Freight Transport Technology: A Cost-Effective/Time-Efficient Solution to Sub-Saharan Africa’s Logistics Problems

Author(s):  
David Burl
Author(s):  
M. F. Bransby ◽  
D. O’Driscoll ◽  
H. Zhu ◽  
M. F. Randolph ◽  
T. Drummen

Increasing numbers of subsea structures related to wells and pipelines are being placed on the seabed as part of typical subsea or tie-back developments. Given the proliferation of these structures and the marginal cost of offshore developments, controlling installation and fabrication costs for subsea structures can be key to project viability. Skirted mudmats are often the most cost-effective foundation type, and particular additional design focuses on optimising their cost by minimising foundation weight and installation time. Subsea foundations must be designed to withstand all applied loads during their design life (e.g. during set-down, tie-in, hydrotest, operation etc.) with suitable reliability. Using skirts, peripheral or internal, to improve the sliding resistance is an efficient solution provided the self-weight of the subsea structure on set-down is sufficiently large to ensure installation of the skirts (even for the strongest likely seabed conditions), but can lead to significant cost increases if additional ballast is required to ensure this. The paper examines how foundation skirt geometries can be optimised in order to provide sufficient foundation in-place capacity whilst minimising the amount of self-weight required for their installation. Parametric studies are presented that show how the sliding capacity of individual skirts is affected by the weight of the structure, and also the spacing and position within the foundation plan.


Author(s):  
Shay I. Duvdevani ◽  
Hadas Knoller ◽  
Noa Rozendorn ◽  
Eran E. Alon ◽  
Ory Madgar

AbstractCongenital ear anomalies are associated with psychological morbidity. Ear deformities can usually be corrected by nonsurgical techniques such as splinting or molding in the neonatal period, initiated before 6 weeks. Without early corrections, many will require otoplasty during childhood. We introduce a novel silicone-based custom mold technique for congenital ear anomalies. The highly malleable silicone was pushed into every part of the auricle, enabling the auricle to remain in the desired shape, with new molds made weekly. Of 31 newborns (18 males, 13 females), 54 ears were treated. Average age at treatment initiation was 26.8 days. The mean treatment duration was 43.2 days, with a median of 28 days. Normal appearance and parent's satisfaction were achieved in 30 patients with 49 deformed ears and also in four newborns older than 6 weeks. Three concha type microtia in two patients achieved great improvements and parents' satisfaction. No complications were reported. Marked aesthetic improvements and normal appearance were achieved for all deformed auricles treated, and improvements in the concha type microtia will partially alleviate future surgical corrections. The results are not inferior to other techniques. The advantages are as follows: cost-effective, time-saving, simple to master, no need for hair shaving, and easy use for parents. Patients older than 6 weeks of age achieved normal auricle appearance, enabling the correction in older newborns. Custom made silicone auricle molding offers a simple nonsurgical technique for correcting congenital ear anomalies, alleviating the need for future surgical corrections.


2018 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 676-679
Author(s):  
John L. Dahl ◽  
Wayne Gatlin

Koch's postulates are regularly included in the lecture portion of microbiology courses, but rarely are they demonstrated in a microbiology teaching lab. This is understandable given the logistical challenges of undergraduates working with pathogenic bacteria, ethical concerns using animals, and limited time constraints of a weekly lab period. Here we present a cost-effective, time-friendly lab activity that demonstrates the principles of microbial isolation and infection assays that are part of fulfilling Koch's postulates. The disease is “peep pox” caused by a gelatinase-positive bacterial species hydrolyzing marshmallow peeps that proxy as infected animals.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernice Mawumenyo Senanu ◽  
Patrick Boakye ◽  
Sampson Oduro-Kwarteng ◽  
Divine Damertey Sewu ◽  
Esi Awuah ◽  
...  

Abstract On-site dry sanitation facilities, although cheaper than wet sanitation systems, suffer from high malodour and insect nuisance as well as poor aesthetics. The high odour deters users from utilizing dry sanitation toilet as an improved facility leading to over 20% open defecation in Sub-Saharan Africa. To address this malodour concern, this study first assessed odour levels, using hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) as indicators, on two (2) dry sanitation facilities (T1 and T2). The potential of using biomass (sawdust, rice husk, moringa leaves, neem seeds), ash (coconut husk, cocoa husk) or biochar (sawdust, rice husk, bamboo) as biocovers to remove or suppress odour from fresh faecal sludge (FS) over a 12-day period was investigated. Results showed high odour levels, beyond and below the threshold limit for unpleasantness for humans on H2S (peak value: T1 = 3.17 ppm; T2 = 0.22 ppm > 0.05 ppm limit) and NH3 (peak value: T1 = 6.88 ppm; T2 = 3.16 ppm < 30 ppm limit), respectively. The biomasses exhibited low pH (acidic = 5-7) whereas the biochars and ashes had higher pHs (basic = 8-13). Acidic biocovers generally reduced NH3 emission significantly (12.5% to 64.8%) whereas basic biocovers were more effective at H2S emission reduction (80.9% to 96.2%). In terms of H2S and NH3 removal, sawdust biochar was the most effective biocover with odour abatement values of 96.2% and 74.7%, respectively. The results suggest that locally available waste plant-based materials, like sawdust, when converted to biochar can serve as a cost-effective and sustainable way to effectively combat odour-related issues associated with dry sanitation facilities to help stop open defecation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-12
Author(s):  
E Ruszova ◽  
M Chmelarova ◽  
M Senkerikova ◽  
S Stefackova

AbstractPurpose: Our goal was to develop two-tier strategy based onin house-designed methylation specific-duplex polymerase chain reactions (MS-PCRs) that could serve as a relatively simple, cost effective, time efficient approach for molecular screening of imprinted regions on chromosomes 15 and 14.Patients and methods: Patients were referred to examination during infancy due to hypotonia and motor development delay. Duplex MS-PCRs were performed that enabled detection of methylated/unmethylated DNA inNDNandMEG3CpG islands via plurality of detection channels on PCR instrument Rotor Gene 6000.Results and discussion: Both, copy number variations as well as methylation changes, were revealed by ourin house-designed methodology by focusingNDNgene. No imprinting aberrations were yet discovered inMEG3gene. Clinical features of the patients were compared. In agree with literature no typical facial features were observed in PWS patient with imprinting defect and AS UPD patient seems to have a relatively better development and language ability in comparison to deletional form of the disease.Conclusion: In conclusion we were able to establish new, throughput and robust diagnostic approach to PWS/AS.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Sutton ◽  
John Butterworth

While governments and development partners focus on improving community and utility-managed water supplies to ensure access for all, hundreds of millions of people are taking actions to supply their own water. In the WASH sector household investment in construction and improvement of facilities is widely employed in sanitation but in water similar efforts are ignored. Recognition of the contribution of self-supply towards universal access to water and its full potential, is hampered by a lack of data, analysis and guidance. This well-reasoned source book highlights the magnitude of the contribution of self-supply to urban and rural water provision world-wide, and the gains that are possible when governments recognise and support household-led supply development and up-grading. With limited public finances in low- (and many middle-) income countries, self-supply can fill gaps in public provision, especially amongst low-density rural populations. The book focuses on sub-Saharan Africa as the region with the greatest predicted shortfall in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal for water. Household supplies can be created, or accelerated to basic or safely managed levels, through approaches that build on the investment and actions of families, with the availability of technology options and cost-effective support from the private and public sectors. The role of self-supply needs greater recognition and a change in mindset of governments, development partners and practitioners if water services are to be extended to all and no-one is to be left behind.


Author(s):  
Unathi Sonwabile Henama ◽  
Lwazi Apleni

International tourist arrivals are projected to surpass 1.8 billion by 2030 on the back of rapid growth in emerging tourism economies. Tourism has emerged as an economic messiah for a plethora of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has emerged as a cost-effective means by which countries can diversify their economies, especially countries with low economies that depend on agricultural products to diversify their economies. Religious tourism can contribute to deeper economic benefit for a destination. The synthesis of literature adds to the paucity of academic gaze on religious tourism in Southern Africa. The synthesis takes the reader on a religious tourism journey that includes African spirituality, Pentecostal Christianity, and the interface between Africans spirituality and Christianity. These areas are neglected in the academic gaze and are outside the tourism beaten track, and these forms of religious tourism bring in much needed economic activities for areas on the tourism fringe.


Author(s):  
M. Gareev ◽  
M. Amerkhanov ◽  
M. Lyabipov ◽  
A. Stepanov ◽  
R. Sitdikov ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayun Cassell ◽  
Bashir Yunusa ◽  
Mohamed Jalloh ◽  
Medina Ndoye ◽  
Mouhamadou M. Mbodji ◽  
...  

The estimated incidence rate of prostate cancer in Africa was 22.0/100,000 in 2016. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has cited prostate cancer as a growing health threat in Africa with approximated 28,006 deaths in 2010 and estimated 57,048 deaths in 2030. The exact incidence of advanced and metastatic prostate cancer is not known in sub-Saharan Africa. Hospital-based reports from the region have shown a rising trend with most patients presenting with advanced or metastatic disease. The management of advanced and metastatic prostate cancer is challenging. The available international guidelines may not be cost-effective for an African population. The most efficient approach in the region has been surgical castration by bilateral orchidectomy or pulpectomy. Medical androgen deprivation therapy is expensive and may not be available. Patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer tend to be palliated due to the absence or cost of chemotherapy or second-line androgen deprivation therapy in most of Africa. A cost-effective guideline for developing nations to address the rising burden of advanced prostate cancer is warranted at this moment.


Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 485
Author(s):  
Nnanna N. Unachukwu ◽  
Abebe Menkir ◽  
Adekemi Stanley ◽  
Ebenezer O. Farombi ◽  
Melaku Gedil

Strigahermonthica (Del.) Benth is a parasitic weed that devastates cereals in Sub-Saharan Africa. Several control measures have been proposed for the parasite, of these, host plant resistance is considered the most cost-effective for poor farmers. Some tolerant/resistant lines have been developed and these lines display tolerance/resistance mechanisms to the parasite. A series of studies was done to investigate some of the mechanisms through which a resistant (TZISTR1108) and a susceptible (5057) maize line responds to S. hermonthica infestation, as well as the effects of parasitism on these lines. In this study, TZISTR1108 stimulated the germination and attachment of fewer S. hermonthica plants than 5057, both in the laboratory and on the field. In TZISTR1108, the growth of the S. hermonthica plants, that successfully attached, was slowed. When compared to the un-infested plants, the infested resistant plants showed fewer effects of parasitism than the infested susceptible plants. The infested TZISTR1108 plants were more vigorous, taller and resembled their un-infected counterparts. There were substantial reductions in the stomatal conductance and nitrogen content of the 5057 upon infestation. The resistant inbred line showed multiple mechanisms of resistance to S. hermonthica infestation. It thrives better than the susceptible line by reducing the attachment of S. hermonthica and it delays the parasite’s development.


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