Chemical Constituents and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Selected Aloe vera Branded Commercial Products in Tanzania

Chemical compositions and antimicrobial activities of twenty-two Aloe vera branded commercial products in Tanzania, a case of marketed soaps, creams, lotions, petroleum jelly, toothpastes and hair conditioner products in Dar es Salaam, were investigated. Chemical compositions were analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) whereas antimicrobial activities were evaluated using agar dilution method against four bacteria species, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoneae and Salmonella typhi) and two fungal species Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of seven non-polar constituents, namely methyl palmitate, 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester, methyl stearate, tetratetracontane, hexacosane, and pentacosane and methyl tetradecanoate as the most common ingredients among the products. Eleven compounds were detected in both the commercial products and reference A. vera extracts. The commercial products AVC5 and AVL3 inhibited the growth of E. coli and S. typhi at minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 7.5 and 12.5% (v/v), respectively, whereas AVC2 and AVC5 inhibited the growth of C. albicans and C. neoformans at 5.0% (v/v). AVC6 had 7.5 and 15.0% (v/v) MICs for C. neoformans and C. albicans, respectively. Other commercial products and the reference A. vera extracts were inactive against the tested microbes at a screening concentration of 10.0 mg/mL.  Keywords: Aloe vera; Aloe vera branded commercial products; GC-MS; Antimicrobia

A review of the Development Trend of Personalized learning Technologies and its Applications

Personalized learning tailors material and strategy to student requirements, interests, and goals in e-learning. These developments help educational institutions and other organizations to keep up with the fast pace of information technology, communications, and computing power. Studies show that self-adaptive learning and relevant learning information improve study efficiency. Compared to traditional teaching methods, the practice of online education is well in its infancy. On the other hand, the pedagogy and evaluation of students in online courses have a large gap that has to be filled, necessitating significant improvements in e-learning. We call this approach to education "personalized learning," which is a central focus of today's leading online education platforms. Several studies have been conducted on e-learning and personalized learning, but few investigated the development trend of personalized learning technologies and applications. Therefore this study examines the literature to close the gap and promote the development trend for personalized learning technologies and applications in higher education from 2010 to 2021 by analyzing related journal articles. The pivotal studies used inclusion criteria after a search generated 372 complete research articles and reduced them to 146 publications based on their proposed learning domains and research themes. Through carefully reviewing current trends and successes in numerous aspects of personalized learning, this discussion analyzes prospective future research directions in the field of personalized learning

The Assessment of elephant poaching in the population of the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

Abstract Elephant poaching is a significant problem in Tanzania and many parts of Africa. This study assess the patterns of elephant poaching for the international ivory trade on the population of the Eastern Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania. Data for assessing the patterns of elephants poaching from 2009 to 2013 were acquired by doing inventory on the demography of poached skulls in the field and assessing confiscated tusks. This is to infer the age and sex of killed elephants; also the season of death were obtained during the field assessment. By combining inferences of age and sex, poaching patterns of African elephants were assessed. Data on the distribution of poached elephants and the effect of poaching on the trophy-quality from tourist hunting were obtained from elephant mortality database of the Selous Game Reserve in the Eastern and North-eastern sectors. The GPS coordinates to determine the distribution of poached elephants were randomly collected by rangers during their daily patrol routine. The poaching patterns in the ESGR were non-selective. The incidences of poaching were higher during the wet season. Hotspots of poaching were identified on the edges of the ESGR. This was attributed by the involvement of local people adjacent the ESGR in poaching activities due to lack of economic opportunities. The patterns of elephant poaching can help to study the impact of poaching on Selous Game Reserve elephant populations. Also, hotspots poaching serve as tool to guide and inform reserve managers involved in wildlife conservation in Tanzania. Improved economic opportunities of local people; enhanced conservation education and research; and improved governance and law enforcement recommended addressing the problem of elephant poaching.Key words: Elephant poaching, poaching patterns, Illegal ivory trade and assessment of poachin

Contribution of Pension Funds in the Development of Capital Markets in tanzania

The involvement of pension funds in capital market transactions in Tanzania is increasing in tandem with their growing financial power. A strong presence of pension funds (PFs) seems to be a precondition for the development of liquidsecurities markets with. Thus, the major objective of the study was to assess contribution of PFs to the development of capital market in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam stock exchange (DSE) being the centre of focus. Data was collected from PFs, the DSE, stock brokers and investment advisors. Data collected was analysed using the spreadsheet computer software to establish evidence on the contribution of PFs to the development of DSE in terms of turnover, liquidity and portfolio ratio.The results show that there is low participation of PFs in IPOs. PFs hold a small fraction of DSE’s market capitalization. PFs purchases and holds securities for longer terms. The low liquidity of the DSE is partially contributed by low participation of PFs in secondary market trading. Finally, the results show that portfolio of PFs is mainly made up by Government bonds, bank deposits and loans.Inclusively, results from the research work imply that the contribution of PFs in the development of capital markets in Tanzania, particularly the DSE is not significant.The researcher recommends that for significant contribution of PFs towards future development of capital markets in Tanzania, there should be professional fund managers, variety of products in the market (more listed companies from different sectors of economy) and adoption of the enforcement of the Social Security Regulatory Authority investment guidelines

An Assessment of Mechanisms Used to Address School Dropout Among Students in Community Secondary Schools in Makambako Town

This study assessed mechanisms that are used to address school dropout among students in community secondary schools in Makambako town, Tanzania. The objectives of the study were to: identify mechanisms used to address school dropout, examine the extent to which mechanisms used to address school dropout are implemented and investigate challenges in implementing mechanisms used to address school dropout among students in community secondary schools in Makambako town. The study used a case study design that gave a sample with respondents from each class. The sample contained 313 continuing students and 10 school staff members that were purposively selected. In this study socio-economic support, hostels, counselling, sports and games, music, clubs and hobbies were identified and assessed as mechanisms used to address school dropout among students in community secondary schools in the study area. The analysis showed that most of mechanisms are not effectively implemented as a result only few students have access to the mechanisms. The challenges found include: distance to school, illiteracy among parents, limited infrastructure, and low economic status among parents, female student pregnancies and early marriages. The stakeholders are advised to join efforts to improve the implementation of mechanisms so as to address the problem and thus improve the completion rates

Role of Local Television Programs in Promoting Domestic Wildlife Tourism in Tanzania: The Case of Dar es Salaam

The main aim of the study was to examine the role of local television in promoting domestic wildlife tourism. Data was obtained through a questionnaire with 98 members of the general public in Dar es Salaam and interviewing six experts from stakeholder organizations and was analyzed by generating descriptive statistics and subjecting interviews and documentary transcripts to content analysis. Findings revealed that the local TV programs influence different demographic groups differently, but they play a critical role in emancipating and sensitizing the public to participate in domestic wildlife tourism. It is also revealed that there are TV programs, which are more effective such as Kambi Popote of Clouds TV and those which are still far from being effective. In their attempt to effectively promote domestic wildlife tourism, TV stations face challenges including mainly insufficient support from the government, paucity of resources, and social-political cultures on the side of citizens and political leaders that discourage development of compassion in tourism and its related activities. Among other issues, it recommends for more awareness campaigns, educational interventions, and reviewing promotional programs by TV stations. It recommends that the National Tourism Policy and legal frameworks should be reviewed to undo overlaps between institutions that manage and promote domestic tourism. Last, it recommends for a baseline survey to establish how behaviors of supporting and participating in domestic tourism are distributed across demographic groups for designing intervention initiatives

Factors Determining Loan Repayment in Tanzania: A Case of CRDB Bank, Meru Branch, Arusha

Many banks have faced with Non-performing loan that lead to the greatest risk to the banking industry not only in Tanzania but also globally as well. The objective of this study was to determine the factors that determine the repayment of loans in Tanzania, a case of the CRDB bank. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the effect of credit institutions' factors in paying loans in Tanzania, to determine to what extent the factors of borrowers affect the payment of loans in Tanzania and to determine the effect of loan factors in the payment of loans in Tanzania. The study adopted a descriptive research strategy. The study involved staff of CRDB bank at the Meru branch and its borrowers. The sample size of the study included 50 respondents. The data were analyzed in a descriptive way. This result of the study indicated that factors of lenders, factors of the borrower, and factors of the loans determines loan repayment of commercial banks in Tanzania. The study recommends banks to use an efficient and effective credit risk management that ensures that loans are combined with repayment capacity, minimum or Non-national loans, that loan defaults are identified and appropriate measures are taken to minimize the impact of defaulting. This study also recommends commercial banks to join and establish credit information that can be consulted before the loan is disbursed. Furthermore, the study recommends that commercial banks should have mandatory borrowers to monitor the use and repayment of loans. This supervision will allow commercial banks to closely observe the performance of borrowers. In addition, the training of borrowers prior and after receiving loans should be concentrated on areas such as management of their businesses, accounting and savings. These measures will reduce the rate of defaulters. Finally, the study recommends commercial banks to also apply strict credit policies so that loans are granted to those who are able to repay and mitigate moral risks, such as internal loans and information asymmetry