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Assam, an Indian state stands as a key player in the global tea industry, with tea estates producing substantial amounts of tea pruning litter (TL) throughout the year. In this study, conventional low technology (kiln-based), pyrolyzed, and gasified biochars were produced utilizing tea pruning litter (TL) and mixed wood chips (MW) as feedstocks. Significant variations (p < 0.05) in physicochemical properties of the produced biochars were observed, attributed to differences in feedstock and production techniques. Biochar yield was higher in conventional low technology method (30–40%) followed by gasification (20–35%) and pyrolysis (18–30%). All produced biochars can be categorized as most recalcitrant (R50 = 0.76–1.12) except conventional low technology TL biochar (TPC, falls under minimal degradation category, R50 = 0.6). Lower recalcitrance potential of conventional low technology biochars facilitated an increase in soil pH, helping to neutralise soil acidity. Maximum content of poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was noted in TL biochars compared to MW biochars. The germination test for mustard and french bean seeds was conducted inside the laboratory under room temperature. Produced biochars were applied as soil amendment at 10 t ha−1 and 20 t ha−1 each. Highest rate of germination and seedling growth was documented under application of conventional low technology biochars (TPC and MWC) at 10 t ha−1. However, increasing the application dose to 20 t ha−1 decreased seed germination parameters and seedling growth of both the seeds. Screening of feedstock is essential to maximise the benefits of conventional low technology biochars as soil amendments.Highlights: Conventional low technology biochar production yielded higher biochar compared to pyrolysis and gasification methods. Low technology biochar produced from tea pruning litter resulted in a rapid increase in soil pH due to its low recalcitrance potential. Tea pruning litter biochars have higher elemental content and EPA PAHs compared to mixed wood chips biochars. The germination performance of mustard (Brassica juncea L.) and French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds is significantly influenced by the properties of the applied biochars, as well as the application dose and seed size. Germination percentage peaked with low technology tea pruning litter biochar application but declined with increasing application dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThe main aim of the present study was to examine whether the use of a low-tech tool, called click4all, inserted into cognitive and motor training can increase social interaction of patients with Rett Syndrome (RTT) with classmates in a school setting.MethodsTwenty-seven participants with RTT were randomly assigned to two groups: the experimental group received treatment with click4all, and the control group received traditional treatment without click4all. Parameters were measured before treatment (T1), 6 months after treatment (T2), 6 months after the second treatment phase (T3) and at the end of the third treatment phase (T4).ResultsThe results demonstrated an increase in levels of social interaction among classmates and patients with RTT in the experimental group, over time, compared to the control group, 95% CI [5.20–15.30]. Classmates also showed a higher level of knowledge related to participants of the experimental group, and this increased over time, 95% CI [24.98–63.52]. The level of knowledge related to the control group was stable over time and lower than the experimental group.DiscussionThis study demonstrated that the use of a low-tech tool can increase social interactions of patients with RTT in a school setting. This is important, as patients with RTT are often restricted in an isolation condition.

Vertical farming, a technique for reducing land required for agricultural production is a very promising method of agricultural production. Though the technology is readily available, the cost of the system is a deterrent factor for deploying the technology within households in developing countries. This study was conducted between January and March, 2018 at the University of Ghana School farms with the aim of developing a selfwatering vertical garden (VG) that is easy to operate as well as cost effective to own by evaluating the system at different soil depths in the growing troughs used. As such different soil depths (3 cm, 6 cm, 9 cm, and 12 cm) were evaluated considering lettuce growth parameters such as plant height, number of leaves, fresh weight and dry weight. The crop in the troughs attained an average fresh weight of 12.78 g at harvest. Even though the ANOVA test performed on the experimental data showed that the soil depth did not have a significant effect on the growth parameters considered, the soil depth of 9 cm yielded the best result comparatively. Therefore, a soil depth of 9 cm will suffice for the final design of the growing troughs of the VG. Further investigation into the uniformity of water distribution with the VG is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Low technology interventions for fertility enhancement (LTIFE) are strategies that avoid retrieval, handling, and manipulation of female gametes. The definition of LTIFE is yet to be widely accepted and clarified, but they are commonly used in milder cases of infertility and subfertility. Based on these considerations, the aim of the present study was comprehensively to review and investigate the obstetric and perinatal outcomes in subfertile patients who underwent LTIFE.Methods: A literature search up to May 2017 was performed in IBSS, SocINDEX, Institute for Scientific Information, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. An evidence-based hierarchy was used according to The Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine to determine which articles to include and analyze, and to provide a level of evidence of each association between intervention and outcome.Results: This analysis identified preliminary and low-grade evidence on the influence of LTIFE on obstetric and perinatal outcomes in subfertile women.Conclusions: LTIFE women should deserve major consideration from Clinicians/Researchers of Reproductive Medicine, because these treatments could be potentially responsible for mothers' and babies' complications. So far, the lack of well-designed and unbiased studies makes further conclusions difficult to be drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds upon Berkhout et al.'s (2010) cyclic innovation model (CIM). This model was shown to provide an effective framework for understanding and managing the innovation process and to address many of the shortcomings of previous models. Building on that article we have applied CIM to an in-depth case study featuring a formable paperboard technology within the packaging industry. Using data gathered from 28 interviews conducted over a three year period, CIM, for the first time, is applied to a low technology industry. In so doing, this paper contributes to a growing body of literature exploring low technology industries and, in turn, demonstrates the wider applicability of CIM beyond technology intensive industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We explored the experiences of adults who received aids through the Non-Electronic Communication Aids Scheme (NECAS). Methods: Fifteen adults aged 21-74 years, with complex communication needs (nine males) associated with developmental ( n = 10) or acquired disabilities ( n = 5) who received NECAS aids, and 12 support people participated. Interviews provided data for thematic analysis. Results: Participants used multi-modalities, reflecting that there is more than one way to communicate, but differed in using their augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aids according to time and place. How NECAS and other forms of AAC, including electronic devices, were meeting communication needs varied, and reviewing needs was needed. Participants reported being empowered through reducing frustration, increasing independence and facilitating relationships. There were varied preferences for low versus high tech, according to speed of communication and tolerance for breakdowns. They differed in being concerned about what other people think when aids were used in the community, and reactions and attitudes of others. Owning the process emerged through varying degrees of participation in developing and updating their NECAS and other aids. Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of the benefits of multimodal options, consumer-desired outcomes in research into the effectiveness of AAC and need for ongoing supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the connection between the organisational and individual level absorptive capacity in the context of shopfloor employees. Most literature on absorptive capacity focuses on the organisational level, while there has been less focus on the social integration mechanisms between the individual and organisational level of absorptive capacity. Via an action research study on shopfloor employees in a low-tech industry, it is shown how innovation activators can facilitate social integration mechanisms and identify the potential of the individual level ideas and assist the transformation of these to an organisational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site-specific agriculture has been adopted in a high-tech context using, for instance, in situ sensors, satellite images for remote sensing analysis, and some other technological devices. However, farmers and smallholders without the economic resources and required knowledge to use and to access the latest technology seem to find an impediment to precision agricultural practices. This article discusses the possibility of adopting precision agriculture (PA) principles for site-specific management but in a low technology context for such farmers. The proposed methodology to support PA combines low technology dependency and a participatory approach by involving smallholders, farmers and experts. The case studies demonstrate how the interplay of low technology and a participative approach may be suitable for smallholders for site-specific agriculture analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An inexpensive and equipment free approach to teaching the technical aspects of DNA sequencing. The activity described requires an instructor with a familiarity of DNA sequencing technology but provides a straight forward method of teaching the technical aspects of sequencing in the absence of expensive sequencing equipment. The final sequence analysis can be used as a springboard to a number of activities including literature reviews and writing projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charged by history and struggling for a spatial identity, the rural world may use specific sets of values to apply tacit knowledge and cope with an industrial model in transition. This paper prompts the opportunities for rurality in the metamorphosis of modernity challenges. Addressing issues like diversification, local competition or networking, rural firms are adapting by segmenting and moving towards less concentrated forms, in an attempt to integrate the marketing of non-commodities as the most adequate strategies for consumers. Such strategies that impose certifications based on specific know-how force locals to expand their knowledge basis and learning capacities, facilitating a more environmentally sustainable production model. Presented as a complex force field, the rural world suggests a new paradigm in which social participation is more demanded and local and regional actors are called to find compromises for the sustainable governance of natural resources and the advance of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low technology systems for the treatment of wastewater are sometimes presented as remnants of the past, nowadays supposedly only meant to serve developing countries and remote rural areas. However, considering their advantages and disadvantages together with enhanced treatment requirements and recent research and technological developments, the future of these systems still appears promising. Successful applications of low technology systems require that more care is taken of their design and operation than often observed. Correlatively, more efforts should be made to decipher the treatment mechanisms and determine the related reaction parameters, so as to provide more deterministic approaches of the natural wastewater treatment systems and better predict their performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]