Understanding usage and preference for health care therapies in a Ghanaian context: A pluralistic perspective

Studies of health care and health-care seeking behaviour in Ghana have mainly shown that many patients tend to use indigenous medicine to address their health care needs. These studies have cited affordability, acceptability, availability, and accessibility as major factors behind the predominant use of indigenous medicine. Nevertheless, in these studies, researchers often ignore the third health care option – self-care, usually subjugated under the indigenous medical system. Since the mid-1980s, both biomedical and indigenous health care systems have witnessed transformations that have shaped and changed their modes of operation, as well as the cost of treatment. In light of this, the author seeks to understand the motivations behind the preference for and use of self-care, professional biomedical care, and indigenous forms of care in the context of Ghana’s health care system. A qualitative, in-depth interview technique was used for data gathering. Findings from the study revealed that time and cost of treatment were major factors accounting for the predominant use of self-care. The author concludes that the findings challenge the long-held belief that biomedicine is not widely accepted by people in Ghana compared with indigenous medicine.     

Reviews on Ancient Halophilic Microbes in Halite Fluid in Clusions

Fluid inclusions trapped in ancient evaporites can contain a community of halophilic prokaryotes and eukaryotes that inhabited the surface brines from which the minerals formed. Entombed in the fluid inclusions in evaporites, some of these halophilic microbes remain viable for at least tens of thousands of years and possibly for hundreds of millions of years, even under high salinity, low oxygen, high radiation, low nutrient concentration. This review presents the scientific history of discovery, isolation, and culture of ancient halophilic microbes in halite fluid inclusions. We elucidated the controversy associated with the ancient halophilic microbes between geologists and geomicrobiologists. Major concerns and future perspectives on halophiles research were proposed. We emphasized that lithofacies analysis and depositional environment determination on evaporites are prerequisites before any microbiological survey, and rigorous biological protocol must be obeyed at all retrieval procedures for ancient microorganisms. We suggested that future study related to ancient halophilic microbes should focus on other evaporites such as gypsum, glauberite, and trona, characterize and identify older halophiles; clarify metabolic mechanism for longevity of ancient microorganisms.     

Deposit Feeding and Sediment:

Abstract. The feeding of the epibenthic deposit-feeder Holothuria tubulosa GMELIN and its influence on sediment metabolism was investigated from February 1988 to February 1989. Water samples, specimens of H. tubulosa , and samples of freshly egested feces were taken by SCUBA diving in a 5 m deep seagrass bed at the Island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples (Italy). Particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate organic nitrogen (PON), total particulate carbohydrates (PCHO), and bacterial biomass exhibited higher values in the foregut than in the surrounding sediment. Even the freshly egested feces were richer in the organic components than the sediment. The percentage of growing bacterial cells increased from 4.1 % in the sediment to 12.2 % in the foregut and declined to 11.6 % in the hindgut and 6.2 % in freshly egested feces.
On an annual average, absorption efficiency was highest for bacteria (x = 71%); for PON we calculated a mean absorption efficiency of 20.9%, for PCHO 19.5%. It was estimated that bacterial biomass supplied between 4 and 25 % of the respiratory carbon demand of H. tubulosa. We present evidence that the feeding activity of H. tubulosa stabilizes the bacterial community in the sediment. Furthermore, our data indicate that H. tubulosa reacts quickly to changing conditions, such as sedimented phytoplankton blooms.     

国际五城市空气微生物概况

对瓦尔帕莱索、彭塔阿雷纳斯、坎帕纳、新加坡和青岛的港口等空气微生物作了监测。这五个城市空气中的海洋性微生物及陆源性微生物数量(CFU/m~3)按大小次序排列均为:坎帕纳>青岛>瓦尔帕莱索>彭塔阿雷纳斯>新加坡。对空气微生物数量与气温、风速和相对湿度的关系作了初步比较分析后,认为适宜的气温及较大幅度的相对湿度有利于空气中微生物的增加:大风速、低相对湿度或高气温不利于空气中海洋性微生物的增加,本结果反映有关城市间空气污染的差异,坎帕纳的空气状况较差,对所得菌株作了初步分类,其中以不动杆菌较多,次为欧文氏菌等。     

三维油类浓度预测模型

在三维计算潮流场基础上,根据物质输运方程,考虑陆源排油、分散油的挥发、悬浮物对油类的吸附沉降及微生物对油类的净化作用,建立了三维油类浓度预测模型。     

生物甲烷气实验的外加菌源(沼液)中厌氧菌群测定

考虑到煤本源微生物的分离、纯化及培养相对困难,且耗时较长,采用沼液作为外加菌源,并在进行生物甲烷气实验之前,对所采集沼液中的主要厌氧菌群进行微生物特征及数量的测定。结果表明沼液中的厌氧发酵菌(Anaerobicfermentative bacteria)、厌氧纤维素分解菌(Anaerobic cellulose-decomposing bacteria)、硫酸盐还原菌(Sulfate-reducingbacteria)和产甲烷菌(Methanogens)4类厌氧菌群,均具有杆状、球状及链状等多种形态;染色后发现其中革兰氏阴性菌占主要优势;经最大或然数(MPN)计数后表明,沼液中所含厌氧菌的数量足以进行后续的生物甲烷气的产出实验。     

不同降雨量下人工重建林土壤性状及微生物特性比较

分析和比较了甘肃省中部典型黄土丘陵区不同降雨量下人工重建林土壤性状及微生物特性.结果表明:随降水量的增加,土壤含水量升高,pH值变化不明显;土壤有机碳、全氮、微生物量碳、微生物量氮含量均表现为以400 mm降水量为分界线,降水量≥400 mm样地的含量显著高于降水量<400 mm样地(p<0.05);降水量为500 mm样地的全磷、速效磷、速效钾含量及土壤微生物呼吸最高,但土壤微生物呼吸熵为200 mm降水量样地最高;微生物熵变化不显著.相关性分析表明,不同降水量梯度下,土壤理化性质与微生物特性之间存在不同程度的相关性.     

低丰度高演化海相碳酸盐烃源岩有机质原生性研究

碳酸盐烃源岩有机质原生性直接影响到其生烃能力的客观评价,特别对于低丰度高演化海相碳酸盐烃源岩生烃能力评价的影响尤为严重。文章阐述了碳酸盐岩的普遍存在运移沥青,以及识别烃源岩有机质原生性的各种方法,并以鄂尔多斯盆地下古生界为例,建立了一套适合于低丰度高演化海相碳酸盐烃源岩有机质原生性识别的有效方法。     

The Geography of Edible Insects in Sub-Saharan Africa: a study of the Mopane Caterpillar

Entomophagy, the human consumption of insects, has not received significant attention in Western literature, despite the critical role which it plays as a protein supplement in many parts of the world. This paper explores the importance of entomophagy in Africa within the context of food security and indigenous technical knowledge. These issues are further investigated through a case study of the mopane caterpillar in Southern Africa. The findings clearly indicate the contribution which insects make to the diet of rural Africans.     

我国生物修复技术的现状与展望

环境问题是当前人类生存与发展过程中所面临的重大问题。生物修复技术是解决环境污染,恢复被人类活动破坏的生态系统,实现人类社会可持续发展的重要手段之一。近年来,我国生物修复技术研究与应用蓬勃发展,取得了显著成绩。其内容主要包括微生物修复技术、重金属污染的植物修复技术、矿山废弃地生态恢复技术、固体废弃物资源化技术、垃圾填埋场生态修复技术及湖沼生态恢复技术等。在高效特异微生物与重金属超富集植物筛选及其机理研究上取得了一系列的突破,已筛选出近50种针对农药、石油、多环芳烃等有机污染物的高效特异菌种和As、Cd、Mn、Zn等12种重金属的超富集植物。今后应注意吸收其他学科的理论知识,拓宽研究领域,注重生物修复的机理研究及相关分子生物学技术的开发与应用;开展全国范围的环境污染调查与风险评估工作;建立污染环境修复的法规与标准;从而促进生物修复技术的持续发展,为国民经济发展及环境与健康保护服务。