Dietary and genetic influences on fatty acid composition of sheepmeat

Three experiments were carried out to investigate dietary and genetic factors influencing the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content of sheepmeat. In the first experiment, four isoenergetic and iso-nitrogenous diets, based on dried grass with similar fat levels (60 g/kg OM) from different sources; Megalac (control), linseed (a-linolenic acid, CI8:3n-3), fish oil (eicosapentaenoic, C20:5n-3 and docosahexaenoic, C22:6n-3 acids) and linseed plus fish oil were fed to four rumen and duodenal cannulated sheep in a 4x4 Latin square design. Biohydrogenation of C 18:3n-3 was, 80-92 % in all diets, while that of C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 was 58-74 %. Dietary n-3 PUFA decreased microbial efficiency (p<0.05) measured using the total purine technique as a microbial marker, whilst fish oil depressed fibre digestion in the rumen (p<0.01). In experiment two, the same four diets were randomly allocated to 72 lambs from three breeds; Suffolk, Soayand Friesland blocked on live weight. Muscle fatty acid content was 2.4-2.8 % of tissue weight. Compared to the control diet, linseed doubled the quantity of CI8:3n-3 in muscle and increased levels of C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 by 0.5 (p<0.001). Fish oil alone increased C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 by 3-4 times (p<0.001), whilst the mixed diet resulted in n-3 PUFA levels intermediate between the linseed and fish oil diets. Soay lambs deposited more PUF A on the control diet than Suffolk or Friesland lambs (p<0.05). In the third experiment three iso-energetic and iso-nitrogenous diets, with different fat sources, Megalac or formaldehyde treated linseed (protected) with or without fish oil, and with two levels of vitamin E 100 (low) and 500 (high) mg/kg OM were randomly allocated to 96 lambs from two breeds; Suffolk and Scottish Blackface blocked on live weight. Muscle fatty acid content was 2.3-3.1 % of tissue weight but was lower in control fed lambs (p3 mg/kg muscle) in all lambs fed any of the diets. Overall, dietary modifications were more effective than genetic factors in increasing the n-3 PUF A in sheepmeat

We will have gained ourselves : narrative experiences of African women pursuing higher education in the United States of America

This study uses feminist life-history narrative methodology to explore the experiences of three African women, who have pursued or are pursuing higher education in the United States, leaving their families in Africa. Contextualized within the socio-historical cultural, colonial, and post-colonial discourses on domesticity and education, this study not only illuminates the pain, ambivalence and struggles women experienced in pursuit of higher education, but also reveals the tension between domesticity and education and how this tension inhibits African women\u27s access to education. The conceptual and methodological framework of this study is grounded in feminist perspective, which allows for a critical approach to issues and concerns in the African women respondents\u27 lives. However, after identifying certain gaps during the interpretation process, the study reveals that the unproblematic use of feminist concepts developed from the Western feminist perspective to study African women fails to adequately reflect different and contextualized reality of African women\u27s experiences. This study, therefore, argues for a more inclusive and contextualized approach by advancing a feminist frameless/framework characterized by fluidity of dimensions and strategies in order to reflect, capture, and validate specific contextual lived experiences of African women.;This study culminates into a form of activism by addressing elements of change through letters addressed to the African heads of state, the Vice Chancellors (Presidents) of universities in Africa, and the young generation of women in Africa. The letters offer strategies and suggestions for social, cultural, and policy changes relevant to women and women\u27s education in Africa

Education and labor market outcomes in South Africa: evidence from the National Income Dynamics Study

Includes bibliographical referencesExisting literature is in agreement on the importance of education in the determination of labor market outcomes. Using data from South Africa's National Income Dynamics Study, this thesis explores this relationship. It does this firstly, by examining the effect of school quality measured by school inputs-pupil-teacher ratio and expenditure per pupil-on educational attainment in South Africa. Following a reduced form production function approach, a partial generalized ordered probit is applied in the analysis. The thesis finds that both pupil-teacher ratio and expenditure per pupil have strong and significant effects on educational attainment of African South Africans. The ratio is more important at lower schooling levels, indicating a 'lagged effect' on educational attainment. A small increase in expenditure has large effects. This suggests declining returns to fiscal investment in education. Alternatively, it could indicate inefficiency in the use of funds, or compensatory funding of poor schools. Secondly, we examine the extent to which wage differences shown among district councils in South Africa can be explained by the magnitude of external returns to education. We use an augmented Mincerian regression to investigate this, considering the effect of district council share of college graduates on workers' wages. The study employs District Council's annual average climate to instrument for the share of district council college graduates. The results show that a 1% increase in a District Council's share of college graduates raises workers' wages by 5-8%. There are also spillovers effects, with college graduates being the beneficiaries. Thirdly, we estimate unemployment duration by gender and by competing risk, that is, exits into employment or economic inactivity. We use the Kaplan-Meier estimator and the Cox proportion hazard model in these estimations. The results from both estimators show factors that influence unemployment differ by exits, and their effects vary by gender. The hazard rates show that transition rate into employment is higher for men than for women with similar characteristics. They show that age and race significantly influence employers' choice between educated men and women. However, this bias is less obvious at higher levels of education

The Role of Various Actors in Sustainability Uptake in Canadian Higher Education Policy and Practice: A Comparative Case Study

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly recognized for their role in contributing towards a sustainable future, and understanding how various stakeholders are influencing uptake in sustainability is crucial to realizing this goal. This study examined the role of actors, including that of networks and organizations, and the extent to which historically marginalized groups are influencing sustainability uptake in Canadian higher education policy and practice. Informed by critical education policy, organizational change, intersectionality, and a whole-institutional approach, data were collected from a sample of six HEIs using interviews, focus groups, document collection, and observations. Study participants included Board of Governors members, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and community members. Findings showed significant ways that various actors champion and collaborate within and across institutions and sectors to enact bottom-up and top-down sustainability initiatives. Student activism was found to be a key sustainability domain in which students champion sustainability uptake, including holding their administrators accountable, a group that was often found to resist meaningful sustainability action. Diversity of actors was described in terms of race and gender and there were a few considerations of intersecting social and environmental issues, including Indigenous land practices in sustainability uptake. This study has implications for how HEIs can move towards more transformative change for sustainability through supporting champions and strengthening collaboration within and across sectors. An intersectionality framework offers a new approach to researching sustainability in higher education; this approach provided insights on how HEIs can embody and center the values of social justice and equity in policy and practice, such as creating safe spaces for historically marginalized groups to be involved and using language that frames sustainability to include social justice and Indigenous perspectives. Future research is needed to examine how HEIs can better support administrators to navigate the neoliberal demands and contexts of their institutions and how to meaningfully build connections with Indigenous communities to inform sustainability initiatives in higher education

Shared Leadership in Voluntary Organisations: An Exploratory Survey using Internal Stakeholder Perspective

Management research has predominantly focuses on vertical leadership, which is synonymous with top-down management. Increasingly however, other forms of distributed leadership are observable across organisations. In this research, we explore the involvement of stakeholders in the functions of leadership through the shared leadership paradigm. Using a quantitative approach, the research surveyed 126 respondents in the voluntary sector with a view to assess the level of shared leadership among organisation stakeholders and identify key factors that affect the shared leadership process. Findings suggest relatively high level of shared leadership with stakeholder involvement more prevalent at consultative levels rather than participative levels. Furthermore, stakeholder status within the organisation is identified as a significant factor in determining the level of shared leadership

Sustainable Land Management: Challenges, Success and Future Opportunities for Tanzania

This paper was presented at the United Nations Development Program’s Sustainable Land Management Project feedback conference in Moshi, Tanzania. The conference was held to discuss lessons learnt from the Government of Tanzania and the United Nations Development Program’s Project on Reducing Land Degradation on the Highlands of Kilimanjaro Region. It summarises the challenges and successes of implementing the United Nations Convention on Desertification and Degradation in Tanzania and in the rest of the world, notably, unsustainable land management practices, deforestation and soil erosion, caused by a demand for agricultural land as the world’s population rises. It notes that limited funding for sustainable land management has limited the effectiveness of projects to address challenges. It also summarises new opportunities for funding that can make a bigger impact, such as the Green Climate Fund and Payment for Ecosystem services, which promise to allocate more funding to sustainable land management projects in the future

Climate Change Effects and the Resulting Adaptation Strategies of Smallholder Farmers in Three Different Ecological Zones (Kilifi, Embu and Budalangi) in Kenya

Smallholder farmers in Kenya are faced by effects of climate change which results to loss of crop and livestock productions. Consequently, smallholder farmers suffer crop and livestock losses, causing devastation and food insecurity situation. This study provides findings on the effects, adaptation approaches carried out by smallholder farmers of Embu, Kilifi and Budalangi to climate change. The study objectives were achieved through use of survey design. Mixed approach of quantitative and qualitative data analysis was applied. Sampling included multi stage sampling. Three study sites were chosen based on different ecosystem conditions in Kenya. Linear regression was used to demonstrated crops and rainfall trends. Mean temperatures noted to increase slightly and greater variations in the mean seasonal rainfalls in all the three study areas. Declining trend of crop yields was noted for Kilifi (R = - 0.032). The research findings evidently showed that climate change is impacting on smallholder farmers and farming systems in the study area.. Keywords: Smallholder farmers; climate change and adaptation strategie

Customer Experience Monitoring: A Study of Zambian Banks

The fast growing level of competitiveness and fundamental amendments in the world of business especially in the banking sector nowadays are pushing firms and for that matter banks to implement a customer-based strategy, which proves the importance of customer experience monitoring constructs such as customer experience and satisfaction, quality of service, and customer loyalty in explaining a bank’s performance. Consequently, this study seeks to develop and empirically test customer experience monitory and evaluation and also to study the influences of service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty in the Zambian banking industry. A survey was conducted with banking customers on many validated questions, based on which we got 107 valid responses. The data was processed to produce the valuable results and Quantitative Data Analysis (QDA), via simple regression analysis and ANOVA. The findings and analysis of data shows that quality of service provided and customer satisfaction are important when monitoring the experience of customers based on the effects of quality of service and customer loyalty and there returns thereafter. Based on the data analyzed, the study concluded that customer experience has positive impact on customer loyalty and banks must ensure that their customer walk out with good experience by monitoring this periodically to adapt or adjust to current trends. The study also observed a significant relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The theoretical and managerial implications of the study confirmed the theoretical framework. Consequently, the following recommendations were contrived: staffs of financial institutions should create a friendly environment with their customers. The Bank’s environment should be conducive, attractive, decent and enabling enough to psychologically assure their customer of the best of service. Also, there should be a routine high quality of service delivered to customers and their views sorted routinely. This may help boost and also add to the value of experience of customers, thus their total satisfaction on the Bank’s service

INDIVIDUAL FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEGATIVE MATHEMATICS SELF-CONCEPT AMONG GIRLS AT A RURAL SCHOOL IN CENTRAL PROVINCE, ZAMBIA

This study was centred on ascertaining individual factors which influence the development of negative Mathematics self-concept in girls. The research was based on a single case study and utilized the qualitative research approach. The sample consisted of a total of 18 participants. Thus, a sample of seven grade 11 girls with low Mathematics self-concept, seven parents to the girls and four teachers of Mathematics at the school were purposively selected from Mwabonwa (pseudonym) Girls’ Secondary School situated in a rural area of Central Province of Zambia. In-depth interviews were conducted with girls, teachers and parents. A focus group discussion was held with pupils only and a document review to understand pupils’ statuses and their past academic performance was employed. Data was analysed with the use of the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) Method. A number of indicators revealed two key individual factors influencing low Mathematics self-concept in girls. These factors include: girls’ negative perceptions of Mathematics and poor Mathematics background. In a nutshell, these findings show that to understand the low self-concept girls have in Mathematics one had to appreciate the individual experiences of the girls in the subject.  Article visualizations