Digital Commons Network^™

Academic Coping Mechanisms Among Learners With Hearing Impairment In Inclusive Public Secondary Schools In Tanzania, Vincent J. Cosmas, Mwajabu Possi

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study sought to explore academic coping mechanisms against educational challenges among learners with hearing impairment (HI) in inclusive public secondary schools in Tanzania. Specifically, it was guided by two research questions: (i) What coping mechanisms are employed by learners with HI in inclusive public secondary schools to cope with academic challenges? (ii) How often do learners with HI seek academic help within the school environment? The study was informed by the critical theory (CT) to facilitate the understanding of educational barriers and coping mechanisms. Being a qualitative study, it drew on purposive and convenient sampling strategies to obtain 108 …

A Global Agenda For Advancing Freshwater Biodiversity Research, Alain Maasri, Sonja C. Jähnig, Hendrik Freitag, 93 Co-Authors

Biology Faculty Publications

Global freshwater biodiversity is declining dramatically, and meeting the challenges of this crisis requires bold goals and the mobilisation of substantial resources. While the reasons are varied, investments in both research and conservation of freshwater biodiversity lag far behind those in the terrestrial and marine realms. Inspired by a global consultation, we identify 15 pressing priority needs, grouped into five research areas, in an effort to support informed stewardship of freshwater biodiversity. The proposed agenda aims to advance freshwater biodiversity research globally as a critical step in improving coordinated actions towards its sustainable management and conservation.

Action Leveraging Evidence To Reduce Perinatal Mortality And Morbidity (Alert): Study Protocol For A Stepped-Wedge Cluster-Randomised Trial In Benin, Malawi, Tanzania And Uganda, Joseph Akuze, Kristi Sidney Annerstedt, Lenka Benova, Effie Chipeta, Jean-Paul Dossou, Mechthild M. Gross, Hussein Kidanto, Bruno Marchal, Helle Mölsted Alvesson, Andrea B. Pembe

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Insufficient reductions in maternal and neonatal deaths and stillbirths in the past decade are a deterrence to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3. The majority of deaths occur during the intrapartum and immediate postnatal period. Overcoming the knowledge-do-gap to ensure implementation of known evidence-based interventions during this period has the potential to avert at least 2.5 million deaths in mothers and their offspring annually. This paper describes a study protocol for implementing and evaluating a multi-faceted health care system intervention to strengthen the implementation of evidence-based interventions and responsive care during this crucial period.

Methods: This is a cluster …

Effect Of 3 Days Of Oral Azithromycin On Young Children With Acute Diarrhea In Low-Resource Settings: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Antibiotics For Children With Diarrhea (Abcd) Study Group, Tahmeed Ahmed, Farah Naz Qamar, Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Shahida Qureshi, Sadia Shakoor, Rozina Thobani, Aneeta Hotwani, Furqan Kabir, Jan Mohammed

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Importance: World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines do not recommend routine antibiotic use for children with acute watery diarrhea. However, recent studies suggest that a significant proportion of such episodes have a bacterial cause and are associated with mortality and growth impairment, especially among children at high risk of diarrhea-associated mortality. Expanding antibiotic use among dehydrated or undernourished children may reduce diarrhea-associated mortality and improve growth.
Objective: To determine whether the addition of azithromycin to standard case management of acute nonbloody watery diarrhea for children aged 2 to 23 months who are dehydrated or undernourished could reduce mortality and improve linear …

Punctuated Evolution In The Learned Songs Of African Sunbirds, Jay P. Mcentee, Gleb Zhelezov, Chacha Werema, Nadje Najar, Joshua V. Peñalba, Elia Mulungu, Maneno Mbilinyi, Sylvester Karimi, Lyubov Chumakova, For Complete List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

College of Natural and Applied Sciences

Learned traits are thought to be subject to different evolutionary dynamics than other phenotypes, but their evolutionary tempo and mode has received little attention. Learned bird song has been thought to be subject to rapid and constant evolution. However, we know little about the evolutionary modes of learned song divergence over long timescales. Here, we provide evidence that aspects of the territorial songs of Eastern Afromontane sky island sunbirds evolve in a punctuated fashion, with periods of stasis of the order of hundreds of thousands of years or more, broken up by evolutionary pulses. Stasis in learned songs is inconsistent …

Factors Facilitating And Challenges Facing Community-Based Interventions In Improving Antenatal Care In Rural Tanza, Stephen Maluka, Chakupewa J. Mpambije

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The improvement of antenatal care has remained a topical global concern as signalled by maternal deaths, which have remained unacceptably high, especially in low- and middle income countries. In response to this concern, community-based interventions through women’s groups have been implemented to improve antenatal care; and have shown promising results in rural settings. However, factors contributing to the success or failure of these interventions vary across geographical settings, thereby necessitating area specific considerations. This paper sets out to unveil significant facilitators and barriers to the implementation of women’s group interventions in Tanzania. A qualitative case study design was employed involving …

Diversity And Composition Of Plant Species In The Geita Gold Mining Catchment Area, Tanzania, Mariam G. Mgendi, Mkabwa Lawrence Manoko, William J.S. Mwegoha

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

A study on the diversity of plant species is of vital importance for the conservation of natural ecosystems that are increasingly being threatened by various anthropogenic activities. Greater diversity makes ecosystems healthier and resilient to stress, thus providing its services on which humans depend. This study aimed to assess the health of the ecosystem around the Geita Gold Mine (GGM) based on the diversity and composition of plant species. Two transects with a total of 14 sampling sites were established where the number of plant species were systematically recorded using nested quadrats. The diversity of species was determined using species …

Stone Monuments Of Northern Lake Eyasi Basin At Olpiro, Oldogom And Olbili Sites In The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania: Revisited Perspectives, Musa S. Mwitondi, Pastory Bushozi, Albert S. Mjandwa

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Despite the outstanding contribution of Lake Eyasi Basin to human origins and cultural development from the middle stone age (MSA) to the historic period, other archaeological occurrences in the area with outstanding cultural values such as burial cairns, stone enclosures, megalithic walls, and dolmens have remained less emphatic among scholars. Although these are widespread across the cultural landscape of the region, yet they have attracted little scientific attention. These stone monuments were first reported in the 1960s and 1970s, and precisely correlated to the agricultural terraces of Engaruka, the astonishing late iron age agricultural scheme of northern Tanzania. This study …

The Effects Of Household Shocks On Child Nutrition Status In Tanzania, Monica Sebastian Kauky, Martin Chegere, Razack Bakari Lokina

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The main objective of this paper is to examine the effects of household shocks on the nutrition status of children between 0–59 months in Tanzania. The study employed the national panel survey data of Tanzania collected in three waves: 2008/09, 2010/11, and 2012/13. The study used the panel random-effects probit model to estimate the effects of household shocks on child nutrition status, measured by binary variables: stunting, wasting, and underweight. Findings indicated that weather shocks increase the probability of a child being stunted and underweight. Moreover, the results revealed that food price rise shocks and the death of a family …

Market-Driven Rice Farming And Water Use Change In Mbarali District From The Mid-1980s To The 2010s, George K. Ambindwile

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper examines the effects of market-driven rice farming on the use of water in Mbarali District from about the mid-1980s to 2010s. It specifically traces the development of both peasant and state rice farming and their subsequent effects on water use in the district. The study is essentially qualitative, although in some cases it uses quantitative data to validate its arguments. Thus, it adopts political economy and historical ecology theories to understand changes brought by market-driven rice farming; and the ways peasants struggled to accommodate those changes in their agricultural practices. The area of study included six villages, namely …

Model Fitting And Analysis Of The Cost-Effectiveness Of Control Strategies In The Threatened Wildebeest-Lion Prey-Predator System In The Serengeti Ecosystem, Thadei D. Sagamiko

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

In this paper, a wildebeest-lion prey-predator model for the Serengeti ecosystem was adopted from a previous publication. The threats to the model system were poaching, retaliatory killings, and droughts. The proposed threat control strategies for these threats were anti-poaching patrol to mitigate poaching, construction of strong bomas to reduce retaliatory killings, and construction of dams to mitigate the impact of droughts. Data on the lion population density in the Serengeti ecosystem were used to fit the model by using the maximum likelihood method. The impact of different control strategies for a period of five years was analysed using the incremental …

Assessment Of The Relationship Between Heavy Metal Concentrations In Soil And Tea Leaves Grown At Amani In Tanga Region By Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (Edxrf), Mohamed Mazunga, Masasi Kamanyola

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Determination of the concentration of heavy metals in tea leaves is important in assessing its quality for human consumption. This study aimed to assess the relationship between the concentration of heavy metals in soil and tea leaves at Kwamkoro tea plantation in Amani, Tanga. The soil and tea leaves samples were analysed by using the Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry. The results of heavy metals mean concentrations in soil were Cr (185.65 ± 27.91 µg/g), Mn (341.15 ± 24.41 µg/g), Ni (25.6 ± 3.27 µg/g), Cu (21.71 ± 2.33 µg/g), Zn (41.29 ± 5.27 µg/g), As (1.25 ± 0.17 µg/g), …

Determination Of Angular Distribution Of Bremsstrahlung Spectral Temperature Measured At The Centre Position Of Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source, Mwingereza John Kumwenda Dr

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study aims at determining azimuthal angular distribution of bremsstrahlung spectral temperature measured from 28-GHz Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Source (ECRIS), using data obtained from the Busan centre of Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI). Bremsstrahlung photons of the angular distributions from 28-GHz ECR Ion source at the KBSI were measured in three azimuthal angles for the first time. Three round type NaI(TI) scintillation detectors were used to measure the angular distributions of the bremsstrahlung photons emitted at the centre position of the ECRIS at the same time. Monte Carlo simulation based on Geant4 package was performed to take the geometrical …

Adaptation Versus Adoption Of Sounds From Kiswahili Into Chimalaba, Hamisi Amani

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This paper describes an exciting case of adaptation versus adoption of sounds from Kiswahili loanwords integrated into Chimalaba. The data were collected through interviews and targeted elicitation of lexical loanwords containing borrowed sounds. The analysis of adaptation and adoption of Kiswahili sounds into Chimalaba was guided by the assimilation theory (AT), which holds that speakers of the borrowing language always change the phonological patterns of loanwords so as to fit into the system of their language. The findings indicate that phonological integration of Kiswahili loanwords into Chimalaba displays two types of conformity: conformity to the phonological structure of the recipient …

Executive Pay-Performance Relationship Among Listed Deposit Money Banks In Nigeria, Abdulkadir Rihanat Idowu

Business Management Review

This paper examines the executive pay-performance relationship among listed deposit money banks in Nigeria. It also investigates other possible determinants of executive pay, as well as factors that moderate the pay-performance relationship. Results from the dynamic panel GMM regression indicate that excessive pay does not match performance, as pay rises with declining performance. Other factors that explain the executive pay of the sampled banks include board size, board independence and CEO ownership. Findings further reveal that the pay-performance relationship is negatively moderated by board independence, as executive pay is found to rise with increase in performance when there are more …

Understanding Customer-Vendor Power Relations As A Driver To A Successful Implementation Of Enterprise Resource Planning In Tanzania Manufacturing Industry, Victor G. Wilson, Tumsifu Elly, Ulingeta O.L. Mbamba

Business Management Review

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems contribute much to supporting manufacturing operations. Upon implementation, the manufacturing firms rely on the interactions with ERP system vendors to support and maintain this complex system. This study assesses the influence of customer-vendor power relations that help in strengthening the long-term relationship while resolving conflict of interest based on ERP fit. The study employs the power transition framework (PTF) and strategic alignment model (SAM) to explain the key driving factors of ERP implementation success. To this end, this paper develops and verifies a model in which customer-vendor power relations and ERP fit serve as the …

Public Procurement As A Market And Financing Solution For Small And Medium Local Timber Producers And Processors In Tanzania, Goefrey Mwanjela, Rozack B. Lokina

Business Management Review

In Tanzania, and across much of Africa, the potential impact of public procurement on sustainable growth of the local timber industry is not well understood. This is due to limited awareness of the local timber industry by government agencies responsible for public procurement, and vice versa. As a result, this existing gap hinders the opportunity for timber-based Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to access the public procurement market to grow sustainably, meet their operational costs, develop effective business skills, or purchase new technology for improved productivity. However, the current domestic timber industry in Tanzania is undermined by timber and furniture …

Social-Cultural Beliefs And Behavioral Intentions To Adopt Renewable Energy Technologies In Uganda, Robert Muwanga, Diana Mwilu Philemon

Business Management Review

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of social-cultural beliefs on behavioral intentions to adopt renewable energy technologies-RETs. Using the theory of planned behaviour framework, the study validated social-cultural beliefs as indispensable antecedents of people's behavioral intentions to adopt RETs. An explanatory quantitative research design was adopted, and data was collected using a survey questionnaire from a sample of 369 households in 3 urban districts of Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono in Uganda. PLS-SEM was then used for data analysis. Findings revealed that perceptions and religious beliefs influenced behavioral intentions to adopt RETs well as cultural beliefs did …

Firm Characteristics And Environmental Disclosure In An Extractive Industry In Tanzania, Ponsian Prot Ntui, Siasa Mzenzi, Henry Chalu

Business Management Review

This study investigates the influence of firm characteristics on environmental disclosure in an extractive industry in Tanzania. The study applies legitimacy theory as the foundation for theoretical perspective. The study uses the panel data of 18 firms from 2004 to 2018 as reported in Tanzania Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (TEITI). Data was extracted from annual reports, and a Random Effects General Least Square (GLS) regression analysis model was used for analysis. The results show that firm age, firm size, capital structure, and firm and ownership structure are significant factors that positively influence environmental disclosure. This indicates that older firms, large …

The Influence Of Monitoring And Incentives On Inter-Regional Bus Drivers ' Performance In Tanzania: The Moderating Role Of Road And Bus Conditions, Patrick C. Singogo, Gerald Z.P. Tinali

Business Management Review

The study aimed at investigating factors influencing inter-regional bus drivers ' performance in Tanzania under bus owners ' €“drivers ' dyadic relationships. The bus drivers ' performance as applied in this study refers to reducing road accidents/enhancing road driving safety. Using agency theory supported by empirical evidence, the study developed a model which specifically aimed at examining the influence of monitoring and incentives on inter-regional bus drivers ' performance in Tanzania. Furthermore, the study aimed at examining the moderating role of road condition on the relationship between monitoring and inter-regional bus drivers ' performance in Tanzania. Additionally, the study focused …

Examining Factors Influencing Employees ' Satisfaction With Employment Injury Schemes In Tanzania - Using Smartpls Analysis Technique, Geofrey Masisa, John R.P. Mwakyusa

Business Management Review

The study aimed at examining factors influencing employees' satisfaction with employment injury schemes in Tanzania. It specifically focused on assessing the effect of the benefits package, service delivery time, and compensation amount on employees' satisfaction. The study adopted an explanatory research design. It used primary data which were collected questionnaires administered to 380 beneficiaries of compensation paid by the Workers Compensation Fund. Formulated hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM through SmartPLS 3.0. Results revealed that there are positive significant relationships between service delivery time, compensation amount, and employees' satisfaction. The relationship between benefits package and employees ' satisfaction was found not …

Ict And Economic Empowerment: Analysing How Youth In Tanzania Use Social Media To Facilitate Income-Generation Activities, David J. Manyerere

Business Management Review

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has globally played a significant role in facilitating communication that assists various socio-economic undertakings. It presents an opportunity, especially to the youth in Africa, to utilise social media (SM) and contribute to attaining Sustainable Development Goals No 1 and No. 8, such as eradicating poverty and creating decent work. However, this may only happen if SM platforms are utilised appropriately. Hence, this article examined the uptake of ICT in the form of SM in facilitating Income Generating Activities (IGAs) undertaken by youth in Dar es Salaam Tanzania for self-economic empowerment. A total of 46 respondents …

Challenges To Full Implementation Of Open Distance And Flexible Learning In Nigerian Tertiary Institutions, Oyemike Victor Benson, Ph.D, Charlie Obichere Ph.D, Uju Rosemary Eweama, Catherine Chinyere Eke

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper focused on the challenges to full implementation of open distance and flexible learning in Nigerian tertiary institutions. The conceptual clarification of distance education, open distance learning was presented; the justifications for ODFL programmes in developing countries were highlighted. The expected role of libraries towards the sustainability of ODFL programmes include provision of technology-based information services, organization and provision of online information resources, provision of digital information literacy; the challenges to implementation of ODFL programmes in tertiary institutions in developing countries such as dearth of well-defined national distance education policies, dearth of trained cadre of professionals to support the …

Utilization Of Electronic Resources By Library Users In Kwara State University, Nigeria, Abdrahman Atanda Moustapha

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

ABSTRACT This study investigated utilization of electronic resources by the users in the Kwara State University Library, Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised of 3,670 registered users with the library and a sample of 367 was selected using simple random sampling technique. Questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. 367 copies of the questionnaire were administered while 345 were returned which used for the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for the research questions. The findings showed that all the types of electronic resources listed in …

Joint Medicines Regulatory Procedure In The East African Community: Registration Timelines And Way Forward, Jane Mashingia, S Maboko, P I. Mbwiri, A Okello, S I. Ahmada, R Barayandema, R Tulba, E Byomuhangi, Z Ekeocha, S Byrn, K Clase

BIRS Africa Technical Report Papers

A review of the East African Community (EAC) joint regulatory review process was conducted, registration timelines analyzed and key milestones, challenges and opportunities documented for the period of July 2015 to January 2020. A total of 113 applications were submitted for joint scientific review. Among these, 109 applications were assessed, 57 were recommended for marketing authorisation, 52 applications had queries to applicants and four applications were under review. A total median approval time for all products ranged from 53 to 102 days. The maximum time taken by a regulator to review the dossier was 391 days and the minimum time …

Performance In Mortality Prediction Of Saps 3 And Mpm-Iii Scores Among Adult Patients Admitted To The Icu Of A Private Tertiary Referral Hospital In Tanzania: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Nadeem Kassam, Eric Aghan, Samina Somji, Omar Aziz, James Orwa, Salim R. Surani

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: Illness predictive scoring systems are significant and meaningful adjuncts of patient management in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). They assist in predicting patient outcomes, improve clinical decision making and provide insight into the effectiveness of care and management of patients while optimizing the use of hospital resources. We evaluated mortality predictive performance of Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS 3) and Mortality Probability Models (MPM0-III) and compared their performance in predicting outcome as well as identifying disease pattern and factors associated with increased mortality.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients admitted to the ICU of the …

Africa’S Development Debts, B. J. Ndulu, Stephen A. O'Connell

Economics Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Reflective Practices As The Cornerstone For Teacher Development In The 21st Century: Lessons From Educators’ Action Research Projects, Musa Saimon, Fredrick Mtenzi

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Research has shown that reflective practices improve teaching practices, which makes them valuable in the 21st century where the teaching context is complex due to increasing technological innovations and diversity among learners. However, it is hardly practiced among teachers. As a result, the present study aims at highlighting how reflective practices could improve teaching practices in a challenging context. The study adopted a Self-Study qualitative research approach. The data were collected through reflection, observation, and interviews from two collaborating researchers, primary school teachers, and students. Data were analyzed thematically. Findings show that reflective practices improve four main aspects of teaching …

Young Key Populations Left Behind: The Necessity For A Targeted Response In Mozambique, Makini A. S. Boothe, Cynthia Semá Baltazar, Isabel Sathane, Henry F. Raymond, Erika Fazito, Marleen Temmerman, Stanley Luchters

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Introduction: The first exposure to high-risk sexual and drug use behaviors often occurs during the period of youth (15–24 years old). These behaviors increase the risk of HIV infection, especially among young key populations (KP)–men how have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSW), and people who inject drugs (PWID). We describe the characteristics of young KP participants in the first Biobehavioral Surveillance (BBS) surveys conducted in Mozambique and examine their risk behaviors compared to adult KP.

Methods: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) methodology was used to recruit KP in three major urban areas in Mozambique. RDS-weighted pooled estimates were calculated …

Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Student Caning: Do Differences In Socio-Demographic Characteristics Really Matter?, Nkuba. Mabula

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Research findings from low-income and high-income countries indicate that teachers’ use of violent discipline is prevalent. However, studies that explore teachers’ attitudes towards violence and its association to their socio-demographic characteristics are lacking. This paper assessed teachers’ attitudes towards student caning and the associated teachers’ socio-demographic characteristics. The data were drawn from four schools in two regions using a case study design. Considering the total number of participants, 72 teachers (53% females; average age: 32.47 years, SD = 6.64, range: 22–59 years) participated in this study. Of the 72 teachers, their qualification ranged from postgraduate degree (2.8%), bachelor’s degree (74%), …