Field Trials of Health Interventions


Book Description

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC 4.0 International licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. Before new interventions are released into disease control programmes, it is essential that they are carefully evaluated in field trials'. These may be complex and expensive undertakings, requiring the follow-up of hundreds, or thousands, of individuals, often for long periods. Descriptions of the detailed procedures and methods used in the trials that have been conducted have rarely been published. A consequence of this, individuals planning such trials have few guidelines available and little access to knowledge accumulated previously, other than their own. In this manual, practical issues in trial design and conduct are discussed fully and in sufficient detail, that Field Trials of Health Interventions may be used as a toolbox' by field investigators. It has been compiled by an international group of over 30 authors with direct experience in the design, conduct, and analysis of field trials in low and middle income countries and is based on their accumulated knowledge and experience. Available as an open access book via Oxford Medicine Online, this new edition is a comprehensive revision, incorporating the new developments that have taken place in recent years with respect to trials, including seven new chapters on subjects ranging from trial governance, and preliminary studies to pilot testing.




Field Sampling Methods for Remedial Investigations


Book Description

Originally published in 1994, the first edition of Field Sampling Methods for Remedial Investigations soon became a premier resource in this field. The "Princeton Groundwater" course designated it as one of the top books on the market that addresses strategies for groundwater characterization, groundwater well installation, well completion, and groundwater sampling. This long awaited third edition provides most current and most cost-effective environmental media characterization methods and approaches supporting all aspects of remediation activities. This book integrates recommendations from over one hundred of the most current US EPA, State EPA, US Geological Survey, US Army Corps of Engineers, and National Laboratory environmental guidance and/or technical documents. This book provides guidance, examples, and/or case studies for the following subjects: Implementing the EPA’s latest Data Quality Objectives process Developing cost effective statistical & non-statistical sampling designs supporting all aspects of environmental remediation activities, and available statistical sample design software Aerial photography, surface geophysics, airborne/surface/downhole/building radiological surveys, soil gas surveying, environmental media sampling, DNAPL screening, portable X-ray fluorescence measurements Direct push groundwater sampling, well installation, well development, well purging, no-purge/low-flow/standard groundwater sampling, depth-discrete ground sampling, groundwater modeling Tracer testing, slug testing, waste container and building material sampling, pipe surveying, defining background conditions Documentation, quality control sampling, data verification/validation, data quality assessment, decontamination, health & safety, management of investigation waste A recognized expert on this subject, author Mark Byrnes provides standard operating procedures and guidance on the proper implementation of these methods, focusing on proven technologies that are acknowledged by EPA and State regulatory agencies as reputable techniques.




Field Sampling Methods for Remedial Investigations


Book Description

This book is a guide to the development of an effective field sampling program as well as to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and technical information for many of the most effective remedial investigation methods. The book focuses on intrusive investigation techniques, but non-intrusive techniques such as aerial photography, surface geophysics, and surface radiological surveying are also addressed. SOPs have been provided for those sampling techniques that do not require specialized academic training, such as soil, sediment, surface water, groundwater, and drum sampling. For more specialized investigative techniques, such as underground drainage surveying and some types of soil-gas surveying, information is provided to help you understand how the technique works and under what conditions it can be used most effectively. The book also addresses: equipment decontamination; sample preparation, documentation, and shipment; health and safety; and management of investigation-derived waste. Emphasis is placed on those methods and procedures that have both proved themselves to be effective and are acknowledged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as reputable techniques.




Fieldwork Ready


Book Description

Discover how to plan, conduct, and interpret field research with this essential new guidebook Good field research is the driving force behind advancement in the agronomic, environmental, and soil sciences. Nevertheless, many undergraduate and graduate scientists have limited opportunity to develop hands-on experience before undertaking projects in the field. With Fieldwork Ready, Dr Sara Vero maps out the fundamental principles, methods, and management techniques that underpin this crucial practice, offering trainee researchers an accessible introduction to the world of on-site investigation. This instructive text includes: Guidance on the essential aspects of environmental monitoring and soil, water, plant, and wildlife research Insights into the methods behind experiment planning and effective fieldwork Tips for team management and safety Explanations of how to select and correctly use soil sampling equipment Offering new researchers a primer that is practical and easy to follow, Fieldwork Ready is the ideal starting point for all those beginning a career in the agricultural sciences.




Quality Management in Archaeology


Book Description

Quality Management in Archaeology deals with the effects of the profound changes that have had an impact on the discipline of archaeology all over the world. In North America, in Europe and increasingly in other parts of the world, new legislation and international treaties have changed its position in society. What was once a university based research activity by a limited number of academics has become a socially relevant field with many practitioners that are mostly employed in some branch of archaeological resource management. Archaeology has been successful in persuading governments and the general public that more should be done to preserve archaeological heritage and to investigate it where it will be irretrievably lost. The scale and frequency of archaeological work has increased vastly, at considerable cost to society. Consequently, there is pressure to do the work efficiently and economically. At the same time, academic standards have to be maintained to assure that the end result will be the relevant knowledge about the past that society pays for. Different countries have found different approaches and solutions to deal with this dilemma. Sometimes commercial archaeology is allowed, sometimes it is not, but in every national context quality has to be managed in some way. This book presents a survey by specialists from the US, Canada, and several European countries on how this is done, what the principles are, and also the priorities. It will be useful for anyone interested in archaeological resource management.




Active Learning and Student Engagement


Book Description

This book examines significant issues in geography teaching and learning from the perspectives of an international network of academic geographers and postgraduate students. Drawing on classroom experiences and research in a wide variety of educational settings, the authors describe conceptually interesting and practical applications for enhancing student learning through inquiry, problem-based learning, field study, online collaboration, and other highly engaging forms of pedagogy. Other articles focus on approaches for improving the experiences of distance learners, strategies for enhancing the employability of geography students, and preparing students to engage ethical issues in the discipline. An international audience of educators will find much of value through the use of comparative examples, literature reviews encompassing research in multiple national contexts, and an underlying awareness of the diversity of practices in higher education internationally. This book is a collection of articles previously published in two special issues of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education.




National agricultural innovation system assessment in Rwanda: the small livestock sub-sector


Book Description

An assessment of the Agricultural Innovation System (AIS) of Rwanda’s small livestock sub-sector was conducted in 2021. This report describes the AIS of the small livestock sub-sector in terms of key functions, the underlying causes of their performance, and opportunities for improvement. It presents priorities and entry points for strengthening the AIS of the small livestock sub-sector in Rwanda, with focus on key organisations and the policy level. The assessment focused on three cases studies of innovation in the small livestock sub-sector: The Sasso dual breed chicken by Uzima Chicken Limited, with focus on small-scale farmers’ poultry production; piggery/artificial insemination by the Centre for Agriculture Enhancement (CPPA) in Kisaro, for genetic improvement in pigs for small-holder farming; and the animal feed industry by Gorilla Feed Co., Limited, a cross-cutting business for animal production in the country. The report makes nine concrete recommendations for strengthening the small livestock sub-sector regarding collaboration and coordination, capacity development and at the policy level. It identifies two national associations on which to focus the TAP-AIS projects’ capacity development phase: Rwanda Pig Farmers Association (RPFA) and Rwanda Poultry Industry Association (RPIA).




From Pedagogy to Quality Assurance in Education


Book Description

In an increasingly global world, it is more important than ever that educators are equipped to respond to the needs of international student cohorts. This book is a fruitful resource for researchers, educators, and others, who wish to develop new approaches and educational models to contribute to the efficient process of learning.




Global review of agricultural census methodologies and results (2006 – 2015)


Book Description

At the end of each census round, FAO reviews and assesses national census practices, methodologies and results, and summarizes the findings in methodological publications, under the Statistical Development Series (SDS). For the WCA 2010 round (2006–2015), these assessments have been presented in two separate publications. The first one, titled “Main results and metadata by country” (SDS 17), published in 2019, presented a compendium of census metadata and main results for a record number of 127 countries and territories. The SDS 18, i.e. this publication, presents in its first part (Chapters 1 to 12) a methodological review of the national censuses. In its second part (Chapter 13), it illustrates global comparable data on key variables characterizing the structure of agriculture. The global review of census results includes key structural variables that are not available elsewhere. Some examples are number and area of holdings, land tenure and holder gender. Other variables are land size classes, average holding sizes, legal status of holders, household sizes, source of farm labour, land use and operated land.