National report of IFMP catch assessment survey (CAS) for August 2005

The first comprehensive CAS was carried out during the month of July 2005 This is the second report of CAS for the month of August 2005 following the July report. The design and methodology followed was the same as in July. This report highlights the results obtained in August catch assessment survey. The report gives estimates of mean catch rates in Kgs./boat/day, total catches in M.tons and values of the catch by species. The total catch for August was 31,633.0 M. tons. This is lower when compared with the July catch which was 39,745.1 M. tons. In August the catch composed of Dagaa (45%), Nile perch (33%), Haplochromines (16%), Tilapiines (5%) and all other species combined (1%). (PDF contains 14 pages

Uptake of Measles Vaccination Services and Associated Factors Among under Fives in Temeke district, Dar es salaam Region, Tanzania

Measles outbreaks have been recurring in Tanzania despite ongoing efforts in immunization. In May 2011, there was a large Measles outbreak in the Temeke district, Dar es salaam where a total 588 cases were reported. The investigation found that a large percentage of underfives had not received measles vaccination. Although measles vaccination coverage figures are easily available, information about factors affecting uptake of measles vaccination services is not easily available. In order to plan and implement interventions that aim to improve uptake of measles vaccination services, information on the determinants of measles uptake level such as community, health facility, household and children factors is needed. This study investigated the factors associated with the low uptake of vaccination services in Temeke district. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the uptake of measles vaccination services and associated factors among children aged 12-23 months. Uptake of measles vaccination services was defined as the act of taking a child for vaccination which shows the level of acceptance of vaccination services by a caretaker. Uptake of measles vaccination was categorized into two groups; Low uptake and high uptake of vaccination services. Any child who had received both routine and supplementary measles vaccines was said to have high uptake and a child was said to have a low uptake of vaccination services if he/she had received either routine or supplementary only or neither of the two vaccines. Household and children determinants of low uptake for measles services were assessed. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to identify significant determinants of low uptake. Analysis was done using EpiInfo version 3.5.1. A total of 295 children aged between 12-23 months were involved in the study. The mean age was 17 months. A total of 82 out 295 (27.8%) children had received either routine or supplementary vaccine or neither of the two vaccine i.e had a low uptake of vaccination services. A total of 23 (7.8%) out of 295 children had not received routine measles vaccination while 66 out of 295 (23.4%) children had not received supplementary measles vaccination. The number of children who neither received routine nor supplementary vaccinations was 9 out of 295 (3%). Factors which were significantly associated with low uptake of vaccination services were younger age of the child (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 2.11 CI 1.10-4.38), low education level of the caretaker (AOR 3.36 CI 1.17-9.62), caretaker’s lack of knowledge on the purpose of supplementary measles vaccine (AOR 2.04 CI 1.06-3.93), caretaker’s lack of knowledge of the age for routine measles vaccination (AOR 4.71 CI 2.47-8.99), residing in a ward where there are high measles cases (AOR 2.29 CI 1.23- 4.27) and residing in a ward less than 2 years duration (AOR 2.24 CI 1.12-4.48). The uptake of both routine and supplementary measles vaccine is below the Tanzania estimated coverage. Household and childhood factors played a role in determining the uptake of measles vaccination services. There is a need for the DHMT to revisit the Health education sessions during RCH services covering vaccine preventable diseases and identify gaps to be addressed. The team should also find out reasons behind mothers not sending children for vaccination especially supplementary vaccines

Involvement of methyltransferases enzymes during the energy metabolism of the anaerobic archaeon methanosarcina semesiae sp. Nov.

The methyl group transfer from dimethylsulfide (DMS), trimethylamine and methanol to 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid (coenzyme M) were investigated from cell extracts of Methanosarcina semesiae sp. nov. to evaluate whether the enzyme systems involved were constitutive or inductive. The extracts from cells grown on DMS exhibited methanogenic activity exclusively with DMS and methanethiol. Likewise when cells were pre-grown on trimethylamine or methanol the extracts only produced methane from the respective metaboilic substrate. Dimethylsulfide:methyl-coenzyme M transferase activity was dependent on ATP, but hydrogen did not stimulate activity. The fact that ATP could be replaced by the reductant Ti(III)-citrate indicates that reductive activation of methyl transfer reaction in DMS conversion proceeds in a manner similar to methyltransferasesinvolved in methanol and trimethylamine conversion, but with a different reduction source. This source appears to be limited since sometimes the cell extracts were totally inactive in the presence of ATP, while still being activated with Ti(III)-citrate. It was concluded that enzymes involved inmethyl transfer reactions are specific for each substrate; DMS, trimethylamine and methanol and have to be induced. Further investigations are recommended to corroborate the current study

Ecological and evolutionary determinants of anopheline host species choice and its implications for malaria transmission

Despite the importance of host species choice of mosquito vectors to the epidemiology and control of malaria, our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary factors that drive the host species preference in these vectors is very limited. My PhD thesis aimed to experimentally investigate the potential ecological and evolutionary determinants of the host species choice of the African malaria vectors Anopheles arabiensis and An. gambiae s.s, which are amongst the most highly specialized and efficient malaria vectors in the world, and identify a control strategy that reduces their anthrophily. I used a unique semi-field system where these vectors were able to interact naturally with hosts of different species to establish whether their fitness depends on type of host species, they encounter and feed upon. My initial prediction was that highly host-specific feeding behaviour of these vectors is a product of natural selection whereby mosquito fitness is highest on their naturally preferred host types. This prediction was met in An. arabiensis, whose feeding success and lifetime egg production was predicted to be higher on their naturally preferred bovid hosts. However, I did not detect any association between the preference of An. gambiae s.s for humans and their lifetime reproductive success, although they obtain larger blood meals and survived longer on these naturally preferred human hosts. These findings suggest the role of host species on mosquito fitness varies between vector species. I then evaluated whether the host species-specific fitness of malaria vectors may be attributed to intrinsic defensive behaviours and haematological properties that make some host species being more beneficial than others. My initial prediction was that mosquito feeding success and fitness would be the highest in the absence of host defensive behaviours and, more specifically, that the least defensive host species would be the most highly preferred in nature. I have found that the feeding success (probability of obtaining a blood meal) of An. arabiensis is greater on host species with least effective defenses (e.g. bovids). However, this association was not apparent for anthrophilic An. gambiae s.s. Surprisingly, I found that the subsequent fitness (blood meal size and survival) of both vector species was generally greater on hosts who were free to exhibit defensive behaviours than those whose behaviours were restricted. These findings suggest that natural physical defensive behaviours made by hosts including humans may not impose strong fitness costs to malaria vectors. Therefore, I conclude that if natural host defensive behaviours shape the host species preference of malaria vectors they do so by influencing the probability of acquiring a blood meal but not the value of the blood meal if obtained. I also assessed whether the nutritive value of host blood, as determined by haematological properties of packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin concentration (Hb), could explain variation in fitness of malaria vectors on different host species. I found that the PCV and Hb of host species that are commonly encountered by malaria vectors in their natural environments vary significantly. I further found that the variation in these haematological properties influence the feeding success (e.g. blood intake rate) of the anthrophilic An. gambiae s.s but not the An. arabiensis. Anopheles gambiae s.s obtain full blood meal faster on hosts with low and medium levels of PCV. Surprisingly, these haematological traits were predicted to have opposite effects on the survival of both vector species. The survival of An. gambiae s.s was positively correlated with host PCV, but negatively correlated with their Hb. In contrast, the survival of An. arabiensis was predicted to be positively correlated with host Hb, but negatively related with PCV. Overall, there was no clear evidence that haematological properties of the host species preferred by these mosquito vectors are optimal for their fitness. I then extended my investigations to a laboratory investigation to measure the impact of host species diversity on the fitness of An. gambiae s.s throughout their life. Under these conditions, I found that An. gambiae s.s had similar fitness after either feeding on a uniform (human-only) or mixed host species. These findings indicate that the blood composition of different species may be unlikely to reduce the fitness of An. gambiae s.s My PhD thesis also experimentally measured the impact of using simple intervention (e.g. an untreated bed net) on reducing the fitness of malaria vectors that acquire from human hosts. I found that the lifetime reproductive output of An. arabiensis on protected human was significantly lower than on bovid hosts. In contrast, the use of untreated nets by humans reduced survival of anthrophilic An. gambiae s.s, but the reduction was not predicted to be sufficient to significantly reduce the total lifetime reproductive output of these mosquitoes on human hosts than on animal alternatives. These findings suggest that the widespread use of simple untreated net may generate selection pressures for An. arabiensis to maintain their feeding on bovid hosts and to a lesser extent for An. gambiae s.s to reduce their anthrophily. The findings of my PhD research have implications for the epidemiology and control of malaria. I found that host species and their intrinsic properties may influence aspects of the feeding success, blood meal size and survival of malaria vectors which are the key determinants of malaria transmission intensity. I further demonstrate that selectively protecting humans with untreated nets may generate selection pressures for malaria vectors to reduce their anthrophily and consequently the transmission intensity of malaria. These findings suggest integrating existing interventions (e.g., use of untreated and insecticide treated bed nets) with environmental management that increases availability of an alternate host species (e.g. zooprophylaxis) may generate selection pressures for An. gambiae s.s to reduce their anthrophily, and An. arabiensis to maintain their feeding on alternative animal hosts (zoophily). Overall, I discuss the impacts of host species choice and intrinsic host factors on the fitness of African malaria vectors, the impacts of intervention on their fitness and their potential to select for a host shift, and the implications to epidemiology and control of malaria. I finally highlight gaps in the knowledge of the evolution of host species choice in malaria vectors where more research is required

The impact of uniform and mixed species blood meals on the fitness of the mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae s.s: does a specialist pay for diversifying its host species diet?

We investigated the fitness consequences of specialization in an organism whose host choice has an immense impact on human health: the African malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.s. We tested whether this mosquito’s specialism on humans can be attributed to the relative fitness benefits of specialist vs. generalist feeding strategies by contrasting their fecundity and survival on human-only and mixed host diets consisting of blood meals from humans and animals. When given only one blood meal, An. gambiae s.s. survived significantly longer on human and bovine blood, than on canine or avian blood. However, when blood fed repeatedly, there was no evidence that the fitness of An. gambiae s.s. fed a human-only diet was greater than those fed generalist diets. This suggests that the adoption of generalist host feeding strategies in An. gambiae s.s. is not constrained by intraspecific variation in the resource quality of blood from other available host species

Conditional Conservatism and its Effect on Earnings Quality and Stock Prices in Indian Capital Market

This study examines conditional conservatism in Indian capital markets and extent to which conditional conservatism affect earnings quality and stock prices. Conservatism principle has been traditionally used in financial reporting for long time it has been dominant accounting principles (Watts 2003). In recent years, the focus of standard setters such is IASB have been less conservative accounting standard. We used secondary data for companies listed in Bombay stock exchange from 2006 to 2012. We employed pooled panel data regression with standard error robust. We find enough evidence to support presence of conditional conservatism during 2006 to 2012 in Indian capital market. We also find that conservatism do not affect the quality of reported earnings, however it influence stock prices. Keywords: Conservatism, earnings quality, returns

Contextualizing rituals in the Christian mission to the Chagga people : the reception in the Northern diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania of the approach to contextualization as developed by the rev. dr. Bruno Gutmann (1876-1966) during the first four decades of the 20ieth century

Master's thesis in Theology. School of Mission and Theology, May 201

Accrual Quality and Stock Price Informativeness: Evidence from India.

This study examines the relationship between accrual quality and stock price informativeness. Study used secondary data collected from prowess database similar to prior studies Ansari &Khan 2012 and Dhole, et al. 2012. The study used sample of 91 companies listed in BSE 100 during the period of 2007 to 2011. We employed Breusch-Pegan Lagrange multiplier (LM) to select panel regression model and also eliminate the effect of outliers by deciles rank of accrual quality similar with prior study (Johnston 2009 and Jing 2007). We employed random effect panel regression model to investigate relationship between accrual quality and stock price informativeness. The results suggest that accrual quality is positively related to stock price informativeness. The present findings are similar with Jing (2007) and Johnston 2009 who find positive significantly association between accrual quality and stock price informativeness in USA. Results support that accrual quality matters in the process of incorporating firm specific information.   Keywords: Stock price informativeness, Stock price synchronicity, Earnings quality, and Accrual quality: synchronicity and informative will be interchangeable to mean inverse of each other

The effect of seeding depth and soil incorporated herbicides on spring wheat

Non-Peer Reviewe

The influence of complexity, perceived benefits, social influence, and demographics on adoption of Internet banking in Tanzania

This study aimed at testing the influence of perceived benefits, social influence, technological complexity, and demographic variables in the adoption of internet banking in Tanzania. Using a structured questionnaire, convenient and quota samples of bank customers was used that yielded 400 dully filled questionnaires with 200 for those who are using internet banking and 200 who have not adopted the use of internet banking with binary regression used to test the hypotheses. Binary logistic regression results successfully classifying bank customers’ internet usage by 75.8% after inclusion of perceived benefits, social influence and complexity. An addition of only 3.7% accuracy in classifying bank customers arises after the inclusion of demographic variables. The results indicate that complexity, perceived benefits, and social influence contribute positively in the adoption of internet banking. The finding provides practical implications to commercial banks on how to promote internet banking effectively and efficiently that will enhance financial inclusion of the population in African developing economies context. Theoretically, the study incorporates and integrates variables into the common models used to explain internet adoption