Digital Commons Network^™

The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Catalyst For Creativity And Collaboration For Online Learning And Work-Based Higher Education Systems And Processes, Tashmin Khamis, Azra Naseem, Anil Khamis, Pammla Petrucka

Office of the Provost

The purpose of this research is to focus on work-based problems catalysed by the COVID-19 global pandemic, based on a case study of a multi-continental, multi-campus university distributed across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Pakistan. Higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries lacked pre-existing infrastructure to support online education and/or policy and regulatory frameworks during the pandemic. The university's programmes in Pakistan and East Africa provide lessons to other developing countries' HEIs. The university's focus on teaching and learning and staff development has had a transformational organisational effect.

Students’ Perception About Institutional Repository And Impact Of Electronic Contents On Their Research: A Pakistani Perspective, Muhammad Safdar

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This manuscript aims to investigate the students’ opinion about the Institutional Repository (IR) and the participants’ opinion about the impact of e- resources on their research work. Quantitative research design was employed to collect the data about students’ perception regarding IR and qualitative research design was utilized to explore the students’ opinion about the impact of e-resources on their research work. A questionnaire and an interview guide were utilized to collect the data. A convenience sampling technique was used to collect the data from two well-renowned Pakistani universities’ students. Total 84% of the respondents responded the questionnaire regarding their perception …

Awareness And Utilisation Of Psyarxiv For The Dissemination Of Research Preprints Among Psychology Scholars In Universities, Abigail Edem Okon, Isaac Ofem Ubi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study assessed the extent to which scholars in the field of Psychology are aware and utilise the PsyarXiv preprint server for the communication of research materials before eventual publication. The study was guided by three specific research questions. The descriptive survey research design was employed by the researcher. Considering the manageable number of participants in the population, a census was conducted. Data were collected using a questionnaire designed by the researcher and titled “Awareness and Utilisation of PsyarXiv Questionnaire (AUPQ). The instrument was tested for reliability using Cronbach alpha and the test yielded acceptable values for an internally consistent …

Psychological Distress Prevalence And Associated Stressors And Supports Among Urban-Displaced Congolese Adults In Kenya, Julie A. Tippens, Holly Hatton-Bowers, Ryan Honomichl, Lorey Wheeler, Helen M. Miamidian, Kirstie L. Bash, Michelle C Howell Smith, Dulo Nyaoro, J. Joshua Byrd, Samuel E. Packard, Nicolette I. Teufel-Shone

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Background: There is limited understanding of the prevalence of psychological distress and associated stressors and supports among displaced adults in low- and middle-income first asylum countries.

Method: This article reports the findings of a cross-sectional study. We recruited 245 Congolese adults (18–80 years) residing in Nairobi, Kenya using snowball sampling. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic characteristics, the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), and a locally developed stressors and supports survey. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine associations among sociodemographic, stressor, and support variables and the likelihood of experiencing psychological distress.

Results: More than half of the …

Comparative Biogeography And The Evolution Of Population Structure For Bottlenose And Common Dolphins In The Indian Ocean, Howard W.I. Gray, Ing Chen, André E. Moura, Ada Natoli, Shin Nishida, Shinsuke Tanabe, Gianna Minton, Louisa S. Ponnampalam, Muhammad S. Kiani, Ross Culloch, Mauvis Gore, Anna Särnblad, Omar Amir, Per Berggren, Tim Collins, Andrew J. Willson, Robert Baldwin, A. Rus Hoelzel

All Works

Aim: In the marine environment, where there are few physical boundaries to gene flow, there is often nevertheless intraspecific diversity with consequences for effective conservation and management. Here, we compare two closely related dolphin species with a shared distribution in the Indian Ocean (IO) to better understand the biogeographic drivers of their population structure. Location: Global oceans and seas with a focus on the Indian Ocean. Taxon: Tursiops sp. and Delphinus sp. Methods: Bayesian, ordination, assignment, statistical and phylogenetic analyses to assess phylogeography, connectivity and population structure using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA genetic markers. Results: Both Tursiops sp. and Delphinus …

Media Viability In Tanzania, Aga Khan University

Graduate School of Media and Communications

The media landscape in Tanzania is diverse and vibrant. This diversity as of March, 2020 included 183 radio stations, 43 TV stations, 229 newspapers and magazines in mainland Tanzania (Katunzi & Spurk, 2020) and 22 blogs and online news sites. In recent times, internet penetration has grown to 37.60 percent in the country (Internet World Stats, 2020), further diversifying information sources in the country.

Thinking Outside Malaria: A Rare Case Of Disseminated Cysticercosis With Cardiopulmonary Involvement From Urban Tanzania, Frederick R. Lyimo, Ahmed Jusabani, Hilda Makungu, Maria Mtolera, Salim Surani

Imaging & Diagnostic Radiology, East Africa

Dissemination of the cysticerci throughout the body with cardiopulmonary involvement represents a very rare occurrence and an uncommon form of cysticercosis manifestation. We report a rare case of a 48-yearold African male from urban Tanzania who was, at first, referred to our radiology department for a coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), but incidentally on further evaluation of the patient revealed a history of recurrent convulsions, loss of consciousness, a single episode of temporary loss of vision and recent skin nodules. The value of a full clinical and radiological evaluation of the patient presenting with adult-onset seizures cannot be overemphasized for …

The Reality Of Succession Planning Under The Retirement Law No. (26) Of 2019 / Applied Research In The Medical City, Atheer Tahseen Ali, Ghani Dahham Al Zubaidi

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This research aims to know the reality of succession planning in the researched organization and how it occupies the important jobs in the organization and its readiness for sudden and urgent events that lead to the vacancy of these jobs, and the importance of this research is that it is one of the rare Arab and Iraqi studies and research in this field, as it is one of the first researches It deals with the reality of succession planning in light of the retirement law No. (26) of 2019, and the research problem was the absence of consecutive planning programs …

A Rare Case Of Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasm Of The Pancreas, Steven Michael, Nadeem Kassam, Aidan Njau, Omar A. Sherman, Harrison Chuwa, Salim Surani

General Surgery, East Africa

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of pancreas (SPN) is a rare entity. It is almost exclusively seen in females within the second and third decades of life with only small minority affecting children. Due to the paucity of the number of cases seen, the natural history of the disease is not fully understood. SPN tumors of the pancreas are usually found incidentally and usually have an excellent prognosis. We herein present a case of a 33-year-old lady diagnosed with SPN, who presented with abdominal fullness, two weeks post cesarean sectio

ข้อคิดบางประการเกี่ยวกับแนวทางพัฒนากระบวนการระงับข้อพิพาทระหว่างรัฐกับนักลงทุน โดยอาศัยวิธีการไกล่เกลี่ย, ศฤงคาร วิเชียรรัตน์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

วิทยานิพนธ์ฉบับนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษาปัญหาของการอนุญาโตตุลาการระหว่างรัฐกับนักลงทุน หลักการสำคัญและแนวทางการนำวิธีการไกล่เกลี่ยข้อพิพาทมาใช้ในการระงับ ข้อพิพาทระหว่างรัฐกับนักลงทุน จากหนังสือและบทความวิชาการต่าง ๆ เพื่อวิเคราะห์ประเด็นในทางกฎหมายระหว่างประเทศที่น่าสนใจหากนำการไกล่เกลี่ยข้อพิพาทมาเสริม เพื่อพัฒนากลไกการระงับข้อพิพาทระหว่างรัฐกับนักลงทุน โดยจากการศึกษาพบว่า การนำวิธีการไกล่เกลี่ยในเชิงอำนวยความสะดวก (facilitative mediation) มาใช้อย่างเหมาะสม กับลักษณะของข้อพิพาทจะช่วยพัฒนากลไกการระงับข้อพิพาทระหว่างรัฐกับนักลงทุนให้ดีขึ้นได้ เนื่องจากการไกล่เกลี่ยจะช่วยลดปัญหาสำคัญที่เกิดขึ้นในกระบวนการอนุญาโตตุลาการระหว่างรัฐกับนักลงทุน เช่น ปัญหาเกี่ยวกับการแต่งตั้งอนุญาโตตุลาการ ปัญหาการได้รับการสนับสนุนทางการเงินจากบุคคลภายนอก ปัญหาเกี่ยวกับระยะเวลาและค่าใช้จ่าย เป็นต้น ทั้งนี้ เพื่อให้ประเทศไทยสามารถเตรียมการรองรับพัฒนาการทางกฎหมายระหว่างประเทศต่อไปได้ ผู้วิจัยจึงมีข้อเสนอแนะให้ประเทศไทยมีการเสริมสร้างขีดความสามารถ และความตระหนักรู้ให้กับผู้มีส่วนเกี่ยวข้อง การปรับปรุงกฎหมายว่าด้วยการไกล่เกลี่ยข้อพิพาท รวมถึงการเข้าเป็นภาคีอนุสัญญาสิงคโปร์ว่าด้วยการไกล่เกลี่ยและการปรับปรุง แม่แบบสนธิสัญญาการลงทุนทวิภาคีของไทยที่มีการบรรจุวิธีการไกล่เกลี่ยไว้เป็นแนวทางในการระงับข้อพิพาทระหว่างรัฐกับนักลงทุน

Anorectal Malformation, Associated With Colon Atresia And Intestinal Malrotation, A Case Report, Allyzain Ismail, Lazaro Mboma, Victor Ngotta, Masawa Nyamuryekung'e

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Introduction and importance: In this case report from Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es salaam, Tanzania, we present the unexpected findings of anorectal malformation, colonic atresia, and intestinal malrotation in a 2-day old neonate. This combination is exceedingly rare, with only case reports published in the literature. We describe the challenges in diagnosis and offer our insights based on this experience and review of the literature.

Case presentation: Our patient was a male born at term, weighing 2600 g, diagnosed clinically with a high anorectal malformation. He was planned for colostomy, and we unexpectedly found a collapsed descending colon. Exploration revealed …

Learning From Changes Concurrent With Implementing A Complex And Dynamic Intervention To Improve Urban Maternal And Perinatal Health In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, 2011-2019, Brenda Sequeira Dmello, Ziada Sellah, Grace Magembe, Natasha Housseine, Nanna Maaløe, Thomas Van Den Akker, Dan W. Meyrowitsch, Timothy Mushi, Mangalu Masweko, Hussein Kidanto

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Introduction: Rapid urbanisation in Dar es Salaam, the main commercial hub in Tanzania, has resulted in congested health facilities, poor quality care, and unacceptably high facility-based maternal and perinatal mortality. Using a participatory approach, the Dar es Salaam regional government in partnership with a non-governmental organisation, Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania, implemented a complex, dynamic intervention to improve the quality of care and survival during pregnancy and childbirth. The intervention was rolled out in 22 public health facilities, accounting for 60% of the city’s facility births.

Methods: Multiple intervention components addressed gaps across the maternal and perinatal continuum of …

Covid-19 And Teleneurology In Sub-Saharan Africa: Leveraging The Current Exigency, Philip Adebayo, Olusegun John Oluwole, Funmilola Tolulope

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Africa has over 1.3 billion inhabitants, with over 60% of this population residing in rural areas that have poor access to medical experts. Despite having a ridiculously huge, underserved population, very few African countries currently have any form of sustained and organized telemedicine practice, and even fewer have dedicated tele-neurology services. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be one of the most significant disruptors of vital sectors of human endeavor in modern times. In the healthcare sector, there is an increasing advocacy to deliver non-urgent care via telemedicine. This paper examined the current state of tele-neurology practice and infrastructural …

Genomic Characterization Of Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Thermophilic Campylobacter Strains Isolated From Layer Chicken Feces In Gangneung, South Korea By Whole-Genome Sequencing, Gahamanyi Noel, Dae-Geun Song, Kye-Yoon Yoon, Leonard E. G. Mboera, Mecky I. Matee, Dieudonné Mutangana, Erick V. G Komba, Cheol-Ho Pan, Raghavendra G. Amachawadi

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Thermophilic Campylobacter species of poultry origin have been associated with up to 80% of human campylobacteriosis cases. Layer chickens have received less attention as possible reservoirs of Campylobacter species. Initially, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of two archived Campylobacter isolates (Campylobacter jejuni strain 200605 and Campylobacter coli strain 200606) from layer chickens to five antimicrobials (ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, erythromycin, tetracycline, and gentamicin) were determined using broth microdilution while the presence of selected antimicrobial resistance genes was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed by the Illumina HiSeq X …

Molecular Detection Of Campylobacter Species From Human And Cattle Faecal Samples In Kilosa District, Tanzania, Gahamanyi Noel, Leonard E.G Mboera, Mecky I. Matee, Dieudonné Mutangana, Raghavendra G. Amachawadi, Kye-Yoon Yoon, Mr. Humphrey, Cheol-Ho Pan, Erick V.G Komba

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

A growing number of Campylobacter species other than C. jejuni and C. coli have been considered as emerging human and animal pathogens but their contribution to human gastroenteritis is poorly documented. This study aimed at detecting Campylobacter species from human and cattle faecal samples in Kilosa District, Tanzania using molecular techniques without culture. Seventy (70) faecal samples were collected from five diarrheic and 65 non-diarrheic human patients attending Kilosa District Hospital in Tanzania from July to October 2019. During the same period, 30 faecal samples were also collected from healthy cattle in the same district. Genus and species identification of …

Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles, Virulence Genes, And Genetic Diversity Of Thermophilic Campylobacter Species Isolated From A Layer Poultry Farm In Korea, Gahamanyi Noel, Dae-Geun Song, Kye-Yoon Yoon, Leonard E. G Mboera, Mecky I. Matee, Mutangana Dieudonne Dieudonne, Raghavendra G. Amachawadi, Erick Komba, Cheol-Ho Pan

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Thermophilic Campylobacter species are among the major etiologies of bacterial enteritis globally. This study aimed at assessing the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles, virulence genes, and genetic diversity of thermophilic Campylobacter species isolated from a layer poultry farm in South Korea. One hundred fifty-three chicken feces were collected from two layer poultry farms in Gangneung, South Korea. The Campylobacter species were isolated by cultural techniques, while PCR and sequencing were used for species confirmation. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for six antimicrobials [ciprofloxacin (CIP), nalidixic acid (NAL), sitafloxacin (SIT), erythromycin (ERY), tetracycline (TET), and gentamicin (GEN)] was carried out by broth microdilution. Three …

An Assessment Of The Epidemiology And Socioeconomic Impact Of The 2019 African Swine Fever Outbreak In Ngara District, Western Tanzania, Jean Nepomuscene Hakizimana, C.C Kivumbi, C Yona, Gerald M. Misinzo

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious viral transboundary animal disease affecting domestic pigs caused by ASF virus (ASFV). This study was conducted in order to determine the genetic characteristics, risk factors and socioeconomic impact of an ASF outbreak in 2019 in Ngara, western Tanzania. Tissue samples from dead domestic pigs with clinical picture suggestive of ASF infection were collected for ASF confirmation and genetic characterization of ASFV. Data on the risk factors and socioeconomic impact associated with the ASF outbreak were collected from consenting farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. Disease confirmation was done by detection of genomic ASFV DNA …

The Antithesis Of ‘Business As Usual’: Youth, Class, And Volunteer Organizations In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Chelsea Cutright

Theses and Dissertations--Anthropology

Youth in Tanzania make up the majority of the current growing population and therefore are increasingly a focus of local and international development concern, specifically as the rates of urban growth and unemployment are also increasing. This research builds upon existing anthropological literature, which largely addresses contemporary and urban African youths as “problems” in dire need of governmental intervention and international solutions. Through explorations of the ways in which Tanzanian youth are actively and creatively working to improve their own futures, utilizing their own agency to create opportunities, and solving their own problems in the absence of successful external intercessions, …

Promoting, Regulating, And Enforcing Human Rights Through International Investment Law And Isds, Crina Baltag & Ylli Dautaj

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Midwives’ Strategies For Coping With Barriers To Providing Quality Maternal And Neonatal Care: A Glaserian Grounded Theory Study, Yakubu Ismaila, Sara Bayes, Sadie Geraghty

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Midwives face direct and indirect barriers in their workplaces that have negative consequences on their ability to provide quality care to women and neonates, however, they still carry on with their duties. This study aimed at investigating the coping strategies that Ghanaian midwives adopt to be able to complete their work. Methods: Glaserian Grounded theory was used in this study. Data were collected through non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews. The study participants included 29 midwives who worked in labour/birthing environments and a pharmacist, a social worker, a national Health Insurance Scheme manager and a health services manager. Findings: The …

High Prevalence Of Pre-Existing Serological Cross-Reactivity Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (Sars- Cov-2) In Sub-Saharan Africa, For Yue Tso, Salum Lidenge, Phoebe B. Peña, Ashley A. Clegg, John R. Ngowi, Julius Mwaiselage, Owen Ngalamika, Peter Julius, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Significant morbidity and mortality have occurred in the USA, Europe, and Asia due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), whereas the numbers of infections and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have remained comparatively low. It has been hypothesized that exposure of the population in SSA to other coronaviruses prior to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in some degree of cross-protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and pathogenesis. We evaluated this hypothesis by comparing SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive antibodies in pre-pandemic plasma samples collected from SSA and the USA.

Method: Pre-COVID-19 pandemic plasma samples from SSA and the USA were collected and tested by …

Antiretroviral Therapy For Hiv-Associated Cutaneous Kaposi’S Sarcoma: Clinical, Hiv-Related, And Sociodemographic Predictors Of Outcome, Owen Ngalamika, Sody Munsaka, Salum J. Lidenge, John T. West, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is an AIDS-defining malignancy that can improve or worsen with antiretroviral therapy (ART). We aimed at identifying clinical, HIV-related, and sociodemographic factors associated with either progression or nonprogression (regression or stable disease) of ART-treated HIV-associated KS in patients with limited cutaneous disease. We conducted a prospective cohort study of ART-treated HIV-associated KS cases. Clinical, HIV-related, and sociodemographic variables were collected at baseline, and patients were followed up to determine treatment outcomes. Cox regression, linear mixed effects model, and Spearman’s rank correlation were used for analysis. Half (50%) of the study participants had KS regression or stable disease, …

Open And Distance Learning Programs For Nursing And Midwifery Education In East Africa: Protocol For A Scoping Review, Kahabi Isangula, Grace Edwards, Tumbwene Mwansisya, Columba Mbekenga, Eunice Pallangyo, Ahmed Sarki, Eunice Ndirangu

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: In the face of growing modernity and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, open and distance learning (ODL) is considered to play an important role in increasing access to education worldwide. There is a robust evidence base demonstrating its cost effectiveness in comparison with conventional class-based teaching; however, the transition to this new paradigm of learning for nursing and midwifery courses has been difficult in low-income countries. While there are notable efforts to increase internet and education access to health care professionals, not much is known about ODL for nurses and midwives in East African countries.

Objective: The objective …

Information Discovery And Scholar Networking As Modes Of Scholarly Communication: A Comparative Study, Noor Abutayeh Dr., Berta Garcia-Orosa Dr., Khaldoon M. Al_Dwairi Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study sought to investigate information discovery and scholar networking as modes of scholarly communication across researchers in the Arab region. An online survey was distributed in December 2020 using the Google form. The questionnaire also includes the following elements: (a) what are the researchers’ purposes of using electronic resources; (b) how do researchers look for and access scholarly material and (c) what methods of networking are mostly used for scholar connection. The findings revealed no significant differences across the groups, even when it comes to gender and respondents’ discipline, it is clear that ResearchGate is the most popular among …

Patterns Of Journals Use By Faculty At Five Diverse Universities Of Lahore, Pakistan, Abid Iqbal, Khurram Shahzad

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose:

Goals of this research were to know the usage of print and online journals by the teaching faculty members in the universities of Lahore, to explore the reasons for using print and electronic journals and to furnish the recommendations for making effective utilization of journals at the Universities of public and private sector of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach:

The study was conducted in four phases. Firstly, review of relevant literature was done. Secondly, tool of questionnaire was developed for data collection. The target population of this study was the all-academic faculty members of the universities of Lahore. Convenience sampling approach was …

Examining Entrepreneurship Opportunities Among Library And Information Science Professionals In Tanzania, Evans Wema

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper reports on a study conducted to examine various entrepreneurship opportunities that exist among librarians and information science professionals. A survey was carried out among ongoing undergraduate LIS students in their second and third years, Master Degree students in their second year as well as LIS professionals who completed studies between 2012 and 2019, and who were working at various institutions at the time when the study was conducted. Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 20 purposively selected undergraduates and 10 postgraduate students while interviews were conducted among five LIS professionals as well as three heads of departments …