This study uses the sustainable livelihoods framework to investigate the livelihoods of communities in the southwest of the Okavango Delta, one of the world’s largest and most biologically diverse wetlands and a World Heritage Site since 1997. Through a constructivist analysis of communities, the research explores the experiences of communities living on the periphery of the Okavango Delta to understand their challenges. Data were collected through household interviews, unstructured focus group discussions with village leaders, ethnographic observations, and document analyses. The study identifies several key challenges in these communities: unemployment, high poverty rates, low education levels, crop and livestock predation, lack of livelihood diversification, and water scarcity. Agriculture, including arable farming and livestock rearing, along with informal employment through Ipelegeng are the main sources of livelihood. However, communities face significant costs due to crop raiding by elephants and livestock depredation, with conflict mitigation efforts yielding negligible results compared to the incurred costs. The Tubu, Habu, and Nokaneng communities in the southwest of the Okavango Delta differ from those on the eastern side as they do not currently benefit from community-based natural resource management through tourism initiatives. This article recommends that community institutions collaborate with the Technical Advisory Committee to engage in negotiations with the government, donor agencies, community-based organizations, nongovernmental organizations, private sector, and other stakeholders. Building strong partnerships and expanding networks could lead to significant advancements for these communities, such as benefiting from ecotourism joint ventures, adopting smart agriculture practices, and participating in the government’s natural resources management.
Sepsis is defined as the presence of a serious infection that correlates with systemic and uncontrolled immune activation [1]. It is associated with high mortality, largely due to multi-organ failure [2,3]. Sepsis could be extremely dangerous in infants, elderly population, immunocompromised and critically ill patients [4]. Early diagnosis and prompt appropriate intervention is essential to halt the progression of sepsis and improve survival. A positive blood culture is the commonly used assay in sepsis diagnosis. However, this diagnostic tool has its limitations as culture is time dependent resulting in delay. Furthermore, positive blood cultures may not be present in many patients with sepsis [5].
Polytrauma is a condition where patients have two or more organ systems or physical regions injuries, with one being life threatening, resulting in cognitive, physical, psychosocial, or psychological functional disability. Polytrauma patients suffer from different types of pains depending on the nature of the traumatic injury they sustain. There are two basic classification of pain: nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Nociceptive pain results from improper functioning of the body's nervous system. Patients suffering from neuropathic pain, (the second type) display characteristics of complete or partial changes in the innervations territories. The viable option for develop a protocol for pain management is to estimate relative safety and efficacy using the number needed to harm (NNH) and the number needed to treat (NNT) approach. There are different forms of therapies for patients suffering from neuropathic pain; various types of therapies that may assist polytraumatic patients to understand the connection of the mind and the body. Anesthesiologic or neurosurgical neurolytic techniques may be effective. Pharmacotherapy and other strategies of pain management depend primarily on the needs and lifestyle of the patient. Studies indicate that patients suffering from neuropathic pain respond positively to a holistic approach.
Objective: Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system can be diagnosed by spectral analysis of variability of cardiac frequencies of consecutive RR interval using TASK FORCE monitor. Design and method: Methodology and results: Study was done using TASK FORCE monitor and software analysis of HRV Fourier transform algorithm. Testing at rest (20 min) and passive orthostasis (tilt table 90° for 6 minutes and parameters from ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) device Meditech ABPM 05. Diagnostic procedures were done in 110 patients, of which 48 treated for type 1 diabetes, average age 37 years, of which 28 men and 20 women. The second group contained 62 patients with type 2 diabetes, average age 62 years of which 35 men and 27 women. Results: In groups with type 1 diabetes LF HF at rest X ∼ 1.745 ± 0.91 SD; LF HF orthostasis X ∼ 3.08 ± 2.65 SD; LF-DBP at rest 44.79 SD ± 16:52; LF DBP orthostasis X ∼ 51.91SD ± 11:41, HF RRI at rest 36.01 SD ± 14.65, HF RRI orthostasis X ∼ 25.98 SD ± 8.2; BRS at rest 10.1, ± SD 6.18. In the group with type 2 diabetes LF HF at rest X ∼ 4.01 The SD ± 7.02, LF / HF orthostasis X 4.7 ± 8.9, LF DBP at rest X ∼ 37.17 ± 14.85, LF DBP orthostasis X ∼ 37.32 ± 10.89, HF RRI at rest 43.51, SD ± 17:48, HF RRI orthostasis X 43.51 ± 23:30, BRS at rest SD 9.78 ± 6.50. Correlation between the groups showed highly significant difference for LF DBP in orthostasis (p < 0.00067). Conclusions: Conclusion: Significantly lower values of LF DBP were registered in the group with type 2 diabetes, which represents the FAILURE of SYMPHATETIC in orthostasis. Orthostasis has been shown in ABPM analysis as well. It is common that patients with diabetes have a dominant parasympathetic dysfunction.
