Assessing Higher Education: Relevance of Vision and Mission Statements: A Case Study of USIU

United States International University (USIU) has recently been going through workshops and training about the education effectiveness and learning outcomes of its programs. The article examines whether the learning outcomes of USIU are being instilled in the student's academic and personal lives. Learning outcomes of USIU are very important throughout a student's academic life however, there are no set mechanisms of finding out if the stated learning outcomes are being achieved. The main objective of this study is to find out the level of awareness of the USIU vision and mission outcomes among the university students. It also aims at providing ideas on how best the vision and mission outcomes can be communicated effectively to the university community. This preliminary study is an important step in higher education assessment where visions and missions are stated boldly without due attention to the learning processes among students. For instance, when we talk of higher order thinking, is the student able to collect, analyze and demonstrate data or information to formulate conclusions with a critically and creatively holistic manner? How do we evaluate the assimilation of the mission and vision statements? Journal of Language, Technology & Entrepreneurship in Africa Vol. 1 (2) 2009: pp. 112-11

Five year review of the pattern and outcome of managment of spinal diseases seen at St. Mary's Hospital Lacor in Uganda

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Semi-field assessment of the BG-Malaria trap for monitoring the African malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis

Odour-baited technologies are increasingly considered for effective monitoring of mosquito populations and for the evaluation of vector control interventions. The BG-Malaria trap (BGM), which is an upside-down variant of the widely used BG-Sentinel trap (BGS), has been demonstrated to be effective to sample the Brazilian malaria vector, Anopheles darlingi. We evaluated the BGM as an improved method for sampling the African malaria vectors, Anopheles arabiensis. Experiments were conducted inside a large semi-field cage to compare trapping efficiencies of BGM and BGS traps, both baited with the synthetic attractant, Ifakara blend, supplemented with CO2. We then compared BGMs baited with either of four synthetic mosquito lures, Ifakara blend, Mbita blend, BG-lure or CO2, and an unbaited BGM. Lastly, we compared BGMs baited with the Ifakara blend dispensed via either nylon strips, BG cartridges (attractant-infused microcapsules encased in cylindrical plastic cartridge) or BG sachets (attractant-infused microcapsules encased in plastic sachets). All tests were conducted between 6P.M. and 7A.M., with 200–600 laboratory-reared An. arabiensis released nightly in the test chamber. The median number of An. arabiensis caught by the BGM per night was 83, IQR:(73.5–97.75), demonstrating clear superiority over BGS (median catch = 32.5 (25.25–37.5)). Compared to unbaited controls, BGMs baited with Mbita blend caught most mosquitoes (45 (29.5–70.25)), followed by BGMs baited with CO2 (42.5 (27.5–64)), Ifakara blend (31 (9.25–41.25)) and BG lure (16 (4–22)). BGM caught 51 (29.5–72.25) mosquitoes/night, when the attractants were dispensed using BG-Cartridges, compared to BG-Sachet (29.5 (24.75–40.5)), and nylon strips (27 (19.25–38.25)), in all cases being significantly superior to unbaited controls (p < 000.1). The findings demonstrate potential of the BGM as a sampling tool for African malaria vectors over the standard BGS trap. Its efficacy can be optimized by selecting appropriate odour baits and odour-dispensing systems

Cost-Benefit Analysis and Growth Effects of Pelleted and Unpelleted On-Farm Feed on African Catfish (Claries Gariepinus Burchell 1822) in Earthen Ponds

Fish feed constitutes 40-60% of the total operational costs of a fish farm. Commercial feeds are often too expensive for rural fish farmers. Consequently, farmers use non-conventional and locally available fish feed ingredients including agro-industrial by-products. These feeds have not led to increased pond productivity due to poor processing, higher fibre content, and anti-nutritional factors that limit nutrient bio-availability. Farmers have not embraced processing of fish feeds because the cost-effectiveness of processing has not been clearly demonstrated. The African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is an important farmed fish in sub-Saharan Africa hence the need for research on its nutrition and growth performance. The growth performance and cost-benefit of using pelleted diets formulated from locally available feed ingredients on C. gariepinus were evaluated in a rural African setting. The experiment included diets that differed in the ingredients and form used (pelleted and un-pelleted). Four isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets were formulated from freshwater shrimp (Caridina nilotica), rice bran (Oryza sativa) and wheat bran (Triticum aestivum). The diets were C. nilotica and wheat bran pelleted (CWBp), C. nilotica and wheat bran un-pelleted (CWBup), C. nilotica and rice bran pelleted (CRBp), and C. nilotica and rice bran un-pelleted (CRBup). The diets were fed to C. gariepinus fingerlings (mean initial weight 1.75±0.03g), in triplicates for 5 months. The pelleted diets showed significantly better performance (P<0.05) compared to the un-pelleted diets. Fish grew to a weight of 266.77±6.21g on CWBp, 224.9±3.91g on CRBp, 211.38±4.46g on CWBup and 190.87±4.47g on CRBup. Cost benefit analysis of the pelleted and un-pelleted diets indicated positive net returns of US$180.1 for CWBp, US$142.5 for CRBp, US$126.8 for CWBup and US$ 115.5 for CRBup. The CWBp had significantly higher net returns than the other diets. This paper demonstrates that although on-farm pelleting of diets adds extra cost of labour, pelleted diets are cost-effective and should be incorporated as an essential part of on-farm feed production.Key words: Catfish, feed, pelleting, cost-effectiveness, pon

Households’ perceptions on impact of drought on water resources in Makindu sub-county, Kenya

Drought is a major threat to water sources in the world. It causes variation in volumes of water flow. Once compounded with other factors, water scarcity arises. However, perceptions of households on the impact of drought on water sources vary from region to region. Understanding the perceptions of households is critical in ensuring people cope with water shortages. Thus, this paper sought to examine household’s perception on the impact of drought on water resources in Makindu Sub-County, Kenya. The study employed descriptive survey research design. A total of 370 households were sampled using simple random sampling. Purposive sampling was used to select the key informants. Questionnaires and key informants’ interview schedules were used to collect primary data. Data from questionnaires was coded and analyzed using SPSS Version 20. As perceived by the households’ drought led to drying up of water sources and further its impact varied from one drought intensity to another. The study also established that overuse by households, high rates of evaporation and encroachment of people to water sources were also affecting water sources. It was concluded that households should embrace adaptation and coping strategies to minimize water shortages. It is recommended that sensitization is required to equip individuals with knowledge to conserve water sources. The study provides new knowledge that is beneficial for water resource saving policy making, governance as well as for education at community and institutional levels.Keywords: Perceptions, drought, household

Identification of stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Kenya using Morphometrics and DNA barcoding

Stingless bees are important pollinators of wild plants and crops. The identity of stingless bee species in Africa has not been fully documented. The present study explored the utility of morphometrics and DNA barcoding for identification of African stingless bee populations, and to further employ these tools to identify potential cryptic variation within species. Stingless bee samples were collected from three ecological zones, namely Kakamega Forest, Mwingi and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, which are geographically distant and cover high, medium and low altitudes, respectively. Forewing and hind leg morphometric characters were measured to determine the extent of morphological variation between the populations. DNA barcodes were generated from the mitochondrial cytochrome c-oxidase I (COI) gene. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on the morphometric measurements separated the bee samples into three clusters: (1) Meliponula bocandei; (2) Meliponula lendliana + Plebeina hildebrandti; (3) Dactylurina schmidti + Meliponula ferruginea black + Meliponula ferruginea reddish brown, but Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) separated all the species except the two morphospecies (M. ferruginea reddish brown and black). The analysis of the COI sequences showed that DNA barcoding can be used to identify all the species studied and revealed remarkable genetic distance (7.3%) between the two M. ferruginea morphs. This is the first genetic evidence that M. ferruginea black and M. ferruginea reddish brown are separate species

Household modifications after the indoor residual spraying (IRS) campaign in Mozambique reduce the actual spray coverage and efficacy

Indoor residual spraying of insecticides (IRS) is a key malaria vector control strategy. Whilst human attitude towards IRS is monitored before or shortly after implementation, human activities leading to the modification of insecticide-treated walls post-IRS are not. This could inadvertently reduce the protective effects of IRS. We monitored the extent of modifications to the sprayed indoor wall surfaces by household owners for six months post-IRS campaigns in two districts targeted for malaria elimination in southern Mozambique. In parallel, we assessed building of any additional rooms onto compounds, and mosquito net use. We quantified the contribution of wall modifications, added rooms, prolonged spray campaigns, and product residual efficacies on actual IRS coverage and relative mosquito bite reduction, using a mechanistic approach. Household owners continually modified insecticide-treated walls and added rooms onto compounds. Household surveys in southern Mozambique showed frequent modification of indoor walls (0–17.2% of households modified rooms monthly) and/or added rooms (0–16.2% of households added rooms monthly). Actual IRS coverage reduced from an assumed 97% to just 39% in Matutuine, but only from 96% to 91% in Boane, translating to 43% and 5.8% estimated increases in relative daily mosquito bites per person. Integrating post-IRS knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) surveys into programmatic evaluations to capture these modification and construction trends can help improve IRS program efficiency and product assessment

11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 deficiency alters the gut microbiome response to western diet

The enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) interconverts active glucocorticoids and their intrinsically inert 11-keto forms. The type 1 isozyme, 11β-HSD1, predominantly reactivates glucocorticoids in vivo and can also metabolise bile acids. 11β-HSD1-deficient mice show altered inflammatory responses and are protected against the adverse metabolic effects of a high-fat diet. However, the impact of 11β-HSD1 on the composition of the gut microbiome has not previously been investigated. We used high-throughput 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing to characterise the gut microbiome of 11β-HSD1-deficient and C57Bl/6 control mice, fed either a standard chow diet or a cholesterol- and fat-enriched 'Western' diet. 11β-HSD1 deficiency significantly altered the composition of the gut microbiome, and did so in a diet-specific manner. On a Western diet, 11β-HSD1 deficiency increased the relative abundance of the family Bacteroidaceae, and on a chow diet, it altered relative abundance of the family Prevotellaceae Our results demonstrate that (i) genetic effects on host-microbiome interactions can depend upon diet and (ii) that alterations in the composition of the gut microbiome may contribute to the aspects of the metabolic and/or inflammatory phenotype observed with 11β-HSD1 deficiency

NUTRITIVE VALUE AND AVAILABILITY OF COMMONLY USED FEED INGREDIENTS FOR FARMED NILE TILAPIA (OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS L.) AND AFRICAN CATFISH (CLARIAS GARIEPINUS, BURCHELL) IN KENYA, RWANDA AND TANZANIA

ABSTRACT Commonly utilized feed ingredients for culture of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda were collected over a period of six months (January -June 2010) and evaluated for their nutritive composition through proximate analysis. Most of the fish feed ingredients were found in all the three countries except a few that were unique to one or two countries as detailed in the results. Feed ingredients of animal origin exhibited significantly (P<0.05) higher crude protein levels (407 -635 g/kg DM) compared to the feed ingredients of plant based origin. Freshwater shrimps (Caridina nilotica) contained the highest crude protein levels of 635 g/kg DM. Feed ingredients of animal origin had low ether extracts (EE) with an exception of Omena fish (Rastrineobola argentea). Crude fibre (CF) was generally higher on feed ingredients of plant origin and ranged between 55-368 g/kg DM while Nitrogen Free Extracts (NfE) and ash content were higher in the feedstuffs of plant origin with an exception of maize bran which had the lowest value. Omena fish and freshwater shrimp had higher ash content of 182 and 228g/kg DM compared to other feed ingredients of animal origin, which may indicate contamination with soil particles during drying process. Based on the feed ingredient availability, potential competition with other human uses, content of crude protein and crude fibre and the feasibility of removal of anti-nutritional factors, C. nilotica, blood meal, meat and bone meal, were identified as most promising sources of animal based protein. Cotton (Gossypium spp) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed cakes provided the best option as source of processed plant based protein. Leaves of gallant soldier (Galisonga parviflora), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatus), cassava (Manihot esculenta) and papaya (Papaya carica) were identified as high potential feedstuffs of plant origin either processed or in raw form for small-scale fish farming. We recommend that in well fertilized semiintensive ponds, maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum) and rice (Oryza sativa) bran may be utilized where available to supplement natural pond food

A Rapid Assessment of the Quality of Neonatal Healthcare in Kilimanjaro Region, Northeast Tanzania.

While child mortality is declining in Africa there has been no evidence of a comparable reduction in neonatal mortality. The quality of inpatient neonatal care is likely a contributing factor but data from resource limited settings are few. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of neonatal care in the district hospitals of the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. Clinical records were reviewed for ill or premature neonates admitted to 13 inpatient health facilities in the Kilimanjaro region; staffing and equipment levels were also assessed. Among the 82 neonates reviewed, key health information was missing from a substantial proportion of records: on maternal antenatal cards, blood group was recorded for 52 (63.4%) mothers, Rhesus (Rh) factor for 39 (47.6%), VDRL for 59 (71.9%) and HIV status for 77 (93.1%). From neonatal clinical records, heart rate was recorded for3 (3.7%) neonates, respiratory rate in 14, (17.1%) and temperature in 33 (40.2%). None of 13 facilities had a functioning premature unit despite calculated gestational age <36 weeks in 45.6% of evaluated neonates. Intravenous fluids and oxygen were available in 9 out of 13 of facilities, while antibiotics and essential basic equipment were available in more than two thirds. Medication dosing errors were common; under-dosage for ampicillin, gentamicin and cloxacillin was found in 44.0%, 37.9% and 50% of cases, respectively, while over-dosage was found in 20.0%, 24.2% and 19.9%, respectively. Physician or assistant physician staffing levels by the WHO indicator levels (WISN) were generally low. Key aspects of neonatal care were found to be poorly documented or incorrectly implemented in this appraisal of neonatal care in Kilimanjaro. Efforts towards quality assurance and enhanced motivation of staff may improve outcomes for this vulnerable group