuring inferred from detailed analyses of population genealogies, even when F(st) values are low, as in the case of the two villages. We then estimate the impact of observed levels of population structure on association studies using simulated data.

Comparing population structure as inferred from genealogical versus genetic information

PubMed Central

Colonna, Vincenza; Nutile, Teresa; Ferrucci, Ronald R; Fardella, Giulio; Aversano, Mario; Barbujani, Guido; Ciullo, Marina

2009-01-01

Algorithms for inferring population structure from genetic data (ie, population assignment methods) have shown to effectively recognize genetic clusters in human populations. However, their performance in identifying groups of genealogically related individuals, especially in scanty-differentiated populations, has not been tested empirically thus far. For this study, we had access to both genealogical and genetic data from two closely related, isolated villages in southern Italy. We found that nearly all living individuals were included in a single pedigree, with multiple inbreeding loops. Despite Fst between villages being a low 0.008, genetic clustering analysis identified two clusters roughly corresponding to the two villages. Average kinship between individuals (estimated from genealogies) increased at increasing values of group membership (estimated from the genetic data), showing that the observed genetic clusters represent individuals who are more closely related to each other than to random members of the population. Further, average kinship within clusters and Fst between clusters increases with increasingly stringent membership threshold requirements. We conclude that a limited number of genetic markers is sufficient to detect structuring, and that the results of genetic analyses faithfully mirror the structuring inferred from detailed analyses of population genealogies, even when Fst values are low, as in the case of the two villages. We then estimate the impact of observed levels of population structure on association studies using simulated data. PMID:19550436

Knowledge, use and ecology of golden thistle (Scolymus hispanicus L.) in Central Spain

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background This paper assesses the current ethnobotanical knowledge, use and management of Scolymus hispanicus L. in two localities of Central Spain and the relation with its natural abundance. It also addresses the influence of sociodemographic factors such as age, gender and time living in the village in the variation of knowledge and practice levels. Methods During 2007 and 2008, 99 semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire were made to a random stratified sample by sex and age, asking them about their traditional knowledge and practices (use and gathering) of Scolymus hispanicus. A knowledge and practice (KP) index was created based on the answers to the questionnaire. Results and Discussion Scolymus hispanicus is still gathered and consumed by 20% and 35% of the informants, respectively. According to the KP index, the knowledge and practice level is similar in both villages. Age and time living in the village are the factors that better explain the variability in the KP level. People living for more than ten years in the village and those older than 60 years have the highest knowledge level, whereas the younger than 19 the lowest. Conclusions Our data suggests that the prevalence of ethnobotanical knowledge and uses depends more on the cultural importance of the plant and the transmission of such popular knowledge than on the resource's abundance. PMID:20028498

77 FR 65896 - Award of a Single-Source Replacement Grant to SOS Children's Villages Illinois in Chicago, IL

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-31

....623] Award of a Single-Source Replacement Grant to SOS Children's Villages Illinois in Chicago, IL... (FYSB) announces the award of a single-source replacement grant to SOS Children's Villages Illinois in... grant. ACYF/FYSB has designated SOS Children's Villages Illinois, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization...

The Educating Neighborhood: How Villages Raise Their Children. Kettering Foundation Working Paper [2015:01

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKnight, John

2015-01-01

Almost everyone is familiar with the African saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." However, there are very few "villages" that actually engage in this practice. The educational assets of the village include the knowledge of neighborhood residents, the clubs, groups, and associations that are citizen-based learning…

Fluoride in the drinking water of Nagaur tehsil of Nagaur District, Rajasthan, India.

PubMed

Arif, M; Hussain, I; Hussain, J; Sharma, S; Kumar, S

2012-06-01

Fluoride concentration of groundwater samples from 100 villages of Nagaur tehsil was determined, 85 villages were found to have fluoride concentration more than 1.5 mg/L. The maximum fluoride concentration was recorded 6.6 mg/L in groundwater of Singhani village, while the minimum was recorded in Kurchhi village. As per the desirable and maximum permissible limit for fluoride in drinking water, determined by World Health Organization, the groundwater of about 85 villages of the studied sites is unfit for drinking purpose.

Sustainability-based Study on the Development of Human Settlement in Traditional Villages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yali; Huang, Liping; Lu, Qi

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the status quo of the living environment in traditional villages, and to identify current issues and developing strategies based on data analysis. It is proposed that comprehensive sustainable strategies for land use should be designed, defined and used as guidelines for the constructions of traditional villages in the process of rapid urbanization. Such sustainable strategies should be applicable for remediation and development of traditional villages. This will promote the coordinated development in society, economy and environment in traditional villages.

Evolution of a Vietnamese Village-Part II: The Past, August 1945 to April 1964

DTIC Science & Technology

1966-04-01

Cong "Presence" in Due Lap 25 Viet Cong Approaches to Villagers 27 The Villagers ’ View of the War 30 V. THE HOA HAO COME TO DUC LAP 33 The...Indochina War when the Viet- namese fought the French for their independence. According to Ho Chi Minh, Vo Nguyen Giap, Truong Chinh , and other...the village but came from another part of Vietnam to take up the administrative duties in -20- Duc Lap. The fact that their village chief was not

Face washing promotion for preventing active trachoma

PubMed Central

Ejere, Henry OD; Alhassan, Mahmoud B; Rabiu, Mansur

2015-01-01

Background Trachoma remains a major cause of avoidable blindness among underprivileged populations in many developing countries. It is estimated that about 146 million people have active trachoma and nearly six million people are blind due to complications associated with repeat infections. Objectives The objective of this review was to assess the effects of face washing promotion for the prevention of active trachoma in endemic communities. Search methods We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (2015, Issue 1), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, Ovid OLDMEDLINE (January 1946 to January 2015), EMBASE (January 1980 to January 2015), PubMed (January 1948 to January 2015), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature Database (LILACS) (January 1982 to January 2015), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com) (accessed 10 January 2014), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 26 January 2015. To identify further relevant trials we checked the reference lists of the included trials. Also, we used the Science Citation Index to search for references to publications that cited the trials included in the review. We contacted investigators and experts in the field to identify additional trials. Selection criteria We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs that compared face washing with no treatment or face washing combined with antibiotics against antibiotics alone. Trial participants were residents of endemic trachoma communities. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality. We contacted trial authors for additional information when needed. Two trials met our inclusion criteria; but we did not conduct meta-analysis due to methodological heterogeneity. Main results We included two cluster-RCTs, which provided data from 2447 participants. Both trials were conducted in areas endemic to trachoma: Northern Australia and Tanzania. The follow-up period was three months in one trial and 12 months in the other; both trials had about 90% participant follow-up at final visit. Overall the quality of the evidence is uncertain due to the trials not reporting many design methods and the differences in outcomes reported between trials. Face washing combined with topical tetracycline was compared with topical tetracycline alone in three pairs of villages in one trial. The trial found that face washing combined with topical tetracycline reduced ’severe’ active trachoma compared with topical tetracycline alone at 12 months (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40 to 0.97); however, the trial did not find any important difference between the intervention and control villages in reducing other types of active trachoma (adjusted OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.59). Intervention villages had a higher prevalence of clean faces than the control villages among children with severe trachoma (adjusted OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.59) and any trachoma (adjusted OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.72) at 12 months follow-up. The second trial compared eye washing to no treatment or to topical tetracycline alone or to a combination of eye washing and tetracycline drops in children with follicular trachoma. At three months, the trial found no evidence of benefit of eye washing alone or in combination with tetracycline eye drops in reducing follicular trachoma amongst children with follicular trachoma (risk ratio (RR) 1.03, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.11; one trial, 1143 participants). Authors’ conclusions There is evidence from one trial that face washing combined with topical tetracycline may be effective in reducing severe active trachoma and in increasing the prevalence of clean faces at one year follow-up. Current evidence is inconclusive as to the effectiveness of face washing alone or in combination with topical tetracycline in reducing active or severe trachoma. PMID:25697765

Fisher Scoring Method for Parameter Estimation of Geographically Weighted Ordinal Logistic Regression (GWOLR) Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widyaningsih, Purnami; Retno Sari Saputro, Dewi; Nugrahani Putri, Aulia

2017-06-01

GWOLR model combines geographically weighted regression (GWR) and (ordinal logistic reression) OLR models. Its parameter estimation employs maximum likelihood estimation. Such parameter estimation, however, yields difficult-to-solve system of nonlinear equations, and therefore numerical approximation approach is required. The iterative approximation approach, in general, uses Newton-Raphson (NR) method. The NR method has a disadvantage—its Hessian matrix is always the second derivatives of each iteration so it does not always produce converging results. With regard to this matter, NR model is modified by substituting its Hessian matrix into Fisher information matrix, which is termed Fisher scoring (FS). The present research seeks to determine GWOLR model parameter estimation using Fisher scoring method and apply the estimation on data of the level of vulnerability to Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) in Semarang. The research concludes that health facilities give the greatest contribution to the probability of the number of DHF sufferers in both villages. Based on the number of the sufferers, IR category of DHF in both villages can be determined.

Landfill site selection by using geographic information systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Şener, Başak; Süzen, M. Lütfi; Doyuran, Vedat

2006-01-01

One of the serious and growing potential problems in most large urban areas is the shortage of land for waste disposal. Although there are some efforts to reduce and recover the waste, disposal in landfills is still the most common method for waste destination. An inappropriate landfill site may have negative environmental, economic and ecological impacts. Therefore, it should be selected carefully by considering both regulations and constraints on other sources. In this study, candidate sites for an appropriate landfill area in the vicinity of Ankara are determined by using the integration of geographic information systems and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA). For this purpose, 16 input map layers including topography, settlements (urban centers and villages), roads (Highway E90 and village roads), railways, airport, wetlands, infrastructures (pipelines and power lines), slope, geology, land use, floodplains, aquifers and surface water are prepared and two different MCDA methods (simple additive weighting and analytic hierarchy process) are implemented to a geographical information system. Comparison of the maps produced by these two different methods shows that both methods yield conformable results. Field checks also confirm that the candidate sites agree well with the selected criteria.

The role of personal opinions and experiences in compliance with mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis elimination in Kenya.

PubMed

Njomo, Doris W; Amuyunzu-Nyamongo, Mary; Magambo, Japheth K; Njenga, Sammy M

2012-01-01

The main strategy adopted for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) elimination globally is annual mass drug administration (MDA) for 4 to 6 rounds. At least 65% of the population at risk should be treated in each round for LF elimination to occur. In Kenya, MDA using diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) and albendazole data shows declining compliance (proportion of eligible populations who receive and swallow the drugs) levels (85%-62.8%). The present study's aim was to determine the role of personal opinions and experiences in compliance with MDA. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted between January and September 2009 in two districts based on December 2008 MDA round. In each district, one location with high and one with low compliance was selected. Through systematic sampling, nine villages were selected and interviewer-based questionnaires administered to 965 household heads or adult representatives also systematically sampled. The qualitative data were generated from opinion leaders, LF patients with clinical signs and community drug distributors (CDDs) all purposively selected and interviewed. Sixteen focus group discussions (FGDs) were also conducted with single-sex adult and youth male and female groups. Chi square test was used to assess the statistical significance of differences in compliance with treatment based on the records reviewed. The house-to-house method of drug distribution influenced compliance. Over one-quarter (27%) in low compared to 15% in high compliance villages disliked this method. Problems related to size, number and taste of the drugs were more common in low (16.4%) than in high (14.4%) compliance villages. Reasons for failure to take the drugs were associated with compliance (p<0.001). The reasons given included: feeling that the drugs were not necessary, CDD not visiting to issue the drugs, being absent and thinking that the drugs were meant for only the patients with LF clinical signs. A dislike for modern medicine prevailed more in low (6.7%) than in high (1.2%) compliance villages. Experience of side effects influenced compliance (P<0.001). The common side effects experienced included giddiness, fever, headache and vomiting. Social support, alcohol and substance use were not associated with compliance in both types of villages (p>0.05). Community sensitization on treatment, drugs used, their regimen and distribution method involving all leaders should be strengthened by the Programme Implementers. The communities need to be made aware of the potential side effects of the drugs and that health personnel are on standby for the management of side effects in order to build confidence and increase the compliance levels.

When Literacy Campaigns Gave Birth to a Women's Movement. "Jago Bahana" in Dumka, India.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kothari, Brij; Chand, P. G. Vijaya Sherry; Sharma, Rajeev

1999-01-01

A literacy campaign in an Indian village led to training and education for women's empowerment. Activities included a savings/banking program, resource person training, health screenings, antiviolence and substance abuse campaigns, and gender sensitization. (SK)

Improving community development by linking agriculture, nutrition and education: design of a randomised trial of “home-grown” school feeding in Mali

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Providing food through schools has well documented effects in terms of the education, health and nutrition of school children. However, there is limited evidence in terms of the benefits of providing a reliable market for small-holder farmers through “home-grown” school feeding approaches. This study aims to evaluate the impact of school feeding programmes sourced from small-holder farmers on small-holder food security, as well as on school children’s education, health and nutrition in Mali. In addition, this study will examine the links between social accountability and programme performance. Design This is a field experiment planned around the scale-up of the national school feeding programme, involving 116 primary schools in 58 communities in food insecure areas of Mali. The randomly assigned interventions are: 1) a school feeding programme group, including schools and villages where the standard government programme is implemented; 2) a “home-grown” school feeding and social accountability group, including schools and villages where the programme is implemented in addition to training of community based organisations and local government; and 3) the control group, including schools and household from villages where the intervention will be delayed by at least two years, preferably without informing schools and households. Primary outcomes include small-holder farmer income, school participation and learning, and community involvement in the programme. Other outcomes include nutritional status and diet-diversity. The evaluation will follow a mixed method approach, including household, school and village level surveys as well as focus group discussions with small-holder farmers, school children, parents and community members. The impact evaluation will be incorporated within the national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system strengthening activities that are currently underway in Mali. Baselines surveys are planned for 2012. A monthly process monitoring visits, spot checks and quarterly reporting will be undertaken as part of the regular programme monitoring activities. Evaluation surveys are planned for 2014. Discussion National governments in sub-Saharan Africa have demonstrated strong leadership in the response to the recent food and financial crises by scaling-up school feeding programmes. “Home-grown” school feeding programmes have the potential to link the increased demand for school feeding goods and services to community-based stakeholders, including small-holder farmers and women’s groups. Alongside assessing the more traditional benefits to school children, this evaluation will be the first to examine the impact of linking school food service provision to small-holder farmer income, as well as the link between community level engagement and programme performance. Trial registration ISRCTN76705891 PMID:23433395

Factors influencing the provision of public health services by village doctors in Hubei and Jiangxi provinces, China

PubMed Central

Ding, Yan; Smith, Helen J; Fei, Yang; Xu, Biao; Nie, Shaofa; Yan, Weirong; Diwan, Vinod K; Sauerborn, Rainer

2013-01-01

Abstract Problem The Chinese central government launched the Health System Reform Plan in 2009 to strengthen disease control and health promotion and provide a package of basic public health services. Village doctors receive a modest subsidy for providing public health services associated with the package. Their beliefs about this subsidy and providing public health services could influence the quality and effectiveness of preventive health services and disease surveillance. Approach To understand village doctors’ perspectives on the subsidy and their experiences of delivering public health services, we performed 10 focus group discussions with village doctors, 12 in-depth interviews with directors of township health centres and 4 in-depth interviews with directors of county-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Local setting The study was conducted in four counties in central China, two in Hubei province and two in Jiangxi province. Relevant changes Village doctors prioritize medical services but they do their best to manage their time to include public health services. The willingness of township health centre directors and village doctors to provide public health services has improved since the introduction of the package and a minimum subsidy, but village doctors do not find the subsidy to be sufficient remuneration for their efforts. Lessons learnt Improving the delivery of public health services by village doctors is likely to require an increase in the subsidy, improvement in the supervisory relationship between village clinics and township health centres and the creation of a government pension for village doctors. PMID:23397352

Research on Evaluation of Conservation Planning Implementation of Nanshe Historic Village in Dongguan City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yubin, Luo

2017-10-01

Conservation planning plays an important role in the protection and development of historic villages. The evaluation of conservation planning is helpful to find out the problems existing in the village protection work which helps to improve the conservation planning system. The paper briefly summarizes the conservation planning background of Nanshe historic village in Dongguan city, Guangdong province, China. The conservation planning guided the protection work of Nanshe village since 2002. It evaluates four aspects of the conservation planning implementation and effect such as protection and utilization of the ancient buildings, roadway repair, landscape and basic sanitation facilities improvement by ways of field research and questionnaire survey. There are only nineteen ancient buildings repaired and the rest of them are part of repaired or not repaired. Most of the roadways are well preserved. Only four of them are partly repaired or not repaired. Most of the villagers like to chat under the ancient banyan trees. Conservation Planning pays not much attention to the needs of the residents. Although conservation planning of Nanshe village developed the near, middle and long term target it actually took 14 years to carry out the near target. It enhances the social awareness of Nanshe village and the sense of belongings of the villagers. Most of the villagers are satisfied with the implementation of the conservation planning. Meanwhile, the paper exposes the conservation planning is too idealistic. It lacks of implementation details and the three phases of the investment funds and pays not much attention to the needs of residents.

Landscape surrounding human settlements and Anopheles albimanus (Diptera: Culicidae) abundance in Southern Chiapas, Mexico.

PubMed

Rodriguez, A D; Rodriguez, M H; Hernandez, J E; Dister, S W; Beck, L R; Rejmankova, E; Roberts, D R

1996-01-01

Landscape characteristics that may influence important components of the Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann life cycle, including potential breeding sites, suitable diurnal resting sites, and possible sources of blood meals, were analyzed at 14 villages in a malarious area of southern Mexico. An. albimanus adults were collected weekly in each village using UV-light traps between July 1991 and August 1992. Based on rainfall, the study was divided into 6 seasonal periods. Villages were considered to have high mosquito abundance when >5 mosquitoes per trap per night were collected during any 1 of the 6 seasonal periods. The extension and frequency of 11 land cover types surrounding villages were determined using aerial photographs and subsequently verified through field surveys. Elevation was the main landscape feature that separated villages with low and high mosquito abundance. All villages with high mosquito abundance were below 25 m. Transitional and mangrove land cover types were found only in the high mosquito abundance group. Flooded areas as potential breeding sites and potential adult resting sites in unmanaged pastures were significantly more frequent in areas surrounding villages with high mosquito abundance. No significant differences in density of cattle and horses were found among village groups. Overall, surrounding breeding sites located at low elevations in flooded unmanaged pastures seemed to be the most important determinants of An. albimanus adult abundance in the villages.

Arctic Schoolteacher: Kulukak, Alaska, 1931-1933. The Western Frontier Library, Volume 59.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madenwald, Abbie Morgan

This book relates the experiences of Abbie Morgan, who with her husband Ed, moved to the Alaskan village of Kulukak in 1931. Abbie accepted an assignment from the United States government to be the village teacher while her husband was appointed to provide health care for the village population and monitor the area's reindeer herd. The village of…

The Strategy to Increase Women Farmer's Participation in the Program of Village Food Barn in East Java

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuliatia, Yayuk; Iskaskar, Riyanti

2016-01-01

Food Barn Village Programme is one of the government's efforts in achieving household food security which includes four components. The purpose of this study was to develop a strategy to increase women's participation in the Food Barn Village Programme. This research was conducted in three villages in the district of Malang, namely: Village…

Raising Young Children in an Alaskan Inupiaq Village: The Family, Cultural, and Village Environment of Rearing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sprott, Julie Winkler

Drawing on the developmental niche framework of Super and Harkness, this book examines child rearing in an Inupiaq (Eskimo) village in northwest Alaska. Approximately 2 years of fieldwork was carried out in Noorvik, a remote village in the Northwest Arctic Borough. The study involved 22 parents of young children and 22 extended family members in…

Cultural Capital in the Village: The Role African-American Families Play in the Education of Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louque, Angela; Latunde, Yvette

2014-01-01

There is an old adage that says it takes a village to raise a child. The key principles of the village concept may include influences and interactions of families, home environments, schools, and communities. The interconnectedness of these constituents may positively or negatively impact one another and the sustainment of the village, with all…

Strategic Customary Village Leadership in the Context of Marine Conservation and Development in Southeast Maluku, Indonesia.

PubMed

Steenbergen, Dirk J

This article critically examines engagements of village leaders in an NGO-facilitated participatory conservation program in eastern Indonesia. It explores how the program's implementation strengthened leadership legitimacy of a dominant customary social group. Customary leaders ensured distribution according to particular norms, and in organizing village governance upheld specific interests and claims over natural resources. Villagers outside of the customary group remained marginalized in village governance, despite being important stakeholders. Findings reveal complex relationships between leaders and villagers that were strongly framed by orders of power and cultural history, which influenced how and to what extent peripheral groups participated. The case study concludes that village leaders can form effective avenues to deliver on conservation outcomes. However, in their preoccupation with maintaining leadership legitimacy, they may inadequately address dynamic intra-community tensions that could jeopardize long-term outcomes. Co-management partners can play significant roles in adapting management and prompting more inclusive governance processes.

Environmental asbestos exposure in rural Turkey and risk of lung cancer.

PubMed

Metintas, Selma; Metintas, Muzaffer; Ak, Guntulu; Kalyoncu, Cemalettin

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the risk of lung cancer in a cohort of villagers with environmental asbestos exposure. The study was carried out as a field-based epidemiological study. Information from 3143 individuals in 15 asbestos exposed villages and 2175 individuals in 12 control villages was obtained. Asbestos fiber type to which villagers were exposed mainly was tremolite or tremolite, actinolite, chrysotile mixtures. The cumulative fiber count of the villagers during their lifespan ranged from 0.19 to 4.61 fiber-years/ml. The annual average incidence ratio of lung cancer was 135.21/100,000 persons/year in men and 47.28 in women in the asbestos exposed villages. For the control villages, this ratio was 60.15/100,000 person/year in men and 15.06 in women. Being a male, advanced age, smoking and asbestos exposure were established to increase the risk of lung cancer. Environmental asbestos exposure in rural area is a risk factor for lung cancer independent of smoking.

Mapping Marine Resources Utilization Based on Seascapes Area: A Study on Gender Comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picaulima, Simon; Teniwut, Wellem A.; Kahfi, Syahibul; M. K Teniwut, Roberto; Dewa Ayu Raka Susanti, Ida I.; Hungan, Marselus; Rahantoknam, Meyske; Hasyim, Cawalinya; Rahakbauw, Siska D.; Renjaan, M. R.; Ngabalin, Anna M.; Ngangun, Tati A.; Pentury, Frischila; Betaubun, K. D.; Ngamel, A. K.; Ohoiwutun, E. C.

2017-10-01

Each section of coastal area from village area to deep sea has particular fisheries and marine activities. Therefore requirements for knowledge, skill, and risk are distinct between each scape. Based on this notion we divided seascapes based on three different area, first is village area to mangrove and coconut trees before coast area, second is area from beach to shallow water and the third is deep sea. We conducted our data collection in Kei Islands, Indonesia, with purposive sampling to target fishermen and aquaculture farmers in the coastal area. Purposes of this research are to analyze the role and the contribution of male and female on each area to formulate the best way to improve and maintain the sustainability of microenterprises and coastal community welfare; we used logistic regression to analyze the data. The result demonstrated each fisheries activity in each seascape with based on gender on each area and activity. Recommendation of this study especially for the government as empirical guidance to improve the economic welfare of the coastal community in Kei Islands and small islands area in general.

Impact of lambdacyhalothrin capsule suspension treated bed nets on malaria in tribal villages of Malkangiri district, Orissa, India.

PubMed

Sahu, S S; Vijayakumar, T; Kalyanasundaram, M; Subramanian, S; Jambulingam, P

2008-09-01

Insecticide treated mosquito nets are increasingly being used in malaria control programmes. One of the problems with the treatment of bed nets with conventional formulations of insecticides was that regular washing of treated nets diminish insecticidal effect. Lambdacyhalothrin 2.5 capsule suspension (CS) (2.5% a.i., w/v), a new water-based microencapsulated formulation is reported to have wash-resistant property and longer persistence on the netting material than other formulations. We evaluated the impact of the use of nylon bed nets treated with lambdacyhalothrin 2.5 CS at 10 mg (a.i.)/m(2) in comparison to untreated nets and no nets on malaria in tribal villages in Orissa. Nine foothill villages, highly endemic for falciparum malaria, from the Primary Health Centre (PHC) areas of Khairput and Kudumulugumma of Malkangiri district, Orissa, were divided into three groups, each with a population of about 500 and allocated randomly for treated (TN) and untreated nets (UN) and no nets (NN). Bed nets were distributed in September 2001 and retreatment was done in June 2002. The impact was assessed based on the changes in vector density, parous rate, malaria incidence and parasite rates. Indoor-resting collections of Anopheles fluviatilis and An. culicifacies were made at fortnightly intervals from fixed human dwellings. Mass blood surveys before and after distribution of nets and fortnightly active surveillance were carried out to assess the change in parasite rates and malaria incidence. Bioassays were conducted at fortnightly intervals on the bed nets supplied to the villagers. The reductions in indoor resting catches of An. fluviatilis and An. culicifacies were 96 and 38 per cent in villages with treated nets and 2.6 and 23 per cent in villages with untreated nets respectively compared to no net villages. For six months following treatment, 100 per cent mortality of An. fluviatilis was observed on the unwashed nets and on the nets washed once or twice. After re-treatment, 100 per cent mortality of An. fluviatilis or An. culicifacies was observed for nine months even after two washes. Usage rates of treated and untreated nets varied seasonally; 58.9 and 46.3 per cent in rainy season, 48.6 and 37.1 per cent in winter season and 38.1 and 31.6 per cent in summer season respectively. Reductions in malaria parasite rates were about 65 per cent in the treated net villages and 39 per cent in the untreated net villages compared to no net villages. About 75 per cent of treated nets and 60 per cent of untreated nets were in usable condition 19 months after distribution. The estimated protection factor based on malaria incidence was 86 per cent for the treated nets during both post-treatment and post-retreatment periods and 34 and 51 per cent for untreated nets for the corresponding periods compared to no nets. The results of the study showed that the use of bed nets treated nets with CS formulation of lambdacyhalothrin at 10 mg (a.i.)/m(2) was acceptable to the community and re-treatment of nets at nine-monthly intervals can significantly reduce density and survival of An. fluviatilis and incidence of falciparum malaria.

Biodosimetry study in Dolon and Chekoman villages in the vicinity of Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.

PubMed

Chaizhunusova, Nailya; Yang, Tracy C; Land, Charles; Luckyanov, Nickolas; Wu, Honglu; Apsalikov, Kazbek N; Madieva, Madina

2006-02-01

In this paper, the results of a biodosimetry investigation are reported for two villages in the area of the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing site: Chekoman and Dolon. Chekoman village is considered to be relatively less affected by radiation in comparison with Dolon village. The distance between the two villages is about 100 km and the life styles of the residents are similar. Chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes collected from the residents of the two villages were analyzed using the fluorescence in situ hybridization technique. Our results showed that the average frequency of stable translocations for the Dolon group was significantly greater that of the Chekoman group. The elevated level of stable translocations with the Dolon residents corresponds to a dose of about 180 mSv.

[Civilian massacre in Banija: Kraljevcani and Pecki, 14-16 March 1991].

PubMed

Kovacević, S; Judas, M; Marusić, A

1991-01-01

On 14 and 16 August 1991, Serbian terrorists attacked two villages near Petrinja in the Banija region. The village of Kraljevcani was attacked on 14 August, when the terrorists killed five older villagers, 3 women and 2 men who stayed in the village to watch the livestock and the houses. The women were killed by automatic rifle fire and grenades, and the bodies of the two men were blown up by a hand rocket-launcher projectiles. On 16 August 1991, Serbian terrorists captured four villagers from Pecki, who came to the deserted village to feed the livestock left after the inhabitants fled from the terrorists. The forensic medical expertise revealed that they were first wounded by rifle fire, then tortured and finally executed by hand axes and bayonets.

Affecting Factors on Local Waste Management in Penyangkringan Village, Weleri: an Identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puspita Adriyanti, Nadia; Candra Dewi, Ova; Gamal, Ahmad; Joko Romadhon, Mohammad; Raditya

2018-03-01

Villages in Indonesia usually does not have proper waste management and it is affecting the environmental and social condition in those places. Local governments have been trying to implement many kinds of solid waste management systems and yet many of them does not bear fruit. We argue that the failure of the waste management implementation in Indonesian villages is due to several aspects: the geographic condition of the villages, the social conditions, and the availability of facilities and infrastructures in those villages. Waste management should be modeled in accordance to those three aspects.

Productivity analysis to overcome the limited availability of production time in SME FBS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurhasanah, N.; Jingga; Aribowo, B.; Gayatri, AM; Mardhika, DA; Tanjung, WN; Suri, QA; Safitri, R.; Supriyanto, A.

2017-12-01

Good industrial development should pay attention to the human factor as the main driver. Condition of work procedures, work area, and environment can affect the production result because if not optimal, the production will run slowly. If the work system is less than optimal, the productivity will do so, the operator will work uncomfortably and be easy to undergo work fatigue, even it can cause work accidents. Thus, the optimal and ergonomic arrangement of the the overall work system mechanism and work environment design is required for workers to work well, regularly, safely and comfortably with the aim of improving work productivity. This research measures the performance in textile SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) located in Sukabumi which is SME FBS which produces children’s clothing. This performance measurement is aimed at improving the competitiveness of the textile IKM so that it has the equal competitiveness with other SMEs or with textile industries that already have their name in market. Based on the method of hour standard time and TOC calculation at 2 FBS CMT (Cut-Make-Trim) in Sukabumi, which are the CMT Margaluyu Village and CMT Purabaya Village, the result is that the standard time of shirt work on CMT Margaluyu Village is less than that of CMT Desa Purabaya. It can be seen that more effective in SME FBS production is by process method.

Look Who's Talking. Explaining Water-Related Information Sharing and Demand for Action Among Ugandan Villagers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holvoet, Nathalie; Dewachter, Sara; Molenaers, Nadia

2016-11-01

Many national water policies propagate community-based participatory approaches to overcome weaknesses in supply-driven rural water provision, operation, and maintenance. Citizen involvement is thought to stimulate bottom-up accountability and broaden the information base, which may enrich design and implementation processes and foster improved water accessibility and sustainability. Practices on the ground, however, are embedded in socio-political realities which mediate possible beneficial effects of participatory approaches. This paper builds on full social network data collected in a Ugandan village to study the social and political reality of two distinct levels of participation, i.e. local information sharing among citizens and a more active appeal to fellow citizens to improve water services. We use Logistic Regression Quadratic Assignment Procedure to explore what type of actor and network traits influence information sharing and whether the same factors are in play in the demand for action to remedy water-related problems. Whereas social aspects (social support relations) and homophily (using the same water source, the same gender) play an important role in information sharing, it is the educational level, in particular, of the villager who is called upon that is important when villagers demand action. Our findings also demonstrate that those most in need of safe water do not mobilize their information sharing ties to demand for action. This indicates that building local water policies and practice exclusively on locally existing demand for action may fail to capture the needs of the most deprived citizens.

Improving competitiveness of small medium Batik printing industry on quality & productivity using value chain benchmarking (Case study SME X, SME Y & SME Z)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauzi, Rizky Hanif; Liquiddanu, Eko; Suletra, I. Wayan

2018-02-01

Batik printing is made by way of night printing as well as conventional batik & through the dyeing process like batik making in general. One of the areas that support the batik industry in Karisidenan Surakarta is Kliwonan Village, Masaran District, Sragen. Masaran district is known as one of batik centers originated from batik workers in Laweyan Solo area from Masaran, they considered that it would be more economical to produce batik in their village which is Masaran Sragen because it is impossible to do production from upstream to downstream in Solo. SME X is one of SME batik in Kliwonan Village, Masaran, Sragen which has been able to produce batik printing with sales coverage to national. One of the key SME X in selling its products is by participating in various national & international exhibitions that are able to catapult its name. SME Y & SME Z are also SMEs in Kliwonan Village, Masaran, Sragen producing batik printing. From the observations made there are several problems that must be fixed in SME Y & SME Z. The production process is delayed from schedule, maintenance of used equipment, procedures for batik workmanship, supervision of operators as well as unknown SMEY & SMEZ products are the problems found. The purpose of this research is to improve the primary activity in SME Y & Z value chain on batik prioting product by benchmarking to small & medium scale industries (SME) X which have better competence.

Participatory GIS in action, a public health initiative from Kerala, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soman, B.

2014-11-01

Community ownership is essential for sustainable public health initiatives. The advantages of getting active involvement of homebound village women in a public health campaign to establish community health surveillance are being reported in this paper. With the support of the local self government authorities, we had selected 120 village women, and they were given extensive training on various healthcare schemes, home based management of local ailments, leadership skills and survey techniques. Afterwards, they had been asked to share their knowledge with at least 10-15 women in their neighbourhood. This had improved their status in the neighbourhood, as more and more people started getting their advice on healthcare and social services related matters. Subsequently, they had collected the socio-demographic and morbidity details of the entire households, including the geometric coordinates (longitude and latitude) of the households and public offices. In this process, they began to use the geographic position system (GPS) machines, dismissing the myth that women are not that techno savvy, further improving their acceptability in the community. Many among them were seen proudly describing the implications of the thematic maps to the village people and line department staff in the monthly subcentre meetings. Many were offered seats in the local body elections by leading political parties, a few of them did stand in the elections and three of them had won the elections. This experience reinforces our belief that the empowerment of villagers with newer technology could be a public health tool with much wider positive implications.

Travel and implications for the elimination of trachoma in ethiopia.

PubMed

Shah, Neelima A; House, Jenafir; Lakew, Takele; Alemayehu, Wondu; Halfpenny, Colleen; Hong, Kevin C; Keenan, Jeremy D; Porco, Travis C; Whitcher, John P; Lietman, Thomas M; Gaynor, Bruce D

2010-03-01

Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness. The World Health Organization has set a goal of reducing the trachoma disease burden to a level where it is no longer a public health concern by the year 2020. Some investigators feel that local elimination of ocular chlamydia infection is possible, but little has been done to study the likelihood of reintroduction of infection from neighboring areas. Mass administration of azithromycin has been shown to dramatically reduce the prevalence of infection in many villages in central Ethiopia. However, after treatment is discontinued, infection returns. Reintroduction of infection could occur from the few remaining infected cases in a treated community or from outside the community. People traveling between villages might be responsible thus complicating the elimination of trachoma. We conducted a survey to assess the travel pattern of the Gurage zone residents in Ethiopia. Seven hundred and seventeen households with at least one child aged 1-5 years in 48 villages were surveyed to collect the details of travel in 1 month prior to the survey. Seventy-eight percent of the surveyed households had at least one traveler, with the majority being women. Pre-school children, the main reservoir of clinically active infection, rarely traveled. Most travel was to the market or to school, and most for less than 1 day. Travel routinely takes place in these villages. Trachoma control programs in this area might consider treating areas with the same markets and schools in the same period to increase the efficacy of mass treatment.

Crime, physical activity and outdoor recreation among Latino adolescents in Chicago.

PubMed

Shinew, Kimberly J; Stodolska, Monika; Roman, Caterina G; Yahner, Jennifer

2013-11-01

The purpose was to examine how fear of crime, crime victimization, and perceived level of community incivilities are related to physical activity participation and outdoor recreation among Latino adolescents. The study utilized a mixed methods approach that included 25 qualitative interviews and 390 school-based surveys collected from youth across three schools in Little Village, Chicago, Illinois. Results showed that Latino adolescents who expressed greater fear of crime also engaged in less physical activity and outdoor recreation. There was no association between crime victimization and physical activity and outdoor recreation. Those who perceived greater levels of community incivilities also engaged in less outdoor recreation, but perception of incivilities had no significant association with physical activity levels. Interview data revealed most of the children believed crime was a serious problem in their neighborhood and it impacted their ability to be physically active and play outside. Fear of crime was related to lower physical activity and outdoor recreation. It is imperative that communities provide safe environments for children to be active. Increasing police and adult presence in parks and school grounds is recommended. Moreover, efforts must be made to reduce the gang problems in Latino communities. © 2013.

Increased malaria transmission around irrigation schemes in Ethiopia and the potential of canal water management for malaria vector control.

PubMed

Kibret, Solomon; Wilson, G Glenn; Tekie, Habte; Petros, Beyene

2014-09-13

Irrigation schemes have been blamed for the increase in malaria in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. However, proper water management could help mitigate malaria around irrigation schemes in this region. This study investigates the link between irrigation and malaria in Central Ethiopia. Larval and adult mosquitoes were collected fortnightly between November 2009 and October 2010 from two irrigated and two non-irrigated (control) villages in the Ziway area, Central Ethiopia. Daily canal water releases were recorded during the study period and bi-weekly correlation analysis was done to determine relationships between canal water releases and larval/adult vector densities. Blood meal sources (bovine vs human) and malaria sporozoite infection were tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Monthly malaria data were also collected from central health centre of the study villages. Monthly malaria incidence was over six-fold higher in the irrigated villages than the non-irrigated villages. The number of anopheline breeding habitats was 3.6 times higher in the irrigated villages than the non-irrigated villages and the most common Anopheles mosquito breeding habitats were waterlogged field puddles, leakage pools from irrigation canals and poorly functioning irrigation canals. Larval and adult anopheline densities were seven- and nine-fold higher in the irrigated villages than in the non-irrigated villages, respectively, during the study period. Anopheles arabiensis was the predominant species in the study area. Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite rates of An. arabiensis and Anopheles pharoensis were significantly higher in the irrigated villages than the non-irrigated villages. The annual entomological inoculation rate (EIR) calculated for the irrigated and non-irrigated villages were 34.8 and 0.25 P. falciparum infective bites per person per year, respectively. A strong positive correlation was found between bi-weekly anopheline larval density and canal water releases. Similarly, there was a strong positive correlation between bi-weekly vector density and canal water releases lagged by two weeks. Furthermore, monthly malaria incidence was strongly correlated with monthly vector density lagged by a month in the irrigated villages. The present study revealed that the irrigation schemes resulted in intensified malaria transmission due to poor canal water management. Proper canal water management could reduce vector abundance and malaria transmission in the irrigated villages.

A Spatial Analysis of Rift Valley Fever Virus Seropositivity in Domestic Ruminants in Tanzania

PubMed Central

Sindato, Calvin; Pfeiffer, Dirk U.; Karimuribo, Esron D.; Mboera, Leonard E. G.; Rweyemamu, Mark M.; Paweska, Janusz T.

2015-01-01

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an acute arthropod-borne viral zoonotic disease primarily occurring in Africa. Since RVF-like disease was reported in Tanzania in 1930, outbreaks of the disease have been reported mainly from the eastern ecosystem of the Great Rift Valley. This cross-sectional study was carried out to describe the variation in RVF virus (RVFV) seropositivity in domestic ruminants between selected villages in the eastern and western Rift Valley ecosystems in Tanzania, and identify potential risk factors. Three study villages were purposively selected from each of the two Rift Valley ecosystems. Serum samples from randomly selected domestic ruminants (n = 1,435) were tested for the presence of specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and M (IgM), using RVF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. Mixed effects logistic regression modelling was used to investigate the association between potential risk factors and RVFV seropositivity. The overall RVFV seroprevalence (n = 1,435) in domestic ruminants was 25.8% and speciesspecific seroprevalence was 29.7%, 27.7% and 22.0% in sheep (n = 148), cattle (n = 756) and goats (n = 531), respectively. The odds of seropositivity were significantly higher in animals sampled from the villages in the eastern than those in the western Rift Valley ecosystem (OR = 1.88, CI: 1.41, 2.51; p<0.001), in animals sampled from villages with soils of good than those with soils of poor water holding capacity (OR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.58, 3.02; p< 0.001), and in animals which had been introduced than in animals born within the herd (OR = 5.08, CI: 2.74, 9.44; p< 0.001). Compared with animals aged 1–2 years, those aged 3 and 4–5 years had 3.40 (CI: 2.49, 4.64; p< 0.001) and 3.31 (CI: 2.27, 4.82, p< 0.001) times the odds of seropositivity. The findings confirm exposure to RVFV in all the study villages, but with a higher prevalence in the study villages from the eastern Rift Valley ecosystem. PMID:26162089

Health providers' perspectives on delivering public health services under the contract service policy in rural China: evidence from Xinjian County.

PubMed

Zhou, Huixuan; Zhang, Weijun; Zhang, Shengfa; Wang, Fugang; Zhong, You; Gu, Linni; Qu, Zhiyong; Liang, Xiaoyun; Sa, Zhihong; Wang, Xiaohua; Tian, Donghua

2015-02-27

To effectively provide public health care for rural residents, the Ministry of Health formally unveiled the contract service policy in rural China in April 2013. As the counterpart to family medicine in some developed countries, the contract service established a compact between village doctors and local governments and a service agreement between doctors and their patients. This study is a rare attempt to explore the perspectives of health providers on the contract service policy, and investigate the demand side's attitude toward the public health services delivered under the contract policy. This evidence from Xinjian County, Jiangxi Province, the first and most representative pilot site of the contract service, could serve as a reference for policymakers to understand the initial effects of the policy, whereby they can regulate and amend some items before extending it to the whole country. Official documents were collected and semi-structured interviews with human resources and villagers in Xinjian County were conducted in September 2013. A purposive sampling method was used, and eight towns from the total 18 towns in Xinjian County were selected. Ultimately, eight managers (one in each township health center), 20 village doctors from eight clinics, and 11 villagers were interviewed. A thematic approach was used to analyze the data, which reflected the people's experiences brought about by the implementation of the contract service policy. While the contract service actually promoted the supply side to provide more public health services to the villagers and contracted patients felt satisfied with the doctor-patient relationship, most health providers complained about the heavy workload, insufficient remuneration, staff shortage, lack of official identity and ineffective performance appraisal, in addition to contempt from some villagers and supervisors after the implementation of the contract service. Contract service is a crucial step for the government to promote public health services in rural areas. To inspire the positive perspective and optimal work performance of the health workforce, it is imperative for the Chinese government to fortify financial support to health providers, adopt an advanced management model and escalate administrative capacity.

A Spatial Analysis of Rift Valley Fever Virus Seropositivity in Domestic Ruminants in Tanzania.

PubMed

Sindato, Calvin; Pfeiffer, Dirk U; Karimuribo, Esron D; Mboera, Leonard E G; Rweyemamu, Mark M; Paweska, Janusz T

2015-01-01

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an acute arthropod-borne viral zoonotic disease primarily occurring in Africa. Since RVF-like disease was reported in Tanzania in 1930, outbreaks of the disease have been reported mainly from the eastern ecosystem of the Great Rift Valley. This cross-sectional study was carried out to describe the variation in RVF virus (RVFV) seropositivity in domestic ruminants between selected villages in the eastern and western Rift Valley ecosystems in Tanzania, and identify potential risk factors. Three study villages were purposively selected from each of the two Rift Valley ecosystems. Serum samples from randomly selected domestic ruminants (n = 1,435) were tested for the presence of specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and M (IgM), using RVF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. Mixed effects logistic regression modelling was used to investigate the association between potential risk factors and RVFV seropositivity. The overall RVFV seroprevalence (n = 1,435) in domestic ruminants was 25.8% and species specific seroprevalence was 29.7%, 27.7% and 22.0% in sheep (n = 148), cattle (n = 756) and goats (n = 531), respectively. The odds of seropositivity were significantly higher in animals sampled from the villages in the eastern than those in the western Rift Valley ecosystem (OR = 1.88, CI: 1.41, 2.51; p<0.001), in animals sampled from villages with soils of good than those with soils of poor water holding capacity (OR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.58, 3.02; p< 0.001), and in animals which had been introduced than in animals born within the herd (OR = 5.08, CI: 2.74, 9.44; p< 0.001). Compared with animals aged 1-2 years, those aged 3 and 4-5 years had 3.40 (CI: 2.49, 4.64; p< 0.001) and 3.31 (CI: 2.27, 4.82, p< 0.001) times the odds of seropositivity. The findings confirm exposure to RVFV in all the study villages, but with a higher prevalence in the study villages from the eastern Rift Valley ecosystem.

Community-Based Adult Education for the Fisherwomen of Rajapalyam Fishing Village in Tuticorin, Southeast Coast of India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Jamila; Linden, Eva; Bierbrier, Christin; Lofgren, Inger; Edward, J. K. Patterson

2008-01-01

Rajapalyam village is located in the Tuticorin district along the biodiversity rich Gulf of Mannar coast in southeastern India. The people of this village are economically backward and most of the men are engaged in fishing. The fisherwomen of this village are less literate than the men, or illiterate. Adult education has been introduced to the…

Impoverishment: An Unintended Consequence of Private Education Investment: An Atypical Case Study of a Typical Underdeveloped Chinese Village

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yong, Zhong; Jie, Xie

2017-01-01

This paper presents a case study of the microeconomy of a typical underdeveloped village in southwest China and the role of elementary education in the village economy. The paper begins with a brief review of relevant theories on the economics of education and the current social conditions and state of education in the village under study, and…

76 FR 56461 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-13

... American Tribes and Alaskan Native Villages; and State Domestic Violence Coalitions. OMB No.: 0970-0280... Organizations, and State Domestic Violence Coalitions for family violence prevention and intervention activities... Governments and Tribal Organizations; and State Domestic Violence Coalitions. Annual Burden Estimates Number...

Tapioca Technology: An Integrated Study for the Third Grade.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirkwood, James J.; Foster, Patrick N.

1993-01-01

An integrated unit for third graders expanded knowledge of geometry, geography, and social studies; taught construction technology principles; and increased cultural awareness. The activity involved hands-on study of the culture of Cameroon through cassava tasting and construction of a village. (SK)

Studying Evergreen Trees in December.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Platt, Dorothy K.

1991-01-01

This lesson plan uses evergreen trees on sale in cities and villages during the Christmas season to teach identification techniques. Background information, activities, and recommended references guides deal with historical, symbolic and current uses of evergreen trees, physical characteristics, selection, care, and suggestions for post-Christmas…

Trends in spatio-temporal dynamics of visceral leishmaniasis cases in a highly-endemic focus of Bihar, India: an investigation based on GIS tools.

PubMed

Mandal, Rakesh; Kesari, Shreekant; Kumar, Vijay; Das, Pradeep

2018-04-02

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Bihar State (India) continues to be endemic, despite the existence of effective treatment and a vector control program to control disease morbidity. A clear understanding of spatio-temporal distribution of VL may improve surveillance and control implementation. This study explored the trends in spatio-temporal dynamics of VL endemicity at a meso-scale level in Vaishali District, based on geographical information systems (GIS) tools and spatial statistical analysis. A GIS database was used to integrate the VL case data from the study area between 2009 and 2014. All cases were spatially linked at a meso-scale level. Geospatial techniques, such as GIS-layer overlaying and mapping, were employed to visualize and detect the spatio-temporal patterns of a VL endemic outbreak across the district. The spatial statistic Moran's I Index (Moran's I) was used to simultaneously evaluate spatial-correlation between endemic villages and the spatial distribution patterns based on both the village location and the case incidence rate (CIR). Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard error, confidence intervals and percentages were used to summarize the VL case data. There were 624 endemic villages with 2719 (average 906 cases/year) VL cases during 2012-2014. The Moran's I revealed a cluster pattern (P < 0.05) of CIR distribution at the meso-scale level. On average, 68 villages were newly-endemic each year. Of which 93.1% of villages' endemicity were found to have occurred on the peripheries of the previous year endemic villages. The mean CIR of the endemic villages that were peripheral to the following year newly-endemic villages, compared to all endemic villages of the same year, was higher (P < 0.05). The results show that the VL endemicity of new villages tends to occur on the periphery of villages endemic in the previous year. High-CIR plays a major role in the spatial dispersion of the VL cases between non-endemic and endemic villages. This information can help achieve VL elimination throughout the Indian subcontinent by improving vector control design and implementation in highly-endemic district.

Village doctor-assisted case management of rural patients with schizophrenia: protocol for a cluster randomized control trial.

PubMed

Gong, Wenjie; Xu, Dong; Zhou, Liang; Brown, Henry Shelton; Smith, Kirk L; Xiao, Shuiyuan

2014-01-16

Strict compliance with prescribed medication is the key to reducing relapses in schizophrenia. As villagers in China lack regular access to psychiatrists to supervise compliance, we propose to train village 'doctors' (i.e., villagers with basic medical training and currently operating in villages across China delivering basic clinical and preventive care) to manage rural patients with schizophrenia with respect to compliance and monitoring symptoms. We hypothesize that with the necessary training and proper oversight, village doctors can significantly improve drug compliance of villagers with schizophrenia. We will conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial in 40 villages in Liuyang, Hunan Province, China, home to approximately 400 patients with schizophrenia. Half of the villages will be randomized into the treatment group (village doctor, or VD model) wherein village doctors who have received training in a schizophrenia case management protocol will manage case records, supervise drug taking, educate patients and families on schizophrenia and its treatment, and monitor patients for signs of relapse in order to arrange prompt referral. The other 20 villages will be assigned to the control group (case as usual, or CAU model) wherein patients will be visited by psychiatrists every two months and receive free antipsychotic medications under an on-going government program, Project 686. These control patients will receive no other management or follow up from health workers. A baseline survey will be conducted before the intervention to gather data on patient's socio-economic status, drug compliance history, and clinical and health outcome measures. Data will be re-collected 6 and 12 months into the intervention. A difference-in-difference regression model will be used to detect the program effect on drug compliance and other outcome measures. A cost-effectiveness analysis will also be conducted to compare the value of the VD model to that of the CAU group. Lack of specialists is a common problem in resource-scarce areas in China and other developing countries. The results of this experiment will provide high level evidence on the role of health workers with relatively limited medical training in managing severe psychiatric disease and other chronic conditions in developing countries. ChiCTR-TRC-13003263.

Backyard poultry raising in Bangladesh: a valued resource for the villagers and a setting for zoonotic transmission of avian influenza. A qualitative study.

PubMed

Sultana, R; Nahar, N; Rimi, N A; Azad, S; Islam, M S; Gurley, E S; Luby, S P

2012-01-01

Backyard poultry raising is common in rural communities and a valued resource that provides food and income for subsistence farmers. Close contact with infected backyard poultry has been associated with H5N1 human cases in different countries. The emergence of this virus within Bangladesh means that backyard poultry raisers are at risk of avian influenza infections. The aim of this study was to understand why people raise backyard poultry and to characterize people's regular interaction with their poultry. In 2008, a qualitative study was conducted in two villages from two districts of Bangladesh. In a social mapping exercise the villagers drew all the households in their village: 115 households in the village in Netrokona and 85 households in the village in Rajshahi District. Selected were 40 households (20 households from each of the two villages) for data collection through in-depth interviews (n=40) and household mapping (n=40), and observation sessions (n=16). In both villages, 92% of households raised backyard poultry. The majority of the owners was female and used the money earned from poultry raising to purchase cooking ingredients, clothing, and agricultural seeds, and pay for children's education expenses. The households consumed poultry meat and eggs. In the village in Netrokona, 80% (85/106) of households kept poultry inside the bedroom. In the village in Rajshahi, 87% (68/78) of households had separate cage/night sheds. During feeding the poultry and cleaning the poultry raising areas, villagers came into contact with poultry and poultry feces. Poultry scavenged for food on the floor, bed, in the food pot and around the place where food was cooked. Poultry drank from and bathed in the same body of water that villagers used for bathing and washing utensils and clothes. Although raising poultry provides essential support to the families' livelihoods, it exposes them to the risk of avian influenza through close contact with their poultry. Simple warnings to avoid poultry contact are unlikely to change practices that are essential to household survival. Interventions that help to protect poultry flocks and improve household profitability are more likely to be practiced.

Ecological Model to Predict Potential Habitats of Oncomelania hupensis, the Intermediate Host of Schistosoma japonicum in the Mountainous Regions, China.

PubMed

Zhu, Hong-Ru; Liu, Lu; Zhou, Xiao-Nong; Yang, Guo-Jing

2015-01-01

Schistosomiasis japonica is a parasitic disease that remains endemic in seven provinces in the People's Republic of China (P.R. China). One of the most important measures in the process of schistosomiasis elimination in P.R. China is control of Oncomelania hupensis, the unique intermediate host snail of Schistosoma japonicum. Compared with plains/swamp and lake regions, the hilly/mountainous regions of schistosomiasis endemic areas are more complicated, which makes the snail survey difficult to conduct precisely and efficiently. There is a pressing call to identify the snail habitats of mountainous regions in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Twelve out of 56 administrative villages distributed with O. hupensis in Eryuan, Yunnan Province, were randomly selected to set up the ecological model. Thirty out of the rest of 78 villages (villages selected for building model were excluded from the villages for validation) in Eryuan and 30 out of 89 villages in Midu, Yunnan Province were selected via a chessboard method for model validation, respectively. Nine-year-average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) as well as Digital Elevation Model (DEM) covering Eryuan and Midu were extracted from MODIS and ASTER satellite images, respectively. Slope, elevation and the distance from every village to its nearest stream were derived from DEM. Suitable survival environment conditions for snails were defined by comparing historical snail presence data and remote sensing derived images. According to the suitable conditions for snails, environment factors, i.e. NDVI, LST, elevation, slope and the distance from every village to its nearest stream, were integrated into an ecological niche model to predict O. hupensis potential habitats in Eryuan and Midu. The evaluation of the model was assessed by comparing the model prediction and field investigation. Then, the consistency rate of model validation was calculated in Eryuan and Midu Counties, respectively. The final ecological niche model for potential O. hupensis habitats prediction comprised the following environmental factors, namely: NDVI (≥ 0.446), LST (≥ 22.70°C), elevation (≤ 2,300 m), slope (≤ 11°) and the distance to nearest stream (≤ 1,000 m). The potential O. hupensis habitats in Eryuan distributed in the Lancang River basin and O. hupensis in Midu shows a trend of clustering in the north and spotty distribution in the south. The consistency rates of the ecological niche model in Eryuan and Midu were 76.67% and 83.33%, respectively. The ecological niche model integrated with NDVI, LST, elevation, slope and distance from every village to its nearest stream adequately predicted the snail habitats in the mountainous regions.

A diagnostic study of the DOH health volunteer workers program.

PubMed

Lacuesta, M C; Sarangani, S T; Amoyen, N D

1993-01-01

A 1993 study in the Philippines sought to 1) examine the characteristics of the Barangay (village) Health Workers (BHWs), 2) describe their recruitment and training, 3) reveal what their work entailed and how they felt about it, 4) identify the factors affecting their ability to deliver FP services, and 5) determine clients' attitudes towards them. Data were collected from structured interviews with 100 active BHWs and 150 clients in each of two regions. Most of the BHWs were women who had at least some high school education. They were longterm residents of their villages, were not gainfully employed, and their family incomes were below the poverty level. They were in favor of FP but considered three or more children ideal. Most had been BHWs for at least six years after being recruited (most often by a midwife). Most BHWs spent an average of 1.7 days assisting in the health centers and 2.0 days in the field. Their FP training was sketchy and largely centered on the use of various methods. The BHWs expressed a desire to learn more about natural FP, the IUD, and newer methods. Most received some monetary or other incentive for their work and were supervised directly by local midwives. FP service delivery was positively associated with education, experience, acquaintance with local residents, and cultural homogeneity with the clients. About half of the clients reported that they had consulted a BHW about FP, but an additional third were not familiar with the BHW program. The image of the BHW in the community was of a friendly, well-intentioned but not terribly knowledgeable person. The BHWs tended to provide follow-up services but often failed to refer clients to the health centers in the first place. Clients also reported that the BHWs gave them no choice about which method to use. This study points out the shortcomings in the BHW program. Improvement in outreach objectives could be reached by improved recruitment and training activities, the provision of more generous incentives, and improved logistics (such as contraceptive supply). The FP record-keeping system should also be improved.

Eradication of dracunculiasis from Pakistan.

PubMed

Hopkins, D R; Azam, M; Ruiz-Tiben, E; Kappus, K D

1995-09-02

In 1986 the World Health Organization targeted dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease), which seriously impairs socioeconomic development in 16 African countries, India, Pakistan, and Yemen, to be eradicated globally. The target date for eradication by the end of 1995 was established in 1991. Pakistan eradicated dracunculiasis from the country in October, 1993, after a national campaign which began in 1987 with a nationwide village-by-village search for cases. The infection, which is transmitted by drinking water from ponds containing infected water fleas, was eradicated by using health education, cloth filters, and the cyclopsicide, temephos; and in the later stages, by case containment. Methods pioneered in Pakistan's National Guinea Worm Eradication Program are now being applied in remaining endemic countries.

Ants as biological indicators of Wayana Amerindian land use in French Guiana.

PubMed

Delabie, Jacques H C; Céréghino, Régis; Groc, Sarah; Dejean, Andrea; Gibernau, Marc; Corbara, Bruno; Dejean, Alain

2009-07-01

We examined the ecological impact of traditional land use by Wayana Amerindians in French Guiana using ants as bio-indicators. Ants were sampled through a rapid assessment method and the core results analyzed using Kohonen's self-organizing maps (SOM). Our sample sites included: (1) a Wayana village; (2) a cassava plantation; (3) an abandoned cassava plantation; (4) a forest fragment near the village; (5) a riparian forest; and (6) a primary terra firma forest. The ant diversity decreases according to the degree to which the habitat is disturbed. The SOM allowed us to compare the ecological succession between the six habitats. The protocol used is robust since the same conclusions were drawn using partial data.

Participatory methods for the assessment of the ownership status of free-roaming dogs in Bali, Indonesia, for disease control and animal welfare.

PubMed

Morters, M K; Bharadwaj, S; Whay, H R; Cleaveland, S; Damriyasa, I Md; Wood, J L N

2014-09-01

The existence of unowned, free-roaming dogs capable of maintaining adequate body condition without direct human oversight has serious implications for disease control and animal welfare, including reducing effective vaccination coverage against rabies through limiting access for vaccination, and absolving humans from the responsibility of providing adequate care for a domesticated species. Mark-recapture methods previously used to estimate the fraction of unowned dogs in free-roaming populations have limitations, particularly when most of the dogs are owned. We used participatory methods, described as Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), as a novel alternative to mark-recapture methods in two villages in Bali, Indonesia. PRA was implemented at the banjar (or sub-village)-level to obtain consensus on the food sources of the free-roaming dogs. Specific methods included semi-structured discussion, visualisation tools and ranking. The PRA results agreed with the preceding household surveys and direct observations, designed to evaluate the same variables, and confirmed that a population of unowned, free-roaming dogs in sufficiently good condition to be sustained independently of direct human support was unlikely to exist. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Village-randomized clinical trial of home distribution of zinc for treatment of childhood diarrhea in rural Western kenya.

PubMed

Feikin, Daniel R; Bigogo, Godfrey; Audi, Allan; Pals, Sherri L; Aol, George; Mbakaya, Charles; Williamson, John; Breiman, Robert F; Larson, Charles P

2014-01-01

Zinc treatment shortens diarrhea episodes and can prevent future episodes. In rural Africa, most children with diarrhea are not brought to health facilities. In a village-randomized trial in rural Kenya, we assessed if zinc treatment might have a community-level preventive effect on diarrhea incidence if available at home versus only at health facilities. We randomized 16 Kenyan villages (1,903 eligible children) to receive a 10-day course of zinc and two oral rehydration solution (ORS) sachets every two months at home and 17 villages (2,241 eligible children) to receive ORS at home, but zinc at the health-facility only. Children's caretakers were educated in zinc/ORS use by village workers, both unblinded to intervention arm. We evaluated whether incidence of diarrhea and acute lower respiratory illness (ALRI) reported at biweekly home visits and presenting to clinic were lower in zinc villages, using poisson regression adjusting for baseline disease rates, distance to clinic, and children's age. There were no differences between village groups in diarrhea incidence either reported at the home or presenting to clinic. In zinc villages (1,440 children analyzed), 61.2% of diarrheal episodes were treated with zinc, compared to 5.4% in comparison villages (1,584 children analyzed, p<0.0001). There were no differences in ORS use between zinc (59.6%) and comparison villages (58.8%). Among children with fever or cough without diarrhea, zinc use was low (<0.5%). There was a lower incidence of reported ALRI in zinc villages (adjusted RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.46-0.99), but not presenting at clinic. In this study, home zinc use to treat diarrhea did not decrease disease rates in the community. However, with proper training, availability of zinc at home could lead to more episodes of pediatric diarrhea being treated with zinc in parts of rural Africa where healthcare utilization is low. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00530829.

Impact of Small Holder Dairy Farm on the Air Quality in Gunungpati District, Semarang Municipality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widiastuti, E.; Kustono; Adiarto; Nurliyani; Sugiharto, S.

2018-02-01

The study aimed to investigate the impact of small holder dairy farm on the air quality in the farm and surrounding area. The study was conducted in three farmer groups in the District of Gunungpati, including the farmer groups in the villages of Nangkasawit, Plalangan and Sumurejo. Samplings of air quality were conducted in four points (locations), i.e., inside the barn, 100 m, 200 m and 300 m from the area of farm. Parameters observed were emission of NH3 CO2, H2S and CH4. Results showed that the levels of NH3 in the barn, 100 m, 200 m and 300 m from the farm area in Nangkasawit village were 0.211, 0.107, 0.104 and 0,035 ppm, respectively. The levels of NH3 in Plalangan village were 0.289, 0.231, 0.13 and 0.108 ppm, respectively, and in Sumurejo village were 0.109, 0.110, 0.082 and 0.046 ppm, respectively. The levels of H2S in Nangkasawit, Plalangan and Sumurejo villages at the entire points of observations were <0,002 ppm, with the acceptable standard level of H2S was 0.02 ppm. In four locations of observations, the levels of CH4 in Nangkasawit village were 809, 603, 599 and 521 ppb, in Plalangan village 999, 720, 645 and 582 ppb and in Sumurejo village 932, 824, 526 and 521 ppb. The levels of CO2 in Nangkasawit village were 26.55, 28.35, 28.44 and 30.05 ppm, in Plalangan village 24.65, 25.10, 23.44, 21.05 ppm and in Sumurejo village 28.50, 27.35, 30.68, 31.50 ppm, with the standard level of CO2 should be 30.000 ppm. In conclusion, the air quality was better (lower contamination) with the farther distance of locations from the barn.

Limited internal radiation exposure associated with resettlements to a radiation-contaminated homeland after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

PubMed

Tsubokura, Masaharu; Kato, Shigeaki; Nihei, Masahiko; Sakuma, Yu; Furutani, Tomoyuki; Uehara, Keisuke; Sugimoto, Amina; Nomura, Shuhei; Hayano, Ryugo; Kami, Masahiro; Watanobe, Hajime; Endo, Yukou

2013-01-01

Resettlement to their radiation-contaminated hometown could be an option for people displaced at the time of a nuclear disaster; however, little information is available on the safety implications of these resettlement programs. Kawauchi village, located 12-30 km southwest of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, was one of the 11 municipalities where mandatory evacuation was ordered by the central government. This village was also the first municipality to organize the return of the villagers. To assess the validity of the Kawauchi villagers' resettlement program, the levels of internal Cesium (Cs) exposures were comparatively measured in returnees, commuters, and non-returnees among the Kawauchi villagers using a whole body counter. Of 149 individuals, 5 villagers had traceable levels of Cs exposure; the median detected level was 333 Bq/body (range, 309-1050 Bq/kg), and 5.3 Bq/kg (range, 5.1-18.2 Bq/kg). Median annual effective doses of villagers with traceable Cs were 1.1 x 10(-2) mSv/y (range, 1.0 x 10(-2)-4.1 x 10(-2) mSv/y). Although returnees had higher chances of consuming locally produced vegetables, Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test showed that their level of internal radiation exposure was not significantly higher than that in the other 2 groups (p=0.643). The present findings in Kawauchi village imply that it is possible to maintain internal radiation exposure at very low levels even in a highly radiation-contaminated region at the time of a nuclear disaster. Moreover, the risks for internal radiation exposure could be limited with a strict food control intervention after resettlement to the radiation-contaminated village. It is crucial to establish an adequate number of radio-contaminated testing sites within the village, to provide immediate test result feedback to the villagers, and to provide education regarding the importance of re-testing in reducing the risk of high internal radiation exposure.

Empowering women in villages: all-women village councils in Maharashtra, India.

PubMed

Gala, C

1997-01-01

This study examines the impact of all-women panchayats (village councils) in three small villages in Maharashtra state in India on women's well-being. Field work was conducted during 1991-93 in the villages of Yenora, Metikheda, and Vitner. In 1989 there were nine all-women village councils, which were elected owing to the efforts of a large independent farmers' organization, the Shetkari Sanghatana (SS). Findings indicate that the all-women village councils made a significant difference in women's lives. The mix of male and female leaders varied between the villages and affected the outcomes. The author argues that the strategy for empowerment is more successful than enclave strategies that focus only on a poor minority or radical feminist strategies that insist on women's action and hostility toward male involvement. The legal mandate for the panchayat as a vehicle for development was adopted in Maharashtra in 1965. However, the participation of the community in panchayats was only an assumption. In 1988-89, the 73rd Constitutional Amendment was passed to give power to panchayats and to reserve 30% of the legislative seats for women and backward castes. Prior to 1986, women were appointed, but not elected, to panchayats. During 1986-91, women's interest in local political power increased. As a result of the all-women village councils, women's attitudes toward themselves and their daughters changed in all three villages. Panchayats improved the accessibility of fuel, water, and fodder, which relieved women of their burdens and allowed girls to attend schools. Women's mobility and assets increased. The number of wife-beating incidents declined. Women gained respect in their families and in their maternal homes. Women still had dual labor roles in the labor force and at home. Two of the villages illustrated effective women's leadership. The cases illustrate the effectiveness of a broad-based strategy for women's empowerment.

The Effect of Cognitive Therapy on Structural Social Capital: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial Among Sexual Violence Survivors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

PubMed Central

Bolton, Paul A.; Annan, Jeannie; Kaysen, Debra; Robinette, Katie; Cetinoglu, Talita; Wachter, Karin; Bass, Judith K.

2014-01-01

Objectives. We evaluated changes in social capital following group-based cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for female survivors of sexual violence. Methods. We compared CPT with individual support in a cluster-randomized trial in villages in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Local psychosocial assistants delivered the interventions from April through July 2011. We evaluated differences between CPT and individual support conditions for structural social capital (i.e., time spent with nonkin social network, group membership and participation, and the size of financial and instrumental support networks) and emotional support seeking. We analyzed intervention effects with longitudinal random effects models. Results. We obtained small to medium effect size differences for 2 study outcomes. Women in the CPT villages increased group membership and participation at 6-month follow-up and emotional support seeking after the intervention compared with women in the individual support villages. Conclusions. Results support the efficacy of group CPT to increase dimensions of social capital among survivors of sexual violence in a low-income conflict-affected context. PMID:25033113

Satisfaction of village doctors with the township and village health services integration policy in the western minority-inhabited areas of China.

PubMed

Feng, Da; Zhang, Liang; Xiang, Yuan-Xi; Zhang, Dong-Lan; Wang, Ruo-Xi; Tang, Shang-Feng; Fu, Hang; Li, Bo-Yang

2017-02-01

Township and Village Health Services Integration Management (TVHSIM) is an essential form of China's two-tiered health service integration plan at the township and village level. Its main purpose, also one of the target goals in China's new healthcare reform, is to gradually integrate rural health services and appropriately allocate rural health resources. This study aims to assess the village doctors' satisfaction with the TVHSIM and provide scientific base to further improve TVHSIM. A cross-sectional study was carried out in which 162 village doctors from Qinghai, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang in western China were interviewed. Descriptive analysis, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Spearman rank correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the difference and relevance between village doctors' personal characteristics and their satisfaction with TVHSIM and six subscales. Village doctors with different years of practice, social insurance status and essential medical knowledge level showed statistically significant differences in their satisfaction levels (all P<0.05). Age (P<0.05) and years of practice (P<0.01) were negatively correlated with Drug and Medical Device Management and Financing Management. Essential medical knowledge level (P<0.05) was negatively correlated with Operations Management as well. However, social insurance status (P<0.05) was positively correlated with Human Resources Management and Drug and Medical Device management. Gender, age and years of practice respectively had significant influence on village doctors' satisfaction with TVHSIM (P<0.01). In conclusion, in order to further promote TVHSIM policy in rural China, a well-rounded social insurance model for village doctors is urgently needed. In addition, the development of TVHSIM is regionally imbalanced. Efficient and effective measures aiming at rationalizing gender and age structure and enhancing essential medical training should be carefully considered.

Measuring costs of data collection at village clinics by village doctors for a syndromic surveillance system-a cross sectional survey from China.

PubMed

Ding, Yan; Fei, Yang; Xu, Biao; Yang, Jun; Yan, Weirong; Diwan, Vinod K; Sauerborn, Rainer; Dong, Hengjin

2015-07-25

Studies into the costs of syndromic surveillance systems are rare, especially for estimating the direct costs involved in implementing and maintaining these systems. An Integrated Surveillance System in rural China (ISSC project), with the aim of providing an early warning system for outbreaks, was implemented; village clinics were the main surveillance units. Village doctors expressed their willingness to join in the surveillance if a proper subsidy was provided. This study aims to measure the costs of data collection by village clinics to provide a reference regarding the subsidy level required for village clinics to participate in data collection. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with a village clinic questionnaire and a staff questionnaire using a purposive sampling strategy. We tracked reported events using the ISSC internal database. Cost data included staff time, and the annual depreciation and opportunity costs of computers. We measured the village doctors' time costs for data collection by multiplying the number of full time employment equivalents devoted to the surveillance by the village doctors' annual salaries and benefits, which equaled their net incomes. We estimated the depreciation and opportunity costs of computers by calculating the equivalent annual computer cost and then allocating this to the surveillance based on the percentage usage. The estimated total annual cost of collecting data was 1,423 Chinese Renminbi (RMB) in 2012 (P25 = 857, P75 = 3284), including 1,250 RMB (P25 = 656, P75 = 3000) staff time costs and 134 RMB (P25 = 101, P75 = 335) depreciation and opportunity costs of computers. The total costs of collecting data from the village clinics for the syndromic surveillance system was calculated to be low compared with the individual net income in County A.

Relationship between community-level alcohol outlet accessibility and individual-level herpes simplex virus type 2 infection among young women in South Africa.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Molly; Pettifor, Audrey; Lippman, Sheri A; Thirumurthy, Harsha; Emch, Michael; Miller, William C; Selin, Amanda; Gómez-Olivé, Francesc Xavier; Hughes, James P; Laeyendecker, Oliver; Tollman, Stephen; Kahn, Kathleen

2015-05-01

Exposure to alcohol outlets may influence sexual health outcomes at the individual and community levels. Visiting alcohol outlets facilitates alcohol consumption and exposes patrons to a risky environment and network of potential partners, whereas the presence of alcohol outlets in the community may shift social acceptance of riskier behavior. We hypothesize that living in communities with more alcohol outlets is associated with increased sexual risk. We performed a cross-sectional analysis in a sample of 2174 South African schoolgirls (ages 13-21 years) living across 24 villages in the rural Agincourt subdistrict, underpinned by long-term health and sociodemographic surveillance. To examine the association between number of alcohol outlets in village of residence and individual-level prevalent herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection, we used generalized estimating equations with logit links, adjusting for individual- and village-level covariates. The median number of alcohol outlets per village was 3 (range, 0-7). Herpes simplex virus type 2 prevalence increased from villages with no outlets (1.4% [95% confidence interval, 0.2-12.1]), to villages with 1 to 4 outlets (4.5% [3.7-5.5]), and to villages with more than 4 outlets (6.3% [5.6, 7.1]). An increase of 1 alcohol outlet per village was associated with an 11% increase in the odds of HSV-2 infection (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.11 [0.98-1.25]). Living in villages with more alcohol outlets was associated with increased prevalence of HSV-2 infection in young women. Structural interventions and sexual health screenings targeting villages with extensive alcohol outlet environments could help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections.

Social network analysis of food sharing among households in opisthorchiasis endemic villages of Lawa Lake, Thailand.

PubMed

Phimpraphai, Waraphon; Tangkawattana, Sirikachorn; Sereerak, Piya; Kasemsuwan, Suwicha; Sripa, Banchob

2017-05-01

Consumption of raw fish is a well-documented risk factor for Opisthorchis viverrini infection. Sharing of food, especially raw fish recipes may influence the spread of disease through a community. Using social network analysis of an ego network, we investigated food sharing among households in an Opisthorchis-endemic area. Network centrality properties were used to explain the differences in O. viverrini transmission and control between villages with a low and high prevalence of infection. Information on demography and O. viverrini infection in 2008 from villagers in the Lawa Lake area was extracted from the Tropical Disease Research Center database. The two villages that had the lowest and the highest O. viverrini infection at the household level were recruited. Ten percent of households of each village were randomly sampled. Participatory epidemiology and face-to-face structured interviews guided by a social network questionnaire were used to collect data on livelihood, agricultural patterns, food sources, raw fish eating habits, and other food sharing during daily life and social gatherings. The number of contacts including in-degree and out-degree varied from 0 to 7 in the low-infection village and 0 to 4 in the high-infection village. The mean number of contacts for the food-sharing network among the low- and high-infection villages was 1.64 and 0.73 contacts per household, respectively. Between these villages, the mean number of out-degree (p=0.0125), but not in-degree (p=0.065), was significantly different. Food-sharing differed in numbers of sharing-in and sharing-out between the two villages. Network analysis of food sharing may be of value in designing strategies for opisthorchiasis control at the community level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of OpenStreetMap (OSM) to Support the Mapping Village in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swasti Kanthi, Nurin; Hery Purwanto, Taufik

2016-11-01

Geospatial Information is a important thing in this era, because the need for location information is needed to know the condition of a region. In 2015 the Indonesian government release detailed mapping in village level and their Parent maps Indonesian state regulatory standards set forth in Rule form Norm Standards, Procedures and Criteria for Mapping Village (NSPK). Over time Web and Mobile GIS was developed with a wide range of applications. The merger between detailed mapping and Web GIS is still rarely performed and not used optimally. OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a WebGIS which can be utilized as Mobile GIS providing sufficient information to the representative levels of the building and can be used for mapping the village.Mapping Village using OSM was conducted using remote sensing approach and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), which's to interpret remote sensing imagery from OSM. The study was conducted to analyzed how far the role of OSM to support the mapping of the village, it's done by entering the house number data, administrative boundaries, public facilities and land use into OSM with reference data and data image Village Plan. The results of the mapping portion villages in OSM as a reference map-making village and analyzed in accordance with NSPK for detailed mapping Rukun Warga (RW) is part of the village mapping. The use of OSM greatly assists the process of mapping the details of the region with data sources in the form of images and can be accessed for Open Source. But still need their care and updating the data source to maintain the validity of the data.

Unlocking community capability through promotion of self-help for health: experience from Chakaria, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Bhuiya, Abbas; Hanifi, Syed Manzoor Ahmed; Hoque, Shahidul

2016-11-15

People's participation in health, enshrined in the 1978 Alma Ata declaration, seeks to tap into community capability for better health and empowerment. One mechanism to promote participation in health is through participatory action research (PAR) methods. Beginning in 1994, the Bangladeshi research organization ICDDR,B implemented a project "self-help for health," to work with existing rural self-help organizations (SHOs). SHOs are organizations formed by villagers for their well-being through their own initiatives without external material help. This paper describes the project's implementation, impact, and reflective learnings. Following a self-help conceptual framework and PAR, the project focused on building the capacity of SHOs and their members through training on organizational issues, imparting health literacy, and supporting participatory planning and monitoring. Quarterly activity reports and process documentation were the main sources of qualitative data used for this paper, enabling documentation of changes in organizational issues, as well as the number and nature of initiatives taken by the SHOs in the intervention area. Health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) data from intervention and comparison areas since 1999 allowed assessment of changes in health indicators over time. Villagers and members of the SHOs actively participated in the self-help activities. SHO functionality increased in the intervention area, in terms of improved organizational processes and planned health activities. These included most notably in convening more regular meetings, identifying community needs, developing and implementing action plans, and monitoring progress and impact. Between 1999 and 2015, while decreases in infant mortality and increases in utilization of at least one antenatal care visit occurred similarly in intervention and comparison areas, increases in immunization, skilled birth attendance, facility deliveries and sanitary latrines were substantially more in intervention than comparison areas. Building community capability by working with pre-existing SHOs, encouraging them to place health on their agendas, strengthening their functioning and implementation of health activities led to sustained improvements in utilization of services for over 20 years. Key elements underpinning success include efforts to build and maintain trust, ensuring social inclusion in project activities, and balancing demands for material resources with flexibility to be responsive to community needs.

Parasitological and nutritional status of school-age and preschool-age children in four villages in Southern Leyte, Philippines: Lessons for monitoring the outcome of Community-Led Total Sanitation.

PubMed

Belizario, Vicente Y; Liwanag, Harvy Joy C; Naig, June Rose A; Chua, Paul Lester C; Madamba, Manuel I; Dahildahil, Roy O

2015-01-01

While preventive chemotherapy remains to be a major strategy for the prevention and control of soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH), improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) comprise the long-term strategy to achieve sustained control of STH. This study examined the parasitological and nutritional status of school-age and preschool-age children in four villages in Southern Leyte, Philippines where two of the villages attained Open-Defecation-Free (ODF) status after introduction of Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). A total of 341 children (89.0% of the total eligible population) submitted stool samples which were examined using the Kato-Katz technique. Results showed that 27.9% of the total stool samples examined had at least one type of STH (cumulative prevalence), while 7.9% had moderate-heavy intensity infections. Between the two villages where CLTS was introduced, Buenavista had a significantly higher cumulative prevalence of STH at 67.4% (p<0.001) and prevalence of moderate-heavy intensity STH at 23.5% (p=0.000), while Caubang had a significantly lower cumulative prevalence at 4.9% and prevalence of moderate-heavy intensity at 1.8%. On the other hand, the non-CLTS villages of Bitoon and Saub had similar rates for cumulative prevalence (16.7% and 16.8%, respectively; p=0.984) and prevalence of moderate-heavy intensity STH (2.0% and 3.1%, respectively; p=1.000). The findings may be explained by factors that include possible reversion to open defecation, non-utilization of sanitary facilities, and mass drug administration (MDA) coverage, although further studies that can accurately assess the impact of CLTS are recommended. While this study was descriptive, the data indicate no clear pattern among the parasitological and nutritional parameters, as well as the presence of CLTS in the village, suggesting the need to monitor the ODF status of villages on a regular basis even after the end of CLTS activities to ensure the sustainability of the CLTS approach. In order to achieve effective control of STH, deeper collaboration between the WASH and STH sectors are recommended where partners can work together in the area of monitoring and evaluation that may include improved parasitological and nutritional status in high-risk groups, as well as sustainable behavior change as outcome indicators. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.