An investigation into the financial sustainability of Islamic Saving, Credit Cooperative Society (SACCOS) in Tanzania

The purpose of this paper is to assess the financial sustainability of Islamic Saving Credit Corporative Society (SACCOS) and the factor(s) affecting their financial sustainability in the Tanzanian context.The data set used in this study comes from four SACCOS audited financial reports from the year 2010 to 2014 and from interviews with SACCOS’s management.The study found that the IMFIs in Tanzania are not financially sustainable. Additionally, having responsible staff members, regular review of financial guidelines, education to members, cooperation between employees and management and staff training are found to be highly contributing factors towards SACCOS’s financial sustainability. Moreover, the findings reveal that depending on the single source of income, i.e., charges on members contributed much in these SACCOS’s not being financially sustainable.Only two available registered Islamic SACCOS was used. Additionally, conventional SACCOS have been in service provision for a long time as compared to Islamic ones; hence, caution must be taken for comparison purposes. Based on these findings, the Islamic SACCOS needs to initiate productive projects that can enable them to have other income sources apart from charges on members. This study traces the financial trend of Islamic SACCOS in Tanzania since its establishment in 2010. Such trace enables Islamic SACCOS and other stakeholders to be aware on the financial progress of Islamic SACCOS and act accordingly to ensure sustainability

Barriers for blood donation in non-blood donor: a qualitaive study

Donating blood is a noble act that serves a humanitarian cause. This study aims to explore the barriers from donating blood amongst non-donors. Four focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted amongst non-blood donors. The discussions were carried out in the local language, and the verbatim was translated into English. Most of the participants were aware of the importance of donating blood to save other people. Fear is the most factors that hinders them from becoming a blood donor. The participants recommended the use of advertisements that could stir an emotional reaction. Blood banks should hence organise more blood donation campaigns to spread the awareness in the community.Keywords: awareness; blood donation; blood bank; focus group discussioneISSN: 2398-4287 © 2019. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v4i10.162

High prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria among Human Immunodeficiency Virus seropositive population in the Lake Victoria zone, Tanzania

Malaria and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections are major public health problems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their overlapping geographical distribution and co-existence often result into high morbidity and mortality. This study was designed to establish the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria among HIV infected populations. A cross-sectional hospital-based study involving 250 plasma samples from HIV seropositive individuals was conducted in July 2017 at the Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania.  Socio-demographic and other relevant information were extracted from a pre-existing database. Detection of malaria antigens was carried out using the immune-chromatographic test. The mean age of the study participants was 40.0±13.5 years.  The prevalence of P. falciparum was 22.4% (95% CI: 17-27%). None of the factors under study was found to be associated with P. falciparum infection among HIV infected individuals. The prevalence of P. falciparum was high among HIV seropositive individuals in the Lake Victoria Zone, which calls for additional control interventions targeting this group

Development of Supply Chain Management Sustainability Index (SCMsi)

The reason for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is to sustain the preservation of planet and prosperity of society. Thus, it is necessary for corporations to have a reliable, relevant and standardized sustainability supply chain management (SSCM) reporting practice. Companies’ proper disclosure of its supply chain management information will enable stakeholders to evaluate the firm’s supply chain management performance efficiently. Using content analysis, this study proposes a development of a comprehensive SSCM disclosure checklist i.e., Supply Chain Management Sustainability Index (SCMsi). SSCM is an all-inclusive view of supply chain processes, logistics and technologies that considers the environmental, social, economic and legal aspects of a supply chain's components. It will become a benchmark in the reporting of SSCM indicators, besides acting as monitoring mechanism to measure listed companies in advancing sustainable development agenda. This paper will be useful for organization in identifying ideal criteria of SCMsi that will contribute towards the best practices of supply chain management

Are Immune Modulating Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated with Necrotizing Enterocolitis?

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating gastrointestinal emergency. The purpose of this study is to determine if functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in immune-modulating genes pre-dispose infants to NEC. After Institutional Review Board approval and parental consent, buccal swabs were collected for DNA extraction. TaqMan allelic discrimination assays and BglII endonuclease digestion were used to genotype specific inflammatory cytokines and TRIM21. Statistical analysis was completed using logistic regression. 184 neonates were analyzed in the study. Caucasian neonates with IL-6 (rs1800795) were over 6 times more likely to have NEC (p = 0.013; OR = 6.61, 95% CI 1.48-29.39), and over 7 times more likely to have Stage III disease (p = 0.011; OR = 7.13, (95% CI 1.56-32.52). Neonates with TGFβ-1 (rs2241712) had a decreased incidence of NEC-related perforation (p = 0.044; OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.08-0.97) and an increased incidence of mortality (p = 0.049; OR = 2.99, 95% CI: 1.01 - 8.86). TRIM21 (rs660) was associated with NEC-related intestinal perforation (p = 0.038; OR = 4.65, 95% CI 1.09-19.78). In premature Caucasian neonates, the functional SNP IL-6 (rs1800795) is associated with both the development and increased severity of NEC. TRIM21 (rs660) and TGFβ-1 (rs2241712) were associated with NEC- related perforation in all neonates in the cohort. These findings suggest a possible genetic role in the development of NEC

Effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behavioural Counseling Program on Improving Anger Management Skills among Female Adolescents

The current study aimed at exploring the effectiveness of a rational emotive behavioral group-counseling program on improving the anger management skills of female adolescents in the second cycle of basic education in Dhofar Governorate, Oman. The sample of the experimental study consisted of 30 female students who received the lowest scores on the anger management skills questionnaire prepared by Alkhwaldaeh and Jaradat (2014). Participants were randomly divided into two equivalent groups (experimental group and control). The counseling program was administered on the experimental group in 12 sessions in the first semester of the academic year 2018/2019. The results of study revealed significant increases in anger management skills by the experimental group compared to the control group, which confirms the effectiveness of the counseling program on improving the anger management skills of the experimental group. The results also showed the existence of non-significant differences in anger management skills in pre-test and post-test, which confirms the continuity of the effectiveness of the extension program

Genomics in premature infants: A non-invasive strategy to obtain high-quality DNA

We used a cost-effective, non-invasive method to obtain high-quality DNA from buccal epithelial-cells (BEC) of premature infants for genomic analysis. DNAs from BEC were obtained from premature infants with gestational age ≤ 36 weeks. Short terminal repeats (STRs) were performed simultaneously on DNA obtained from the buccal swabs and blood from the same patient. The STR profiles demonstrated that the samples originated from the same individual and exclude any contamination by external DNAs. Whole exome sequencing was performed on DNAs obtained from BEC on premature infants with and without necrotizing enterocolitis, and successfully provided a total number of reads and variants corroborating with those obtained from healthy blood donors. We provide a proof of concept that BEC is a reliable and preferable source of DNA for high-throughput sequencing in premature infants

Genetic diversity assessment and in vitro propagation of some date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties

The evaluation of genetic diversity is crucial for breeders to develop strategies and improve the resilience, quality, and adaptability of the date palm. In this study, the genetic diversity of three date palm varieties was performed using ISSR-PCR molecular markers to determine its relationship with in vitro propagation response of these varieties. The molecular profiling was performed using ISSR-PCR. A total of 49 loci were produced by the PCR reactions, 38 of which were polymorphic while 11 were monomorphic. The level of polymorphism revealed by ISSR-PCR varied from 33.33% to 100%. The three date palm varieties were grouped into two clusters based on the results of cluster analyses that used morphological data and molecular profiles. Cluster I comprised the ‘Barhy’ variety and Cluster II included ‘Magdoul’ and ‘Amri’ varieties. The clustering analyses revealed the independence of the ‘Barhy’ variety in its characteristics from the other varieties based on either morphological or molecular data. The results of in vitro propagation showed that the ‘Amri’ variety exhibited the highest callus induction frequency (86.28%), callus weight (2.33 g), number of somatic embryos (9.32), number of shoots (14.62), number of roots (4.11), root length (4.63 cm), shoot length (13.61 cm) followed by ‘Magdoul’ and ‘Barhy’ varieties. The ‘Amri’ variety had the shortest callus induction period, at 23.26 days while the ‘Barhy’ variety exhibited the longest period of callus induction (28.55). It was deduced from the study that the ISSR marker reproduced trustworthy patterns of bands to determine the genetic diversity among different date palm varieties that are considered the cornerstone for the genetic improvement of date palms. The understanding of the relationship between genetic diversity and in vitro propagation response of date palm is essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of its crop. This will facilitate better conservation and development of new date palm varieties that fulfil the needs of farmers and consumers

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Emerging COVID-19 variants and their impact on SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, therapeutics and vaccines

The emergence of novel and evolving variants of SARS-CoV-2 has fostered the need for change in the form of newer and more adaptive diagnostic methods for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections. On the other hand, developing rapid and sensitive diagnostic technologies is now more challenging due to emerging variants and varying symptoms exhibited among the infected individuals. In addition to this, vaccines remain the major mainstay of prevention and protection against infection. Novel vaccines and drugs are constantly being developed to unleash an immune response for the robust targeting of SARS-CoV-2 and its associated variants. In this review, we provide an updated perspective on the current challenges posed by the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 mutants/variants and the evolution of diagnostic techniques to enable their detection. In addition, we also discuss the development, formulation, working mechanisms, advantages, and drawbacks of some of the most used vaccines/therapeutic drugs and their subsequent immunological impact.Key message The emergence of novel variants of the SARS-CoV-2 in the past couple of months, highlights one of the primary challenges in the diagnostics, treatment, as well as vaccine development against the virus. Advancements in SARS-CoV-2 detection include nucleic acid based, antigen and immuno- assay-based and antibody-based detection methodologies for efficient, robust, and quick testing; while advancements in COVID-19 preventive and therapeutic strategies include novel antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs and SARS-CoV-2 targeted vaccines. The varied COVID-19 vaccine platforms and the immune responses induced by each one of them as well as their ability to battle post-vaccination infections have all been discussed in this review