Work Environment and Perception of Institutional Policies as Correlates of Lecturers’ Productivity in Uganda Christian University

This study sought to establish the relationship between each of work environment and perception of institutional policies and lecturers’ productivity in Uganda Christian University. It involved 94 lecturers who responded to a self administered questionnaire. Data analysis was based on percents and means at the descriptive level while Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to correlate the independent variables with productivity. The results revealed that there was no significant relationship between work environment and the productivity of lecturers, hence the recommendation that other than work environment, the University should prioritize factors such as qualification, experience, remuneration and training. The results revealed that there was a significant  positive relationship between perception of institutional policies and productivity, hence the recommendation that the University embraces favourable policies that balance institutional and individual needs.Keywords: Job performance; Job related factors; Uganda Christian Universit

Effect of Qualification in ICT, Age and Income on Use of Computers among Postgraduate Students in Makerere University School of Education

The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between: qualification in using ICT, age and level of income; and use of computers among postgraduate students in Makerere University School of Education. The study was carried out following a cross-sectional survey design and involved 69 students. Primary data, which were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, were analysed using summary statistics, t-test, analysis of variance, correlation and multiple regression analyses. The study found an insignificant relationship between possession of qualificati ons in using ICT and the use of computers; a significantly negative relationship between age and the use of computers; and a significantly positive relationship between level of income and the use of computers. It was, therefore, concluded that possession of qualifications in using ICT is not sufficient to enhance the use of computers; age can negatively affect the utilisation of computers; and income enhances the utilisati on of computers. Thus, it is recommended that, to enhance the use of computers among the said students, relevant managers should give special ICT training to the older students; and provide access to computers, to ensure that students whose incomes do not enable them to acquire personal computers have access. Key words: ICT; Personal characteristics; Innovation adoption; Makerere Universit

Fek Desi,”Pengaruh subtitusi tepung pisang kapok (Musa paradisiaca formatypica) dan tepung kacang hijau (Vigna radiate l) terhadap sifat organoleptic

Masalah gizi masih merupakan masalah kesehatan masyarakat utama di Indonesia. Salah satu masalah gizi yang ada di Indonesia adalah Kekurangan Energi Protein (KEP) pada balita, Data Riskesdas tahun 2018 secara Nasional prevalensi berat kurang pada balita adalah 17,7% (gizi kurang dan gizi buruk). Tujuan Penelitian :Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh subtitusi tepung pisang kapok, tepung kacang hijau dan tepung terigu terhadap sifat organoleptik dan nilai gizi cake. Metode Penelitian :Jenis penelitian yang dilakukan bersifat eksperimen, menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) dengan 3 perlakuan. Perlakuan yang dilakukan adalah perbandingan tepung pisang kapok, tepung kacang hijau, tepung terigu. P1 = Tepung Pisang kepok 15% + tepung kacang hijau 30% + tepung terigu 55%, P2 = Tepung pisang kapok 25% + tepung kacang hijau 40% + tepung terigu 35%, P3 = Tepung pisang kapok 35% + tepung kacang hijau 50% + tepung terigu 15%. Hasil Penelitian :Berdasarkan uji organoleptik cake dengan subtitusi tepung pisang kapok, tepung kacang hijau, dan tepung terigu meliputi warna , aroma, tekstur dan rasa yang lebih disukai adalah P1 (15% :30% :55%) Untuk nilai gizi cake yang paling tinggi adalah P1 (15% :30% : 55%) Dengan nilai gizi Energi: 1058,8 kkal, Protein: 33,3gram, Lemak: 34,6gram dan Karbohidrat: 155,4gram. Kesimpulan :Dari hasil penelitian disimpulkan bahwa berdasarkan hasil organoleptik cake meliputi warna, aroma, tekstur dan rasa. Cake dengan subtitusi tepung pisang kepok, tepung kacang hijau dan tepung terigu pada P1 (15% :30% :55%), P2 (25% : 40% : 35%), P3 (35% : 50% : 15%) dengan tingkat kesukaan dari kurang suka sampai sangat suka. Hal ini disebabkan karena pada (P1) subtitusi tepung terigu yang digunakan lebih banyak. Kandungan nilai gizi tertinggi adalah pada perlakuan (P1) tepung pisang kepok (15%) : tepung kacang hijau (30%) : tepung terigu (55%), dan terendah adalah (P3) tepung pisang kepok (35%) : tepung kacang hijau (50%) : tepung terigu (15%) hal ini dikarenakan subtitusi tepung terigu yang menambah nilai gizi dari cake

Urinary Exosomes Contain MicroRNAs Capable of Paracrine Modulation of Tubular Transporters in Kidney

Exosomes derived from all nephron segments are present in human urine, where their functionality is incompletely understood. Most studies have focused on biomarker discovery rather than exosome function. Through sequencing we identified the miRNA repertoire of urinary exosomes from healthy volunteers; 276 mature miRNAs and 345 pre-miRNAs were identified (43%/7% of reads). Among the most abundant were members of the miR-10, miR-30 and let-7 families. Targets for the identified miRNAs were predicted using five different databases; genes encoding membrane transporters and their regulators were enriched, highlighting the possibility that these miRNAs could modulate key renal tubular functions in a paracrine manner. As proof of concept, cultured renal epithelial cells were exposed to urinary exosomes and cellular exosomal uptake was confirmed; thereafter, reduced levels of the potassium channel ROMK and kinases SGK1 and WNK1 were observed in a human collecting duct cell line, while SPAK was unaltered. In proximal tubular cells, mRNA levels of the amino acid transporter gene SLC38A2 were diminished and reflected in a significant decrement of its encoded protein SNAT2. Protein levels of the kinase SGK1 did not change. Thus we demonstrated a novel potential function for miRNA in urinary exosomes.This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (grant 088489/Z/09/Z to FEKF and Strategic award 100140/Z/12/Z to the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research). The sequencing facility is supported by the Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre