The rising demand for higher education: the case of Women's University in Africa

A position paper on the rising demand for Higher Education in Africa with Zimbabwe as a case study.Higher education worldwide is undergoing a continuous process of transformation and differentiation as new challenges emerge in the macro socio-economic and political environment. Not only have existing institutions expanded their curricula to offer a wider range of courses, hut new types of institutions have been established to cater for groups which have not been able to access higher education and training in the existing colleges and universities

Vocationalisation of secondary education in Zimbabwe: an examination of current policies, options and strategies for the 21st century

A position paper advocating the need for policy reforms to vocationalize the secondary school educational curriculum in Zimbabwe.This paper examines the apparent conflict between persistent attempts to vocationalise school curricula in relation to the controversy surrounding the provision of school-based vocational education in developing countries. It is argued in the paper that given the socioeconomic and political context of Zimbabwe as a post-colonial state, the provision of technical/ vocational education should emerge as one of the key educational reforms as we approach the 21s' Century’. The historical, social-economic and political factors influencing post independence curricula reforms in Zimbabwe provide the conceptual framework of my discussion

Informing coverage and reimbursement decisions of medical devices: evidence from acute wound care and musculoskeletal disorders

The burden of wounds and musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders are rising, primarily due to higher life expectancy and the growing epidemic of associated chronic diseases. This has made identifying technologies that can improve patient outcomes at the lowest cost possible an increasingly important pursuit. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the clinical and economic evidence used to inform coverage and reimbursement decisions of medical devices using examples from wound care and MSK disorders. This thesis presents and offers a critique of 8 of my publications, which either updated, and or contributed to new knowledge in the field. The clinical effectiveness of wound and MSK disorders was explored via systematic literature reviews, meta-analysis, and indirect treatment comparison. The clinical evidence was then used to inform the cost-effectiveness analysis of these interventions in these patient populations. The result of the analyses assessed for this thesis demonstrate; that for burn wound care, ACTICOAT was the most cost-effective compared with other silver dressings, whereas the use of PICO negative pressure wound therapy following surgical incision was cost-saving from a payer’s perspective compared with standard care. Lastly, in MSK disorders, the use of twin-screw intramedullary nail InterTAN was found to be cost-saving from a payer’s perspective compared with single-screw nails in patients with unstable trochanteric fractures. Using examples of wound and MSK disorders, the thesis demonstrates that when clinical and cost-evidence are utilised, clinicians and payers are able to make decisions that optimise patients’ outcomes as well as their budgetary spend. This was illustrated in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, where PICO negative pressure wound therapy was granted widespread coverage, and the South Korean Health authority granting a 10% price increase for InterTAN citing evidence presented in this iv thesis. The strengths and limitations of this thesis was highlighted and recommendations suggested for future research

Vocationalisation of secondary education in Zimbabwe : a theoretical and empirical investigation.

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DX194380 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Lactation performance and blood metabolites in lactating dairy cows micro-supplemented with Moringa oleifera leaf meal

This study examined the effects of micro-supplementation of Moringa oleifera leaf meal on lactation performance and blood metabolites of lactating dairy cows. Thirty Jersey cows (± 40 days in milk (DIM)) were supplemented with Moringa oleifera leaf meal (M) at 0 (M0), 30 (M30) and 60 g/cow/day. The experiment lasted until 90 DIM with 14 days adaptation. Milk yield was recorded daily and samples were collected once weekly to determine milk composition and total antioxidant capacity (MTAC). Blood samples were collected on days 54, 68 and 90 in milk to determine serum total protein (TSP), albumin (Alb), immunoglobulin G (IgG) and serum total antioxidant capacity (STAC). Body weight (BW) and milk yield were not affected (P >0.05) by Moringa supplementation. Moringa supplementation at M60 increased (P <0.05) milk fat and MTAC with a significant reduction in somatic cell count (SCC). Increased (P <0.05) total serum protein (TSP) and IgG with reduced (P <0.05) non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) levels were observed in M60. Increased (P <0.05) STAC levels were noted in all groups supplemented with Moringa. Micro-supplementation with Moringa oleifera at 60 g/cow/day markedly reduced oxidative stress, which resulted in improved milk quality and immunity in lactating Jersey cows.Keywords: antioxidant herbs, antioxidative status, immunity, Jersey cows, milk yiel

Nitrogen Retention and Microbial Protein Yield of \u3cem\u3e Desmodium uncunatum, Mucuna pruriens\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eVigna unguiculata \u3c/em\u3e Forage Legumes in Goats

Forage legumes have high potential degradability, indicating that they might need to stay in the rumen for a longer time (MolinaAlcaide et al., 1996) to increase microbial protein yield. Microbial protein contributes about two thirds of the amino acids absorbed by ruminants (Pathak 2008). Protein supplements which have proper levels of rumen undegradable protein provide growth limiting amino acids like lysine and methionine (Rezai et al., 2012). Nyambati et al. (2003) showed that milk production can be increased by supplementing with velvet bean, highlighting the importance of integrating legumes into the low-input, mixed cropping systems in the tropics. The current study was to determine total microbial protein yield from Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), Desmodium uncinatum (silverleaf desmodium) and Mucuna pruriens (velvet bean) legume forages in goats

Milk Production in Goats on Veld Hay Supplemented with Selected Legume Forages

Alternative affordable sources of feed such as forage legumes that provide protein, vitamins and mineral elements, which are lacking in mature natural grassland pastures, especially during the dry season (Baloyi et al. 2008), can be an option. The high protein content of these legumes suggests that they have high potential for use as protein supplements in goat feeding. However, there is need for an in-depth study of the utilization of different legume forages for milk production in goats. Gusha et al. (2014) reported that supplementing with legume hays could improve poor quality roughage intake in goats. Snyman (2010) observed lower kid mortality in supplemented does compared to those not supplemented during lactation. Therefore, this research was designed to investigate the effects of supplementing Desmodium uncunatum, Mucuna pruriens and Vigna unguiculata forage legumes to low quality veld hay on milk production in indigenous goats

Co-products in maize-soybean growing-pig diets altered in vitro enzymatic insoluble fibre hydrolysis and fermentation in relation to botanical origin

The study examined the effects of botanical factors and fermentation-based, high-level dilution of co-product feeds in maize–soybean growing-pig diets on enzymatic insoluble fibre hydrolysis and fermentation. Feed insoluble fibre residues that were recovered after pepsin-pancreatin digestion were subjected to Roxazyme® G2 (Roxazyme) versus Viscozyme L® V2010 (control) hydrolysis, and to 64-hour fermentation using pig faecal inoculum. The control diet was a 13 MJ metabolizable energy, 141 g total dietary fibre/kg dry matter maize-meal/hominy chop-soybean diet, which was diluted with maize cob, soybean hulls, barley brewer’s grains, lucerne hay or wheat bran in 12 MJ metabolizable energy, 246 g total dietary fibre/kg dry matter iso-nutrient, single co-product test diets. Fermentable insoluble fibre was employed in a computerized iterative selection of ingredients in two iso-nutrient 11 MJ metabolizable energy 319 total dietary fibre/kg dry matter mixed fibre test diets for maximal contrast (high (HF) versus low (LF)) in fermentability. Insoluble fibre extractive pepsin-pancreatin digestibility differed between feed ingredients, and the single co-product test diets, and between the HF and LF mixed co-product diets. Fibre digestibility depended on both the origin and enzyme, with interaction, whereby carbohydrases expressed similar low (0.04 - 0.05) insoluble fibre digestibility for maize cob, moderate (0.12) digestibility for wheat bran and brewer’s grain, with inferior Roxazyme G2 digestibility for maize hominy chop (0.02 vs 0.10) and meal (0.04 vs 0.16), dehulled soybean meal (0.02 vs 0.17), lucerne hay (0.08 vs 0.18), and soybean hulls (0.05 vs 0.33). Co-product-enzyme affinities were expressed in single fibre diets. Low Roxazyme-basal fibre affinity limited its comparative single co-product (0.03 - 0.07 vs 0.16 - 0.22) HF (0.07 vs 0.17) and LF (0.4 vs 0.20) dietary fibre digestibility. Screening for HF/LF did not affect enzymatic digestion, though enzyme combination increased HF, but not LF digestibility. Gas and short chain fatty acid production predicted fermentability proportionately in the declining order of dehulled soybean ≥ maize ≥ soy hulls ≥ maize hominy chop > wheat bran >lucerne hay ≥ brewer’s grain = maize cob. Induced HF and LF contrast was significant. Co-product fibre enrichment decreased fermentability for all except the soy hull and HF diets. Cereal fibre yielded proportionately less acetate, with more propionate and butyrate, and a greater butyrate shift for maize fibre. The HF fibre induced more ACE and less butyrate. Biomarkers of deleterious proteolytic fermentation were high for lucerne (iso-butyrate) and soy hulls (iso-valerate). In conclusion, high-level and fermentation based co-product feed dilution into maize-soybean growing pig diets altered enzymatic insoluble fibre hydrolysis and fermentation in relation to botanical origin. Roxazyme expressed weak hydrolytic potency on maize and soybean insoluble fibre.Keywords: fermentation gas, fermentation kinetics, fibre fermentability, insoluble non-starch polysaccharides, non-starch polysaccharide degrading enzymes, proteolytic fermentation, short-chain fatty acid

Economic evaluation of a bioinductive implant for the repair of rotator cuff tears compared with standard surgery in Italy

Introduction: Rotator cuff tear (RCT) is a painful, progressive condition resulting from damage to the rotator cuff tendons and is the leading cause of shoulder-related disability. Surgical repair of rotator cuff is an established standard of care (SOC); however, failure of the procedure can occur. In this context, the use of collagen-based bioinductive implant REGENETEN showed long-term improvements in clinical scores. The aim of the study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of REGENETEN combined with SOC (SOC + REGENETEN) compared to SOC alone from both National Healthcare Service (NHS) and societal perspectives in Italy. Methods: A decision analytic model was developed to estimate the number of tears healed and costs for the two considered treatment strategies over 1 year. Clinical data were retrieved from the literature, and the clinical pathways for the management of patients with RCTs were retrieved from four key opinion leaders in Italy. Results: Over a 1-year time horizon, healed lesions were 90.70% and 72.90% for surgical repair of RCTs with and without REGENETEN, respectively. Considering the NHS perspective, mean costs per patient were €7828 and €4650 for the two strategies, respectively, leading to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of €17,857 per healed tear. From the societal perspective, the mean costs per patient were €12,659 for SOC and €11,784 for REGENETEN, thus showing savings of €4918 per healed tear when the bioinductive implant is used. The sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the model results. Conclusion: In the context of paucity of cost-effectiveness studies, our findings provide additional evidence for clinicians and payers regarding the value of a new treatment option that supports a tailored approach for the management of patients with RCTs

Socio-economic development indicators and University engagement in partner countries and city regions. SUEUAA Thematic Paper Series, TPS 105/19

The purpose of this paper is to provide both a general overview of the socio-economic context of each of the partner countries and cities and to explore the role that universities can play and what they can contribute in supporting and enhancing socio-economic development in the pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It also tales a critical approach to examine some of the global rankings and indicators used to measure or rank ‘development’. This is followed by examples of some of challenges the SUEUAA cities and regions face and examples of engagement through research and other initiatives that universities are currently undertaking in collaboration or partnership with city stakeholders including those in local communities to address some of the identified challenges that face their cities and countries more generally