Characteristic and calculation on the co-contribution in the bio-H2 energy recovery enhancement with low temperature pretreated peanut shell as co-substrate.

Bio-H2 production from organic wastewater together with lignocellulose wastes not only achieved the H2 energy recovery, but also be beneficial to carbon emission reduction and carbon neutralization. In order to obtain higher energy recoveries, promotion attempts were performed in bio-H2 fermentation with low temperature (-80-0 °C) pretreated peanut shell powder (PSP) as co-substrate. A maximum H2 production of 109.2 mL was obtained as almost double of the sum from the same amount of untreated PSP and glucose as sole substrate. The enhancement was co-contributed by 44% from PSP supplementary, 35% from low-temperature pretreatment, and 2.8% from buffer effect and acidification, respectively, and realized through C/N balancing, PSP conversion influencing, fermentative pH buffering and time prolonging. The experimental results uncovered the co-contribution realization ways of supplementing low-temperature pretreated lignocellulose wastes in the bio-H2 fermentation system, and provided mechanism support for application potential of low-temperature pretreatment on lignocellulose wastes in cold regions.

Environmental impact comparison of wheat straw fast pyrolysis systems with different hydrogen production processes based on life cycle assessment.

This study aimed to evaluate the environmental impact of 1000 kg h-1 wheat straw to produce biofuel via fast pyrolysis with three different hydrogen production processes by the life cycle assessment (LCA) based on Chinese Life Cycle Database (CLCD). The primary energy depletion (PED), global warming potential (GWP), abiotic depletion potential (ADP) and respiratory inorganics (RI) impact categories of 1 MJ biofuel produced were employed for comparison. In case 1, the hydrogen was derived from natural gas steam reforming, and all the bio-oil was hydrotreated to produce the biofuel. In case 2, a part of the aqueous phase was reformed to produce hydrogen, whereas the remaining bio-oil was hydrotreated to produce biofuel. In case 3, all the aqueous phase of bio-oil was reformed to produce hydrogen, a part of hydrogen generated by reforming was used to oil phase hydrotreated and the excess hydrogen was considered as a co-product. Our results show that the PED, GWP, ADP and RI of case 3 are 0.1355 MJ, -17.96 g CO2eq., 0.0338 g antimonyeq and 0.0461 g PM2.5eq.. Compared with conventional diesel, the PED, GWP, ADP and RI of case 3 were reduced by 89.81, 117.44, 1.74 and 85.03%, respectively. The results of sub-process contribution analysis and sensitivity analysis suggested that the electricity consumption for the bio-oil production has the maximal effect on the total PED, GWP and RI of case 3, whereas the amount of fertilizers in the biomass production sub-process has the maximal effect on the total ADP.

Characterization of Noise Level Inside a Vehicle under Different Conditions.

Vehicular acoustic noise evaluations are a concern of researchers due to health and comfort effects on humans and are fundamental for anyone interested in mitigating audio noise. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the noise level inside a vehicle by using statistical tools. First, an experimental setup was developed with microphones and a microcomputer located strategically on the car's panel, and measurements were carried out with different conditions such as car window position, rain, traffic, and car speed. Regression analysis was performed to evaluate the similarity of the noise level from those conditions. Thus, we were able to discuss the relevance of the variables that contribute to the noise level inside a car. Finally, our results revealed that the car speed is strongly correlated to interior noise levels, suggesting the most relevant noise sources are in the vehicle itself.

Contribution of the Alive & Thrive-UNICEF advocacy efforts to improve infant and young child feeding policies in Southeast Asia.

Evaluating the impact of advocacy for policy change presents many challenges. Recent advances in the field of evaluation, such as contribution analysis (CA), offer guidance on how to make credible claims regarding such impact. The purposes of this article are (a) to detail the application of CA to assess the contribution of an advocacy initiative to improve infant and young child feeding policies and (b) to present the emergent theory of change and contribution story of how progress was achieved. An evaluation applying developmental evaluation and CA was conducted on the Alive & Thrive (A&T)-UNICEF initiative in seven Southeast Asian countries to document the extent to which policy objectives were achieved and identify key drivers of policy change. A contribution story was developed based on these experiences. The advocacy approach, which involved a four-part process, contributed directly to (a) set the agenda of various actors and (b) create a strategic group; and indirectly to (a) set and maintain the issue on the agenda at all stages of the policy cycle, (b) support the government to carry out a set of critical tasks, and (c) extend commitment. All of this helped to achieve progress towards policy change. External influences were at play. The flexibility of A&T allowed key actors to utilize the positive external influences and address some of the negative ones through developing responsive strategies mitigating their effects. The emerging contribution story supports that A&T-UNICEF initiative contributed to the progress achieved in the participating countries.

Strengthening advocacy and policy change for infant and young child feeding.

The creation of environments that are more supportive of optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) requires countries to enact policies, such as those related to the Maternity Protection Convention, the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (the Code), and the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. However, challenges are experienced in the translation of international policy standards into national legal measures, and there is an important gap in understanding how countries achieve progress. Policy advocacy is a nearly universal feature, but there are methodological challenges and few studies evaluating strategies and effects. The purpose of this supplement to Maternal & Child Nutrition is to address those gaps. This supplement contains three papers that present findings from a real-time evaluation of the advocacy efforts of Alive & Thrive (A&T), United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and partners, that sought to support governments in fostering enabling environment for optimal IYCF in Southeast Asia (SEA) and Africa. A combination of two emergent, theory-based evaluation approaches was used: developmental evaluation and contribution analysis. The overall objective of the evaluation was to document the extent to which policy objectives were or were not achieved in each country and to identify the key drivers of policy change. One contribution of the supplement is a distinction between and illustration of triggers and drivers of policy change. Three main drivers of policy change were identified: (a) the use of an explicit advocacy approach; (b) the creation of a strategic group of actors; and (c) the realization of 15 critical tasks (more specifically for the Code). Each of the critical tasks has been identified as having triggered progress on the Code in those countries. This supplement provides evidence that the advocacy efforts of A&T, UNICEF, and partners contributed to enhanced IYCF policies in SEA and reveals how it helped to achieve progress. The insights contained in this supplement can serve as a guide for policy advocates for enhanced IYCF policies. A short communication puts findings into perspective within global context.

Response surface modeling-based source contribution analysis and VOC emission control policy assessment in a typical ozone-polluted urban Shunde, China.

To develop a sound ozone (O3) pollution control strategy, it is important to well understand and characterize the source contribution due to the complex chemical and physical formation processes of O3. Using the "Shunde" city as a pilot summer case study, we apply an innovative response surface modeling (RSM) methodology based on the Community Multi-Scale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling simulations to identify the O3 regime and provide dynamic analysis of the precursor contributions to effectively assess the O3 impacts of volatile organic compound (VOC) control strategy. Our results show that Shunde is a typical VOC-limited urban O3 polluted city. The "Jiangmen" city, as the main upper wind area during July 2014, its VOCs and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions make up the largest contribution (9.06%). On the contrary, the contribution from local (Shunde) emission is lowest (6.35%) among the seven neighbor regions. The local VOCs industrial source emission has the largest contribution comparing to other precursor emission sectors in Shunde. The results of dynamic source contribution analysis further show that the local NOx control could slightly increase the ground O3 under low (10.00%) and medium (40.00%) reduction ratios, while it could start to turn positive to decrease ground O3 under the high NOx abatement ratio (75.00%). The real-time assessment of O3 impacts from VOCs control strategies in Pearl River Delta (PRD) shows that the joint regional VOCs emission control policy will effectively reduce the ground O3 concentration in Shunde.

[Medium and Long-term Carbon Emission Projections and Emission Reduction Potential Analysis of the Lingang Special Area Based on the LEAP Model].

Based on the existing statistical data of the Lingang Special Area in Shanghai and considering its future socio-economic development， industrial structure， and technological development， a LEAP-Lingang model was developed to analyze the evolution trends of energy demand and carbon emissions under the baseline scenario， low-carbon scenario， and enhanced low-carbon scenario. To enhance the prediction accuracy of the model， the Logistic population growth model was used to predict future population data， and the learning curve model was used to simulate the cost evolution trend of related carbon reduction technologies. In addition， an economic evaluation model for carbon reduction technologies was developed， and the economic costs and emission reduction potential of typical carbon reduction technologies were evaluated by drawing a marginal emission reduction cost curve. The results showed that under the enhanced low-carbon scenario， the renewable energy accounted for 69% of the primary energy consumption， and the electric energy accounted for 91% of the terminal energy demand in 2060. The Lingang Special Area could achieve carbon peak by 2030， and the carbon emissions in 2060 were predicted to decrease by 94% compared to that in the baseline scenario. In terms of contribution to emission reduction， clean energy substitution， industrial structure optimization， and terminal energy efficiency improvement played a key role in reducing carbon emissions near the port. In the medium term （until 2035）， they were predicted to contribute 35.1%， 27.3%， and 16.2% of carbon emissions， respectively， and in the long term （until 2060）， they should contribute 50.6%， 8.75%， and 7.7% of carbon emissions， respectively. Regarding specific carbon reduction technologies， hydrogen power generation； water electrolysis for hydrogen； and carbon capture， utilization， and storage （CCUS） technology were of great significance for achieving net-zero emissions， but the costs of emission reduction were relatively high. The research results can provide ideas and references for the low-carbon and green development of the Lingang Special Area and related areas.

Supporting Women Exit Sex Work: A Contribution Analysis of the Exit Doors Here Integrated Care Program in Toronto, Canada.

Introduction: Exiting sex work is a complex process which can be facilitated by integrated action on health and its social determinants such as housing and employment. Few programs offer such coordinated support, and even fewer have been evaluated. We assessed if and how Exit Doors Here, a program anchored in the Critical Time Intervention (CTI) model, facilitated women's progress towards their goals, and exit from sex work. Description: We performed a contribution analysis by combining pre-post questionnaire and administrative data from 55 women enrolled in the program (2018-2021), yearly interviews with program staff and peer mentors, and literature reviews to assess program outcomes and mechanisms as described in the theory of change. Discussion: We found evidence that the program contributed to participants progressing on their pre-employment, housing, income, and sex work exiting goals. We identified four "key ingredients" facilitating success: trust building, collaborative goal setting, connecting with community supports and weekly drop-in sessions. Conclusion: This rigorous theory-based evaluation provides much needed evidence on the process and effectiveness of an integrated sex work exiting program. Findings regarding key program ingredients can inform other interventions serving similarly marginalized populations.

Assessing ammonium pollution and mitigation measures through a modified watershed non-point source model.

Watershed water quality modeling is a valuable tool for managing ammonium (NH4+) pollution. However, simulating NH4+ pollution presents unique challenges due to the inherent instability of NH4+ in natural environment. This study modified the widely-used Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to simulate non-point source (NPS) NH4+ processes, specifically incorporating the simulation of land-to-water NH4+ delivery. The Jiulong River Watershed (JRW) is the study area, a coastal watershed in Southeast China with substantial sewage discharge, livestock farming, and fertilizer application. The results demonstrate that the modified model can effectively simulate the NPS NH4+ processes. It is recommended to use multiple sets of observations to calibrate NH4+ simulation to enhance model reliability. Despite constituting a minor proportion (5.6 %), point source inputs significantly contribute to NH4+ load at watershed outlet (32.4∼51.9 %), while NPS inputs contribute 15.3∼17.3 % of NH4+ loads. NH4+ primarily enters water through surface runoff and lateral flow, with negligible leaching. Average NH4+ land-to-water delivery rate is about 2.35 to 2.90 kg N/ha/a. High delivery rates mainly occur at agricultural areas. Notably, proposed NH4+ mitigation measures, including urban sewage treatment enhancement, livestock manure management improvement, and fertilizer application reduction, demonstrate potential to collectively reduce the NH4+ load at watershed outlet by 1/4 to 1/3 and significantly enhance water quality standard compliance frequency. Insights gained from modeling experience in the JRW offer valuable implications for NH4+ modeling and management in regions with similar climates and significant anthropogenic nitrogen inputs.

[Contribution Analysis of External Source Pollution Load and Environmental Capacity Estimation of Reservoirs in Central Yunnan Plateau].

To explore the source of the pollution load and its contribution rate in the upper reaches of the plateau reservoir and to analyze the water environment capacity of the reservoir, we selected the Chaishitan Reservoir in the Yunnan Plateau as the research object, applied the pollutant discharge coefficient method to estimate the source of external pollution in the upstream basin of the reservoir, used the simultaneous monitoring data of hydrology and water quality to calculate pollution load into the reservoir, and used the eutrophication model to calculate the maximum capacity of TN and TP in the reservoir under different water quality target scenarios. The results showed that:① the main characteristic pollutants in Chaishitan Reservoir and the above basin were TN and TP. ② COD and TP in the upper reaches of the reservoir mainly came from rural non-point source pollution, with contribution rates of 49.40% and 50.11%, respectively; NH4+-N and TN mainly came from urban domestic pollution sources, with contribution rates of 45.76% and 33.77%, respectively. Among the contributions of rural non-point source pollution, the contribution rates of COD and TP in Luliang District were 34.82% and 36.82%, respectively. The contributions of COD, NH4+-N, TN, and TP to urban domestic pollution were the highest in Qilin District, all of which were up to 65%. ③ The inflows of COD, NH4+-N, TN, and TP were 28050.90, 2465.16, 4680.54, and 870.93 t·a-1, respectively. The inflow of TN and TP pollution load was 4637.80 t·a-1 and 125.04 t·a-1, respectively. ④ When the target of water quality was Class Ⅲ, and the requirements of the Water Function Zoning of Yunnan province were met, the environmental capacities of TN and TP were 1102.62 t·a-1 and 54.85 t·a-1, respectively. Rural non-point source pollution and urban domestic pollution sources were the main sources of pollution in the upper reaches of Chaishitan Reservoir, which were priority control sources. These research results can provide a scientific theoretical basis for pollution source treatment in the plateau reservoir basin.

Using satellite data to assess spatial drivers of bird diversity.

Birds are useful indicators of overall biodiversity, which continues to decline globally, despite targets to reduce its loss. The aim of this paper is to understand the importance of different spatial drivers for modelling bird distributions. Specifically, it assesses the importance of satellite-derived measures of habitat productivity, heterogeneity and landscape structure for modelling bird diversity across Great Britain. Random forest (RF) regression is used to assess the extent to which a combination of satellite-derived covariates explain woodland and farmland bird diversity and richness. Feature contribution analysis is then applied to assess the relationships between the response variable and the covariates in the final RF models. We show that much of the variation in farmland and woodland bird distributions is explained (R 2 0.64-0.77) using monthly habitat-specific productivity values and landscape structure (FRAGSTATS) metrics. The analysis highlights important spatial drivers of bird species richness and diversity, including high productivity grassland during spring for farmland birds and woodland patch edge length for woodland birds. The feature contribution provides insight into the form of the relationship between the spatial drivers and bird richness and diversity, including when a particular spatial driver affects bird richness positively or negatively. For example, for woodland bird diversity, the May 80th percentile Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for broadleaved woodland has a strong positive effect on bird richness when NDVI is >0.7 and a strong negative effect below. If relationships such as these are stable over time, they offer a useful analytical tool for understanding and comparing the influence of different spatial drivers.

Interrogating assumptions about the relationship between service providers and recipients: Learning from a new service for survivors of In Care Abuse.

Understanding the dynamic relationship between service providers and the people who use their services is key to effective evaluation. This paper presents a practical approach to embedded evaluation that can be used by services to interrogate assumptions about relationships. The approach includes a simple framework for developing theories of change that centres relational aspects of the change process. This framework is complemented by a structured approach to surfacing risks and assumptions. Using the example of the evaluation of Future Pathways, a new and ground breaking service provided to people who experienced abuse or neglect as children In Care in Scotland, the paper describes how this approach was used in practice. Focusing in on assumptions identified by the service around trust, the paper describes the process undertaken to interrogate these assumptions through data collection with people using the service and staff. This process led to rich learning to support the development of the service as well as the identification of new elliptical assumptions. The paper concludes by sharing reflections on the learning from this work for the wider evaluation community highlighting the need for evaluators to take a relational approach to interrogating assumptions about relationships.

Proving promise and support: Preliminary evaluation of the Indiana Family Preservation Services.

BACKGROUND: As part of the implementation of Family First Preservation Services Act, and to meet legal requirements set by the Indiana State Legislature in 2019, Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) implemented Indiana Family Preservation Services (INFPS) to maintain children in the home when it is deemed safe to do so. OBJECTIVE: This paper explores the effects of INFPS on child removal episodes and repeat maltreatment. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: This study compares all children and families receiving INFPS between January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021 to a similar cohort of in-home cases that opened between January 1, 2019 and March 31, 2019. METHODS: Contribution analysis and a quasi-experimental design are employed by using administrative records and survey data collected from service providers. RESULTS: INFPS is associated with reduced repeat maltreatment by about 3-4 % at the case-level and about 2-3 % at the child-level. In contrast to repeat maltreatment, in both case-level and child-level analyses, INFPS was not significantly associated with decreased likelihood of child removal. CONCLUSION: Overall, these results identify short-term effectiveness of INFPS on reducing repeat maltreatment during the treatment period. Results highlight the potential utility of INFPS to improving such outcomes, through increased use of evidence-based practices (EBP). Current findings demonstrate the need for continued research on the long-term effects of INFPS on child and family outcomes.

"Stronger with Breastmilk Only" Initiative in 5 African Countries: Case Study on the Implementation Process and Contribution to the Enabling Environment for Breastfeeding.

Background: The practice of giving water before 6 mo of age is the biggest barrier to exclusive breastfeeding in West and Central Africa. To address this challenge, a regional initiative, "Stronger with Breastmilk Only" (SWBO), was rolled out at country level in several countries of the region. Objective: We examined the implementation process of the SWBO initiative and the contribution of its advocacy component to a more supportive environment for breastfeeding policies and programs. Methods: This study was based on 2 assessments at the national level carried out in 5 countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, and Sierra Leone) using qualitative methods. We combined 2 evaluative approaches (contribution analysis and outcome harvesting) and applied 2 theoretical lenses (Breastfeeding Gear Model and Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research) to examine the implementation process and the enabling environment for breastfeeding. Data sources included ∼300 documents related to the initiative and 43 key informant interviews collected between early 2021 and mid-2022. Results: First, we show how a broad initiative composed of a set of combined interventions targeting multiple levels of determinants of breastfeeding was set up and implemented. All countries went through a similar pattern of activities for the implementation process. Second, we illustrate that the initiative was able to foster an enabling environment for breastfeeding. Progress was achieved notably on legislation and policies, coordination, funding, training and program delivery, and research and evaluation. Third, through a detailed contribution story of the case of Burkina Faso, we illustrate more precisely how the initiative, specifically its advocacy component, contributed to this progress. Conclusion: This study shed light on how an initiative combining a set of interventions to address determinants of breastfeeding at multiple levels can be implemented regionally and contributes to fostering an enabling environment for breastfeeding at scale.

Using contribution analysis to evaluate health professions and health sciences programs.

Introduction/background: Course evaluation in health education is a common practice yet few comprehensive evaluations of health education exist that measure the impact and outcomes these programs have on developing health graduate capabilities. Aim/objectives: To explore how curricula contribute to health graduate capabilities and what factors contribute to the development of these capabilities. Methods: Using contribution analysis evaluation, a six-step iterative process, key stakeholders in the six selected courses were engaged in an iterative theory-driven evaluation. The researchers collectively developed a postulated theory-of-change. Then evidence from existing relevant documents were extracted using documentary analysis. Collated findings were presented to academic staff, industry representatives and graduates, where additional data was sought through focus group discussions - one for each discipline. The focus group data were used to validate the theory-of-change. Data analysis was conducted iteratively, refining the theory of change from one course to the next. Results: The complexity in teaching and learning, contributed by human, organizational and curriculum factors was highlighted. Advances in knowledge, skills, attitudes and graduate capabilities are non-linear and integrated into curriculum. Work integrated learning significantly contributes to knowledge consolidation and forming professional identities for health professional courses. Workplace culture and educators' passion impact on the quality of teaching and learning yet are rarely considered as evidence of impact. Discussion: Capturing the episodic and contextual learning moments is important to describe success and for reflection for improvement. Evidence of impact of elements of courses on future graduate capabilities was limited with the focus of evaluation data on satisfaction. Conclusion: Contribution analysis has been a useful evaluation method to explore the complexity of the factors in learning and teaching that influence graduate capabilities in health-related courses.

Temporal resolution of birth rate analysis in zooplankton and its implications for identifying strong interactions in ecology.

Expanding on Haeckel's classical definition, ecology can be defined as the study of strong and weak interactions between the organism and the environment, hence the need for identifying strong interactions as major drivers of population and community dynamics. The solution to this problem is facilitated by the fact that the frequency distribution of interaction strengths is highly skewed, resulting in few or, according to Liebig's law of the minimum, just one strong interaction. However, a single strong interaction often remains elusive. One of the reasons may be that, due to the ever-present dynamics of ecological systems, a single strong interaction is likely to exist only on relatively short time intervals, so methods with sufficient temporal resolution are required. In this paper, we study the temporal resolution of contribution analysis of birth rate in zooplankton, a method to assess the relative strength of bottom-up (food) versus top-down (predation) effects. Birth rate is estimated by the Edmondson-Paloheimo model. Our test system is a population of the cladoceran Bosmina longirostris inhabiting a small northern lake with few planktivorous predators, and thus likely controlled by food. We find that the method's temporal resolution in detecting bottom-up effects corresponds well to the species' generation time, and the latter seems comparable to the lifetime of a single strong interaction. This enables one to capture a single strong interaction "on the fly," right during its time of existence. We suggest that this feature, the temporal resolution of about the lifetime of a single strong interaction, may be a generally desirable property for any method, not only the one studied here, intended to identify and assess strong interactions. Success in disentangling strong interactions in ecological communities, and thus solving one of the key issues in ecology, may critically depend on the temporal resolution of the methods used.

Assessment of Urban Flood Vulnerability Using the Integrated Framework and Process Analysis: A Case from Nanjing, China.

Flooding is a serious challenge that increasingly affects residents as well as policymakers. Many studies have noted that decreasing the urban flood vulnerability (UFV) is an indispensable strategy for reducing flood risks; however, some studies have several pertinent assessment limitations. The objective of this study is to assess the UFV of the Xuanwu-Qinhuai-Jianye-Gulou-Yuhua (XQJGY) region from 2012 to 2018 by integrating various indicators into a composite index. This study uses the environment for visualizing images (ENVI) and the geographic information system (GIS) to extract indicators that have geographic attributes for the assessment of UFV and the process analysis method is then used to explore the relationship between these indicators. The results indicated that: (1) The UFV of Xuanwu, Qinhuai, and Gulou decreased from 2012 to 2018 and the UFV of Jianye and Gulou increased from 2012 to 2015 and decreased from 2015 to 2018. (2) The vegetation coverage, precipitation during the flood season, population density, and highway density significantly contributed to the UFV. (3) There also exist transformation pathways between the indicators that led to vulnerability in five districts. This study provides a theoretical basis for the government to manage floods.

An influence among influences: The perceived influence contribution scale development and use.

Many youth programs seek [DW1] to understand their influence over time on participant outcomes. This paper offers a methodology for measuring a participant's perception of a program's contribution amid their perception of other youth influences such as those from family, school, peer groups, hobbies, and other organized activities. The instrument built on the large body of work on youth influences in order to capture the dominant factors in development of the item bank. In addition to item development, the paper documents face validity followed by content assessment of items using a research panel, a principal component analysis using a second panel, and a full pilot with older teens in other summer intensive programs. The scale's implementation for baseline and annual follow-up measures of an intensive summer research experience revealed stable and high relative contribution to older teen participants' academic and career decision making over time. The final scale includes 19 items in 6 factors of family & religion; interests organized by others; adult responsibilities; school; arts; and interests organized by self. The scale proved to be responsive to changes in influences while remaining stable over time.

Community health workers' involvement in mother-child care during the 1st year after birth, in Kaya health district, Burkina Faso: A contribution analysis.

Introduction: Maternal and infant morbidity and mortality remain high in sub-Saharan Africa. However, actions to strengthen postpartum care are still weak and mainly limited to health facilities (HFs). In Kaya health district, Burkina Faso, community health workers (CHWs) were involved in mother and child care during the 1st year postpartum through home visits, outreach sessions and accompanying mothers to health facilities. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of CHWs to postpartum women's attendance at the health facilities. Methods: We conducted an effect assessment using Mayne and Lemire's contribution analysis framework. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through project documents review and individual semi-structured interviews with key-informants. Results: All the participants interviewed acknowledged that the number of women, who came to postpartum care, had increased since the implementation of the project activities. Postpartum consultation rates within the 1st week postpartum increased from 29% in 2011 to 80% in 2015 and from 19 to 50% within 6 weeks. Others interventions such as Performance based financing, Save The Children nutritional project and the health services component of Missed Opportunities in Mother and Infant Health (MOMI) were the alternative explanations. Conclusions: CHWs involvement in women care contributed to improve their adherence to postpartum consultations in Kaya health district.

How are typical urban sewage treatment technologies going in China: from the perspective of life cycle environmental and economic coupled assessment.

Sewage treatment is an important public service, but it consumes a lot of energy and chemicals in the process of removing wastewater pollutants, which may cause the risk of pollution transfer. To find the corresponding hot issues, this paper took the lead in integrating life cycle assessment (LCA) with life cycle costing (LCC) to evaluate four most typical sewage treatment technologies with more than 85% share in China. It is found that anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (AAO) was the optimal treatment scheme with relatively small potential environmental impact and economic load. The normalized results show that the trends of the four technologies on eleven environmental impact categories were basically the same. Marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential accounted for more than 70% of the overall environmental impact. Contribution analysis indicates that electricity and flocculant consumption were the main processes responsible for the environmental and economic burden. Overall, electricity consumption was the biggest hot spot. Sensitivity analysis verifies that a 10% reduction in electricity could bring high benefits to both the economy and the environment. These findings are expected to provide effective feedback on the operation and improvement of sewage treatment. Graphical abstract.