An Insect Community Study of the Morris Arboretum Green Roof

Green roofs are becoming increasingly popular in cities around the globe because of their numerous benefits to humans. Green roofs can also benefit wildlife, particularly insects, through the creation of habitat. The goal of this study was to evaluate the biodiversity of the insect community on the Morris Arboretum intensive green roof and to identify management strategies to promote more diversity. We vacuum sampled the green roof three times in August and September 2017. Insects in the orders Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Neuroptera, and Mantodea were sorted, preserved, and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic rank. Overall, 891 insects were collected and identified. Two groups, ants and aphids, accounted for 566 of those insects. There was low diversity and abundance of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, which could be attributed to the lack of fall-flowering plants, larval host plants, and overwintering sites. Additionally, there was low diversity of pollinator species, which may also be attributed to the lack of fall-flowering plants. In order to promote these groups, I suggest adding plants that provide high-quality pollen and nectar resources in the late summer and fall, as well as adding woody debris to provide habitat and overwintering sites. I also suggest maintaining open areas to provide habitat for ground-nesting insects. If these management suggestions are implemented, the increased diversity of habitat and resources will foster more diversity in the insect community

Challenges Pupils Face in Learning Phonological Skills: A Case of Bunda District, Tanzania

This study assessed pupils’ phonological awareness (PA) skills in reading English language among Primary Schools in Bunda, Tanzania. The study was guided by the Interactive Theory developed by Rumelhart (1980) that views reading as a process which employs both the top –down and the bottom –up processes. Collection of data was done by using interviews, focus group discussions and tests. Data collection was also done through classroom observations, interviews, focus group discussions and tests. The major findings revealed that majority pupils in public primary schools and some in English medium schools had low phonological awareness skills.  The pupils faced difficulties in pronouncing words with consonant clusters and in decoding digraphs; they also faced difficulties in recognizing silent sounds and in o decoding words with irregular Grapheme Phoneme Correspondences (GPC). Pupils inserted phonemes within consonant blends and in word finals as a result of Kiswahili and mother tongue influences. The study concluded that pupils will excel in learning phonological skills if teachers strictly employ phonics strategies such as segmentation, blending, substitution, deletion and rhyming games. Moreover, teachers in English medium primary schools and their colleagues in public schools should work closely together in addressing the strategies and techniques of imparting phonological awareness skills to pupils

Challenges Facing Heads of Schools in Performing Procurement Activities: A Case of Public Secondary Schools in Monduli District Arusha, Tanzania

The purpose of this paper was to examine the challenges facing heads of schools in performing procurement activities in public secondary schools. The current study employed mixed research approach and convergent parallel design. A sample size of 198 respondents comprising of 152 teachers, 36 procurement committee members, 4 heads of school, 4 school bursars, 1 District education officer and 1 head of procurement management unit. Both probability and none probability sampling techniques were used to gather the participants. This study adopted cost-benefit analysis theory. Data were collected using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically and presented in themes and summarization while quantitative data were analyzed descriptively with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 and presented by charts, tables, percentages and frequencies. Quantitative instruments were validated using split half and a coefficient of 0.79 was obtained whereas content and face validity used to validate the quantitative instrument. Credibility was used to validate the qualitative tools while, reliability of qualitative instrument was ensured through the use of dependability. The findings revealed that challenges facing heads of schools included lack of procurement personnel, inadequate knowledge, skills and experience on procurement, insufficient funds, political interference, and favouritism and nepotism. The study recommended that there should be efforts to overcome the challenges facing heads of schools so as to improve the procurement practices in secondary school

Strategies for Retaining Secondary School Science Teachers: A Case of Dodoma City, Tanzania

The study aimed at determining strategies by private secondary school management in retaining science teachers in Dodoma City. The study was guided by Motivation- Hygiene Theory by Frederick Herzberg. The study employed the mixed research approach and the convergent parallel research design. The targeted population had a total of 123 science teachers distributed in 18 different secondary schools, 18 Heads of school and 1 Secondary Education officer. Therefore, the total population of the study was 142 people from which, thirty (30) respondents were selected (25 science teachers, four (4) heads of schools and one (1) City Secondary Education Officer) selected through purposive and simple random sampling techniques. Quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics while qualitative data was thematically analyzed.  The study established that employment of appropriate strategies retains science teachers in schools. Such strategies include involvement of teachers in decision making, provision of attractive remuneration and working conditions, recognition and appreciation. Based on these conclusions, it is recommended that schools under investigation should strive to provide the identified motivating aspects for sustainable retention of science teachers in schools under investigation

Prevalence and Predictors of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia among HIV Infected women at Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza-Tanzania.

Cancer of the cervix rank the second most common cause of cancer related deaths among women in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that 529, 409 new cases are diagnosed annually with a mortality rate approaching 274,883 per year. Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) precedes almost all cervical cancers. The incidence rate of CIN among HIV infected women is five times higher as compared to the rate in HIV negative women. The screening for cervical dysplasia and an appropriate management in women with CIN are effective methods for preventing cervical cancer. This study was done to determine the prevalence and predictors of CIN among a HIV infected women attending Care and Treatment centre (CTC) at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC). A cross sectional survey was undertaken among HIV infected women aged 18 years and above attending at BMC CTC clinic between February and March 2013. Visual Inspection with Acetic acid (VIA) was used as the screening method for detection of CIN. Socio-demographic, reproductive and clinical information was obtained from participants and the blood was collected for CD4 lymphocyte count. Cervical punch biopsy for histological examination was performed for those who had VIA positive test. Data were entered and analyzed using STATA Version 12.0 soft ware. A total number of 95 (26.8%) participants had positive VIA test among three hundred and fifty-five (355) HIV infected women. Histology results showed; 4(4.2%) were normal, 26 (27.4%) had an inflammatory lesion, 58(61.1%) had CIN and 7(7.3%) had invasive cervical cancer. CIN was found to be associated with a history of multiple sexual partners (P<0.001), a history of genital warts (P<0.001), and a history of STI (P = 0.010). The Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia is a problem among HIV infected women. A history of multiple sexual partners, a history of genital warts, a history STI and a low baseline CD4 T lymphocyte were significant predictors for CIN. Screening for Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia is recommended for all women with HIV

Dermatological Malignancies at a University Teaching Hospital in north-western Tanzania: A Retrospective Review of 154 Cases

Dermatological malignancies are among the most common form of cancers and the global incidence has been increasing at an alarming rate. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the prevalence, histopathological pattern, anatomical distribution and treatment outcome of dermatological malignancies at Bugando Medical Centre in North-western Tanzania. Data were collected from patients’ files kept in the Medical record department; the surgical wards, operating theatre and histopathology laboratory and analyzed using Statistical package for social sciences system. A total of 154 patients with a histopathological diagnosis of dermatological malignancy were studied. Generally, males outnumbered females by a ratio of 1.4:1. The majority of patients were in the 5th and 6th decades of life. Malignant melanoma was the most common dermatological malignancy (67.5%) followed by Kaposi’s sarcoma (10.4%), Squamous cell carcinoma (8.4%) and Basal cell carcinoma(7.8%). The lower limbs were the most frequent site accounting for 55.8%. Wide local excision was the most common surgical procedure performed in 79.2% of cases. Post-operative wound infection was the most common complication in 58.3% of patients. Mortality rate was 3.8%. Dermatological malignancies are more prevalent in our setting. A high index of suspicion is needed to avoid labelling malignancies “chronic ulcers” and all suspected lesions should be biopse

Gastric Cancer at a University Teaching Hospital in Northwestern Tanzania: A Retrospective Review of 232 Cases.

Despite marked decreases in its incidence, particularly in developed countries, gastric cancer is still the second most common tumor worldwide. There is a paucity of information regarding gastric cancer in northwestern Tanzania. This study was undertaken to describe our experience, in our local setting, on the management of gastric cancer, outlining the clinicopathological and treatment outcome of these patients and suggesting ways to improve the treatment outcome. This was a retrospective study of histologically confirmed cases of gastric cancer seen at Bugando Medical Centre between January 2007 and December 2011. Data were retrieved from patients' files and analyzed using SPSS computer software version 17.0. A total of 232 gastric cancer patients were enrolled in the study, representing 4.5% of all malignancies. The male to female ratio was 2.9:1. The median age of patients was 52 years. The majority of the patients (92.1%) presented late with advanced gastric cancer (Stages III and IV). Lymph node and distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis was recorded in 31.9% and 29.3% of cases, respectively. The antrum was the most frequent anatomical site (56.5%) involved and gastric adenocarcinoma (95.1%) was the most common histopathological type. Out of 232 patients, 223 (96.1%) patients underwent surgical procedures for gastric cancer of which gastro-jejunostomy was the most frequent performed surgical procedure, accounting for 53.8% of cases. The use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy was documented in 56 (24.1%) and 12 (5.1%) patients, respectively. Postoperative complication and mortality rates were 37.1% and 18.1%, respectively. According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, preoperative co-morbidity, histological grade and stage of the tumor, presence of metastases at the time of diagnosis was the main predictors of death (P <0.001). At the end of five years, only 76 (32.8%) patients were available for follow-up and the overall five-year survival rate was 6.9%. Evidence of cancer recurrence was reported in 45 (19.4%) patients. Positive resection margins, stage of the tumor and presence of metastasis at the time of diagnosis were the main predictors of local recurrence (P <0.001). Gastric cancer in this region shows a trend towards relative young age at diagnosis and the majority of patients present late with an advanced stage. Lack of awareness of the disease, poor accessibility to health care facilities and lack of screening programs in this region may contribute to advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. There is a need for early detection, adequate treatment and proper follow-up to improve treatment outcome

Early Marjolin’s ulcer developing in a penile human bite scar of an adult patient presenting at Bugando Medical Centre, Tanzania: A Case Report

Marjolin’s ulcer is a rare but well documented cutaneous malignancy that arises in a scar or chronic ulcer, and is characterized by an aggressive course. The latent period from the injury to the appearance of cancer has been reported to be 25-40 years. Early occurring Marjolin’s ulcer has rarely been described in the literature and its development in a penile human bite scar is still rare. We report a rare case of a 33 year-old patient who presented with an early appearance of Marjolin’s ulcer developing in a penile human bite scar. On histological examination it was found to be poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. He was managed by total penile amputation. Five months after surgery, the patient presented to our surgical outpatient clinic with inguinal lymph node metastases and distant metastases to the lung, liver and bones. However, the patient died shortly after admission. This report highlights the possibility of early appearance of Marjolin’s ulcer arising from a chronic ulcer or healed scar in an unusual sites such as the penis. It is therefore recommended that all chronic ulcers should be thoroughly investigated at presentation, to avoid labelling malignancies ‘chronic ulcers’, leading to delay in appropriate treatment. Early recognition and aggressive treatment of Marjolin's ulcers and close follow-up are urgently needed to improve outcomes in our environment

Grain Yield Performance of Biofortified Climbing Common Bean Genotypes (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) Evaluated Across Different Agro-ecologies in Tanzania

Assessment study on yield performance and consumer preferences characteristics of iron and zinc fortified bean genotypes was conducted between 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons at different agro-ecologies of Tanzania. The objective of the study was to improve nutrition and income of smallholder farmers through growing and selling of high yielding and iron bean genotypes. The experiments consisted of five high iron enhanced climbing common bean genotypes namely:  MAC 44 (80.3 mg/kg), RWV (78 mg/kg), MAC9 (64 mg/kg), MAC49 (66.6 mg/kg) and Selian (35.2 mg/kg). These planting materials were planted in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications in Arusha at ARI-Selian farm, Lambo in Kilimanjaro, ARI-Uyole in Mbeya and in Kagera at ARI-Maruku. The sites ARI-Selian and Maruku represented mid altitude agro-ecologies, ARI Uyole (high altitude) and Lambo site is low agro-ecology. Grain yield and disease reaction scores data was collected and analysed using GenStat 15th edition software. Results showed significance difference (P≤0.05) for grain yield and diseases. Grain yield ranged from 1538kg/ha to 4314 kg/ha. Genotype RWV1129 produced 3091 kg/ha in 2014/2015 where as MACC44 yielded relatively higher (3530kg/ha than RWV1129 at Selian site in 2015/2016 season. The farmers’ participatory variety selection approach used in selecting of new improved bean genotypes depicted high yield, high market demanded, and resistant to diseases as the key important criteria. Genotypes MACC44 and RWV 1129 were the best genotypes accepted by farmers due to their high yield, and high market value.  Therefore, the study recommended them to be registered and released as nutritionally improved varieties for farmers’ cultivation and consumption thereby to relief the iron deficient vulnerable groups in Tanzania. Keywords: Climbing bean, Biofortification, Performance, Iron and Zinc DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/9-4-0