Vermicomposting process for treating animal slurry in Latin American rural areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 611-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Máximo Lucio Nova Pinedo ◽  
Navarro Ferronato ◽  
Marco Ragazzi ◽  
Vincenzo Torretta
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Treatment Time ◽  
Lumbricus Terrestris ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Animal Slurry ◽  
Open Dumping

The management of animal slurry is a big issue in low-income rural areas worldwide. Bolivia suffers this issue related to collection, treatment and final disposal since the main solution applied is the open dumping. The aim of this study is to introduce a feasible treatment of animal slurry in the rural area of Carmen Pampa, where about 670 kg of dung are produced per day and disposed of in open areas. The objective is the improvement of the environmental sustainability and human health, providing an alternative solution for encouraging the circular economy. The study is focused on the vermicomposting process, a sustainable solution for low-income regions. The analysis was conducted in function of the earthworm breeds used locally ( Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus terrestris) and the application of activated bacteria (AB) for improving the process. The mass loss, the treatment time, and the growing rate of the earthworms were analyzed. The results suggest that the different breed of the worms allows gaining up to 19 days, while the use of the AB allows saving about 30 days. Moreover, the vermicomposting process reduced the mass of the slurry of about 65% for the swine’s dung and the bovine’s dung, and 90% of the hens’ dung. Finally, experimental evidence shows that the growing rate of the E. fetida is higher than the L. terrestris (F[1,8] = 78, p < 0.05), with an average of about 193%. The data obtained could be of interest for other stakeholders who live in similar environmental, climatic, and economic conditions for improving sustainability.

scholarly journals A house-to-house survey of epileptic seizures in an urban community of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2002 ◽  
Vol 60 (3B) ◽  
pp. 708-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marleide da Mota Gomes ◽  
Regina Golnner Zeitoune ◽  
Leandro Albuquerque Lemgruber Kropf ◽  
Erica da Silva van Beeck
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Point Prevalence ◽  
Prevalence Study ◽  
Population Census ◽  
Two Phase

OBJECTIVE: To carry out a prevalence study about epileptic seizures and epilepsy in an urban low-income population. METHOD: Prevalence study in a two-phase model: screening and diagnosis confirmation. It was applied a structured questionnaire in 982 people all effectively resident on March 1rst 2000 based on a population census previously carried out by the Nurse Faculty. One neurologist interviewed all the suspected cases. RESULTS: It was detected 176 suspected cases of epileptic seizures: 156 with non-epileptic events, and 20 with epileptic seizures. The lifetime point prevalence was of 16.3 cases per 1000 inhabitants, and of active epilepsy, 5.1 / 1000. If we consider false negative diagnosis from the screening procedures, the lifetime point-prevalence rates until 20.8/1000. CONCLUSION: The prevalence data of epilepsy shows less impressive than in other Latin-American studies and even some Brazilian, but similar to other Brazilian studies. This suggests geographical diversity and/or methodological differences among studies. Anyway, probably the epilepsy prevalence in Rio de Janeiro is not so high as that found in the Latin countries rural areas.

TURNING FARMERS INTO SOCIAL FARMER ENTREPRENEURS FOR DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remus Runcan
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Healthy Environment ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural Development Programme ◽  
Rural And Urban

According to Romania’s National Rural Development Programme, the socio-economic situation of the rural environment has a large number of weaknesses – among which low access to financial resources for small entrepreneurs and new business initiatives in rural areas and poorly developed entrepreneurial culture, characterized by a lack of basic managerial knowledge – but also a large number of opportunities – among which access of the rural population to lifelong learning and entrepreneurial skills development programmes and entrepreneurs’ access to financial instruments. The population in rural areas depends mainly on agricultural activities which give them subsistence living conditions. The gap between rural and urban areas is due to low income levels and employment rates, hence the need to obtain additional income for the population employed in subsistence and semi-subsistence farming, especially in the context of the depopulation trend. At the same time, the need to stimulate entrepreneurship in rural areas is high and is at a resonance with the need to increase the potential of rural communities from the perspective of landscape, culture, traditional activities and local resources. A solution could be to turn vegetal and / or animal farms into social farms – farms on which people with disabilities (but also adolescents and young people with anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide, and alexithymia issues) might find a “foster” family, bed and meals in a natural, healthy environment, and share the farm’s activities with the farmer and the farmer’s family: “committing to a regular day / days and times for a mutually agreed period involves complying with any required health and safety practices (including use of protective clothing and equipment), engaging socially with the farm family members and other people working on and around the farm, and taking on tasks which would include working on the land, taking care of animals, or helping out with maintenance and other physical work”

Households Discrimination in School Enrolment in Pakistan: Does gender matter?

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-36
Author(s):  
Ali Muhammad ◽  
Zahoor Ul Haq ◽  
Imad Khan
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Gender Disparity ◽  
School Enrollment ◽  
Female Education ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

This study uses Pakistan Social and Living Measurement Survey 2016 to study gender discrimination in school enrollment across the four provinces of Pakistan using bi-variate analysis. Results show that there is highly significant difference between male and female education in rural areas (x^2=4940.50 and p<0.05). Analysis indicate that gender disparity in enrollment is significantly higher in low income households (x^2=115.468 and P<0.05). The study also showed that as compared to male, fewer female are enrolled in both public and private sectors. Hence, socio-economic factors play important role in making decision about children enrollment in different types of school. The study recommends that government to take appropriate steps to reduce gender discrimination in school enrollment by offering subsidy on female education in the country.

INCOME AS A SOURCE OF HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 58-63
Author(s):  
O. N. KUSAKINA ◽  
◽  
S. V. SOKOLOV ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
Place Of Residence ◽  
Human Capital Development ◽  
Urban Households ◽  
Average Structure ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Consumer Expenditures ◽  
Capital Development

The article is devoted to research of dynamics of disposable resources of rural and urban households; components of disposable resources of households depending on the place of residence (per household member on average); structure of consumer expenditures of rural households based on official statistics for 2018–2020. The presented findings may serve as a basis for justifying the trends in social and economic conditions necessary for the growth of human capital in rural areas.

Empathy not quarantined: Association between people’s empathy to others and the COVID-19 pandemic situations based on a national survey study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhibin Jiang ◽  
Fan Yang ◽  
Bu Zhong ◽  
Xuebing Qin
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Affective Response ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Income Levels ◽  
The Social

BACKGROUND The Covid-19 pandemic had turned the world upside down, but not much is known about how people’s empathy might be affected by the pandemic. OBJECTIVE This study examined 1) how empathy towards others might be influenced by the social support people obtained by using social media; and 2) how the individual demographics (e.g., age, income) may affect empathy. METHODS A national survey (N = 943) was conducted in China in February 2020, in which the participants read three real scenarios about low-income urban workers (Scenario I), small business owners in cities (Scenario II), and farmers in rural areas (Scenario III) who underwent hardship due to COVID-19. After exposure to others’ difficulties in the scenarios, the participants’ empathy and anxiety levels were measured. We also measured the social support they had by using social media. RESULTS Results show that social support not only positively impacted empathy, β = .30, P < .001 for Scenario I, β = .30, P < .001 for Scenario II, and β = .29, P < .001 for Scenario III, but also interacted with anxiety in influencing the degree to which participants could maintain empathy towards others, β = .08, P = .010 for Scenario I, and β = .07, P = .033 for scenario II. Age negatively predicted empathy for Scenario I, β = -.08, P = .018 and Scenario III, β = -.08, P = .009, but not for Scenario II, β = -.03, P = .40. Income levels – low, medium, high – positively predicted empathy for Scenario III, F (2, 940) = 8.10, P < .001, but not for Scenario I, F (2, 940) = 2.14, P = .12, or Scenario II, F (2, 940) = 2.93, P = .06. Participants living in big cities expressed greater empathy towards others for Scenario III, F (2, 940) = 4.03, P =.018, but not for Scenario I, F (2, 940) = .81, P = .45, or Scenario II, F (2, 940) = 1.46, P =.23. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes to the literature by discovering the critical role empathy plays in people’s affective response to others during the pandemic. Anxiety did not decrease empathy. However, those gaining more social support on social media showed more empathy for others. Those who resided in cities with higher income levels were more empathetic during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study reveals that the social support people obtained helped maintain empathy to others, making them resilient in challenging times.

scholarly journals Trends in social inequalities in breastfeeding and infant formulas in Latin American countries between the 1990 and 2010 decades

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Camila S Ferreira ◽  
Catarina M Azeredo ◽  
Ana Elisa M Rinaldi
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Social Inequality ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Weighted Least Squares ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Simultaneous Decrease

Abstract Objective: To analyse trends of social inequality in breastfeeding and infant formula (IF) use in Latin America between 1990 and 2010 decades. Design: Time-series cross-sectional study with data from Demographic and Health Surveys. We described the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), breastfeeding between 6 and 12 months (BF6-12) and IF for infants under 6 months (IF < 6) and between 6 and 12 months (IF6-12). Social inequalities were assessed using the slope index of inequality (SII) and concentration index (CIX). Trends in the prevalence of breastfeeding, IF and index of social inequality were analysed by a linear regression model with weighted least squares variance. Setting: Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti and Peru. Participants: 51·358 alive infants younger than 12 months. Results: Five countries showed an increasing trend for EBF and BF6-12, four increased for IF < 6 and six for IF6-12. Simultaneous decrease in IF < 6 (Colombia: −0·3/year; Haiti: −0·02/year) and increase in EBF (Colombia: +2·0/year; Haiti: +1·9/year) were observed only in two countries. EBF prevalence was high in the lowest income quintiles in five countries, and IF prevalence was high in the highest income quintiles in all countries and over the decades. For BF6-12, a decrease in inequality (prevalence increased in the highest quintile) was observed in Guatemala (SII1995 = −0·42; SII2015 = −0·28) and the Dominican Republic (SII1996 = −0·54; SII2013 = −0·26). Guatemala was the only country showing a decrease in inequality for BF (SII = −0·005; CIX = −0·0035) and an increase for IF (SII = 0·022; CIX = 0·01). Conclusions: The inequality in BF and IF remained over time. However, inequality in IF < 6 has decreased because low-income infants have increased use and high-income infants have decreased.

scholarly journals Advances on the Implementation of Circular Economy Techniques in Rural Areas in Colombia under a Sustainable Development Framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3816
Author(s):  
Javier Rodrigo-Ilarri ◽  
Camilo-A. Vargas-Terranova ◽  
María-Elena Rodrigo-Clavero ◽  
Paula-A. Bustos-Castro
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Good Starting Point ◽  
Depressed Regions ◽  
First Time

For the first time in the scientific literature, this research shows an analysis of the implementation of circular economy techniques under sustainable development framework in six municipalities with a depressed economy in Colombia. The analysis is based on solid waste data production at a local scale, the valuation of the waste for subsequent recycling, and the identification and quantification of the variables associated with the treatment and final disposal of waste, in accordance with the Colombian regulatory framework. Waste generation data are obtained considering three different scenarios, in which a comparison between the simulated values and those established in the management plans are compared. Important differences have been identified between the waste management programs of each municipality, specifically regarding the components of waste collection, transportation and disposal, participation of environmental reclaimers, and potential use of materials. These differences are fundamentally associated with the different administrative processes considered for each individual municipality. This research is a good starting point for the development of waste management models based on circular economy techniques, through the subsequent implementation of an office tool in depressed regions such as those studied.

scholarly journals 1535. Impact of Defunding Family Planning Health Centers on Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Cases in Iowa: A Spatiotemporal Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S768-S768
Author(s):  
Megan L Srinivas ◽  
Eileen Yang ◽  
Weiming Tang ◽  
Joseph Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Spatiotemporal Analysis ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Transmitted Infection ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
Linear Regression Modeling ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Fifteen states have defunded family planning health centers (FPHCs), causing thousands to be left without health services. This has accelerated in the COVID-19 era. FPHCs provide low-income individuals in rural areas with essential primary care services, including sexually transmitted infection prevention, testing, and treatment. The purpose of this analysis is to use spatiotemporal methods to examine the impact of FPHC closures in Iowa on the reported number of gonorrhea and chlamydia cases at the county level. Methods This analysis investigates the association between FPHC closures and changes in the number of gonorrhea and chlamydia cases between 2016 and 2018. Iowa implemented defunding policies for family planning clinics, resulting in four FPHC closures in June 2017. 2016 pre-closure STI incidence rates were compared to 2018 post-closure rates. Gonorrhea and chlamydia rates in the four Iowa counties with clinic closures were compared to the 95 Iowa counties without closures. T tests were used to compare changes in reported gonorrhea and chlamydia rates in the two settings. Linear regression modeling was used to determine the relationship between clinic closures and changes in gonorrhea and chlamydia cases. Results The gonorrhea burden in Iowa increased from 83 cases per 100,000 people in 2016 to 153.8 cases per 100,000 people in 2018. The four counties with clinic closures experienced a significantly larger increase (absolute 217 cases per 100,000 population) in their gonorrhea rate compared to counties without FPHC closures (absolute 121 cases per 100,000 population). There was also a significant relationship between clinic closures and increasing gonorrhea rates (p = 0.0015). Over the three-year period, there was no change in chlamydia rates (p = 0.1182). However, there was a trend towards counties with more FPHC closures having a higher number of chlamydia cases (p = 0.057). Conclusion Despite the fact that many STI diagnoses are made and reported by FPHCs, our data suggest that clinic closures may have contributed to an increase in gonorrhea and chlamydia cases. This is consistent with delayed diagnoses and missed opportunities for providing essential STI services to vulnerable and under-served rural residents. Legislative action is urgently needed to curtail this trend. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

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