EFFECT OF COLLABORATIVE CONCEPT MAPPING TEACHING STRATEGY ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS MATHEMATICS IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA

Achievement level in Mathematics in Secondary Schools in Kenya is still low despite numerous interventions. Conceptual understanding and attitudes have emerged in recent discoveries as the critical factors contributing to the continued inertia in performance in the subject. This study sought to establish the effect of Collaborative Concept Mapping (CCM) teaching strategy on secondary school students’ development of cognitive and affective domain. Specifically, the study sought to find out if there was any difference in Students’ achievement in mathematics, as a group and gender wise, and students’ attitude toward Mathematics subject when taught using the Collaborative Concept Mapping Teaching Strategy and the Conventional Methods of Instruction. The theoretical framework is based on constructivist theory which views learners as active constructors of meaning from input by processing it through existing cognitive structures and retaining it in the long-term memory. This study used a Quasi-experimental Solomon Four-Fold research design. The sample for the study comprised 161 form three students and 4 teachers of mathematics from 4 randomly selected sub-county co-educational secondary schools in the 4 sub-counties of Bomet County. The four co-educational schools were randomly assigned into two experimental (E1 & E2) and two control (C1 & C2) groups. Students in the experimental group were taught using Collaborative Concept Mapping (CCM) Teaching Strategy for three weeks while the control group was taught using Conventional Methods of Instruction. Students’ Attitude Towards Mathematics Questionnaire (SATMQ) was used to collect data. Circles Concept Achievement Test (CCAT) was administered to determine students’ conceptual understanding and achievement on the topic of ‘circles concept’ in Mathematics. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis which included frequencies, mean, t-test and ANOVA. All the statistical tests were subjected to a test of significance at alpha (α) level of 0.05. The results revealed that there was statistically significant difference in mathematics achievement and attitudes towards mathematics in favour of CCM between students exposed to Collaborative Concept Mapping teaching strategy (CCM) and those taught using Conventional Method of Instruction. The findings further revealed that there was no statistically significant gender difference among students exposed to CCM teaching strategy. From the findings it can be concluded that the level of achievement in the learning of mathematical concepts and the attitude towards mathematics is marked higher when the students are taught using the Collaborative Concept Mapping Teaching Strategy (CCM) than when the conventional method is employed. Based on the findings, recommendations were made on the need for teachers to integrate Collaborative Concept Mapping Teaching Strategy (CCM) teaching strategy in the mathematics instruction to enhance conceptual understanding, improve achievement and foster positive attitude in the subject. There is also need for teacher training institutions to incorporate CCM as one of the strategies in mathematics instruction and that the serving teachers can be retooled to enable them to integrate CCM teaching strategy effectively in Mathematics learning. Mathematics curriculum developers need to restructure and integrate CCM among learner-centred strategies in Mathematics education.  Article visualizations

Psychometric Properties of the Berger HIV Stigma Scale: A Systematic Review

Addressing HIV-related stigma requires the use of psychometrically sound measures. However, despite the Berger HIV stigma scale (HSS) being among the most widely used measures for assessing HIV-related stigma, no study has systematically summarised its psychometric properties. This review investigated the psychometric properties of the HSS. A systematic review of articles published between 2001 and August 2021 was undertaken (CRD42020220305) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Additionally, we searched the grey literature and screened the reference lists of the included studies. Of the total 1241 studies that were screened, 166 were included in the review, of which 24 were development and/or validation studies. The rest were observational or experimental studies. All the studies except two reported some aspect of the scale’s reliability. The reported internal consistency ranged from acceptable to excellent (Cronbach’s alpha ≥ 0.70) in 93.2% of the studies. Only eight studies reported test–retest reliability, and the reported reliability was adequate, except for one study. Only 36 studies assessed and established the HSS’s validity. The HSS appears to be a reliable and valid measure of HIV-related stigma. However, the validity evidence came from only 36 studies, most of which were conducted in North America and Europe. Consequently, more validation work is necessary for more precise insight

Operational Research Project Management, Experiences, Challenges and Lessons Learnt

Introduction: Effective project management revolves around Strategic Management. Logistics seem simple and straight forward but, often the role  it plays in scientific undertakings is overlooked. It is usually assumed that research starts and ends in the laboratory. It is a fact that, for research activities to be successful, it requires exceptional planning to ensure that, resources are available as per the approved work-plan. This entails  determination of what, when, who, why and how it is to be done. Recent studies indicate that, logistics-related activities' impact on research  undertakings significantly. Objective: To document the project management experiences and lessons learnt in coordinating and implementation of East Africa Public Health Laboratories Networking Project –Operational Research (EAPHLNP-OR) activities in five East African countries, namely: Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania. Methodology: The operational research component of the EAPHLNP, KEMRI established an OR Secretariat to coordinate the project activities in  Kenya and provide leadership to regional principal investigators. In consultation with the project Secretariat, the role of the administrator involved Work plan and budget preparation, planning, organizing, communicating, coordinating local and regional meetings, linking KEMRI research team with the study site (Hospital Administration) and Research Teams in the various counties. The site Teams obtained informed consent, recruited respondents, collected specimens, analyzed the specimens and shipped a portion of the same together with the results to KEMRI. Key Activities Of The Project: Managing financial aspects (budget and financial report preparations), logistical coordination, and procurement of training materials, organizing for meeting venues, taking minutes, travel arrangements and participation in scientific report writing. Control mechanism such as dairies, ledger books, work plan charts and schedules, managing and monitoring the progress of the project activities. Lesson Learnt & Challenges: Interpersonal skills were essential at all stages of the project. The critical stage was the forming, storming, and  norming stages. Here, group dynamics and conflicts took center stage. This threatened to stall the OR Project. Timely and constant communication with the study site coordinators, prioritization of scheduled project activities, was essential. Ensuring all parties are kept informed on the progress of the OR activities. The information in user-friendly format dairies and schedules provided the necessary feedback at administrative level, on project performance and at research findings. Key challenges included fluctuating funding, group dynamic conflicts and staff transfers. Discussion: EAPHLNP-OR was a Seven (7) years project undertaking, which for effective management involved understanding of the operating environment, strategic planning for short and long term goals, constant communication, review of priorities, documentation and practise of goodinterpersonal skills. Conclusion: Successful project management in OR required an administrator to coordinate the utilization of the available resources both capital and human. This is the second supplement in this issue only aspects on findings from TB and Enteric studies done in Kenya have been addressed.Three regional policy briefs on TB Enteric and malaria have been included

Balance of human choline kinase isoforms is critical for cell cycle regulation: Implications for the development of choline kinase-targeted cancer therapy.

The enzyme choline kinase (CK), which catalyzes the phosphorylation of choline to phosphorylcholine in the presence of ATP, has an essential role in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, the major constituent of all mammalian cell membranes. CK is encoded by two separate genes expressing the three isoforms CKα1, CKα2 and CKβ that are active as homodimeric or heterodimeric species. Metabolic changes observed in various cancer cell lines and tumors have been associated with differential and marked up-regulation of the CKα genes, and specific inhibition of CKα activity has been proposed as a potential anti-cancer strategy. As a result, less attention has been given to CKβ and its interaction with CKα. With the aim of profiling the intracellular roles of CKα and CKβ, we used RNA interference (RNAi) as a molecular approach to down-regulate the expression of CK in HeLa cells. Individual and simultaneous RNAi-based silencing of the CK α and β isoforms was achieved using different combinations of knockdown strategies. Efficient knockdown was confirmed by immunodetection using our isoform-specific antibodies and by quantitative real-time PCR. Our analyses of the phenotypic consequences of CK depletion showed the expected lethal effect of CKα knockdown. However, CKβ- and CKα + CKβ-silenced cells had no aberrant phenotype. Therefore, our results support the hypothesis that the balance of the α and β isoforms is critical for cancer cell survival. The suppression of the cancer cell killing effect of CKα silencing by simultaneous knockdown of both isoforms implies that a more effective CK-based anti-cancer strategy can be achieved by reducing cross-reactivity with CKβ

Resistance of Common Circulating Enteric Bacterial Pathogens to Prescribed Antibiotics Among Under Five Years in Selected Public Hospitals in Kenya

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Facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide/MWNTs nanocomposite supercapacitor materials tested as electrophoretically deposited films on glassy carbon electrodes

This paper reports on a facile synthesis method for reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) nanocomposites. The initial step involves the use of graphene oxide to disperse the MWNTs, with subsequent reduction of the resultant graphene oxide/MWNTs composites using l-ascorbic acid (LAA) as a mild reductant. Reduction by LAA preserves the interaction between the rGO sheets and MWNTs. The dispersion-containing rGO/MWNTs composites was characterized and electrophoretically deposited anodically onto glassy carbon electrodes to form high surface area films for capacitance testing. Pseudo capacitance peaks were observed in the rGO/MWNTs composite electrodes, resulting in superior performance with capacitance values up to 134.3 F g−1 recorded. This capacitance value is higher than those observed for LAA-reduced GO (LAA-rGO) (63.5 F g−1), electrochemically reduced GO (EC-rGO) (27.6 F g−1), or electrochemically reduced GO/MWNTs (EC-rGO/MWNTs) (98.4 F g−1)-based electrodes.© 2013, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

Nutritional status of adult male on art at Kericho District Hospital, Kericho County, Kenya

Background: Nutrition and HIV are strongly related and any immune impairment as a result of HIV leads to malnutrition while malnutrition leads to immune impairment and thus worsens the effect of HIV. Individuals living with HIV have special nutritional needs irrespective of whether they are on anti-retroviral treatment or receiving care services.Objective: To establish nutritional status of adult male on ART at Kericho District Hospital, Kenya.Design: Cross sectional analytical study.Setting: HIV clinic at Kericho District Hospital, Kenya.Subjects: HIV positive adult male patientsResults: Body Mass Index ≥18.5 and ≤ 24.5 (70.92), >16 & < 18.5 (11.94), >25.5 and < 30 (11.94), ≤ 16 (2.58) and ≥30.Conclusion: There is a high burden of malnutrition among PLHIV on ART (29.1%). Nutritional assessment, Counseling and support (NACS) should be the key intervention during the course of chronic HIV care and follow up

Living with AIDS in Uganda: a qualitative study of patients' and families' experiences following referral to hospice

Background: Globally, the majority of people with HIV/AIDS live in sub-Saharan Africa. While the increasing availability of antiretroviral therapy is improving the outlook for many, its effects are yet to reach all of those in need and patients still present with advanced disease. This paper reports findings from qualitative interviews with patients living with AIDS and their caregivers who were receiving palliative care from Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU). We aimed to understand what motivated patients and their families to seek formal healthcare, whether there were any barriers to help- seeking and how the help and support provided to them by HAU was perceived. Methods: We invited patients with AIDS and their relatives who were newly referred to HAU to participate in qualitative interviews. Patients and carers were interviewed in their homes approximately four weeks after the patient’s enrolment at HAU. Interviews were translated, transcribed and analysed using narrative and thematic approaches. Results: Interviews were completed with 22 patients (10 women and 12 men) and 20 family caregivers, nominated by patients. Interviews revealed the extent of suffering patients endured and the strain that family caregivers experienced before help was sought or accessed. Patients reported a wide range of severe physical symptoms. Patients and their relatives reported worries about the disclosure of the AIDS diagnosis and fear of stigma. Profound poverty framed all accounts. Poverty and stigma were, depending on the patient and family situation, both motivators and barriers to help seeking behaviour. Hospice services were perceived to provide essential relief of pain and symptoms, as well as providing rehabilitative support and a sense of caring. The hospice was perceived relieve utter destitution, although it was unable to meet all the expectations that patients had. Conclusion: Hospice care was highly valued and perceived to effectively manage problems such as pain and other symptoms and to provide rehabilitation. Participants noted a strong sense of being “cared for”. However, poverty and a sense of stigma were widespread. Further research is needed to understand how poverty and stigma can be effectively managed in hospice care for patients for advanced AIDS and their families

Lethal Mutagenesis of Picornaviruses with N-6-Modified Purine Nucleoside Analogues

RNA viruses exhibit extraordinarily high mutation rates during genome replication. Nonnatural ribonucleosides that can increase the mutation rate of RNA viruses by acting as ambiguous substrates during replication have been explored as antiviral agents acting through lethal mutagenesis. We have synthesized novel N-6-substituted purine analogues with ambiguous incorporation characteristics due to tautomerization of the nucleobase. The most potent of these analogues reduced the titer of poliovirus (PV) and coxsackievirus (CVB3) over 1,000-fold during a single passage in HeLa cell culture, with an increase in transition mutation frequency up to 65-fold. Kinetic analysis of incorporation by the PV polymerase indicated that these analogues were templated ambiguously with increased efficiency compared to the known mutagenic nucleoside ribavirin. Notably, these nucleosides were not efficient substrates for cellular ribonucleotide reductase in vitro, suggesting that conversion to the deoxyriboucleoside may be hindered, potentially limiting genetic damage to the host cell. Furthermore, a high-fidelity PV variant (G64S) displayed resistance to the antiviral effect and mutagenic potential of these analogues. These purine nucleoside analogues represent promising lead compounds in the development of clinically useful antiviral therapies based on the strategy of lethal mutagenesis