title: A review on treatment processes of chicken manure

authors: Manogaran, M. Devendran

abstract: The poultry industry is a fast-growing industry fuelled by overwhelming customer demand. Of the different poultry meat options, chicken is arguably the most popular as it is the second most staple food item in Malaysia after rice. Consequently, due to the overwhelming demand for chicken meat, chicken manure is produced in abundance. In fact, a chicken produces 80 g to 100 g of manure daily, corresponding to 3-4% of its body weight. Utilizing the raw manure as an organic fertilizer without any prior treatment results in adverse environmental consequences as this common practice acts as a vector for propagation of pathogens, attracting flies and pests as well as contributing to odour problems. Treatment methods using pesticides, effective microorganisms and daily collection and disposal have been adopted by the farmers but these techniques are relatively costly and associated with potential environmental threats. Other techniques such as composting, pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion, hydrothermal liquefaction and torrefaction are drawing interest due to their ability to convert waste to value-added products. Approximately, 77,209 tonnes of chicken manure produced per day in Malaysia in 2014 can potentially generate up to 3.86 million m3 of methane from anaerobic digestion, equivalent to potential generation of 139.5 TJ of heat or 38.7 GWh of electricity theoretically. This paper reviews the technical and practical aspects of the techniques mentioned above in terms of operation, performance and limitations. This paper also examines the preferential treatment techniques in relation to the product outputs with good market potential while being environmentally sustainable.

text: A review on treatment processes of chicken manure The poultry industry is a fast-growing industry fuelled by overwhelming customer demand. Of the different poultry meat options, chicken is arguably the most popular as it is the second most staple food item in Malaysia after rice. Consequently, due to the overwhelming demand for chicken meat, chicken manure is produced in abundance. In fact, a chicken produces 80 g to 100 g of manure daily, corresponding to 3-4% of its body weight. Utilizing the raw manure as an organic fertilizer without any prior treatment results in adverse environmental consequences as this common practice acts as a vector for propagation of pathogens, attracting flies and pests as well as contributing to odour problems. Treatment methods using pesticides, effective microorganisms and daily collection and disposal have been adopted by the farmers but these techniques are relatively costly and associated with potential environmental threats. Other techniques such as composting, pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion, hydrothermal liquefaction and torrefaction are drawing interest due to their ability to convert waste to value-added products. Approximately, 77,209 tonnes of chicken manure produced per day in Malaysia in 2014 can potentially generate up to 3.86 million m3 of methane from anaerobic digestion, equivalent to potential generation of 139.5 TJ of heat or 38.7 GWh of electricity theoretically. This paper reviews the technical and practical aspects of the techniques mentioned above in terms of operation, performance and limitations. This paper also examines the preferential treatment techniques in relation to the product outputs with good market potential while being environmentally sustainable.

year: 2022

title: How cost elastic are remittances? Estimates from Tongan migrants in New Zealand

authors: Gibson, John

subjects: remittances

abstract: Pacific Island economies are some of the most remittance- dependent in the world. Proposals to lower the costs of sending money across borders are a core recommendation of recent international studies that aim to enhance the development impact of remittances. The potential increase in remittances that recipient countries can expect from such policies depends critically on the sensitivity of remittance transfers to the costs of remitting. This paper provides the first estimates of the cost-elasticity of remittances, using data from a survey of Tongan migrants in New Zealand. The costs of remitting to Tonga are high by international standards and remittances are found to have a negative cost-elasticity with respect to the fixed fee component of money transfer costs. These findings suggest that Pacific Island countries can expect a more than proportionate increase in remittances from a reduction in costs.

text: How cost elastic are remittances? Estimates from Tongan migrants in New Zealand Pacific Island economies are some of the most remittance- dependent in the world. Proposals to lower the costs of sending money across borders are a core recommendation of recent international studies that aim to enhance the development impact of remittances. The potential increase in remittances that recipient countries can expect from such policies depends critically on the sensitivity of remittance transfers to the costs of remitting. This paper provides the first estimates of the cost-elasticity of remittances, using data from a survey of Tongan migrants in New Zealand. The costs of remitting to Tonga are high by international standards and remittances are found to have a negative cost-elasticity with respect to the fixed fee component of money transfer costs. These findings suggest that Pacific Island countries can expect a more than proportionate increase in remittances from a reduction in costs.

year: 2006-03

title: Management of patients with early stage lung cancer - why do some patients not receive treatment with curative intent?

authors: Lawrenson, Ross

subjects: Lung cancer

abstract: BACKGROUNDS: This study aims to understand the factors that influence whether patients receive potentially curative treatment for early stage lung cancer. A key question was whether indigenous Māori patients were less likely to receive treatment. 
METHODS: Patients included those diagnosed with early stage lung cancer in 2011-2018 and resident in the New Zealand Midland Cancer Network region. Logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios of having curative surgery/ treatment. The Kaplan Meier method was used to examine the all-cause survival and Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratio of death. 
RESULTS: In total 419/583 (71.9%) of patients with Stage I and II disease were treated with curative intent - 272 (46.7%) patients had curative surgery. Patients not receiving potentially curative treatment were older, were less likely to have non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), had poorer lung function and were more likely to have an ECOG performance status of 2+. Current smokers were less likely to be treated with surgery and more likely to receive treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Those who were treated with surgery had a 2-year survival of 87.8% (95% CI: 83.8-91.8%) and 5-year survival of 69.6% (95% CI: 63.2-76.0%). Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) has equivalent effect on survival compared to curative surgery (hazard ratio: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.37-1.61). After adjustment we could find no difference in treatment and survival between Māori and non-Māori. 
CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with stage I and II lung cancer are managed with potentially curative treatment - mainly surgery and increasingly with SABR. The outcomes of those being diagnosed with stage I and II disease and receiving treatment is positive with 70% surviving 5 years.

text: Management of patients with early stage lung cancer - why do some patients not receive treatment with curative intent? BACKGROUNDS: This study aims to understand the factors that influence whether patients receive potentially curative treatment for early stage lung cancer. A key question was whether indigenous Māori patients were less likely to receive treatment. 
METHODS: Patients included those diagnosed with early stage lung cancer in 2011-2018 and resident in the New Zealand Midland Cancer Network region. Logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratios of having curative surgery/ treatment. The Kaplan Meier method was used to examine the all-cause survival and Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratio of death. 
RESULTS: In total 419/583 (71.9%) of patients with Stage I and II disease were treated with curative intent - 272 (46.7%) patients had curative surgery. Patients not receiving potentially curative treatment were older, were less likely to have non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), had poorer lung function and were more likely to have an ECOG performance status of 2+. Current smokers were less likely to be treated with surgery and more likely to receive treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Those who were treated with surgery had a 2-year survival of 87.8% (95% CI: 83.8-91.8%) and 5-year survival of 69.6% (95% CI: 63.2-76.0%). Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) has equivalent effect on survival compared to curative surgery (hazard ratio: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.37-1.61). After adjustment we could find no difference in treatment and survival between Māori and non-Māori. 
CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with stage I and II lung cancer are managed with potentially curative treatment - mainly surgery and increasingly with SABR. The outcomes of those being diagnosed with stage I and II disease and receiving treatment is positive with 70% surviving 5 years.

year: 2020