Supporting real time video over ATM networks

Includes bibliographical references.In this project, we propose and evaluate an approach to delimit and tag such independent video slice at the ATM layer for early discard. This involves the use of a tag cell differentiated from the rest of the data by its PTI value and a modified tag switch to facilitate the selective discarding of affected cells within each video slice as opposed to dropping of cells at random from multiple video frames

The Nigerian Fiction Tradition in the 21st Century and its Postmodernist Imperative

Still insisting on the essentialist and peculiar nature of African Literature, most older critics are reluctant to admit that postmodernism had taken its toll in the production and interpretation of contemporary art of Africa. In their evaluation of the Nigerian fiction since the advent of the 21st Century, these critics depict it as lacking in substance as well as inept in the treatment of “big issues” that were once the defining features in the Nigerian literary tradition. This paper, however, argues that the real issue of dispute in recent Nigerian fiction is more with the critic than the writer. It cites salient contemporary developments in academics, technology and the mass media to justify the shift in focus in determining the big issues of our time as well as locates the teleological metamorphosis of Nigerian fiction in the globalised and postmodernist literary discourse. Suggestions are also made on how the various fragmented occupations of new writers can indeed constitute and sustain the big issues that always pervaded Nigerian literature. If there is any singular scholar that has given direction to the study of Nigerian literature in the new millennium, he is Charles E. Nnolim. Although a humanist critic with proven disdain for modern literary theory, Nnolim had dismissed the African literary tradition since Achebe’s era as merely lachrymal or lamentative in nature. He says African writers began by weeping for the loss of their culture, dignity, religion and general heritage through slavery and colonialism and have continued to blame the Europeans for everything wrong that happened to their society. This stigmatized view of subservience and self-abasement is noticed too in the literature written after most African nations won their political independence. The focus of the agitations only changed from the colonial masters to African political leaders, who aside from corruption, nepotism or ineptitude, neglected to provide basic amenities like shelter, health services, water and electricity to the suffering masses. The military power mongers who incessantly interrupted civil governments in Africa were not also spared by the writers, who now wore the toga of postcolonial writers. So for the greater part of the second half of the twentieth century, African writers had merely waged a war against colonial and political leaders ranging from the era of colonialism, through national independence struggle to what is now regarded as the post-independence era stretching to the end of the 20th century where Nnolim admits that African literature had reached a “point of exhaustion”, and dwindled to a narrow artistic canvass. It was therefore quite refreshing that he sought a break from the boring stereotypes of defensive grandstanding by declaring that: …a new image of the African personality needs to be fashioned to reposition Africa for the take off of the 21st century. We need a new spiritual reorientation, a new creative hope to give artistic impetus to a new world order. Our writers in this new epoch of globalism dominated by a technologically oriented new world order must create a new Africa, a new spirit of optimism, an Africa full of promises, able to feed its teaming populations, with a healthy and vibrant people not dependent on Europe and America for sustenance(3). There is no doubt that dozens of Africans, particularly Nigerians have responded to this clarion call to write for the new age. In their introductory study of the novel genre in Nigeria in the 21st century, Allwell Abologu Onukaogu and Ezechi Onyerionwu [2009] have outlined the prolific turn-over of novels within the first ten years of the new century and were particularly impressed with their artistic sophistication as well. What has however, bothered Nnolim more is the alleged lack of depth of seriousness in the handling of themes in contrast with their predecessors like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Elechi Amadi, Festus Iyayi, Ben Okri and so on who were firmly committed to big issues like colonialism, nationalism and corruption and well advocating social change

The Rahima Dawood Memorial Lecture

A profile of Paediatric Surgery in Africa with special reference to the Tanzanian Experience: 1975-2000.Keywords: Paediatric Surgery, Africa, Tropical Africa, developing countries, Idiopathic me,v acolon

From Nativist Performance to the Stage Popular Theatre: The New Cosmopolitan Outlook of the Kwagh-hir Dramaturgy Among the Tiv People of Nigeria

For a long time, theatre scholarship in Africa has associated the Kwagh-hir and other traditional theatre with ritual practice. But as recent research findings by Iorwuese Hagher have proved, the ritual theory is not as pronounced as the folktale which is said to metamorphose into an elaborate Kwagh-hir performance. While this paper disagrees with both paradigms, it argues that the Kwagh-hir has no fixed primordial essence as it merely adopts and adapts to major cultural trends in the Tiv society. By using the historicist theoretical approach however, the paper discovers that dance and song have been the only constant elements of the Kwagh-hir performance that gives it life, and as such, draws it closer to Western stage drama and its current cosmopolitan orientation. This paper is inspired by the various stage performances this writer has watched both in Nigeria and Europe. He was a member of the Nigerian delegation that watched the Kende Kaase group and the Benue State Council for Arts and Culture at the Pan-African Festival of Arts and Culture (PANAFEST) at Cape Coast, Ghana in August 1999 as well as the Kwagh-hir performance at the Festival De L’imaginaire organized by Mason Des Cultures Du Moude in Paris, France, February 2001

Final stage surgical treatment of the conjoined twins of Masasi, Tanzania: Case report

A set of female pygopagus conjoined twins, Agnes and Helen, were born to Margaret Paulo, 22, primigravida, at Masasi in Southern Tanzania on 2/4/98. They were referred from Ndanda Mission Hospital to Muhimbili Medical Centre (MMC) on 28/5/98 and from MMC to the Children’s Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa, where they were successfully separatedby Prof. H. Rode and his Team on 28/10/98. Upon separation each Twin had an anorectoplasty and a sigmoid colostomy, with which they returned to Tanzania after post-operative recovery. The colostomy closures were performed at MMC by Prof. J.K. Shija, assisted by Dr. P.J. Ngiloi, on 11/3/99 (Helen) and 18/3/99 (Agnes), after completion of Anorectaltreatment. They were discharged from MMC on 16/4/99, in satisfactory condition

Trends of Avicennia marina Productivity as Influenced by Climatic Seasons: A Case Study of Mbweni Mangrove Forest Ecosystem

Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. is a salt tolerant plant that grows in the saline environment along the coastline. A study was carried out at Mbweni Mangrove Forests aimed at evaluating the effects of different climatic seasons on the productivity, growth, survival and spread of A. marina. A. marina litter falls were collected in nine litter traps set randomly at different stands of the mangrove forest where A. marina occupied at a density of 0.10 individual/m2. Monthly collected litter were sorted into separate components, i.e. leaves, stems and seeds, weighed, recorded and mean weight values were calculated. From the litter, Sodium ions were determined by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer method while Chlorine ions were determined by Ion Chromatography method. In leaf litter accumulation, the highest production was found in September with a mean weight of 78.53g/m2. For Sodium and Chlorine ions, the mean concentration started to rise during the dry season of June to September. Lowest leaf litter mean values were recorded in April with a mean weight of 7.23g/m2 and the concentration of Sodium and Chlorine ions was found lower during the wet season of April and May. For the propagule organs, data were recorded for only three months in which the highest accumulation was found in April with a mean value of 19.3g/m2. During wet season in the month of April, high rates of propagules accumulation with dispersal was accelerated by water runoff leading to establishment of new colonies. For the duration of dry season (June to August) the soils had extreme salinity due to low rainfall. The inorganic ions, sodium (Na) and Chlorine (Cl) started to accumulate in the plant in order to maintain the homeostatic control, turgor pressure and osmotic adjustment. Accumulation of these ions and salts resulted to high productivity of leaf litter in September as a means of removing excess ions and unwanted salts. This was facilitated by strong wind that finally brought short rains in the month of November that also resulted to new vegetation. From this study, it can be concluded that varying climatic seasons has effects to A. marina productivity, growth and survival in the salt stressed environment, indicating that mangroves have a salt tolerant characteristics.Key words: Avicennia marina, propagule organs, productivity, leaf litter, salinity

Mathematics Education among Higher Education Students: Analysis using Structural Equation Modelling and Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Purpose: The objectives of the study were to study the ‘student-related’ dimensions impacting the students studying Basic Mathematics at the Colleges of Technology (COT) in Oman and to analyze and determine the intervention programs and strategies in reducing the student dismissal rate in all the Colleges of Technology in Oman. Design/methodology/approach:  The study was a diagnostic study, and the approach was a comparative analysis.  Self-administered survey forms were used. The targeted populations of this study were the students of Colleges of Technology, who will fill out the survey forms for the quality audit. A systematic sampling of the students, males, and females, from different colleges, was carried out. To analyze data, the mean, standard deviations, and factor analysis were used. Findings: The findings of this study shows the significance of study habits which was one of the crucial criteria set for the educational purpose that should be developed from a younger age. The significance was established through the SEM and the goodness of fit indexes of CFA. Furthermore, of the four student-related dimensions, study habits have a strong influence on achievement in Basic Mathematics, and are followed by interest, language, and perception. Research limitations/implications: The comparative study of the factors from the point of view of students, is reliable to show the significance of testing. This research was limited to the Omani population who were related to COT. Social implications: This study would help the authorities and stakeholders to facilitate new initiatives to achieve a higher rate of students moving into higher education in the Sultanate of Oman. The outcomes of this research would improve the new design of the education system to fulfill the visions of the nation. Originality/Value: There was no such study that relates the academic performance of the students studying at the College of Technology in the Sultanate of Oman to the dismissal rate/ expulsion rate. This is the first-ever project which investigates the factors that affect the future education of Omani students from the student’s point of view

Maternal health in fifty years of Tanzania independence: Challenges and opportunities of reducing maternal mortality

High rate of maternal death is one of the major public health concerns in Tanzania.  Most of maternal deaths are caused by factors attributed to pregnancy, childbirth and poor quality of health services. More than 80% of maternal deaths can be prevented if pregnant women access essential maternity care and assured of skilled attendance at childbirth as well as emergency obstetric care. The objective of this review was to analyse maternal mortality situation in Tanzania during the past 50 years and to identify efforts, challenges and opportunities of reducing it. This paper was written through desk review of key policy documents, technical reports, publications and available internet-based literature. From 1961 to 1990 maternal mortality ratio in Tanzania had been on a downward trend from 453 to 200 per 100,000 live births. However, from 1990’s there been an increasing trend to 578 per 100,000 live births. Current statistics indicate that maternal mortality ratio has dropped slightly in 2010 to 454 per 100,000 live births. Despite a high coverage (96%) in pregnant women who attend at least one antenatal clinic, only half of the women (51%) have access to skilled delivery. Coverage of emergence obstetric services is 64.5% and utilization of modern family planning method is 27%. Only about 13% of home deliveries access post natal check-up. Despite a number of efforts maternal mortality is still unacceptably high. Some of the efforts done  to reduce maternal mortality in Tanzania included the following initiatives: reproductive and child survival; increased skilled delivery; maternal death audit; coordination and integration of  different programs including maternal and child health services, family planning, malaria interventions, expanded program on immunization  and adolescent health and nutrition programmes. These initiatives are however challenged by inadequate access to maternal health care services. In order to considerably reduce maternal deaths some of recommended strategies include: (i) strengthening the health system to provide skilled attendance during child birth; (ii) upgrading rural health centres to provide emergency obstetric services; (iii) providing adolescent and male friendly family planning services; (iv) strengthening public–private partnership to ensure continuum of care; (v) supporting operational research to answer the immediate concerns of the health system; and (vi) strengthening community participation and women empowerment to take role of their own health and the family at large. In conclusion, maternal mortality ratio in Tanzania is unacceptably high and still very far from reaching the millennium development goals. Maternal health care services should focus on ensuring there is continuum of care through strengthening the health system; provision of good quality of health care in a well organized referral health system and operation research to support programme implementation

Assessment of milk handling practices and bacterial contaminations along the dairy value chain in Lushoto and Handeni districts, Tanzania

Contaminated milk is responsible for up to 90% of all dairy-related diseases of humans. A cross sectional study was carried out in Lushoto and Handeni districts of Tanga, Tanzania to determine the milk handling practices, bacterial contamination and selected milk-borne zoonotic pathogens along the dairy value chain. A total of 93 respondents were interviewed and 184 milk and milk product samples were collected. Laboratory analysis of total and coliform plate counts, detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Brucella abortus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were done. Results showed that, most farmers (57 %) milked their cows under unhygienic conditions. More than 60% of farmers did not clean their hands, wash cow teats and clean animal houses before milking. The majority (92.1%) of farmers were not trained on livestock keeping and milk handling. Although the mean TPC was within the East African Community (EAC) standards, general counts ranged between 3.3 to 5.8 log10. Eighty seven and 93% of milk from farmers and vendors, respectively, did not meet the TPC EAC standards. All the collected milk did not meet the CPC EAC standards, indicating contamination of milk with coliforms. PCR analyses did not detect E. coli O157:H7 in all the tested samples while B. abortus was detected in 37 out of 87 samples tested. It was concluded that unhygienic practices of milking and post-harvest handling along the dairy value chain possibly contributed to microbial contamination of milk. Detection of B. abortus in milk is of public health significance due to its zoonotic potential. It is recommended that veterinary/extension services be provided to livestock farmers on proper animal husbandry and control of zoonotic animal diseases. Public education should be given to all stakeholders in dairy industry on milking and post harvest handling of milk to curtail the likely losses due to rejection of spoiled milk and milk-borne pathogens resulting from contamination of milk