2647 research outputs found
Sort by
Contribution of Illicit Drug Use to Pharmaceutical Load in the Environment: A Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa
Get PDFThis research article was published by Hindawi, 2022Illicit drug abuse and addiction are universal issues requiring international cooperation and interdisciplinary and multisectoral
solutions. ese addictive substances are utilized for recreational purposes worldwide, including in sub-Saharan Africa. On the
other hand, conventional wastewater treatment facilities such as waste stabilization ponds lack the design to remove the most
recent classes of pollutants such as illicit drug abuse. As a result, e uents from these treatment schemes contaminate the entire
ecosystem. Public health o cials are concerned about detecting these pollutants at alarming levels in some countries, with
potential undesirable e ects on aquatic species and increased health hazards through exposure to contaminated waters or
recycling treated or untreated e uents in agriculture. Contaminants including illicit substances enter the environment by human
excreta following illegal intake, spills, or through direct dumping, such as from clandestine laboratories, when their manufacturer
does not follow accepted production processes. ese substances, like other pharmaceuticals, have biological activity and range
from pseudopersistent to highly persistent compounds; hence, they persist in the environment while causing harm to the
ecosystem. e presence of powerful pharmacological agents such as cocaine, morphine, and amphetamine in water as complex
combinations can impair aquatic organisms and human health. ese compounds can harm human beings and ecosystem health
apart from their low environmental levels. erefore, this article examines the presence and levels of illicit substances in ecological
compartments such as wastewater, surface and ground waters in sub-Saharan Africa, and their latent impact on the ecosystem. e
information on the occurrences of illicit drugs and their metabolic products in the sub-Saharan Africa environment and their
contribution to pharmaceutical load is missing. In this case, it is important to research further the presence, levels, distribution,
and environmental risks of exposure to human beings and the entire ecosystem
What influences individuals to invest in improved sanitation services and hygiene behaviours in a small town? A formative research study in Babati, Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published by PLOS ONE, 2022Sub-Sahara African countries face immense challenges in ensuring adequate sanitation and hygiene behaviours to the rapidly growing populations. Attempts to address these challenges require empirical evidence to inform policy and planning. We contribute toward that goal by unveiling findings of formative research conducted in Babati, a rapidly growing town in Tanzania. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 486 households, to unwind motives and barriers for individuals to invest in improved sanitation services and hygiene behaviour change. We used several methods including household survey, focus group discussions, behaviour observations and spot checks. The findings revealed that households derive their motivation to invest in improved sanitation and hygiene practices from comfort, raising social status, and the need for personal safety and privacy. Other motives include fear of penalties and fines and fear of disease outbreaks, whilst the barriers include, limited water availability and accessibility, environmental factors, property rights, cultural issues, financial constraints, and a person’s attitude. Quantitative data were subjected to multivariate analysis to identify determinants of households to invest in sanitation and hygiene practices. The logistic regression analyses revealed that sources of water, property rights, and education level were the main determinants of households to invest in sanitation and hygiene facilities, while household income was the main determinant for households to invest in both construction of handwashing facility and water treatment. We argue that the initiative to promote sanitation and hygiene behaviour change in small towns should focus on promoting motivation factors and abating the determinant factors identified in this study
Development of a secure multi-factor authentication algorithm for mobile money applications
Get PDFA Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information and Communication Science and Engineering of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyWith the evolution of industry 4.0, financial technologies have become paramount and mobile
money as one of the financial technologies has immensely contributed to improving financial
inclusion among the unbanked population. Several mobile money schemes were developed but,
they suffered severe authentication security challenges since they implemented two-factor
authentication. This study focused on developing a secure multi-factor authentication (MFA)
algorithm for mobile money applications. It uses personal identification numbers, one-time
passwords, biometric fingerprints, and quick response codes to authenticate and authorize mobile
money subscribers. Secure hash algorithm-256, Rivest-Shamir-Adleman encryption, and Fernet
encryption were used to secure the authentication factors, confidential financial information and
data before transmission to the remote databases. A literature review, survey, evolutionary
prototyping model, and heuristic evaluation and usability testing methods were used to identify
authentication issues, develop prototypes of native genuine mobile money (G-MoMo)
applications, and identify usability issues with the interface designs and ascertain their usability,
respectively. The results of the review grouped the threat models into attacks against privacy,
authentication, confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The survey identified authentication
attacks, identity theft, phishing attacks, and PIN sharing as the key mobile money systems’
security issues. The researcher designed a secure MFA algorithm for mobile money applications
and developed three native G-MoMo applications to implement the designed algorithm to prove
the feasibility of the algorithm and that it provided robust security. The algorithm was resilient to
non-repudiation, ensured strong authentication security, data confidentiality, integrity, privacy,
and user anonymity, was highly effective against several attacks but had high communication
overhead and computational costs. Nevertheless, the heuristic evaluation results showed that the
G-MoMo applications’ interface designs lacked forward navigation buttons, uniformity in the
applications’ menu titles, search fields, actions needed for recovery, and help and documentation.
Similarly, the usability testing revealed that they were easy to learn, effective, efficient,
memorable, with few errors, subscriber satisfaction, easy to use, aesthetic, easy to integrate, and
understandable. Implementing a secure mobile money authentication and authorisation by
combining multiple factors which are securely stored helps mobile money subscribers and other
stakeholders to have trust in the developed native G-MoMo applications
In vitro antiproliferative potential of crude extracts from Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae) black seeds against prostate cancer cell lines'
Get PDFThis research article published by Academic Journals, Vol. 16(4), 2022Black seeds from papaya plants are utilized as traditional medicine in African and Asian cultures to
improve the functioning of the male reproductive system and management of prostate cancer. This
study analyzed the phytochemical composition, antiproliferative activity and cytotoxicity of Carica
papaya black seeds against the prostate cancer cells and Vero cells. Phytochemical screening was
performed by standard procedures. Methyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell viability assay was used to
evaluate the antiproliferative effect of crude extracts in prostate cancer cells against the control.
Phytocompounds, namely flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, terpenoids, glycosides and saponins were
found in the crude extracts. All papaya seeds’ extracts had antiproliferative activity towards prostate
cancer cells. Ethyl acetate extract was found with higher antiproliferative activity with IC50 of 3.64 µg/ml.
The crude extracts were not toxic towards Vero cells as compared to the control. Isolation and
characterization of active compounds from herein crude extracts and papaya black seeds are therefore
recommended for future studies
Modified who tunnel test for high through put evaluation of insecticide-treated nets considering the effects of hosts, exposure time and mosquito density
Get PDFA Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Public Health Research of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyThe standard World Health Organization (WHO) tunnel test is a reliable laboratory bioassay used
for "free flying" testing of Insecticide Treated Net (ITN) bio-efficacy. Multiple parameters affect
the outcomes measured in tunnel tests. Therefore, a comparison of hosts, exposure time, and
mosquito density against the current gold standard test (100 mosquitoes, animal bait and 12-hours
exposure) was conducted following ITNs evaluation guidelines. A series of experiments were
conducted in the WHO tunnel bioassay to evaluate the bio-efficacy endpoints, mortality at 24-
hours (M24) and 72-hours (M72), blood feeding success (BFS), and blood feeding inhibition
(BFI). The following parameters were evaluated: 1) baits (rabbit, membrane, human arm), 2)
exposure time in the tunnel (1-hours vs 12-hours), and 3) mosquito density (50 vs 100 mosquitoes
per test). Finally, an alternative bioassay using a membrane with 50 mosquitoes was compared to
the gold standard bioassay. Resistant Anopheles arabiensis and susceptible Anopheles
gambiae were used to evaluate Interceptor®
and Interceptor®G2 ITNs. Similar trends in mortality
and BFI were observed for both ITNs using the gold standard WHO tunnel test or alternative
bioassays. Mortality and BFS were not statistically different when rabbits were the bait or when
50 or 100 mosquitoes of either strains used. No systematic difference was observed for the
agreement by Bland and Altman's methods (B&A) with a mean difference 4.54% in blood feeding
and 1.71% for M72. When comparing membrane with 50 mosquitoes and rabbit with 100
mosquito, no systematic difference was observed for the agreement with mean difference 9.06%
for blood feeding and -5.44% for M72. These results demonstrate that WHO tunnel tests using
rabbit bait run with 50 mosquitos’ measures similar outcome compared to gold standard bioassay.
In addition, using a membrane feeder with 50 mosquitoes is a potential replacement for the WHO
tunnel bioassay with animal bait and merits further studies at other laboratories to corroborate
these findings
Realizing UN decade on ecosystem restoration through a nature-based approach: A case review of management of biological invasions in protected areas
Get PDFThis research article was published by PLOS Sustainability and TransformationAs the influx of different invasive species and their spread to new areas increases, there is a need for a rigorous and relevant scientific evidence-based control and restoration (EBCR) approaches to inform practical decisions and policymaking. While evidence-based decision is gaining popularity in science and policy, its potential for transformative change especially in the management of invasive plant species remains unexplored. Control and restoration of areas invaded by invasive plant species in natural and protected ecosystems require such decisions. Here, we provide a framework to guide how EBCR can contribute to transformative change and we argue that upscaling existing EBCR practices in areas invaded by invasive plant species (especially in protected areas (PAs)) requires coalitions of interdisciplinary science, public, private, and civil society actors with a common goal. Since actors’ roles and stakeholder interactions are dynamic, to achieve durable impacts, the upscaling process must continually engage and involve actors, while maintaining a balance of incentives among them. Social and cultural dimensions of local communities as well as their indigenous and local knowledge need to be incorporated. Pathways to upscaling EBCR may involve leveraging adaptive governance, integrating successful initiatives and lessons into public policy and practices, or reinforcing governance and management-led change with private efforts. We identify general lessons from (complex) PAs for successful upscaling of EBCR and illustrate the components of our framework through a novel application of a nature-based approach (NbA) in PAs invaded by invasive plant species
Plasmid characterization in bacterial isolates of public health relevance in a tertiary healthcare facility in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published by Elsevier, 2022Objectives
: Plasmids are infectious double stranded DNA molecules that are found within bacteria. Horizontal gene transfer promotes successful spread of different types of plasmids within or among bacteria species, making their detection an important task for guiding clinical treatment. We used whole genome sequenced data to determine the prevalence of plasmid replicon types in clinical bacterial isolates, the presence of resistance and virulence genes in plasmid replicon types, and the relationship between resistance and virulence genes within each plasmid replicon.
Methods
: All bacterial sequences were de novo assembled using Unicycler before extraction of plasmids. Assembly graphs were submitted to Gplas+plasflow for plasmid contigs prediction. The predicted plasmid contigs were validated using PlasmidFinder.
Results
: A total of 159 (56.2%) out of 283 bacterial isolates were found to carry plasmid replicons, with E. coli, K. pneumoniae and S. aureus being the most prevalent plasmid carriers. A total of 26 (86.7%) multiple-replicon types were found to carry both resistance and virulence genes compared to 4 (13.3%) single plasmid replicons. No statistically significant correlation was found between the number of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in multiple-replicon types (r = - 0.14, p > 0.05).
Conclusions
: Our findings show a relatively high proportion of plasmid replicon-carrying isolates suggesting selection pressure due to antibiotic use in the hospital. Co-occurrence of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes in clinical isolates is a public health relevant problem needing attention
Access to healthcare for people with physical disability in Tanzania: a case of Singida rural district, Singida-Tanzania
Get PDFA Dissertation Submitted in a Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Science in Public Health Research of The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and TechnologyThis cross-sectional study explored the availability and affordability of healthcare services
for people with a physical disability (PWPDs). Also, it determined whether the existing
infrastructure at health facilities in Singida rural district supports PWPDs. The study applied
mixed-method approaches involving quantitative and qualitative surveys with 15 key
informants and 90 participants PWPDs from 18 wards and all 32 health facilities found in the
district. To avoid the chance of the respondent‟s response being influenced by their parents
and to make the respondents feel free to talk about whatever is in their mind about access to
healthcare for PWPDs, the researcher selected 5 respondents in each ward aged 18 and above
who could express themselves without being represented. The study used simple random,
purposive, and snowballing sampling techniques to yield 90 respondents, 15 key informants,
and 32 health facilities. Participants with physical disabilities were determined using the
Washington Group on Disability statistics questions set to provide basic information on
disability comparable worldwide. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey,
interview, and observation. The researcher employed SPSS-26 software to analyze
quantitative data and NVivo-12 software to analyze qualitative data. The analysis was
conducted to obtain frequencies and percentages. Data presented in figures and tables; A
thematic analysis was applied to determine certain variables such as age, gender,
infrastructure, and access to healthcare services. The Chi-square test was employed to test the
relationship between categorical variables. The study found that in Singida rural district, there
were no special health facilities and specialist nurses/ doctors for PWPDs. Most of them still
experience delays in getting an appointment and other services from nurses, primary care
doctors, specialists, treatment interventions, and medical equipment. Similarly, the available
healthcare service is not affordable to PWPDs, and most of them were not beneficiaries of
health insurance schemes hence depending on the out-of-pocket payment system.
Furthermore, the infrastructures at health facilities do not favor PWPDs. Therefore, the
findings indicate that access to healthcare for PWPDs in Singida rural district is not available
and affordable for PWPDs. Also, the existing infrastructure at health facilities doesn't support
PWPDs to access healthcare. The study suggests that the government and other healthcare
stakeholders should consider access to healthcare for PWPDs in rural areas where most
PWPDs are at risk
Towards the Prosperity of Small Business Enterprises: What’s in for Information and Communication Technology?
No full textThis book chapter was published by Current Aspects in Business, Economics and Finance, Vol. 2, 14 July 2022, Page 1-23Small business enterprises, or SBEs, are often defined by their small size, limited resources, and low employee count. Some of them were given access to incubation programs, which provide access to working space, business capacity building, networking, mentoring, and business development support services in order to overcome those problems during the early phases of business operations. This study looked at how information and communication technology (ICT) can help SBEs in Tanzania that have been subjected to incubation programs improve their business performance. Purposive sampling was used to collect primary data from fifty SBEs undergoing incubation programs at the Tanzania Engineering and Manufacturing Development Organization, one of the government facilities. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science and the R Programming Language. The results showed that incorporating ICT into day-to-day activities improves access to business information, increases market overage and market share, strengthens marketing promotion efforts, and reduces financial difficulties by over 70%. In terms of increasing output from business operations, the findings revealed that the use of ICT is likely to improve business performance by creating a favorable business environment, reducing business-related obstacles, and shortening the time it takes to bring new products to market for 64 percent, 78 percent, and 72 percent of respondents, respectively. Improving corporate efficiency is a side effect rather than a direct result. Furthermore, using ICT, incubated SBEs have a significant possibility of growing the number of products sold, the quantity of money earned, and profit margin by more than 60%. Nonetheless, the impact of ICT on the ability to sell firm assets on the open market is just 52%. As a result, despite their limited resources, incubated SBEs must try to integrate ICT-mediated technology into their operations
Poultry diseases diagnostics models using deep learning
Get PDFThis research article was published by Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, 2022Coccidiosis, Salmonella, and Newcastle are the common poultry diseases that
curtail poultry production if they are not detected early. In Tanzania, these
diseases are not detected early due to limited access to agricultural support
services by poultry farmers. Deep learning techniques have the potential for
early diagnosis of these poultry diseases. In this study, a deep Convolutional
Neural Network (CNN) model was developed to diagnose poultry diseases by
classifying healthy and unhealthy fecal images. Unhealthy fecal images may be
symptomatic of Coccidiosis, Salmonella, and Newcastle diseases. We collected
1,255 laboratory-labeled fecal images and fecal samples used in Polymerase
Chain Reaction diagnostics to annotate the laboratory-labeled fecal images.
We took 6,812 poultry fecal photos using an Open Data Kit. Agricultural support
experts annotated the farm-labeled fecal images. Then we used a baseline
CNN model, VGG16, InceptionV3, MobileNetV2, and Xception models. We
trained models using farm and laboratory-labeled fecal images and then
fine-tuned them. The test set used farm-labeled images. The test accuracies
results without fine-tuning were 83.06% for the baseline CNN, 85.85% for
VGG16, 94.79% for InceptionV3, 87.46% for MobileNetV2, and 88.27% for
Xception. Finetuning while freezing the batch normalization layer improved
model accuracies, resulting in 95.01% for VGG16, 95.45% for InceptionV3,
98.02% for MobileNetV2, and 98.24% for Xception, with F1 scores for all
classifiers above 75% in all four classes. Given the lighter weight of the trained
MobileNetV2 and its better ability to generalize, we recommend deploying this
model for the early detection of poultry diseases at the farm level