Traffic count is the fundamental data source for transportation planning, management, design, and effectiveness evaluation. Recording traffic flow and counting from the recorded videos are increasingly used due to con...Traffic count is the fundamental data source for transportation planning, management, design, and effectiveness evaluation. Recording traffic flow and counting from the recorded videos are increasingly used due to convenience, high accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. Manual counting from pre-recorded video footage can be prone to inconsistencies and errors, leading to inaccurate counts. Besides, there are no standard guidelines for collecting video data and conducting manual counts from the recorded videos. This paper aims to comprehensively assess the accuracy of manual counts from pre-recorded videos and introduces guidelines for efficiently collecting video data and conducting manual counts by trained individuals. The accuracy assessment of the manual counts was conducted based on repeated counts, and the guidelines were provided from the experience of conducting a traffic survey on forty strip mall access points in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. The percentage of total error, classification error, and interval error were found to be 1.05 percent, 1.08 percent, and 1.29 percent, respectively. Besides, the percent root mean square errors (RMSE) were found to be 1.13 percent, 1.21 percent, and 1.48 percent, respectively. Guidelines were provided for selecting survey sites, instruments and timeframe, fieldwork, and manual counts for an efficient traffic data collection survey.展开更多
Food and water are the main sources of human exposure to arsenic.It is important to determine arsenic species in food because the toxicities of arsenic vary greatly with its chemical speciation.Extensive research has ...Food and water are the main sources of human exposure to arsenic.It is important to determine arsenic species in food because the toxicities of arsenic vary greatly with its chemical speciation.Extensive research has focused on high concentrations of arsenic species in marine organisms.The concentrations of arsenic species in freshwater fish are much lower,and their determination presents analytical challenges.In this review,we summarize the current state of knowledge on arsenic speciation in freshwater fish and discuss challenges and research needs.Fish samples are typically homogenized,and arsenic species are extracted using water/methanol with the assistance of sonication and enzyme treatment.Arsenic species in the extracts are commonly separated using high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and detected using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICPMS).Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry,used in combination with HPLC and ICPMS,provides complementary information for the identification and characterization of arsenic species.The methods and perspectives discussed in this review,covering sample preparation,chromatography separation,and mass spectrometry detection,are directed to arsenic speciation in freshwater fish and applicable to studies of other food items.Despite progress made in arsenic speciation analysis,a large fraction of the total arsenic in freshwater fish remains unidentified.It is challenging to identify and quantify arsenic species present in complex sample matrices at very low concentrations.Further research is needed to improve the extraction efficiency,chromatographic resolution,detection sensitivity,and characterization capability.展开更多
Purpose The aim was to explore five established SNPs(rs1815739,rs1805086,rs2700352,rs28497577,and rs28357094)that are known to modulate skeletal muscle protein kinetics in response to creatine supplementation.Methods ...Purpose The aim was to explore five established SNPs(rs1815739,rs1805086,rs2700352,rs28497577,and rs28357094)that are known to modulate skeletal muscle protein kinetics in response to creatine supplementation.Methods A randomized,placebo-controlled,repeated measures design was used.Participants(n=152)were rand-omized divided into one of two groups:CREA(20 g/day creatine monohydrate)or PLAC:(dextrose)for 7 days.SNP were assessed,and participants were classified accordingly.Before and after supplementation,anthropometrics(height and body mass)and performance measures(vertical jump,countermovement vertical jump,squat jump,abdominal crunches,and maximum push-ups)were assessed.Results CREA gained more body mass than PLAC(CREA:Δ0.864±0.06 kg;PLAC:Δ0.154±0.07 kg,P<0.001).In the CREA group,the presence of an A allele for the MYLK1 polymorphism was related to changes in countermovement jump height(P=0.027;effect size[d]=0.41)and leg power(P=0.040,effect size[d]=0.18).The total number of abdominal crunches after supplementation was influenced by treatments and SPP1 gene(P=0.041).A higher number of abdominal crunches was associated with the G allele in the CREA group and the TT genotype in the PLAC group(effect size[d]=0.04).Conclusion Collectively,short-term creatine supplementation increased body mass but was unable to alter muscle perfor-mance.However,following creatine supplementation,participants expressing A alleles in the MYLK1 polymorphism had a greater increase in jump height and leg power and participants expressing G alleles in the SPP1 gene had greater improve-ments in abdominal crunch performance.展开更多
Introduction The health benefits of consuming aquatic organisms are clear,given their high protein count,low saturated fats,and low cholesterol content.Fish,in particular,contains valuable nutrients(e.g.,omega-3 polyu...Introduction The health benefits of consuming aquatic organisms are clear,given their high protein count,low saturated fats,and low cholesterol content.Fish,in particular,contains valuable nutrients(e.g.,omega-3 polyunsaturated fats),vitamins,essential elements,and is therefore considered an important part of a balanced human diet.China is a major seafood producer,accounting for 58%of global production in 2018(Crona et al.,2020).China is the largest seafood consuming country in the world,with consumption rates steadily increasing.Since the 1978 Chinese economic reform,the amount of seafood consumed per capita in China increased from 5 kg per capita in 1980 to 41 kg in 2015(Zhang et al.,2021).By 2030,the overall amount of fish consumption will likely exceed the amount of fish production in China.展开更多
Climate change contributes to disasters in the Philippines. Most human activities have had negative consequences on the environment, exacerbating global warming. Humans contribute to climate change and global warming ...Climate change contributes to disasters in the Philippines. Most human activities have had negative consequences on the environment, exacerbating global warming. Humans contribute to climate change and global warming by burning fossil fuels, cutting down trees, engaging in improper waste disposal, using electricity, and driving a car. This study assessed the environmental practices of communities in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, and their implications for climate change. Respondents were selected using convenient sampling. A questionnaire delivered online was used to elicit their responses then analyzed the data using SPSS. This study revealed that most post-secondary students do not litter but sometimes burn their trash in an open dump. Most of them used LPG as their primary source of fuel for cooking. Rice production is always the same as producing food waste in food production. Garden waste was sometimes produced. Plastic containers are commonly produced as recyclable wastes. They often dispose of wastes in controlled and regulated open dumpsites by their municipality or city. Due to the pandemic, special wastes like face masks and face shields are disposed of daily. Generally, despite no littering behavior, the respondents never burned their trash or threw it on any body of water. They perceived to disagree that these daily community activities contribute to climate change. Lastly, less than half of them affirmed that there are initiative programs at the barangay level to lessen and eliminate community activities that cause climate change.展开更多
Background:The speedy rate of change in the environmental and socio-economics factors may increase the incidence,prevalence and risk of schistosomiasis infections in Zambia.However,available information does not provi...Background:The speedy rate of change in the environmental and socio-economics factors may increase the incidence,prevalence and risk of schistosomiasis infections in Zambia.However,available information does not provide a comprehensive understanding of the biogeography and distribution of the disease,ecology and population dynamics of intermediate host snails.The current study used an information-theoretical approach to understand the biogeography and prevalence schistosomiasis and identified knowledge gaps that would be useful to improve policy towards surveillance and eradication of intermediate hosts snails in Zambia.Methods:To summarise the existing knowledge and build on past and present experiences of schistosomiasis epidemiology for effective disease control in Zambia,a systematic search of literature for the period 2000-2017 was done on PubMed,Google Scholar and EBSCOhost.Using the key words:‘Schistosomiasis’,‘Biomphalaria’,‘Bulinus’,‘Schistosoma mansoni’,‘Schistosoma haematobium’,and‘Zambia’,in combination with Booleans terms‘AND’and‘OR’,published reports/papers were obtained and reviewed independently for inclusion.Results:Thirteen papers published in English that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected for the final review.The papers suggest that the risk of infection has increased over the years and this has been attributed to environmental,socio-economic and demographic factors.Furthermore,schistosomiasis is endemic in many parts of the country with infection due to Schistosoma haematobium being more prevalent than that due to S.mansoni.This review also found that S.haematobium was linked to genital lesions,thus increasing risks of contracting other diseases such as HIV and cervical cancer.Conclusions:For both S.haematobium and S.mansoni,environmental,socio-economic,and demographic factors were influential in the transmission and prevalence of the disease and highlight the need for detailed knowledge on ecological modelling and mapping the distribution of the di展开更多
In recent years, supply chain management （SCM） has been in popularity as a new management philosophy for all industries, including textile and apparel industries. The textile-apparel supply chain is relatively compl...In recent years, supply chain management （SCM） has been in popularity as a new management philosophy for all industries, including textile and apparel industries. The textile-apparel supply chain is relatively complex because it encompasses many participants such as yarn manufacturers, fabric manufacturers, garment manufacturers and retailers. Although many scholars are engaged in researching SCM in textile and apparel industries, a systematic classification of textile-apparel chain does not exist. The paper proposes three types of textile-apparel chain, nominated vertical integration chain, traditional sourcing chain and 3P-hub （third party as the hub） chain. Different coordinators exist in different types of chain. Three Hong Kong headquartered companies, Esquel Group, TAL Apparel Ltd., and Li ＆ Fang （Trading） Ltd. are used as cases responding to each type of the structures respectively.展开更多
The current barrier to acquisition and utilization of viable waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies at remote or deployed expeditionary sites requires high capital and operation & maintenance costs. The impacts to env...The current barrier to acquisition and utilization of viable waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies at remote or deployed expeditionary sites requires high capital and operation & maintenance costs. The impacts to environment and human health of differing expeditionary waste management strategies were compared using the Life Cycle Assessment software SimaPro 8.0. Emissions of individual waste management scenarios were compiled from peer-reviewed literature, converted to values compatible with SimaPro’s waste scenario inputs, and the calculated impacts compared using SimaPro’s pre-loaded methodologies. These calculated impacts and the economic impacts confirm that open-air burning of waste is not only dangerous to humans and the environment, but is also not cost-effective. Considering the economic effects and the mitigated human and environmental health impacts, WTE technologies may be a viable waste management strategy for the future.展开更多
Background:Given that increase in temperature may alter host-parasite relationships,the anticipated rise in temperature due to global warming might change transmission patterns of certain diseases.However,the extent t...Background:Given that increase in temperature may alter host-parasite relationships,the anticipated rise in temperature due to global warming might change transmission patterns of certain diseases.However,the extent to which this will happen is not well understood.Methods:Using a host-parasite system involving Bulinus globosus and Schistosoma haematobium,we assessed the effect of temperature on snail fecundity,growth,survival and parasite development under laboratory conditions.Results:Our results show that temperature may have a non-linear effect on snail fecundity and snail growth.Snails maintained at 15.5℃ and 36.0℃ did not produce egg masses while those maintained at 25.8℃ laid 344 and 105 more egg masses than snails at 31.0℃ and 21.2℃,respectively.Attainment of patency led to a reduction in egg mass production among the snails.However,the reduction in fecundity for snails maintained at 21.2℃ occurred before snails started shedding cercariae.Parasite development was accelerated at high temperatures with snails maintained at 31.0℃ reaching patency after three weeks.Furthermore,snail growth rate was highest at 25.8℃ while it was inhibited at 15.5℃ and reduced at 31.0℃.Increase in temperature increased snail mortality rates.Snails maintained at 36.0℃ had the shortest survival time while those maintained at 15.5℃ had the longest survival time.Conclusions:We concluded that temperature influences fecunxdity,growth,survival and parasite development in the snail and thus dictates the time it takes the parasite to complete the life cycle.This has implications on transmission of schistosomiasis in the context of global warming.展开更多
Background:Despite efforts to control neglected tropical diseases(NTDs),schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases remain widely prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa.Recent data suggest that these infections are pr...Background:Despite efforts to control neglected tropical diseases(NTDs),schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases remain widely prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa.Recent data suggest that these infections are prevalent among preschool aged children(PSAC)in poor communities.Evidence of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths(STH)infection patterns and prevalence among PSAC is essential for effective treatment and control programmes.The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence,intensity and risk factors of schistosomiasis and STH infection among PSAC in the Ingwavuma area of uMkhanyakude District,South Africa.Methods:A cross-seaional study was conducted among 1143 PSAC aged 1-5 years in 34 preschools and early childhood development(ECD)centres.Data on risk factors was collected using a semi-struaured questionnaire.A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the differences in infection intensity with age.Pearson Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were performed to assess the association between PSAC infection status,sociodemographic,household,water and sanitation variables and hygiene practices of PSAC and their caregivers.Results:We observed a low prevalence o f Schistosom a haem atobium(1.0%)and 5.m ansoni(0.9%).The prevalence of Ascaris lum bricoides(18.3%)was high compared to Trichuris trichiuro(1.2%),hookworms(1.6%)and Taenio(6.4%).The odds of schistosome infection were lowest among PSAC under younger(15-24 years)caregivers(0.1,95%CI:0.02-0.54)and those who used tap water(0.3,95%Cl:0.09-0.78)for domestic purposes.Schistosome infection was however higher among PSAC who bathed in river water(17.4,95%CI:5.96-51.04).STH infection on the other hand was lowest among PSAC who did not play in soil(0.1,95%CI:0.51-0.28),were from households that used tap water for domestic purposes(0.5,95%CI:0.27-0.80)and PSAC under the care of younger(25-35 years)caregivers(0.3,95%Cl:0.10-0.75).The risk of STH infeaion was highest among PSAC who did not wash their hands with soap(3.5,95%CI:1.04-11.6展开更多
Agricultural activities that encourage slashing, burning and ploughing greatly affect the soil structure and soil organic matter on which soil water retention depends. In this study, we hypothesized that inclusion of ...Agricultural activities that encourage slashing, burning and ploughing greatly affect the soil structure and soil organic matter on which soil water retention depends. In this study, we hypothesized that inclusion of rotational leguminous tree species improves soil water retention in a semi-arid conservation agriculture system. In a study done in Kibwezi, semi-arid eastern Kenya, results showed that the amount of water retained in the different soil strata from plots with different tree species and tillage practices was highly significant (P = 0.032). Plots with planting basins and Gliricidia sepium and Faidherbia albida tree species retained more water in both the upper and lower strata. Plots with G. sepium tree species under planting basins and zero tillage under F. albida had significantly higher soil organic carbon levels than plots that were managed under ridges and ploughing (P = 0.002). On the other hand, bulk density in plots with planting basins and zero tillage and ridges ranged between 1.35 g/cm3 and 1.53 g/cm3. Conventional tillage plots had bulk density values of 1.65 g/cm3 and 1.72 g/cm3 in the upper and lower strata respectively. The time-dependent nature of rotational leguminous tree species on soil organic matter and soil water retention in the semi-arid conservation agriculture system highlights the importance of considering these species for improving organic carbon and water retention for improved crop production.展开更多
BACKGROUND In the Spring of 2020,residency programs across the country experienced rapid and drastic changes to their application process as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.In response,resid...BACKGROUND In the Spring of 2020,residency programs across the country experienced rapid and drastic changes to their application process as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.In response,residency programs shifted to virtual events and began harnessing social media to communicate with applicants.AIM To analyze the changes in social media usage by orthopaedic surgery programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS Based on the 2019 residency and fellowship electronic database,accredited US orthopaedic surgery programs were reviewed for social media presence on Instagram and Twitter.Approximately 47000 tweets from 2011-2021 were extracted through the Twitter application programming interface.We extracted:Total number of followers,accounts following,tweets,likes,date of account creation,hashtags,and mentions.Natural language processing was utilized for tweet sentiment analysis and classified as positive,neutral,or negative.Instagram data was collected and deemed current as of August 11,2021.The account foundation date analysis was based on the date recognized as the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States,before or after March 1,2020.RESULTS A total of 85(42.3%)orthopaedic surgery residency program Twitter handles were identified.Thirty-five(41.2%)programs joined Twitter in the nine months after the 2020 covid outbreak.In 2020,there was a 126.6%increase in volume of tweets by orthopaedic surgery residency accounts as compared to 2019.The median number of followers was 474.5(interquartile range 205.0-796.5).The account with the highest number of tweets was Hospital for Special Surgery(@HSpecialSurgery)with 13776 tweets followed by University of Virginia(@UVA_Ortho)with 5063 and Yale(@OrthoAtYale)with 899.Sentiment analysis before 2020 revealed 30.4%positive,60.8%neutral,and 8.8%negative sentiments across tweets.Interestingly,the positive sentiment percentage increased in 2020 from 30.4%to 34.5%.Of the 201 ACGME-accredited orthopaedic residency programs on Fellowship and Resi展开更多
The study draws on the prevalent theories for orchestrating cross-organizational innovation and new knowledge development processes,and proposes a new,epistemic perspective for contextualizing innovation with two mana...The study draws on the prevalent theories for orchestrating cross-organizational innovation and new knowledge development processes,and proposes a new,epistemic perspective for contextualizing innovation with two management dimensions,namely,innovation complexity and innovation orchestration preconditions.Innovation complexity concerns the indeterminacy or contingency of new knowledge,or new competence,to be pursued during the course of organizational innovation.Innovation orchestration preconditions refer to the contextual innovation prerequisites that should be well meshed with one another to provide a sufficiency for innovation success.The preconditions include innovation units’structures and connectivity,behavior,and convenorship.The two dimensions describe a context map-an antithetic quad model-to imply four innovation orchestration qualities,namely,coherence,cohesiveness,congruence,and concordance.Based on the quad model,the study sets forth a measurement of the four qualities,which can assess innovation potential.To corroborate the quad model and the corresponding quality measurements,the study discursively observes a cross-sectoral innovation project.The observation results evidence the multi-finality of the four qualities for innovation success.The results reveal that it is necessary for these four qualities to be managed temporally and dynamically at different stages of innovation,and reject a fallacy that any one of these qualities is more necessary than the others.The study posits that if innovation units can be convened in accordance with the four qualities,the likelihood of innovation success will be sufficiently increased.The study finally discusses theoretical and practical implications of orchestration and convenorship.展开更多
文摘Traffic count is the fundamental data source for transportation planning, management, design, and effectiveness evaluation. Recording traffic flow and counting from the recorded videos are increasingly used due to convenience, high accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. Manual counting from pre-recorded video footage can be prone to inconsistencies and errors, leading to inaccurate counts. Besides, there are no standard guidelines for collecting video data and conducting manual counts from the recorded videos. This paper aims to comprehensively assess the accuracy of manual counts from pre-recorded videos and introduces guidelines for efficiently collecting video data and conducting manual counts by trained individuals. The accuracy assessment of the manual counts was conducted based on repeated counts, and the guidelines were provided from the experience of conducting a traffic survey on forty strip mall access points in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. The percentage of total error, classification error, and interval error were found to be 1.05 percent, 1.08 percent, and 1.29 percent, respectively. Besides, the percent root mean square errors (RMSE) were found to be 1.13 percent, 1.21 percent, and 1.48 percent, respectively. Guidelines were provided for selecting survey sites, instruments and timeframe, fieldwork, and manual counts for an efficient traffic data collection survey.
基金This work was supported by Alberta Health,Alberta Innovates,the Canada Research Chairs Program,the Canadian Institutes of Health Research,and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
文摘Food and water are the main sources of human exposure to arsenic.It is important to determine arsenic species in food because the toxicities of arsenic vary greatly with its chemical speciation.Extensive research has focused on high concentrations of arsenic species in marine organisms.The concentrations of arsenic species in freshwater fish are much lower,and their determination presents analytical challenges.In this review,we summarize the current state of knowledge on arsenic speciation in freshwater fish and discuss challenges and research needs.Fish samples are typically homogenized,and arsenic species are extracted using water/methanol with the assistance of sonication and enzyme treatment.Arsenic species in the extracts are commonly separated using high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)and detected using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICPMS).Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry,used in combination with HPLC and ICPMS,provides complementary information for the identification and characterization of arsenic species.The methods and perspectives discussed in this review,covering sample preparation,chromatography separation,and mass spectrometry detection,are directed to arsenic speciation in freshwater fish and applicable to studies of other food items.Despite progress made in arsenic speciation analysis,a large fraction of the total arsenic in freshwater fish remains unidentified.It is challenging to identify and quantify arsenic species present in complex sample matrices at very low concentrations.Further research is needed to improve the extraction efficiency,chromatographic resolution,detection sensitivity,and characterization capability.
文摘Purpose The aim was to explore five established SNPs(rs1815739,rs1805086,rs2700352,rs28497577,and rs28357094)that are known to modulate skeletal muscle protein kinetics in response to creatine supplementation.Methods A randomized,placebo-controlled,repeated measures design was used.Participants(n=152)were rand-omized divided into one of two groups:CREA(20 g/day creatine monohydrate)or PLAC:(dextrose)for 7 days.SNP were assessed,and participants were classified accordingly.Before and after supplementation,anthropometrics(height and body mass)and performance measures(vertical jump,countermovement vertical jump,squat jump,abdominal crunches,and maximum push-ups)were assessed.Results CREA gained more body mass than PLAC(CREA:Δ0.864±0.06 kg;PLAC:Δ0.154±0.07 kg,P<0.001).In the CREA group,the presence of an A allele for the MYLK1 polymorphism was related to changes in countermovement jump height(P=0.027;effect size[d]=0.41)and leg power(P=0.040,effect size[d]=0.18).The total number of abdominal crunches after supplementation was influenced by treatments and SPP1 gene(P=0.041).A higher number of abdominal crunches was associated with the G allele in the CREA group and the TT genotype in the PLAC group(effect size[d]=0.04).Conclusion Collectively,short-term creatine supplementation increased body mass but was unable to alter muscle perfor-mance.However,following creatine supplementation,participants expressing A alleles in the MYLK1 polymorphism had a greater increase in jump height and leg power and participants expressing G alleles in the SPP1 gene had greater improve-ments in abdominal crunch performance.
基金This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada,the Canadian Institutes of Health Research,and Alberta Health.
文摘Introduction The health benefits of consuming aquatic organisms are clear,given their high protein count,low saturated fats,and low cholesterol content.Fish,in particular,contains valuable nutrients(e.g.,omega-3 polyunsaturated fats),vitamins,essential elements,and is therefore considered an important part of a balanced human diet.China is a major seafood producer,accounting for 58%of global production in 2018(Crona et al.,2020).China is the largest seafood consuming country in the world,with consumption rates steadily increasing.Since the 1978 Chinese economic reform,the amount of seafood consumed per capita in China increased from 5 kg per capita in 1980 to 41 kg in 2015(Zhang et al.,2021).By 2030,the overall amount of fish consumption will likely exceed the amount of fish production in China.
文摘Climate change contributes to disasters in the Philippines. Most human activities have had negative consequences on the environment, exacerbating global warming. Humans contribute to climate change and global warming by burning fossil fuels, cutting down trees, engaging in improper waste disposal, using electricity, and driving a car. This study assessed the environmental practices of communities in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, and their implications for climate change. Respondents were selected using convenient sampling. A questionnaire delivered online was used to elicit their responses then analyzed the data using SPSS. This study revealed that most post-secondary students do not litter but sometimes burn their trash in an open dump. Most of them used LPG as their primary source of fuel for cooking. Rice production is always the same as producing food waste in food production. Garden waste was sometimes produced. Plastic containers are commonly produced as recyclable wastes. They often dispose of wastes in controlled and regulated open dumpsites by their municipality or city. Due to the pandemic, special wastes like face masks and face shields are disposed of daily. Generally, despite no littering behavior, the respondents never burned their trash or threw it on any body of water. They perceived to disagree that these daily community activities contribute to climate change. Lastly, less than half of them affirmed that there are initiative programs at the barangay level to lessen and eliminate community activities that cause climate change.
基金The writing of this review was made possible through the post-doctoral fellowship from the University of KwaZulu-Natal,College of Health Sciences that was awarded to Dr.Chester Kalinda。
文摘Background:The speedy rate of change in the environmental and socio-economics factors may increase the incidence,prevalence and risk of schistosomiasis infections in Zambia.However,available information does not provide a comprehensive understanding of the biogeography and distribution of the disease,ecology and population dynamics of intermediate host snails.The current study used an information-theoretical approach to understand the biogeography and prevalence schistosomiasis and identified knowledge gaps that would be useful to improve policy towards surveillance and eradication of intermediate hosts snails in Zambia.Methods:To summarise the existing knowledge and build on past and present experiences of schistosomiasis epidemiology for effective disease control in Zambia,a systematic search of literature for the period 2000-2017 was done on PubMed,Google Scholar and EBSCOhost.Using the key words:‘Schistosomiasis’,‘Biomphalaria’,‘Bulinus’,‘Schistosoma mansoni’,‘Schistosoma haematobium’,and‘Zambia’,in combination with Booleans terms‘AND’and‘OR’,published reports/papers were obtained and reviewed independently for inclusion.Results:Thirteen papers published in English that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected for the final review.The papers suggest that the risk of infection has increased over the years and this has been attributed to environmental,socio-economic and demographic factors.Furthermore,schistosomiasis is endemic in many parts of the country with infection due to Schistosoma haematobium being more prevalent than that due to S.mansoni.This review also found that S.haematobium was linked to genital lesions,thus increasing risks of contracting other diseases such as HIV and cervical cancer.Conclusions:For both S.haematobium and S.mansoni,environmental,socio-economic,and demographic factors were influential in the transmission and prevalence of the disease and highlight the need for detailed knowledge on ecological modelling and mapping the distribution of the di
文摘In recent years, supply chain management （SCM） has been in popularity as a new management philosophy for all industries, including textile and apparel industries. The textile-apparel supply chain is relatively complex because it encompasses many participants such as yarn manufacturers, fabric manufacturers, garment manufacturers and retailers. Although many scholars are engaged in researching SCM in textile and apparel industries, a systematic classification of textile-apparel chain does not exist. The paper proposes three types of textile-apparel chain, nominated vertical integration chain, traditional sourcing chain and 3P-hub （third party as the hub） chain. Different coordinators exist in different types of chain. Three Hong Kong headquartered companies, Esquel Group, TAL Apparel Ltd., and Li ＆ Fang （Trading） Ltd. are used as cases responding to each type of the structures respectively.
文摘The current barrier to acquisition and utilization of viable waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies at remote or deployed expeditionary sites requires high capital and operation & maintenance costs. The impacts to environment and human health of differing expeditionary waste management strategies were compared using the Life Cycle Assessment software SimaPro 8.0. Emissions of individual waste management scenarios were compiled from peer-reviewed literature, converted to values compatible with SimaPro’s waste scenario inputs, and the calculated impacts compared using SimaPro’s pre-loaded methodologies. These calculated impacts and the economic impacts confirm that open-air burning of waste is not only dangerous to humans and the environment, but is also not cost-effective. Considering the economic effects and the mitigated human and environmental health impacts, WTE technologies may be a viable waste management strategy for the future.
基金The study received financial support from University of KwaZulu-Natal College of Health Sciences through the student scholarship programme,and from United Nations International Children's Fund/United Nations Development Programme/World Bank/World Health Organization Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseasesfrom the Canadian International Development Research Centre through their support towards a Malaria and Bilharzia in Southern Africa project.
文摘Background:Given that increase in temperature may alter host-parasite relationships,the anticipated rise in temperature due to global warming might change transmission patterns of certain diseases.However,the extent to which this will happen is not well understood.Methods:Using a host-parasite system involving Bulinus globosus and Schistosoma haematobium,we assessed the effect of temperature on snail fecundity,growth,survival and parasite development under laboratory conditions.Results:Our results show that temperature may have a non-linear effect on snail fecundity and snail growth.Snails maintained at 15.5℃ and 36.0℃ did not produce egg masses while those maintained at 25.8℃ laid 344 and 105 more egg masses than snails at 31.0℃ and 21.2℃,respectively.Attainment of patency led to a reduction in egg mass production among the snails.However,the reduction in fecundity for snails maintained at 21.2℃ occurred before snails started shedding cercariae.Parasite development was accelerated at high temperatures with snails maintained at 31.0℃ reaching patency after three weeks.Furthermore,snail growth rate was highest at 25.8℃ while it was inhibited at 15.5℃ and reduced at 31.0℃.Increase in temperature increased snail mortality rates.Snails maintained at 36.0℃ had the shortest survival time while those maintained at 15.5℃ had the longest survival time.Conclusions:We concluded that temperature influences fecunxdity,growth,survival and parasite development in the snail and thus dictates the time it takes the parasite to complete the life cycle.This has implications on transmission of schistosomiasis in the context of global warming.
文摘Background:Despite efforts to control neglected tropical diseases(NTDs),schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases remain widely prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa.Recent data suggest that these infections are prevalent among preschool aged children(PSAC)in poor communities.Evidence of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths(STH)infection patterns and prevalence among PSAC is essential for effective treatment and control programmes.The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence,intensity and risk factors of schistosomiasis and STH infection among PSAC in the Ingwavuma area of uMkhanyakude District,South Africa.Methods:A cross-seaional study was conducted among 1143 PSAC aged 1-5 years in 34 preschools and early childhood development(ECD)centres.Data on risk factors was collected using a semi-struaured questionnaire.A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the differences in infection intensity with age.Pearson Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were performed to assess the association between PSAC infection status,sociodemographic,household,water and sanitation variables and hygiene practices of PSAC and their caregivers.Results:We observed a low prevalence o f Schistosom a haem atobium(1.0%)and 5.m ansoni(0.9%).The prevalence of Ascaris lum bricoides(18.3%)was high compared to Trichuris trichiuro(1.2%),hookworms(1.6%)and Taenio(6.4%).The odds of schistosome infection were lowest among PSAC under younger(15-24 years)caregivers(0.1,95%CI:0.02-0.54)and those who used tap water(0.3,95%Cl:0.09-0.78)for domestic purposes.Schistosome infection was however higher among PSAC who bathed in river water(17.4,95%CI:5.96-51.04).STH infection on the other hand was lowest among PSAC who did not play in soil(0.1,95%CI:0.51-0.28),were from households that used tap water for domestic purposes(0.5,95%CI:0.27-0.80)and PSAC under the care of younger(25-35 years)caregivers(0.3,95%Cl:0.10-0.75).The risk of STH infeaion was highest among PSAC who did not wash their hands with soap(3.5,95%CI:1.04-11.6
文摘Agricultural activities that encourage slashing, burning and ploughing greatly affect the soil structure and soil organic matter on which soil water retention depends. In this study, we hypothesized that inclusion of rotational leguminous tree species improves soil water retention in a semi-arid conservation agriculture system. In a study done in Kibwezi, semi-arid eastern Kenya, results showed that the amount of water retained in the different soil strata from plots with different tree species and tillage practices was highly significant (P = 0.032). Plots with planting basins and Gliricidia sepium and Faidherbia albida tree species retained more water in both the upper and lower strata. Plots with G. sepium tree species under planting basins and zero tillage under F. albida had significantly higher soil organic carbon levels than plots that were managed under ridges and ploughing (P = 0.002). On the other hand, bulk density in plots with planting basins and zero tillage and ridges ranged between 1.35 g/cm3 and 1.53 g/cm3. Conventional tillage plots had bulk density values of 1.65 g/cm3 and 1.72 g/cm3 in the upper and lower strata respectively. The time-dependent nature of rotational leguminous tree species on soil organic matter and soil water retention in the semi-arid conservation agriculture system highlights the importance of considering these species for improving organic carbon and water retention for improved crop production.
文摘BACKGROUND In the Spring of 2020,residency programs across the country experienced rapid and drastic changes to their application process as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.In response,residency programs shifted to virtual events and began harnessing social media to communicate with applicants.AIM To analyze the changes in social media usage by orthopaedic surgery programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS Based on the 2019 residency and fellowship electronic database,accredited US orthopaedic surgery programs were reviewed for social media presence on Instagram and Twitter.Approximately 47000 tweets from 2011-2021 were extracted through the Twitter application programming interface.We extracted:Total number of followers,accounts following,tweets,likes,date of account creation,hashtags,and mentions.Natural language processing was utilized for tweet sentiment analysis and classified as positive,neutral,or negative.Instagram data was collected and deemed current as of August 11,2021.The account foundation date analysis was based on the date recognized as the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States,before or after March 1,2020.RESULTS A total of 85(42.3%)orthopaedic surgery residency program Twitter handles were identified.Thirty-five(41.2%)programs joined Twitter in the nine months after the 2020 covid outbreak.In 2020,there was a 126.6%increase in volume of tweets by orthopaedic surgery residency accounts as compared to 2019.The median number of followers was 474.5(interquartile range 205.0-796.5).The account with the highest number of tweets was Hospital for Special Surgery(@HSpecialSurgery)with 13776 tweets followed by University of Virginia(@UVA_Ortho)with 5063 and Yale(@OrthoAtYale)with 899.Sentiment analysis before 2020 revealed 30.4%positive,60.8%neutral,and 8.8%negative sentiments across tweets.Interestingly,the positive sentiment percentage increased in 2020 from 30.4%to 34.5%.Of the 201 ACGME-accredited orthopaedic residency programs on Fellowship and Resi
基金This research is partially funded by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University,funding account:CRG-G-UA-1R.
文摘The study draws on the prevalent theories for orchestrating cross-organizational innovation and new knowledge development processes,and proposes a new,epistemic perspective for contextualizing innovation with two management dimensions,namely,innovation complexity and innovation orchestration preconditions.Innovation complexity concerns the indeterminacy or contingency of new knowledge,or new competence,to be pursued during the course of organizational innovation.Innovation orchestration preconditions refer to the contextual innovation prerequisites that should be well meshed with one another to provide a sufficiency for innovation success.The preconditions include innovation units’structures and connectivity,behavior,and convenorship.The two dimensions describe a context map-an antithetic quad model-to imply four innovation orchestration qualities,namely,coherence,cohesiveness,congruence,and concordance.Based on the quad model,the study sets forth a measurement of the four qualities,which can assess innovation potential.To corroborate the quad model and the corresponding quality measurements,the study discursively observes a cross-sectoral innovation project.The observation results evidence the multi-finality of the four qualities for innovation success.The results reveal that it is necessary for these four qualities to be managed temporally and dynamically at different stages of innovation,and reject a fallacy that any one of these qualities is more necessary than the others.The study posits that if innovation units can be convened in accordance with the four qualities,the likelihood of innovation success will be sufficiently increased.The study finally discusses theoretical and practical implications of orchestration and convenorship.
