Overview of waste bank application in Indonesian regencies.

Managing municipal solid waste (MSW) is a critical for Indonesia, as the country produces a substantial amount of waste annually. However, Indonesia's recycling rate remains limited, less than 25% of its waste, with the rest ending up in landfills. To address this, waste banks have emerged as a community-based solution to enhance MSW management through recycling. Although waste banks currently contribute only 7% to recyclable waste management, they hold promising potential, especially considering their close ties to households, the primary waste producers in Indonesia. Unfortunately, documentation of waste bank successes in Indonesian regencies is scarce, as most success stories are limited to major cities. This article conducts a literature review on waste bank implementations across various regencies, evaluating their accomplishments, obstacles and potential contributions to local MSW management. The review draws upon scholarly publications and various government reports, regulations and websites dedicated to updates on waste bank activities. Waste banks play a crucial role in enhancing environmental quality by promoting proper waste disposal and reducing landfill waste. They create economic opportunities, increasing income for both customers and administrators. Additional services, such as banking facilities encompassing savings, loans, daily necessities and bill payments, amplify their significance. To fully harness the potential of waste banks, support is imperative. Establishing adequate infrastructure and providing capacity-building for administrators are essential. Although regulatory frameworks offer opportunities, the impact of regency-level regulations on waste bank growth varies and necessitates further examination. Support mechanisms should be tailored to align with local characteristics and requirements.

Clinical emergencies in inpatient hospice: simulation-based training to improve nursing confidence.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess whether a simulation-based training programme focusing on palliative care emergencies conducted in a hospice setting could improve the self-reported confidence and competence of nursing staff. METHODS: A training programme was developed to enable nursing professionals to practice clinical skills necessary for recognising and managing palliative care emergencies including opioid induced respiratory depression, catastrophic haemorrhage, anaphylaxis, seizure and acute airway obstruction. Eight sessions were conducted. A prequestionnaire and postquestionnaire design was employed to collect data. Participants self-reported their confidence and perceived competence in responding to the relevant scenario before and immediately after simulation training and provided free text feedback. Paired t-tests were applied to assess for a change in competence and confidence scores, while free text responses were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Findings demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the mean scores for both confidence and competence when comparing pretraining and post-training. Participants valued the opportunity to develop emergency response skills and recognised the value of simulation as an educational tool. Debrief was perceived to be important for maximising learning and facilitating self-reflection. CONCLUSION: Participation in simulation-based training focused on palliative care emergencies in a hospice setting improved both confidence and perceived competence of nursing professionals.

Solid Waste Management Solutions for a Rapidly Urbanizing Area in Thailand: Recommendations Based on Stakeholder Input.

Municipal solid waste is a significant problem, particularly in developing countries that lack sufficient infrastructure and useable land mass to process it in an appropriate manner. Some developing nations are experiencing a combination of issues that prevent proper management of solid waste. This paper reviews the management of municipal solid waste in northeast Thailand, using the Tha Khon Yang Sub-district Municipality (TKYSM) in Maha Sarakham Province as a case study. The combination of rapid population and economic growth and its associated affluence has led to an increase in the use of consumer items and a concomitant increase in the production of municipal solid waste. In the TKYSM there is pressure on local government to establish a suitable waste management program to resolve the escalating waste crisis. The aim of this study is to provide viable solutions to waste management challenges in the TKYSM, and potentially to offer guidance to other similar localities also facing the same challenges. It is well established that successful changes to waste management require an understanding of local context and consideration of specific issues within a region. Therefore, extensive community consultation and engagement with local experts was undertaken to develop an understanding of the particular waste management challenges of the TKYSM. Research methods included observations, one-on-one interviews and focus groups with a range of different stakeholders. The outcomes of this research highlight a number of opportunities to improve local infrastructure and operational capacity around solid waste management. Waste management in rural and urban areas needs to be approached differently. Solutions include: development of appropriate policy and implementation plans (based around the recommendations of this paper); reduction of the volume of waste going to landfill by establishing a waste separation system; initiation of a collection service that supports waste separation at source; educating the citizens of the municipality; and the local government staff, and for the local government to seek external support from the local temples and expertise from the nearby university.

Barriers to Effective Municipal Solid Waste Management in a Rapidly Urbanizing Area in Thailand.

This study focused on determining the barriers to effective municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in a rapidly urbanizing area in Thailand. The Tha Khon Yang Subdistrict Municipality is a representative example of many local governments in Thailand that have been facing MSWM issues. In-depth interviews with individuals and focus groups were conducted with key informants including the municipality staff, residents, and external organizations. The major influences affecting waste management were categorized into six areas: social-cultural, technical, financial, organizational, and legal-political barriers and population growth. SWOT analysis shows both internal and external factors are playing a role in MSWM: There is good policy and a reasonably sufficient budget. However, there is insufficient infrastructure, weak strategic planning, registration, staff capacity, information systems, engagement with programs; and unorganized waste management and fee collection systems. The location of flood prone areas has impacted on location and operation of landfill sites. There is also poor communication between the municipality and residents and a lack of participation in waste separation programs. However, external support from government and the nearby university could provide opportunities to improve the situation. These findings will help inform municipal decision makers, leading to better municipal solid waste management in newly urbanized areas.

Knowledge and Attitudes towards Handling Eggs in the Home: An Unexplored Food Safety Issue?

Foodborne illness is a global public health issue, with food handling in the home identified as an underestimated source. In Australia, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of salmonellosis with the majority of outbreaks linked to eggs. This study investigated Australian eggs consumer attitudes, behaviours and risk perceptions associated with the handling of raw eggs in the home. It was identified that 67% of participants chose free range eggs, 11% kept poultry, 7% did not have any preference, 7% cage eggs, 4% barn eggs, 2% organic eggs and 1% pasteurized eggs. The majority of participants (91%) reported they stored eggs in the fridge. It was identified that there is an underestimation of "risky behaviour" associated with the consumption of raw eggs in the home, as 84% of participants indicated that they did not consume raw eggs, but subsequently 86% indicated that they had eaten mixture/batter containing raw eggs. Participants' responses relating to food safety were also examined in relation to their profession and gender. Safer food handling practices were identified by Environmental Health Officers (EHO) and Food handlers compared to all other professions (p < 0.05). However, the gender of participants did not significantly affect (p > 0.05) their responses.

Solid waste management in Thailand: an overview and case study (Tha Khon Yang sub-district).

Due to rapid urbanization, solid waste management (SWM) has become a significant issue in several developing countries including Thailand. Policies implemented by the Central Thai Government to manage SWM issues have had only limited success. This article reviews current municipal waste management plans in Thailand and examines municipal waste management at the local level, with focus on the Tha Khon Yang sub-district surrounding Mahasarakham University in Mahasarakham Province. Within two decades this area has been converted from a rural to an urban landscape featuring accommodation for over 45,000 university students and a range of business facilities. This development and influx of people has outpaced the government's ability to manage municipal solid waste (MSW). There are significant opportunities to improve local infrastructure and operational capacity; but there are few mechanisms to provide and distribute information to improve community participation in waste management. Many community-based waste management projects, such as waste recycling banks, the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle), and waste-to-biogas projects have been abandoned. Additionally, waste from Tha Kon Yang and its surrounding areas has been transferred to unsanitary landfills; there is also haphazard dumping and uncontrolled burning of waste, which exacerbate current pollution issues.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation for migraine: clinical effects.

The objective was to assess the impact of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on pain and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in migraine. Forty-two people [mean age 41.43+/-11.69 (SD) years, 36 females] were randomised into high vs. low TMS stimulation groups and received 2 brief pulses of TMS. Thirty-three (33/42) individuals had heart-rate variability assessed, before and after stimulation. No group effects were found. Pain decreased by 75%; 32% of people after 1 treatment reported no headache after 24 h. Mean heart rate decreased from 79.05+/-10.27 to 72.89+/-11.35 beats/min. The low-frequency (LF) and the high-frequency (HF) areas derived from power spectral analyses increased [mean 6522+/-1277 to 8315+/-1009 beats/min(2) (LF) (p=0.001) and mean 5600+/-1568 to 8755+/-3071 beats/min(2) (HF) (p=0.001)]. The LF:HF ratio decreased from mean 1.31+/-0.51 to 1.13+/-0.48 (NS). TMS produces immediate, sustained reductions in pain and modification of the ANS.

Work beliefs and work status in epilepsy.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to determine differences in work beliefs between people with epilepsy who work and those who do not work. METHODS: One hundred thirteen subjects (58 females, 55 males) 41.56+/-11.42 years of age and with a seizure duration of 22.88+/-12.96 years (means+/-SD) were assessed. RESULTS: Forty percent worked full-time, 10% worked part-time, and 50% did not work. Twelve of the fifty-six who worked had more than one seizure per month, compared with 29 of 57 who did not work. There were significant differences between the working and nonworking groups: The nonworking group believed that (1) they had to work to be "normal," (2) they did not have enough education, (3) not having a job was the only barrier to independent living, (4) their families feared work injuries, (5) working represented a risk of injury, (6) they would hurt others if they had a seizure at work, (7) their families did not want them to work, and (8) seizures would negatively affect job performance. CONCLUSION: Work beliefs are important factors contributing to work status.