Agroforestry systems in Sub-Saharan African drylands are complex and heterogeneous in nature even under similar biophysical conditions. This can be attributed to household needs and socioeconomic status which influence the species and utility of the adopted trees. This has an impact on the trees establishment and management system through planting or Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). This study evaluates how trees for different utilities are managed and which socioeconomic factors influence these decisions. The study used primary data collected in Mutomo District, Kenya through a household survey based on a structured questionnaire. A paired sample t-test was done to assess the preferred mode of adopting trees for different utilities while factor analysis was used to characterize the households as either planting trees or practicing FMNR. Multiple linear regression using household regression factor scores as independent variables and socioeconomic indicators as dependent variables was done to ascertain which socioeconomic factors affect tree adoption. The results show that trees planted were mostly exotic species valued for their nutrition and commercial value, while FMNR was used for subsistence products and environmental services. Household size, livestock levels and mobility had a positive correlation with tree planting, while income, access to markets and roads had an inverse correlation. Access to natural woodland, distance to the nearest motorable road and land size had a positive correlation with tree protection. It is hoped that this knowledge will act as a reference point when designing agroforestry projects in similar areas to ensure they are more aligned to specific site and household conditions.

The application of crushed ice or hydrogenated silicate, a micro-crystalline substitute has been used as a method to treat posttraumatic and postoperative irritations of the locomotor system for a long time. Closed systems using pumps can be viewed as further development as they enable continuous, water-free cooling of operating areas. The analgetic effect of postoperative cold therapy was evaluated in a prospective clinical trial, including 312 patients after total knee or hip arthroplasty. Conventional cold packs, consisting of microcrystalline silicate were compared to a continuous applicable closed system. Continuous cryotherapy resulted in a depression of skin temperature to 12 degrees C, whereas intermittent cooling only caused a mean temperature decrease of 1 degree C. Clinically continuous cold application leads to a more than 50% decrease of analgetic demands in both, systemic and regional application (p < 0.001). This observation was found in a significant correlation with patient's pain sensation as well as primary range of motion. Intermittent cryotherapy was found to be ineffective in postoperative pain relieve in hip- and adequate in knee arthroplasty patients. We could not report an influence on postoperative blood loss, as discussed in previous reports.

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In the literature, many studies outline the advantages of agrivoltaic (APV) systems from different viewpoints: optimized land use, productivity gain in both the energy and water sector, economic benefits, etc. A holistic analysis of an APV system is needed to understand its full advantages. For this purpose, a case study farm size of 0.15 ha has been chosen as a reference farm at a village in Niger, West Africa. Altogether four farming cases are considered. They are traditional rain-fed, irrigated with diesel-powered pumps, irrigated with solar pumps, and the APV system. The APV system is further analyzed under two scenarios: benefits to investors and combined benefits to investors and farmers. An economic feasibility analysis model is developed. Different economic indicators are used to present the results: gross margin, farm profit, benefit-cost ratio, and net present value (NPV). All the economic indicators obtained for the solar-powered irrigation system were positive, whereas all those for the diesel-powered system were negative. Additionally, the diesel system will emit annually about 4005 kg CO2 to irrigate the chosen reference farm. The land equivalent ratio (LER) was obtained at 1.33 and 1.13 for two cases of shading-induced yield loss excluded and included, respectively.

a b s t r ac tDecentralized sanitation and reuse (DESAR) solutions can contribute significantly to the improvement of wastewater treatment in small urbanized rural settlements (SURUS). Amongst the advantages of DESAR solutions for SURUS is a reduction in final treatment costs because they allow for water reclamation and sewage sludge reuse; predominantly for agriculture. In the present work, a costbenefit analysis on a DESAR system installed into a rural community in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, was conducted. The net present value (NPV) method was applied to assign a monetary value to the economical and environmental benefits associated with water reclamation, sewage sludge reuse and the avoided cost of 5-d biological oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) discharges. The NPV results of this case study revealed that the proposed DESAR solution could recover up to 73% of the total operating and maintenance costs. These findings suggest that DESAR solutions can respond to the need to reduce costs and improve the nutrient recovery capabilities of sanitation interventions in rural communities.