Preparation, characterisation and application of molecularly imprinted polymers for the selective removal of sterols from water

Water quality of the existing freshwater bodies in many countries has declined due to day-to-day human activities which result into discharging different pollutants.  This study therefore, aimed at developing a selective technique based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) for the removal of toxic sterols from water. Cholesterol-Molecularly imprinted polymers and their corresponding Non-imprinted Polymers (NIPs) were prepared using a non-covalent method and their physical morphologies were characterised using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and surface analyzer [Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET)].The surface area obtained after optimization of the necessary parameters was 180.26 m2/g for MIP and 132. 18 m2/g for the corresponding NIP at a 1:8 template to monomer ratio. The FT-IR spectra of MIP and NIP were similar indicating the similarity in the backbone structure. The TGA profiles of the imprinted and non-imprinted polymers showed that polymers were thermally stable up to about 250 ⁰C. However, thermal stability was observed to vary with monomer to template ratios. In terms of binding capacity, MIPs were observed to have higher binding capacity of sterols as compared to their corresponding NIPs, and they were able to remove more than 98% of sterols from aqueous solution prepared at an optimal initial concentration of 40 mg/L.Keywords: Molecularly imprinted polymers, Sterols, water quality, GCxGC-TOFMS. toxic plant extractive

Variations of Concentrations of Lead, Zinc, Iron, Copper and Cadmium in Urine of Primary School Pupils in Relation to Age, Sex and Academic Performance

This study was conducted in order to assess the variations and correlations in the concentrations of lead, zinc, iron, copper and cadmium metals in the urine samples of selected primary school pupils with respect to their sex, age and academic performance. Urine samples were collected from 240 pupils in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and then digested in concentrated acids and analysed using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Lead, zinc, iron and copper were detected in most of the urine samples. Cadmium was not detected in any of the samples. The mean concentrations of lead, zinc, iron and copper in the samples from different classes ranged between 0.27–0.90, 0.59–0.78, 1.56–2.32 and 0.005–0.01 mg/L, respectively in pupils with high academic performance, and 0.37–0.71, 0.56–0.81, 1.79–2.55 and 0.005–0.01 mg/L, respectively in pupils with low performance. The overall mean concentrations of the metals ranged between 0.01–2.04 and 0.01–2.17 mg/L in males and females, respectively. There were no significant differences in most of the concentrations of the heavy metals in pupils’ urine samples between the two sexes. The findings indicated some significant positive correlations between the pupils’ age and the concentrations of lead and iron in urine samples, while there were no significant correlations for zinc and copper. Some of the concentrations of the heavy metals showed significant negative or positive correlations with the academic performance of the pupils. Therefore, the concentrations of the heavy metals were correlated with age, sex and academic performance in some samples. The concentrations of lead were generally alarming. Keywords: Heavy metals; children urine; age; sex; academic performance; Tanzani

The Influence of Brand Characteristic, Company Characteristic, and Consumer Brand Characteristic on Brand Loyalty at Bellagio Shoes Product in Manado

Todays modern society also influences peoples behavior in purchasing patterns. Brand has played a role in the modern lifestyle. It is an identity and differentiation of a product that promise to consistently provide privileges, benefits, and certain services to consumers. The research aims to examine and analyze the influence of Brand Trust on Brand Loyalty, Case Study: Bellagio Product in Manado. Data collected through distribution of questionnaires to 60 respondents of Bellagio shoes consumer at Mega Mall and Manado Town Square. The analysis of data in this research using the SPSS. Data test technique is used within the research includes validity test and reliability test. Classical assumption test and multiple linear regression analysis to verify and to prove the research hypothesis. Analysis result demonstrates that Brand characteristic, Company characteristic and Consumer characteristic altogether have a significant effect on brand loyalty of Bellagio shoes product. Therefore Bellagio shoes store Manado is expected to pay attention to increase more the company characteristics since it become a dominant influence on brand loyalty and it can be controlled directly. Keywords: brand characteristic, company characteristic, consumer brand characteritric, brand loyalt

Occurrence of Aflatoxins in Maize and Maize Products from Selected Locations of Tanzania and the Effects of Cooking Preparation Processes on Toxin Levels

The production and storage of food crops in different countries is affected by aflatoxins contamination, which are known to be carcinogenic and mutagenic to human beings and domestic animals. This study investigated on the occurrence of aflatoxins in maize products and the effects of cooking preparation processes on their concentrations. The maize samples were collected from fields, farmers' stores and markets of selected locations in Tanzania (i.e., Kongwa and Njombe districts). Extracted samples were analyzed for aflatoxins using high performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of aflatoxins in maize and maize products ranged from below detection limit to 9.99 ± 1.43 μg/kg and 9.99 ± 0.14 μg/kg for Njombe and Uwemba wards, respectively. Whereas those collected from Kibaigwa ward in Kongwa district ranged from 2.87 ± 0.02 μg/kg to 10.26 ± 0.46 μg/kg. The levels in cooked maize products were lower than the uncooked maize products. The mean concentrations of total aflatoxins in cooked maize products were 0.45 ± 0.05 μg/kg for stiff porridge prepared from dehulled maize flour, 1.39 ± 0.02 μg/kg for stiff porridge prepared from undehulled maize flour, and 0.584 ± 0.06 μg/kg for maize meal (kande). Generally, the levels of aflatoxins were below the maximum acceptable limits set by WHO except for some samples from Kibaigwa market which were slightly above the set limits. Keywords: Aflatoxins; High Performance Liquid Chromatography; Maize; Fung

"In a situation of rescuing life"

Background: Diabetes mellitus is an emerging public health problem in Tanzania. For the community and the health system to respond adequately to this problem, it is important that we understand the meanings given to its symptoms, and the care-seeking practices of individuals. Methods: To explore collective views on the meanings given to diabetes symptoms, we conducted nine focus group discussions with adult diabetes patients and members of the general community. To gain a better understanding of how the meanings in the community inform the care-seeking practices of individuals, 19 in-depth interviews were conducted with diabetes patients. The data were analyzed using principles of grounded theory and applying cultural schema theory as a deductive framework. Results: In the communities and among the patients, knowledge and awareness of diabetes are limited. Both people with diabetes and community members referred to their prevailing cultural meaning systems and schemas for infectious diseases to interpret and assign meaning to the emerging symptoms. Diabetes patients reported that they had initially used anti-malarial medicines because they believed their symptoms—like headache, fever, and tiredness—were suggestive of malaria. Schemas for body image informed the meaning given to diabetes symptoms similar to those of HIV, like severe weight loss. Confusion among members of the community about the diabetes symptoms instigated tension, causing patients to be mistrusted and stigmatized. The process of meaning-giving and the diagnosis of the diabetes symptoms was challenging for both patients and health care professionals. Diabetes patients reported being initially misdiagnosed and treated for other conditions by medical professionals. The inability to assign meaning to the symptoms and determine their etiologies informed the decision made by some patients to consult traditional healers, and to associate their symptoms with witchcraft causes. Conclusion: The meanings given to diabetes symptoms and the care-seeking practices described in the study are shaped by the prevailing cultural schemas for infectious diseases and their treatments. Efforts to educate people about the symptoms of diabetes and to encourage them to seek out appropriate care should build on the prevailing cultural meaning system and schemas for diseases, health and illness

Levels of heavy metals in urine samples of school children from selected industrial and non-industrial areas in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Objectives: The levels of lead, zinc, iron, copper and cadmium metals in the urine samples of selected school children in industrial and non-industrial areas in Dar es Salaam were investigated. Methods: Urine samples were collected from 120 children in industrial areas and 120 children in non-industrial areas then digested in concentrated acids and analysed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Results: The concentrations of the heavy metals in the urine samples ranged from below detection limit/non-detectable (ND) to 1.92 mg/L for lead, ND to 2.55 mg/L for zinc, ND to 8.98 mg/L for iron and ND to 0.05 mg/L for copper. Cadmium was not detected. Significant differences were found between the concentrations of heavy metals in urine of pupils from the industrial areas and those from non-industrial areas. The mean concentrations of lead and copper in samples from industrial areas were significantly higher than those found in non-industrial areas (p < 0.002), while the mean concentrations of zinc and iron found in samples from non-industrial areas were significantly higher than those found in industrial areas (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The contamination levels were generally high in samples from both areas indicating exposure from various sources. The findings indicate public health risks

What the World Happiness Report doesn’t see: The sociocultural contours of wellbeing in northern Tanzania

This paper presents a mixed methods approach to understanding wellbeing in the Kilimanjaro region of northern Tanzania—a country consistently ranked by the World Happiness Report as one of the least happy in the world.  A primary objective is to demonstrate how qualitative data offering bottom-up perspectives on wellbeing offer a necessary complement to quantitative self-report measures, allowing for more nuanced cultural understandings of lived experience and wellbeing that recognize diversity both globally and locally. The research contextualized responses to standardized life evaluations (including the Cantril ladder question used by the World Happiness Report) through observations and interviews along with culturally sensitive measures of emotional experience.  Findings show Kilimanjaro to have more positive life evaluations than Tanzania as a whole, and significant within-region demographic variation driven particularly by lower levels of wellbeing for nonprofessional women compared with nonprofessional men and professionals.  In part because such demographic groups were often unfamiliar with standardized self-report measures, it was only through interviews, case studies, and culturally sensitive reports of emotional experience that we were able to recognize the diverse and nuanced life circumstances which individuals and groups were navigating and how those circumstances interacted with wellbeing.  Drawing on the example of nonprofessional women for illustration, we describe how key sociocultural factors – particularly, family stability, parenting circumstances, social relationships, and meeting life course expectations -- intersect with economic realities to create varied experiences of wellbeing. The complex picture of locally understood wellbeing that emerged from this research presents an alternative picture to global perspectives reliant on survey self-reports. It serves as a reminder of the importance of methodological choices in global wellbeing research and urges the addition of local perspectives and paradigms to inform policy and practice

The UNITE database for molecular identification of fungi : handling dark taxa and parallel taxonomic classifications

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation [G-2015-14062]; Swedish Research Council of Environment, Agricultural Sciences, and Spatial Planning [FORMAS, 215-2011-498]; European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence EcolChange) [TK131]; Estonian Research Council [IUT20-30]. Funding for open access charge: Swedish Research Council of Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Measuring Inequalities in the Distribution of Health Workers: The case of Tanzania.

The overall human resource shortages and the distributional inequalities in the health workforce in many developing countries are well acknowledged. However, little has been done to measure the degree of inequality systematically. Moreover, few attempts have been made to analyse the implications of using alternative measures of health care needs in the measurement of health workforce distributional inequalities. Most studies have implicitly relied on population levels as the only criterion for measuring health care needs. This paper attempts to achieve two objectives. First, it describes and measures health worker distributional inequalities in Tanzania on a per capita basis; second, it suggests and applies additional health care needs indicators in the measurement of distributional inequalities. We plotted Lorenz and concentration curves to illustrate graphically the distribution of the total health workforce and the cadre-specific (skill mix) distributions. Alternative indicators of health care needs were illustrated by concentration curves. Inequalities were measured by calculating Gini and concentration indices.\ud There are significant inequalities in the distribution of health workers per capita. Overall, the population quintile with the fewest health workers per capita accounts for only 8% of all health workers, while the quintile with the most health workers accounts for 46%. Inequality is perceptible across both urban and rural districts. Skill mix inequalities are also large. Districts with a small share of the health workforce (relative to their population levels have an even smaller share of highly trained medical personnel. A small share of highly trained personnel is compensated by a larger share of clinical officers (a middle-level cadre) but not by a larger share of untrained health workers. Clinical officers are relatively equally distributed. Distributional inequalities tend to be more pronounced when under-five deaths are used as an indicator of health care needs. Conversely, if health care needs are measured by HIV prevalence, the distributional inequalities appear to decline. The measure of inequality in the distribution of the health workforce may depend strongly on the underlying measure of health care needs. In cases of a non-uniform distribution of health care needs across geographical areas, other measures of health care needs than population levels may have to be developed in order to ensure a more meaningful measurement of distributional inequalities of the health workforce