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Bacterial diversity in relation to anthropogenic activities: a case study of Kibale national park wetlands, Uganda
No full textxv, 108 p. : ill. (col.) ;Bacterial diversity refers to the vast variety of bacteria in an ecosystem which function in maintaining wetland ecosystem health through nutrient recycling for the trophic status and building symbiotic relationships with other organisms. This system is being threatened in many wetlands of Uganda as a result of an increase in anthropogenic activities such as agriculture and urbanization. The study aimed to examine bacterial diversity in relation to the anthropogenic activities in Kibale National Park (KNP) wetlands. A cross-sectional design was used in data collection. Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes were determined in ArcMap 10.8 through unsupervised classification of high-resolution images of twenty years for 2003, 2013 and 2023. The level of wetland degradation was determined using the Anthropogenic Activity Index (AAI) score. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and pH were measured with an electrical meter. Meanwhile, composition of bacteria from 50 water samples was determined using Environmental Deoxyribonucleic Acid (eDNA) technologies and metabarcoding. The forest cover of KNP reduced from 78% to 42% in the 20 years while farmland, grassland and built-up all significantly increased. Generally, there was a significant difference in physicochemical properties and AAI between inforest and outforest wetlands of similar types. Outforest wetland were more degraded then inforest wetlands. The dominant bacterial phyla in all wetlands were Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota where the former dominated inforest wetlands and the later dominated outforest wetlands. Bacterial diversity significantly varied between inforest and outforest wetlands of the same type except for swamps where they were similar. As a result of differences in environmental conditions, bacteria composition was richer in intact wetlands than in degraded wetlands of similar types. Conditions in degraded wetlands abundantly harboured harmful species such as Arcobacter cryaerophilus and those known to thrive in polluted waters like Thiothrix nivea. Reduction in forest cover led to increased anthropogenic activities around the wetlands which altered their physicochemical properties that then negatively influenced their bacterial diversity. The wetlands of KNP should therefore be restored and protected through science backed interventions and policies for improved ecosystem health. This would benefit both the community by providing clean-safe water and improved sanitation as well as saving the biodiversity in these wetlands from damage
Design and simulation of an ergonomically optimized nursing care bed with integrated actuator systems : a case study at Kawempe national referral hospital
No full textxiv, 85 p. : col.The scarcity of nursing care beds and appropriate medical equipment are two of the biggest issues facing healthcare facilities Uganda. This dissertation presents the design and simulation of a nursing care bed with integrated electric linear actuator systems capable of adjusting height, legs, head, Trendelenburg, and post-Trendelenburg positions to enhance patient comfort and care. The nursing care bed integrates multiple electric linear actuators and electric control system to provide a comprehensive range of adjustments, allowing for positioning tailored to individual patient and medical personal needs. The design prioritizes ergonomic principles and control systems to ensure smooth, and precise bed adjustments. Detailed simulations were conducted to assess the performance and reliability of the bed’s mechanisms, focusing on actuator coordination, load distribution, and user safety. The results indicate that the nursing care bed system was effective and the results were; factor of safety for top frame was 2.655, factor of safety for bed link was 2.41 and factor of safety for base frame was 2.273 all were above 1.5. Similarly, the stresses on nursing care super structure were below the yield strength of ASTM- A36 which is 2.5×108N/m2. The top frame had stress of , 9.416X107N/m2, bed link stress was 1.07 × 108N/m2, and base frame stress was,7.626 × 107N/m2. Additionally, electric linear Actuator selection was done through force analysis and optimization by analyzing forces at different angle of inclination to obtain the suitable actuator rating. The head and legs electric actuators optimized loading capacity was 539.55N, and height adjustment electric actuator optimized loading capacity was 2403.5N. Utilizing a electric linear actuator actuator system proved to be cost effective than hydraulic actuation system since no routine maintenance such as; change of oil seals, topping up of hydraulic oil activities among other was required for Nursing Care Bed
Investigating the performance of precipitation products and outputs of cmip6 gcms in reproducing precipitation extremes observed across Uganda
No full textxiii, 104 p.Precipitation products are increasingly being utilized as substitutes for observed precipitation data. This study evaluated the performance of five well-known precipitation products including CFSR, CHIRPS, JRA-55, ERA-5, and PGF and outputs from the CMIP6 General Circulation Models (GCMs) in replicating observed precipitation extremes across Uganda. Annual precipitation extreme events observed at 20 meteorological stations were compared with those from the precipitation products and GCMs outputs over the period 1979-2022. Utilized 6 precipitation extreme indices i.e. total precipitation (TPREC1), annual maxima series (AMS), number of dry days (NDD1), maximum dry spell (MWS1), number of wet days (NWD1), and maximum wet spell (MWS1) using a threshold of 1mm/day. To compare observed data with precipitation products, frequency analysis and bias ratios were applied. Correlation analysis and Taylor diagrams were utilized for comparing observed data with GCMs outputs. The quantile mapping bias correction method, implemented using the qmap package in R Studio, was applied to downscale GCM outputs with both observed data and precipitation products.
This approach facilitated the determination of future climate change projections for the SSP2- 8.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios for the 2050s and 2080s. PGF systematically overestimated observed AMS at all the selected stations. Contrastingly, JRA-55, ERA-5, and CHIRPS datasets consistently underestimated observed AMS quantiles across all stations and return periods. The regression line for AMS when plotted against log-transformed return period exhibited a steeper slope for CFSR than that of the observed data. The null hypothesis (H0) of no correlation between observed and GCMs-based historical AMS, was rejected in varying proportions of the 20 meteorological stations. For instance, the H0 was rejected (p < 0.05) in 10% of the 20 precipitation stations across Uganda when observed AMS was compared with that of NOR_ESM2. For each of the three GCMs including CESSM_WACCM, INM_CM5, MRI_ESM2, the H0 was rejected (p < 0.05) in 5% of the 20 stations considered. The extent to which GCMs capture precipitation extremes varies due to their coarse spatial resolution. Bias correction of GCM outputs using quantile mapping method yielded different climate change signals in the cases when observations and precipitation products were considered. For instance, climate change impact on the total of precipitation above 1 mm/day intensity were over the ranges 40-170%, 20-61%, 15-41%, 5-36%, 8-67%, and 20-55% when bias correction of GCMs outputs were done using CFSR, PGF, CHIRPS, ERA-5, JRA-55, and observed precipitation, respectively. The choice of precipitation product significantly impacts climate projections. Thus, there is a need for careful selection of which precipitation product should be used for bias correction of GCMs’ outputs in absence of observed precipitation when analysis is being done for planning water resource management and climate change impact assessments
Teacher’s job demands and quality of teaching in selected government-aided secondary schools in Buikwe district, central Uganda
No full textxiv, 71 p.The study surveyed the relationship between teacher’s job demands and quality of teaching in government-aided secondary schools in Buikwe district guided by the following specific objectives; (i) to examine the relationship between teacher’s work overload and quality of teaching in selected government-aided secondary schools in Buikwe district, (ii) to establish the relationship between students’ misbehaviour and quality of teaching in selected government-aided secondary schools in Buikwe district, and (iii) to assess the relationship between large student diversity and quality of teaching in selected government-aided secondary schools in Buikwe district. The study captured both qualitative and quantitative data using a cross-sectional survey design because data was drawn from a cross-section of respondents. A sample size of 8 head teachers and 176 teachers of government aided secondary schools was sampled by means of purposive and simple random sampling techniques respectively. Semi-structured questionnaires, interviews plus observation guide were used for data collection. The study adopted demographic statistics (of; age, gender, education level and teaching experience) and Pearson correlation (of the mean indices of each construct of the IV and those of the DV) to measure the degree of association between teacher’s job demands and quality of teaching. The study found out that; (i) teachers were overwhelmed by work overloads in many school departments due to inadequate modern and relevant instructional materials, (ii) there were several common disruptive behaviour that students often do in the classroom and that those behavior give a significant impact on the whole classroom learning process, either for the teacher or the students and (iii) for the case of a large student diversity, religion was a means of instilling discipline in the learners; socio-economic status had a significant impact on the quality of teaching and that for all lessons, learners equally achieved irrespective of their gender. The researcher concluded that; (i) engaging teachers in a range of tasks and responsibilities can prevent monotony and enhance their problem-solving skills, creativity and overall job satisfaction, which in turn can positively impact quality of teaching, (ii) failure to apply effective teaching practices such as clear communication, engaging instructional methods and creating a positive and supportive learning environment can negatively affect student behaviour and, (iii) quality of teaching is closely linked to how well educators embrace and accommodate large student diversity and that embracing student diversity enriches the learning experience, promotes inclusivity, and prepare students for a globalized world. The researcher recommended that; (i) administrators in government-aided secondary schools should provide teachers with a certain degree of autonomy on their job by granting them the flexibility and freedom to make decisions regarding instructional methods, classroom management and curriculum adaptation, (ii) teachers should adopt effective communication skills during and outside class by clearly explaining concepts during lessons, actively listening to students, and encouraging teacher-student open dialogue so as to better classroom management and improved student behaviour and, (iii) teachers should be vigilant about addressing stereotypes and biases in the classroom by promoting an atmosphere of respect and tolerance, where all students feel valued and safe to express their opinions
Silverfish chain management practices at Masese landing site in Jinja district, eastern Uganda
No full textxii, 93 p. ;The study aimed to determine silverfish chain management practices at Masese landing site in Jinja district, eastern Uganda. The objectives of the study were to explore the silverfish safety and storage practices used at the Masese Fish Landing site, find out whether demographic characteristics influence perceptions about silverfish chain management practices, find out the silverfish value addition techniques used at Masese fish site and explore the silverfish marketing and transportation strategies used at the Masese fish site. The study adopted a mixed approach though the qualitative was dominant on 200 fisher women, fishermen, input providers, the fishing community, landing site leaders, registrars, and tax collectors. The study found out that at Masese fish landing site, safety and storage practices to preserve silverfish are used. These are quality control, cleaning, moisture removal, sacks, baskets, refrigerators and tins. Some demographic characteristics do influence perceptions about silverfish management at Masese landing site in Jinja. Age, sex, marital status, education level and experience have no influence on the perceptions of the women about silver fish management. There is use of social networks, word of mouth, phones, and packaging strategies to market silverfish at Masese landing site. Participants in the fish value chain employ various marketing strategies to sell silverfish. They often use word-of-mouth marketing, where they rely on personal networks to inform potential customers about their products
Influence of physical and water quality parameters on residual chlorine decay in water distribution network
No full textChlorine is the most common disinfectant in drinking water distribution practice. World Health
Organization recommends 0.2–5.0 mg/l of residual chlorine in drinking water. This paper
analyzed influence of physical and water quality parameters on chlorine decay in drinking water
distribution. Principal component analysis, directed tree and regression were used to investigate
influence of these parameters on chlorine from water treatment plant to water consumption
points. Results show that initial chlorine, electrical conductivity and distance explain 62 % of
chlorine decay with estimated error of 0.045 mg/l. The decision-tree feature importance scores of
initial chlorine and electrical conductivity were 0.47 and 0.23 respectively. The combined feature
importance scores of physical parameters of distance (0.09), pipe diameter (0.06), flow velocity
(0.03), pressure (0.02) and travel time (0.046) were less than that for initial chlorine concen-
tration (0.47) alone. These results show that conventional chlorination at water treatment plants
removes largely fast inorganic reactants leaving traces of slow organic reactants as the dominant
secondary contaminants in water distribution system. The key policy recommendation is to use
water quality parameters more than physical parameters in order to enable water utility man-
agers maintain residual chlorine within safe public health standards
My Money is My Blood, Do Not Waste It: A Critical Analysis of the Return and Reintegration Experiences of Ugandan Migrant Domestic Workers from Saudi Arabia
No full textP. (1-23) ;The study analyzed the return and reintegration experiences of returnee Ugandan migrant domestic workers from Saudi Arabia. It was grounded in a social constructivism paradigm, an interpretive framework that emphasizes how individuals understand and assign meaning to their world. A qualitative approach was adopted, utilizing a phenomenological research design to explore the lived experiences of returnees. Data was collected through unstructured interviews with 28 respondents, allowing for in-depth insights into their experiences. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data, and concept maps created using NVivo version 10.0 were used to illustrate the findings. The study revealed that the return and reintegration journey for migrant domestic workers comprised three key phases: preparing to leave their employers' homes after the expiration of contracts, travelling back to Uganda, and reintegration into their communities. However, the research highlighted numerous challenges faced by returnees. Some employers forced workers to continue working under exploitative conditions, tantamount to slavery, by withholding their consent to leave. In other cases, employers failed to purchase the required return airline tickets, as stipulated by the bilateral labour agreement, in an effort to coerce workers into renewing their contracts against their will. Upon returning to Uganda, many returnees faced further hardships. They were often met with distressing revelations, such as discovering that the next of kin they had entrusted with their savings had misappropriated the funds. This financial exploitation, coupled with economic and social reintegration difficulties, led to significant psychosocial challenges for the returnees. To address these issues, the study recommends implementing measures to protect migrant domestic workers’ finances. For example, every worker should open a personal bank account where their wages and salaries can be securely deposited and saved, ensuring access to their funds upon return to ease reintegration challenges. Families and next of kin must be educated about the risks and consequences of misusing workers’ money, considering the harsh conditions under which these workers labour. Furthermore, local council members should enforce accountability by ensuring that family members who misuse returnees' funds reimburse the money, potentially with added interest, to deter financial exploitation
Research capacity strengthening in Africa: Perspectives from the social sciences, humanities, and arts
No full textGlobal and human development and freedoms increasingly thrive on robust and policyorientated research and related activities. Yet, the African research landscape faces a myriad of challenges which have resulted in a very unequal continent in terms of research
and research capacity. The prevailing research inequities and challenges in Africa are even
more pronounced in the social sciences, humanities, arts, and related fields (SSHA). Here,
the strengths and impact of scholarship in SSHA fields are often overshadowed by deficits
and apparent preferential investment in research in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics-related fields. In response, the African Academy of Sciences commissioned a
study in 2020 to generate evidence on the SSHA research support landscape in Africa. This
paper summarizes findings from literature review, key informant interviews, a bibliometric analysis, a survey with a sample of 670 respondents from SSHA communities in Africa,
and a series of focus group discussions. We highlight key messages and make recommendations focussing on lessons learnt, opportunities, needs, and priorities for intervention to
enhance significant SSHA research leadership capacity strengthening and, ultimately, minimize research inequalities in Africa
Public art in built environment: paintings in urban space of jinja city in context
No full textxiii, 94 p. : ill. (col.) ;The role that public art can have in urban settings can be seen in Jinja City's Public art in built environment focusing on paintings in Urban Space. The study's purpose was to provide evidence of how Jinja City's social and economic development has been influenced by the presence of paintings in public areas. The study was conducted under three objectives; (1) to establish the nature of paintings in the public spaces for social- economic development of Jinja City. (2) To analyze the role of the selected paintings in public space for social-economic development of Jinja City. (3) To document the role of the selected paintings executed in the public space for social economic development of Jinja City. The study was descriptive in nature and mainly depended on purposive sampling. 37 respondents were purposefully chosen, including both artists and non-artists who were knowledgeable about the paintings. The study largely employed the qualitative research through qualitative data collection. The methods used in data collection include; direct visual observation, interview, photography, library research and documentation. Literary sources, such as books, newspapers, magazines, catalogues, and other printed materials, were used for the collection of secondary data. Findings point out that although paintings in the Urban Space of Jinja City are realistic, abstract and semi abstract, the message carried on to the intended audience was not clearly trangulated. The research's conclusions will assist academic researchers, working artists, cultural heritages, and other stakeholders in understanding the importance of assisting community members in fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim to balance the social, economic, and ecological aspects of sustainable development
Water and sanitation facilities for menstruation management by female students in higher educational institutions. A case of Kyambogo University
No full textxi, 125 p. ;This study focuses on the status of water and sanitation facilities for menstruation management in Higher Education Institutions. The study addressed three objectives namely; I .To assess the status of water and sanitation facilities for menstruation management by female students in HEI. 2. To examine the integration of water and sanitation facilities for menstruation management in the planning and budgeting processes in HEI. 3. To assess female students' perceptions towards access and utilization of water and sanitation facilities for menstruation management in HEI.
The study employed a descriptive survey research design with qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. The methods included: in-depth individual interviews, Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, observation and documentary analysis. Data was collected from 52 participants who comprised of 05 top management officials and 47 female students who included Student Course Coordinators and Guild Officials. The findings of the study were that, first; the status of water and sanitation facilities in Kyambogo University is poor, inaccessible, unavailable and unusable by female students during menstruation. Secondly, the findings revealed that there is limited engagement of female students and administrators in the budgeting and planning of water and sanitation facilities for menstruation management by the Estates Department. Moreover, the generic budget does not adequately cover all the requirements for menstruation management by female students. Thirdly, findings also revealed that female students perceive water and sanitation facilities for menstruation management as generally available but inaccessible and unacceptable in various ways. The conclusion drawn is that the study generates knowledge about the status of water and sanitation facilities for menstruation management to enable female students participate in academic activities in Higher Education Institutions. Among recommendations made were; The Directorate of planning and development at KyU should promote a participatory and gender- equity inclusive plan and budget that ensures that water and sanitation facilities for menstruation management becomes an integral aspect in planning and budgeting processes of the Estates department. The university should equitably improve the current status of water and sanitation facilities for menstruation management by providing water in toilet rooms include changing rooms, replacement of broken doors to provide privacy and other required facilities to enhance effective menstruation management