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Research Outlook : Issue 6, October 2013, Office Of Research & Graduate Studies

Office of Research and Graduate Studies

Content

- In Our Time

- Cockroaches can Fight Deadly Infections

- Global Burden of Childhood Diarrhoea and Pneumonia

- Research in the News

- The Clinical Trials Unit

- AKU Research Themes for the Faculty of Health Sciences

- Book Launch : Putting an Imprint on Ideas

- Book Reviews

- Mathematics Education In Rural Communities

- An Assessment of the Quality of the Nursing Examination Boards and MidwiferySchools

- Pre-creating History in the Muslim Tradition

- Annual Research Institute 2012

- AKU-IED Pakistan's International Conference - 2012

- Research Fundinig and Output - 2012

An Evaluation Of Potential Management Options For The Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Aduncus) Population In Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, Rebecca Hamilton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A short-term study was conducted between November 3rd and November 30th of 2013 in which dolphin area usage was assessed and interviews conducted in order to evaluate which actions should be considered in order to improve dolphin management in Kizimkazi, Zanzibar. GPS coordinates during dolphin sightings were recorded while on tourist and volunteer boat trips to assess dolphin movement and distribution. While on the tourist boats, observations were also made regarding boat operator, tour guide, and tourist knowledge and behavior in relation to tourism interaction guidelines. Interviews were conducted with locals involved in the dolphin tourism sector, tour company representatives, …

Traditional Boat Building: An Intersection Of Zanzibar’S Culture And Environment, Eric Levenson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examined traditional boat building on Uzi Island as a manifestation of Zanzibar’s relationship of environment and culture. Information was gathered about traditional boat building practices, the resource use and management pertaining to boats, the cultural reliance on boats, and local views on environment and conservation. This information showed that the people of Uzi Island were dependent on the use of traditional boats to maintain their livelihood, however the tree types used for boat building are being over-harvested. This tension of culture and environment exposed the need for conservation of Zanzibar’s natural resources in a manner that does not …

Front Matter Volume 4, 2010, Mcnair Scholars Program

PSU McNair Scholars Online Journal

Front matter includes program background, Table of Contents, and a complete listing of 2010 Portland State McNair Scholars.

Swahili 102 Online Lesson Supplement, K. Marcus Cardon, Dr. Michael Bush

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Swahili is the most extensively spoken language of the hundreds of Bantu languages in sub-Saharan Africa. It is considered to be the closest language in Africa to a native lingua franca and is essential for effective communication in the East Africa region. As the national language of both Tanzania and Kenya, the importance of Swahili is significant, prompting the NSEP, National Security Education Program, to list Swahili as one of the languages critical to national security.

Neoliberalism And University Education In Sub-Saharan Africa, James R. Ochwa-Echel

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

This article reviews the history of university development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and discusses the impact of neoliberal policies. This will be followed by an examination of the problems facing universities in the region. The following questions will be explored: (a) Are the existing universities in SSA serving the development needs of the region? (b) Are these universities up to the task of moving SSA out of the predicaments it faces such as famine, HIV/AIDS, poverty, diseases, debt, and human rights abuses? Finally, the article argues that for universities to play a role in the development of the region, a …

Faculty Perceptions And Practices In Health Sciences Information Literacy Instruction In Tanzania, Edda Tandi Lwoga Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study assessed the information literacy (IL) instruction perceptions and practices of faculty at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in Tanzania. An online survey was distributed to all faculty members in five schools and one institute at MUHAS (235 in total) from 2011 to 2012, with a response rate of (34.5 percent). The study findings show a general support for IL development, and its importance in enabling students to do library-based research. To a large extent, faculty believed that the IL competencies of students, including their ability to find, use and evaluate information, was average at the lower …

Ntid Focus Fall 2013, Ntid Marketing And Communications

National Technical Institute for the Deaf Papers

No abstract provided.

The Role Of History And Political Studies In Post-Genocide Reconstruction And Development, Charles Kabwete Mulinda

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

This paper argues for complementarity between social sciences, such as history and political studies on the one hand, and science and technology on the other hand. It insists that Africa and Rwanda in particular need the discipline of history in conjunction with science and technology in order to teach knowledge that is complete and to target African renaissance, that is, sustainable development and sustainable peace.

It also makes an advocacy for History and Political Science disciplines because of particular crises that those programmes are currently facing at the National University of Rwanda (NUR). But it does also put those crises …

The Diagnostic Performance Of A Single Genexpert Mtb/Rif Assay In An Intensified Tuberculosis Case Finding Survey Among Hiv-Infected Prisoners In Malaysia, H.A.A. Al-Darraji, H.A. Razak, K.P. Ng, F.L. Altice, A. Kamarulzaman

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

The new GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay (Xpert) offers accurate and rapid diagnosis of active TB, but its performance in improving case detection in high-transmission congregate settings has yet to be evaluated. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of a single Xpert assay in an intensified case finding survey among HIV-infected prisoners in Malaysia. Methods: HIV-infected prisoners at a single site provided two early-morning sputum specimens to be examined using fluorescence smear microscopy, BACTEC MGIT 960 liquid culture and a single Xpert. The sensitivity,specificity, negative and positive predictive values of Xpert were calculated relative to gold-standard results using MGIT 960 liquid culture. Relevant …

Introduction, François Masabo

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Infants' Birth Order, Maternal Age, And Socio-Economic Status On Birth Weight, Seyed J. Ghaemmaghami, Leila Nikniaz, Reza Mahdavi, Zeinab Nikniaz, Farzad Razmifard, Farzaneh Afsharnia

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of infants9 birth order, maternal age, and socioeconomic status (SES) on birth weight. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included a sample of 858 mothers recruited over a 6-month period in 2010, in a defined population of 9 urban health centers, and who were admitted for their infants9 first vaccination. Maternal clinical data, demographic data, and infants9 birth weight were obtained from the interview and maternal hospital files. Multiple regression and analysis of variance were used for data analysis. RESULTS: First and fourth births had lower birth weights compared with second and third births in all maternal …

Birthing Ajali (Destiny): Hiv/Aids And Its Effects Amongst Females In Rural Tanzania: A Reduction, Renewal And Prospective Vision For Females In Rural Tanzania, Porsha Latrice Hart

Theses and Dissertations

The HIV/AIDS crisis has impacted Africa for at least fifty years and Tanzania for at least twenty nine years. The government, public health community and nongovernmental agencies have addressed this now pandemic by utilizing strategic planning, prevention and education measures, as well as effective crisis communication. This study makes an attempt to utilize qualitative research to examine the crisis in Tanzania and how it has affected females in selected rural areas. Effective crisis communication will be explored with an emphasis on the discourse of renewal theory. Furthermore, the Center for Disease Control Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Intervention SISTA program will …

A Subcontinent's Sunni Schism: The Deobandi-Barelvi Rivalry And The Creation Of Modern South Asia, William Kesler Jackson

History - Dissertations

This work presents the first-ever history of the 150-year religio-political rivalry between the Deobandis and the Barelvis--arguably the most important schism in the "Muslim world," and certainly the most significant within Sunni Islam. More recently, that rivalry has often been expressed by means of bullets and bombs, especially in Pakistan. But beyond the headline-grabbing violence of the Deobandi-Barelvi schism lies the story of a century-and-a-half-long religious antagonism: at first over converts, later for competing visions of the political future, then for a place within a new "Islamic" polity--for dominance within its political structure. For Deobandis, the rivalry was defined by …

Africom At 5 Years: The Maturation Of A New U.S. Combatant Command, David E. Brown Mr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

View the Executive Summary

The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), newest of the six U.S. Department of Defense geographic combatant commands (CCMDs), was created in 2007 amid great controversy in both Africa and the United States over its location and mission. Over the last 5 years, AFRICOM has matured greatly, overcoming much of the initial resistance from African stakeholders through careful public messaging, and by addressing most of the U.S. interagency concerns about the Command’s size and proper role within the U.S. national security/foreign policy community. This Letort Paper describes the geostrategic, operational, and intellectual changes that explain why AFRICOM was …

Prerequisites For Biocrops Up-Scaling I: An Assessment Of Seed Propagation Of Oilferous Plant Species With Potential For Biodiesel Production, Agnes Ms Nyomora, Esther P Masomhe

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study assessed the propagation of non- edible oil plant species with potential for biodiesel production on 4 potting media forest, sandy, clay and loamy soil using seeds. Investigation was based on assessment of seed germination capacity, rooting ability and seedling growth rate of six selected plant species Telfairia pedata, Jatropha curcas, Excoecaria bussei, Croton macrostachyus, Croton megalocarpus and Ricinus communis. Completely randomized design (CRD) was adopted for this study using 10 seeds per plot (5L capacity pots) with 4 replications. An ANOVA was conducted to test for the significance of the treatments while Tukey-Kramer Multiple Comparisons test was used …

Prerequisites For Biocrops Up-Scaling Ii: An Assessment Of The Vegetative Method Of Propagation For Oilferous Plant Species With Potential For Biodiesel Production, Agnes Ms Nyomora

Tanzania Journal of Science

The rooting ability of hardwood cuttings from six selected non- edible oilferous plant species with potential for biodiesel production namely Telfairia pedata, Jatropha curcas, Excoecaria bussei, Croton macrostachyus, Croton megalocarpus and Ricinus communis was assessed on 4 different potting media i.e. forest top soil, sandy, clay and loamy soil. The proportion of cuttings that rooted were evaluated for the root numbers, root length, root dry weight, sprouting and callus formation. Complete randomized design (CRD) was adopted for the experiments and each of the species was replicated 4 times using 5 hardwood cuttings per plot (5 L capacity pots). An ANOVA …

Formation Of Cell Masses In The Myelencephalon Of The Clawed Frog, Xenopus Muelleri, Flora Stephano

Tanzania Journal of Science

An important process in the organization of developing nervous system is the clustering of neurons with similar properties to form nuclei. The development of myelencephalon of Xenopus muelleri, a pipid frog that retains a lateral line system throughout life, was studied in Nissl stained serial sections. The results showed that density of neurons increases as the animal develops. Cell masses were formed in the latter half of larval stages (stage 48 to 59). Large neurons migrate first before small neurons. Raphes and reticular formation nuclei and Mauthner cells were the earliest neurons that could be distinctly recognized on the ventral …

Synthesis And Physico-Chemical Studies Of Azo Dyes From Anacardic Acid, An Inexpensive Renewable Resource, John Mkungu, Quintino Mgani, Stephen Mdachi

Tanzania Journal of Science

(3AP) and 4-aminophenol (4AP) with both unsaturated (UA) and saturated (SA) anacardic acidsand the calcium salt (CA) of the unsaturated acid. The six prepared dyes are, thus, given theacronyms 3APSA, 3APUA, 3APCA, 4APSA, 4APUA, and 4APCA depending on the source of thediazonium salt and the form of anacardic acid used. The dyes were characterized using UV-Visand FT-IR spectroscopic techniques. The UV-Vis absorption spectra of the dyes were found tohave maximum peaks at 520 nm for the dyes of 3AP origin and at 295 nm for the dyes of 4APorigin. The FT-IR spectra for the dyes indicated presence of the azo …

Antimycobacterial And Cytotoxicity Evaluation Of The Constituents Of Monodora Carolinae, Nyangi Magori, Stephen S Nyandoro, Joan Je Munissi, Matthias Heydenreich

Tanzania Journal of Science

Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark of the recently described species Monodora carolinae (Annonaceae) afforded prenylindole derivatives (E)-4-(1H-indol-6-yl)-but-3-en-2-one (1), 5-formylindole (2), fatty acid (Z)-hexade-7-enoic acid (3) and the lignanamide cannabisin B (4). The structures of the isolated compounds were established using NMR and MS analyses. The antimycobacterial activities of the extracts and isolated compounds were evaluated against Mycobacterium madagascariense (MM) and M. indicus pranii (MIP) using the two-fold microtitre dilution method. While the extracts exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 500 – 1000 µg/mL, the isolated compounds were 125 – 250 µg/mL, indicating very low activity. Cytotoxic effects were …

Population Dynamics Of Pseudo-Nitzschia Species (Bacillariophyceae) In The Near Shore Waters Of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Charles Lugomela

Tanzania Journal of Science

The genus Pseudo-nitzschia is a chain-forming diatom comprising about 30 species some of which are known to produce domoic acid (DA) that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). The current study aimed at assessing the population dynamics of Pseudo-nitzschia in the near shore waters of Dar es Salaam. Samples were collected between August 2008 and July 2009 from two stations. The first station was located in the open waters off Mbudya Island and the second was located at a point in-between Kunduchi and Mbudya Island. Three Pseudo-nitzschia species, i.e., Pseudo-nitzschia pungens, Pseudo-nitzschia seriata and Pseudo-nitzschia cuspidata were encountered with Pseudo-nitzschia pungens …

Current Status And Future Perspectives Of Bioinformatics In Tanzania, Sylvester L. Lyantagaye

Tanzania Journal of Science

The main bottleneck in advancing genomics in present times is the lack of expertise in using bioinformatics tools and approaches for data mining in raw DNA sequences generated by modern high throughput technologies such as next generation sequencing. Although bioinformatics has been making major progress and contributing to the development in the rest of the world, it has still not yet fully integrated the tertiary education and research sector in Tanzania. This review aims to introduce a summary of recent achievements, trends and success stories of application of bioinformatics in biotechnology. The applications of bioinformatics in the fields such as …

Presentation And Management Outcome Of Eclampsia At Alelwiya Teaching Hospital, Thikra Madlol, Samar Sarsam, Inteasar Twaigery, Yousif Abdul Raheem

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Eclampsia is a life-threatening complication of pregnancy for both the baby and the mother. Research is underway to understand this complex condition and to improve the treatments that are currently used to control it as it is a preventable complication of pre-eclampsia. OBJECTIVE: The study reviews the cases of eclampsia managed at Elwiya teaching Hospital with respect to incidence, management, maternal and perinatal outcome. METHODS: This prospective observational study was carried out in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Elwiya Teaching Hospital – Baghdad-Iraq. Fifty two cases of eclamptic fits were dealt with from the 1 st …

The Proportions Of People Living With Hiv In Low And Middle-Income Countries Who Test Tuberculin Skin Test Positive Using Either A 5 Mm Or A 10 Mm Cut-Off: A Systematic Review, Andrew D. Kerkhoff, Ankur Gupta, Taraz Samandari, Stephen D. Lawn

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Gas Leakage Detection System (Glds), Daudi Simbeye

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This paper mainly focuses on the detection of gas leakage and providing security when the user is around or away from home. The system is Short Message Service (SMS) based and uses wireless technology for providing security against gas leakage to users hence cost effective and more adaptable. The system comprises of sensors for detecting gas leak interfaced to microcontroller that will give an alert to user whenever there is a gas leakage, display warning information by using Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), sending SMS to the user for notification wherever he/she might be and turning off electric power with the …

Isolation And Characterisation Of Micro-Organisms With Industrial Importance From Sisal Bole Rots, Consolatha Mhaiki

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Investigation of microorganisms naturally acclimatized to Agave hybrid H 11648 (sisal bole rot) was conducted, with the aim of isolating and characterizing Aspergillus niger strains for industrial use. Microorganism were identified morphologically and then confirmation made by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results showed the existence of four major groups, listed in order of abundances as follows; Aspergilli (36.0±0.8) %, Penicillin (28.0±0.1) %, Yeast (15.0±1.6) %and Fusarium (10.0±0.12) %. The main groups of Aspergilli strains were A. nidulans, A. tamari and A. niger in ratios (3:2:2), respectively. Several endo-spore forming non-enteric gram (-) rods and coccid bacteria identified by API 20 …

Improvement Of Hydraulic Press For Vegetable Oil Expression In Rural Areas, I. P. Bateebe

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Cultivation of oil producing crops especially Jatropha and croton as source of vegetable oil for biodiesel production is being encouraged in rural areas. To recover oil from seed, manual press is the feasible method in rural areas where there is no electricity. Research was conducted to improve hydraulic oil press machine for rural application. Factors affecting oil recovery were found to be: moisture content of seeds, operating pressure, seed oil content, and the amount of seeds pressed per batch. Percentage oil recovery was improved by reducing diameter of press cylinder, hence increasing expression pressure, and either reducing amount of seed …

Problems And Prospects Of Hydraulic Modelling For Environmental Flows Assessment Studies In East Africa, Preksedis Ndomba

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

The objective of this paper is to document the problems and prospects of hydraulic modelling for Environmental Flows Assessment (EFA) studies based on selected case studies. Most of studies in East Africa use Holistic methodologies. An ideal data set for defining river hydraulics for most of these methods would be six data points of stage measurements over a good distribution of discharges, the stage of zero discharge and some flood-related data. Besides, in East African region EFA studies suffer from data scarcity (i.e., poorly gauged sites) and limited expertise and funding. The hydraulics studies conducted by the authors entailed desktop …

Open Source Kiswahili Spell Checker (Sw-Tz), Hashim Twaakyondo

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Different English software products are localized into many native languages spoken around the world, the most popular software products localized so far are word processing software and web browsers. The effort has begun to localize these software products in Kiswahili language which is widely spoken in Tanzania, East and Central Africa. Kiswahili is an official language of Tanzania, and is a national language in Uganda and Kenya. To make these software products useful to Kiswahili speaking community particularly in Tanzania a new Kiswahili spell checker has been developed and, it uses most of the Kiswahili words spoken in Tanzania and …

2d Autocad Geometric Data Extraction And Post Processing For Numerical Control, Tito Mwinuka

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

In this paper, a method of extracting 2D geometric data from AutoCAD drawing and post processing for Numerical Control (NC) is presented. Geometric data already available in the Drawing Interchange Files (DXF) can be utilized to accurately and economically prepare part programs for controlling NC/CNC machine tools. AutoCAD, being general purpose software, stores its geometric data in a form that cannot be directly applied for automatic generation of Numerical Control (NC) codes. The way around the discrepancy between the structure of a drawing database (DXF files) and the information requirement for part programming is addressed in this work. NC programming …