776 research outputs found
Shea butter: connecting rural Burkinabè women to international markets through fair trade
No full textProcessed by rural West African women and desired by wealthy Northern consumers of natural beauty products, shea butter seems a prime candidate for fair trade, yet to date there has been little study of the industry. This article analyses the opportunities and constraints of the development of fair-trade exports of shea butter from Burkina Faso, taking into account the context in which shea is produced and sold locally and internationally, the concept of fair trade, and the impact of gender relations on shea production. Although a definitive positive or negative determination cannot be made, given the complex and divergent factors affecting the potential international market and the production process, the author finds that the development of the fair-trade shea butter industry in Burkina Faso has great potential. However, such development must occur with restraint and consideration of possible challenges and limitations, in order to remain sustainable and viable for rural female producers.This article is hosted by our co-publisher Taylor & Francis.</p
The Way of Shea: Developing Permaculture Systems within the Shea Butter Supply Chain in Ghana
No full textThe aim of this work is to analyze the traditional shea butter production process and the supply chain of shea in the rural communities that produce it in the Upper West region of Ghana so as to improve these activities through developing permaculture systems and collective work in Ghana and throughout the African diaspora. This thesis focuses on the traditional shea butter process, existing permaculture systems within the process, and supply chain to market. The value of cooperatives and connecting the African Diaspora to shea for a greater social impact is also discussed. The author concludes with suggestions for opportunities to further develop a permaculture system within the shea butter supply chain through improved environmental policy, greater community cooperation, infrastructural developments, and private and public entities creating methods for greater collective impact.</p
Ele Agbe in search of a new light in Ghana's shea sector
No full textEle Agbe is a Ghanaian phrase meaning “God is alive.” Founded as a small and medium enterprise (SME), in Ghana in 1996, Ele Agbe Company is currently a dynamic business operating in the downstream shea export sector. Demand for shea is increasing for skin and hair products on the foreign market. Ele Agbe’s artisans use traditional Ghanaian tools and methods, and the highest quality materials available, including unique scents. The protected knowledge build up of unique scents in its shea product mix has given Ele Agbe its trade secret. At Ele Agbe, artisans pass on their skills to younger generations, conducting workshops for school groups and accepting apprentices from throughout Ghana. The business is confronted with challenges partly as a result of non-existent working policy for shea and breaks or gaps in the shea supply chain preventing it from achieving full potential. The company needs to consider how to improve on its’ firm and business networks given its internal and external environment in order to expand.Values Technology and InnovationTechnology, Policy and Managemen
Newspaper clipping of a 1963 Marysvale first communion.
No full textNewspaper clipping of a 1963 Marysvale first communion. Girls from L-R: Carlotta McHugh, Marietta Ryan, Marlene McHugh, Beverley Fowler, Barbara Shea, Rita Ryan, Francis Lush, Annie Mugford. Boys L-R: Aiden McHugh, Peter Shea, Ignatius Bartlett
Once More to the City
No full textAuthor Suzanne Strempek Shea attended the Portland School of Art in the late 1970s and teaches today at the University of Maine\u27s Stonecoast MFA program. She reminisces of what Portland was like in the 1970s and 1980s. [images
Brzi pregledi literature: definiranje, ocjenjivanje metoda i olakšavanje probira korištenjem umjetne inteligencije
No full textIntroduction: Systematic reviews are considered the gold standard in collating available
evidence related to a specific question and are used to inform policy for health care public
health. They are considered to be essential in producing trustworthy guidelines. However, they
are time- and resource-intensive undertakings which may not meet the timeline of stakeholders
and policy-makers when urgent answers are required. The aims of rapid reviews are to produce
evidence reviews in a timely manner, while maintaining rigorous and robust methods.
However, to date, the only consensus around a definition of a rapid review is that a formal
definition does not exist. Additionally, there is no standardized set of methods for rapid reviews,
nor is there a comprehensive review which has compiled empirically evaluated rapid review
methods and evaluated the impact of these abbreviated methods. The aim of this doctoral
dissertation was to: (i) identify how rapid reviews have been defined in the literature and
perform a thematic analysis of these definitions to identify the key themes; (ii) identify and
create a repository of empirically evaluated methods abbreviations, and identify any gaps in the
research; and (iii) evaluate the reduction in the screening burden and perform of an artificial
intelligence and active machine-learning tool in an online systematic review software.
Methods: RR definitions: A systematic scoping review identifying rapid reviews published
between 2017 and January 2019 was performed. Definitions of rapid reviews were extracted
verbatim from these rapid reviews and a thematic analysis was performed to identify the key
themes which should be included when defining a rapid review. RR methods: A systematic
scoping review identifying formally evaluated rapid review methods abbreviations published
from 1997 onward was performed. In order to create a comprehensive repository of rapid
review documents, additional studies (e.g., around guidance on conducting rapid reviews,
discussing terminology) were identified. All publications were divided into one of four main
categories based on the purpose of the publication. Those that formally evaluated rapid review
methods abbreviations were mapped to the Methodological Expectations of Cochrane
Intervention Reviews (MECIR) to determine if they met these criteria. Lastly, an experimental
evaluation was conducted in DistillerSR ® on 10 completed systematic reviews, using the
artificial intelligence simulation tool, to measure the reduction in the screening burden and
accuracy (i.e., how many relevant records were missed) when prioritized screening using active
machine-learning was employed.
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Results: RR definitions: A total of 204 definitions that could be thematically analyzed were
identified in 216 rapid reviews and 90 rapid review methods papers. Eight major themes were
identified, with four themes found in 48.5% or more of the definitions: Theme 4: Compare and
contrast to SRs (68.1%; 139/204), Theme 2: Variation in shortcut methods (54.9%; 112/204),
with Theme 1: Accelerated/rapid process and Theme 6: Resource efficiency rationale tied
(48.5%; 99/204 each). This lead to a suggested definition of “A rapid review is a form of
knowledge synthesis that accelerates the process of conducting a traditional systematic review
through streamlining or omitting a variety of methods to produce evidence in a resourceefficient manner.” RR methods: Ninety rapid review methods papers were identified, of which
14 formally evaluated rapid review methods abbreviations addressing several, but not all, key
dimensions related to the conduct of a review. Only a cursory mapping to MECIR criteria was
possible, as insufficient information impeded the ability to determine if criteria were met.
Active machine-learning prioritization tool: The active machine-learning tool, employing
prioritized screening, greatly reduced the screening burden of the 10 systematic reviews that
were evaluated. The median percentage of studies required to be screened to identify 95% of
the records included at the title and abstract level (true recall @ 95%) was 47.1% (IQR: 37.5 to
58.0%). Among the 5% that were not yet identified as included (i.e., title and abstract false
negatives), none were included in the final review, resulting in 100% accuracy.
Conclusion: The emergence of rapid reviews, highlighted by the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic, requires consistency in how they are defined, in order to identify and produce a
homogenous set of products regardless of the term used to identify them. Producers of rapid
reviews also need guidance on which abbreviated methods may be used to keep potential bias
minimized. Lastly, active machine-learning is a viable method to reduce the screening burden
and was shown to be very accurate.Uvod: Sustavni pregledi smatraju se zlatnim standardom u prikupljanju dostupnih dokaza koji
se odnose na određeno pitanje i koriste se za informiranje politika javnog zdravstva. Smatraju
se ključnim u stvaranju pouzdanih smjernica. Međutim, izrada sustavnih pregleda zahtijeva
vrijeme i resurse, i možda neće biti napravljeni dovoljno brzo za dionike i donositelje odluka
kada su potrebni hitni odgovori. Ciljevi brzih pregleda (engl. rapid reviews, RR) su pravodobno
izraditi preglede dokaza, uz zadržavanje rigoroznih i robusnih metoda. Međutim, do danas je
jedini konsenzus oko definicije RR taj da formalna definicija ne postoji. Uz to, ne postoji
standardizirani skup metoda za RR, niti postoji sveobuhvatan pregled literature koji je
empirijski procijenio metode RR i procijenio učinak tih skraćenih metoda. Cilj ove doktorske
disertacije bio je: (i) utvrditi kako su RR definirani u literaturi i provesti tematsku analizu tih
definicija kako bi se prepoznale ključne teme; (ii) pronaći i napraviti repozitorij empirijski
procijenjenih skraćenih metoda za izradu RR te prepoznati područja u kojima su potrebna nova
istraživanja; i (iii) procijeniti može li se olakšati probir literature korištenjem umjetne
inteligencije i aktivnog alata za strojno učenje u internetskom računalnom programu za izradu
sustavnog pregleda.
Metodologija objedinjenih radova: Definicije brzih pregleda literature: Napravljen je
pretražni sustavni pregled (engl. scoping systematic review) kojim su nađeni RR objavljeni
između 2017. i siječnja 2019. godine. Definicije RR izvučene su doslovno iz tih RR i provedena
je tematska analiza kako bi se utvrdile ključne teme koje bi trebale biti uključene prilikom
definiranja RR.
Metode RR: Napravljen je pretražni sustavni pregled kojim su pronađene metode za skraćenje
RR, u radovima objavljenim od 1997. nadalje. Kako bi se napravio opsežan repozitorij
dokumenata o RR, pronađene su dodatne studije (npr. o smjernicama za provođenje brzih
pregleda, rasprava o terminologiji). Sve su publikacije podijeljene u jednu od četiri glavne
kategorije na temelju svrhe publikacije. Oni koji su formalno ocjenjivali skraćene metode za
RR mapirane su pomoću smjernica za pisanje Cochraneovih sustavnih pregleda MECIR (engl.
Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews) kako bi se utvrdilo
ispunjavaju li te kriterije.
Na koncu je napravljena eksperimentalna evaluacija u programu DistillerSR® na 10 završenih
sustavnih pregleda korištenjem alata za simulaciju umjetne inteligencije kako bi se izmjerilo
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smanjenje opterećenja i točnosti probira (tj. koliko je relevantnih zapisa propušteno) kada se
koristi probir pomoću strojnog učenja.
Rezultati: Definicije RR: U 216 RR i 90 članaka o metodama RR pronađene su ukupno 204
definicije koje se mogu tematski analizirati. Definirano je osam glavnih tema, a četiri teme
pronađene su u 48,5% ili više definicija: Tema 4: Usporedba i kontrast sa sustavnim pregledima
(SR) (68,1%; 139/204), Tema 2: Varijacije u skraćenim metodama (54,9%; 112/204), Tema 1:
Ubrzani / brzi postupak i Tema 6: Obrazloženje obrazloženja učinkovitosti resursa (48,5%;
99/204 svaka). To je dovelo do predložene definicije "RR je oblik sinteze znanja koji ubrzava
postupak provođenja tradicionalnog sustavnog pregleda putem racionalizacije ili izostavljanja
različitih metoda kako bi se brže došlo do potrebnih dokaza."
Metode RR: Pronađeno je devedeset radova o metodama RR, od kojih je 14 formalno ocijenilo
skraćene metode RR koje se odnose na nekoliko, ali ne sve, ključnih dimenzija povezanih s
provođenjem pregleda literature. Bilo je moguće samo površno mapiranje kriterija MECIR-a,
budući da su nedovoljne informacije priječile mogućnost utvrđivanja jesu li kriteriji
zadovoljeni.
Alat za prioritizaciju aktivnog strojnog učenja: Alat za aktivno strojno učenje, koji koristi
prioritetni probir, uvelike je smanjio teret probira za 10 sustavnih pregleda koji su procijenjeni.
Medijan postotka zapisa koje je trebalo pregledati kako bi se pronašlo 95% zapisa uključenih
na razini naslova i sažetka iznosio je 47,1% (interkvartalni raspon: 37,5 do 58,0%). Među 5%
koji nisu prepoznati kao uključivi (tj. lažno-negativni naslovi i sažeci), niti jedan nije bio
uključen u konačni pregled, što je dovelo do 100%-tne točnosti.
Zaključak: Pojava RR zahtijeva dosljednost u njihovom definiranju kako bi se u literaturi
mogao pronaći i napraviti homogeni skup proizvoda, bez obzira na termin koji se koristi za
njihovu identifikaciju. Autorima koji rade RR trebaju smjernice o tome koje se skraćene metode
mogu koristiti kako bi se potencijalna pristranost svela na najmanju moguću mjeru. Na koncu,
aktivno strojno učenje održiva je metoda za smanjenje opterećenja probirom literature, koja se
pokazala vrlo preciznom
Quality characteristics of West African shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa) and approaches to extend shelf-life
No full textShea butter is a versatile plant fat extracted from kernels of shea nuts, seeds of shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxa). Shea butter has long been used in sub-Saharan Africa for medicinal, culinary, and other applications and serves as a cocoa butter equivalent in the manufacture of chocolate as well as an ingredient in cosmetics. Shea butter, rich in unsaturated fatty acids undergoes hydrolytic and oxidative degradation during post-harvest processing and storage, resulting in inconsistent and degraded quality and limited shelf-life. The objective of this study was to assess important quality characteristics of shea butter. Seven West African shea butters were analyzed to measure physicochemical parameters by wet chemical tests and to measure chemical composition by gas chromatographic analysis. Physical properties were consistent among samples and within the range of typical shea butter. The samples also shared similar chemical compositions, showing palmitic (3.36-4.44 % of total fatty acids), stearic (39.74-44.62 %), oleic (40.71-44.48 %), and linoleic acids (5.73-6.41 %) as the major fatty acids and α-amyrin having anti-inflammatory property (57.26-64.37 % of total sterols and triterpenes) as the major unsaponifiable matter. Moisture, insoluble impurities, free fatty acids, and peroxide values were needed to be controlled. Free fatty acid level was the most variable parameter, ranged from 1.07 to 8.56 %. Peroxide value was low enough except the one which was as high as 15.32 mEq/kg. Total unsaponifiable matters were measured lower (2.21-4.18 %) compared to the previous studies (4-11 %) but still higher than many other plant oils and fats (~2 %). This study also aimed at identifying the protective effect of selected synthetic (BHT) and natural (rosmarinic and gallic acids) antioxidants on shea butter from oxidation. Peroxide value, conjugated dienes, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and the amount of major fatty acids were measured as oxidative parameters at 0, 72 and 144 hours while the control and samples with 0.02 % of antioxidants were stored at 90 °C with air flow. The antioxidants were significantly effective in protecting shea butter from oxidation and no significant difference in the effect of synthetic and natural antioxidants was found.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesby Hee Seung Nah
Daily Reflections (Meditations) on the Scriptures from the Roman Catholic Lectionary.
No full text|Today we celebrate the Feast of St. John, the Apostle. Although the Gospel of John never reveals the name of the "beloved disciple" tradition has identified him with John, the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve apostles and author of the fourth Gospel. For some reason, the old Smothers brothers' comedy routine comes to mind whenever I hear about the "disciple whom Jesus loved." The playful argument (paraphrased here) takes place between Dick, the straight man and his slower brother, Tommy:|Tommy: Mom always liked you best. Mom always liked my brother best and she never liked me.|Dick: Why do you always keep telling everyone, "Mom always liked you best"? Every time you get mad you say, "Mom always liked you best."|Tommy: Oh yea?! Well… well, mom always liked you best!|Such sibling rivalry seems so inconsistent with what we know about Jesus. Surely he doesn't play favorites. Doesn't Jesus love us all equally? And yet, today's reading refers to Peter and "the other disciple whom Jesus loved."|Tommy: You always picked on me! You and mom... my mom and my brother got together to say, "we don't like you" because mom always liked you best!|This other disciple outruns Peter, reaching the tomb first (mentioned twice, as if to rub it in). He's the one who saw and believed (as if to imply that Peter did not).|Dick: Do you know why she liked me best?|Tommy: She - er, OH?!|Dick: Sure she liked me best. Why not? Would you like to know why she liked me best? Do you wanna know why?|Tommy: I didn't know she liked you best...|To understand John we need to know a little about the Johannine community he wrote to. Most likely, this early Christian community traced its foundation to one of Jesus' followers who came to be known as the "beloved disciple." The writer of John wanted to show that the witness value of this founder rivaled that of Peter. So the author "builds up" this unnamed disciple to establish his credentials with the community.|Further, many early Christians began to see Christianity more as spiritual enlightenment in which salvation came to a select few who were "in the know." So the author of John also wanted counter the threat that Christianity would become more about what you know as opposed to who you know. The "beloved disciple" shows us the importance of the love that exists not only between him and Jesus, but also between Jesus and us. The Gospel of John thus calls each one of us to enter into a similar deep and loving relationship with Jesus.|Echoing the first reading, God calls us into the most important fellowship, the only relationship that will make our joy complete. God calls each of us to become the disciple whom Jesus loves… because only Jesus can love each of us the best
Representation in Cognitive Science - Replies
No full textIn their constructive reviews, Frances Egan, Randy Gallistel and Steven Gross have raised some important problems for the account of content advanced by Nicholas Shea in Representation in Cognitive Science (2018, OUP). Here the author addresses their main challenges as follows. Egan argues that the account includes an unrecognised pragmatic element; and that it makes contents explanatorily otiose. Gallistel raises questions about homomorphism and correlational information. Gross puts the account to work to resolve the dispute about probabilistic contents in perception, but argues that a question remains about whether probabilities are found in the content or instead in the manner of representation
Monetizing Sommalife’s Social and Environmental Impact: Exploring opportunities for Sommalife to scale its impact and disturb the shea industry
No full textSmallholder farmers in the Shea Industry live a challenging life. From lack of economic opportunities to climate change, if they are not helped their already troubling situation will worsen. Sommalife is a social startup who strives to sustainably improve the lives of rural farmers in West Africa by helping with production, protecting lands from deforestation dn having developed a software to improve operations. Sommalife has been successful at this to a small extent and has set the stage for an impactful act in West Africa. Sommalife currently does this with their own profits as the shea supply chain does not pay for impact at the moment. Without this support Sommalife will struggle to scale and improve its impact. Existing tools to monetize impact , such as Fair Trade, do not apply to the widespreadness of Sommalife’s operations and the poverty level of the farmers as their operations have high monitoring costs. Fortunately, the world is changing and a demand from consumers for sustainable products is affecting industries. Industries with similarities to the shea industry like the cacao industry. Sommalife has an opportunity to monetize their impact by advancing the industry and attempting to address the consumers. This can be supported by opportunities to monetize their social and environmental impact through carbon credits and a form of storytelling driven by impact data. The climate projects are supported by partnerships and will provide additional social and financial benefits to communities, while also generating carbon credits. On the social side, Sommalife can monetize its impact through data-driven storytelling. This involves turning data into tangible narratives that build consumer trust and brand loyalty for Sommalife and its partners. In return Sommalife will expect these companies to pay an impact fee. These services are by a brand strategy and roadmap to effectively execute and communicate Sommalife’s mission to drive change in the shea industry.Strategic Product Desig
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