An investigation of the influence of organisational factors on the delivery of HIV prevention programmes for young people in Uganda

Contemporary thought on HIV prevention emphasises participatory practices: the empowerment paradigm advocates working with target groups and empowering them to minimise risk of infection, while the collective action paradigm advocates collaborative working that tailors prevention programmes to specific contexts and addresses structural constraints to HIV prevention. Limited attention has been paid to the influence of organisational factors in translating this rhetoric into practice. The current study addresses this gap, using a research framework based on a continuum with bureaucratic authoritarian organisational characteristics at one end and post-bureaucratic democratic characteristics at the other. Comparing HIV/AIDS programmes in three case study organisations (two schools and one non-governmental organisation) located at different points along this continuum yet using similar rhetoric, the study finds that none of the programmes delivered precisely matches the rhetoric. Nevertheless, the findings affirm the proposition that organisations with post-bureaucratic democratic characteristics are better suited to delivering effective self empowerment and collective action prevention programmes than those with bureaucratic authoritarian characteristics. Specific characteristics that contribute to these outcomes are identified, and the implications of the findings, both for the practical application of contemporary approaches and for the movement extolling schools as key settings for HIV prevention programmes, are presented.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

THE ROLE OF RISK ASSESSMENT IN MANAGING RISK

Risk and Uncertainty,

Enzymes with biocatalytic potential from Sorghum bicolor

Sorghum is a staple food in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa, sustaining the lives of the poorest rural people. This project set out to improve the potential economic value of Sorghum bicolor as a crop. The task was undertaken by screening for selected enzymes in the plant that would have a potential market for use in industrial applications and in biotransformations, specifically proteases, polyphenol oxidases and peroxidases. Asurveywas conducted using standard enzyme assays and crude plant extracts, to determine whether the selected enzymes were present. Grain tissue did not appear to have significant protease or polyphenoloxidase activity, but high levels of peroxidases were detected, withthe young grain extracts showing more activity(4.63U/mL)thanripegrain extracts (0.62 U/mL). Leaf tissue extracts contained low levels of protease activity, a considerable amount of polyphenol oxidase (0.127 U/mL), and peroxidase (4.7 U/mL) activities comparable with that found in grain tissue. Root tissue extract was found to contain the highest levels of peroxidase activity (7.8 U/mL) compared to the other extracts. Therefore, sorghum peroxidase from the root was isolated, purified, characterized and applied to biotransformation reactions. Different sorghum strains,withvaryinggraincolour, (Zimbabwe - bronze, Seredo - brown and Epurpur - cream/white) were investigated for the presence of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities. Results of spectrophotometric analysis showed that the enzymes did not appear to be strain specific. However, gel electrophoresis analysis revealed differences in band patterns among the strains. Partial purification of sorghum root peroxidase was achieved after centrifugation, extraction with polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP), ultrafiltration, and hydrophobic chromatography with phenyl Sepharose, followed by polyacrylamidegelelectrophoresis (PAGE). The specific activity of the 5-fold purified enzyme was found to be 122.3 U/mg. After PAGE analysis, two bands with molecular weights of approximately 30 000 and 40 000 were detected, which compares well with horse radish peroxidase (HRP) which has a molecular weight of approximately 44 000. The colour intensity of the bands in the activity gels indicated that sorghum root peroxidase had apparently higher levels of peroxidase activity than commercial horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Characterizationexperiments revealed that sorghumroot peroxidase is active over a broad temperature range and remains active at temperatures up to 100°C. It also has a broad substrate range. The optimum pH of the enzyme was found to be pH 5 - 6. Under standardized assay conditions, the optimal substrate concentration, using o-dianisidine as substrate, was 50 mM, and the optimal H2O2 concentration under these conditions was found to be 100 mM. Sorghum root peroxidase was applied in a preliminary investigation into the oxidative biotransformationof a number of aromatic compounds. The products obtained were comparable withthose whenthe compounds are reacted with HRP which is the most commonly used commercial peroxidase and has been extensively studied. However, HRP is relatively costly, and the use of peroxidase from sorghum roots as an alternative source, appears to be promising. A patent has been provisionally registered, covering application of sorghum root peroxidase for biotransformations

Profil clinique et anatomopathologique des cancers de l’ovaire à Yaounde, Cameroun.

Le but de cette étude rétrospective et descriptive était de déterminer les aspects cliniques et anatomopathologiques des cancers de l’ovaire recensés entre le 1er juillet 2003 et le 31 décembre 2008 à l’Hôpital Gynéco-Obstétrique et Pédiatrique de Yaoundé au Cameroun. Nous avons retenu 30 cas avec un âge moyen de 48,50 ± 13,06 ans. Les cancers de l’ovaire représentaient 10,75 % des 279 cancers génitaux diagnostiqués au cours de la même période. Deux tiers des patientes avaient plus de 50 ans, et les grandes multipares constituaient 43,33% de l’échantillon. On notait une faible représentativité des patientes nullipares (10 %). Des douleurs pelviennes associées étaient présentes dans 56,67% de cas. La majorité des tumeurs (93,33%) avaient une origine épithéliale. Les stades cliniques FIGO II et III réunis représentaient trois quarts de l’échantillon. La classification selon le TNM montrait des stades avancés (pT3 et pT4 réunis) chez 40 % de la population. En conclusion, les cancers ovariens au Cameroun montrent une variété histomorphologique, les types épithéliaux étant plus fréquents. Les cancers sont souvent découverts à des stades avancés. Le rôle protecteur de la multiparité n’est pas relevé par cette étude. Des actions devraient être menées pour favoriser un diagnostic précoce et une prise en charge adéquate de la maladie. Des études à plus grande échelle doivent être menées, les résultats pouvant être d’une plus grande utilité aux politiques de santé.MOTS CLES: Cancers - Ovaire - Histopathologie- Epidémiologie - Cameroun

Communication rehabilitation in sub-Saharan Africa: A workforce profile of speech and language therapists.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent global need to strengthen rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. In sub-Saharan Africa, rehabilitation services for people with communication disabilities continue to be underdeveloped. A first step in strengthening services for people with a communication disabilities is to understand the composition and conditions of the current workforce. OBJECTIVES: This research describes a sample of the speech and language therapists (SLTs) working in SSA (excluding South Africa). This study explores the characteristics of this workforce, including their demographics, education, experience and geographical stability. METHOD: A mixed-methods survey was used to collect data from SLTs within Anglophone countries of SSA. Completed surveys were received from 33 respondents working in 44 jobs across nine countries. Analysis included descriptive and non-parametric inferential statistics. This study reports on a subset of descriptive and quantitative data from the wider survey. RESULTS: A background profile of SLTs across the region is presented. Results indicated that the workforce of SLTs comprised a mix of local and international SLTs, with university-level education. Local SLTs were educated both within and outside of Africa, with more recent graduates trained in Africa. These data reflected the local emergence of speech and language therapy training in SSA. CONCLUSION: This sample comprised a mix of African and international SLTs, with indications of growing localisation of the workforce. Workforce localisation offers potential advantages of linguistic diversity and stability. Challenges including workforce support and developing culturally and contextually relevant SLT practices are discussed

An investigation of the influence of organisational factors on the delivery of HIV prevention programmes for young people in Uganda

Contemporary thought on HIV prevention emphasises participatory practices: the empowerment paradigm advocates working with target groups and empowering them to minimise risk of infection, while the collective action paradigm advocates collaborative working that tailors prevention programmes to specific contexts and addresses structural constraints to HIV prevention. Limited attention has been paid to the influence of organisational factors in translating this rhetoric into practice. The current study addresses this gap, using a research framework based on a continuum with bureaucratic authoritarian organisational characteristics at one end and post-bureaucratic democratic characteristics at the other. Comparing HIV/AIDS programmes in three case study organisations (two schools and one non-governmental organisation) located at different points along this continuum yet using similar rhetoric, the study finds that none of the programmes delivered precisely matches the rhetoric. Nevertheless, the findings affirm the proposition that organisations with post-bureaucratic democratic characteristics are better suited to delivering effective self empowerment and collective action prevention programmes than those with bureaucratic authoritarian characteristics. Specific characteristics that contribute to these outcomes are identified, and the implications of the findings, both for the practical application of contemporary approaches and for the movement extolling schools as key settings for HIV prevention programmes, are presented