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On the Erd\H{o}s-Ulam problem in the plane : Erd\H{o}s-Ulam problem
No full textIn this paper we apply the method of compression to construct a dense set of points in the plane at rational distance from each other. We provide a positive solution to the Erd\H{o}s-Ulam proble
Food Safety Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Of Fish Handlers in Kirinyaga County Markets, Kenya
No full textFish and fish products have high nutritional value and are important in supplementing human diet. Fish products have little or no cholesterol and saturated fat, but instead have omega 3 and low-fat content essential for human health. Despite the high nutritional value of fish products, their consumption is hindered significantly by setbacks such as spoilage and foodborne diseases that spread through contamination in the fish supply chain. The objective of this study was to evaluate fish vendors' attitudes, knowledge, and practices on food safety in selected markets in Kirinyaga County that included Sagana, Tebere, Mwea, Ndia, Kianyaga, and Kerugoya markets. A structured questionnaire was administered to 54 fish vendors to collect information on fish safety, spoilage, risk factors, personal hygiene, food contamination, type of hazards, foodborne diseases and attitudes towards training on food safety. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 was used to analyze the data from the respondents. The relationship between fish vendors’ demographic characteristics and risk factors was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The majority of the fish vendors had a positive attitude towards education in hygiene practices (56%). There was a positive correlation between education and fish vendors' awareness of fish foodborne diseases at p<0.05. The study revealed that fish foodborne diseases awareness was positively influenced by respondents' level of experience and age. Moreover, there was also a significant (p˂ 0.05) positive correlation on the awareness of fish foodborne diseases with hygiene and food safety. Majority of the fish handlers had average level of knowledge, attitude and hygiene practices for food safety. These findings presented a foundation for formulating policies to increase food safety and hygiene practices of fish handlers in the region, thereby preventing foodborne diseases and postharvest losses. The results of this study can also form a basis for an in-depth research for students and researchers in various disciplines such as public health, marketing, community development and more
THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT CHANGEOVER ON PUBLIC POLICY MAKING: LESOTHO’S E-GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE
No full textIn Lesotho in recent years, government changeover has become a topic of interest among the electorate, journalists, foreign missions, civil organizations and beyond. Similarly, election commentators, political analysts and researchers have discussed ‘who climbs to power’ and ‘how do they ascend to’ or ‘descend from power’. Significantly less efforts have been focused on the effects of a new administration. This paper attempts to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by examining the relationship between a change of government and the priorities in policy. This is achieved by examining the implications for change of the executive power on the policy making in Lesotho. Using the e-government experience of Lesotho based on the changeovers of 2012, 2015 and 2017, it was found that executive turnover has a direct, yet antagonistic effect on policies. The results show that a new administration often goes slowly with or discontinues the predecessor's policies, programs and projects. This widens the policy-implementation gap as service delivery is interrupted, leading to a lapse in solving societal problems. It also creates uncertainty, not necessarily about who comes to power, but what policy direction they will pursue
Complete Data Hgs Vs Blood Glc Regulation (Handgrip Strength As A Screening Tool For Diabetes In Resource-Constrained Settings)
No full textBackground Information: Diabetes mellitus is an escalating global health concern, especially in low and middle-income countries. Handgrip strength (HGS), a measure of muscle strength, emerges as a potential non-invasive and affordable screening tool for diabetes, particularly in areas with limited healthcare access.
Objective: To investigate the relationship between handgrip strength and blood glucose regulation in non-diabetic young adults and to provide valuable insights into the potential of handgrip strength as a preventive and affordable approach to managing diabetes.
Methods: A cross-sectional study included 59 University of Ilorin students aged 18-21 in Nigeria. Handgrip strength was measured with a dynamometer, and its links to blood glucose markers (fasting blood glucose, 2-hour post-prandial glucose, and HbA1c) were explored using multiple regression models.
Results: Findings revealed significant associations between HGS and glucose regulation markers, particularly FBS, among males. The relationship was evident in females only after adjusting for body mass index (BMI). Furthermore, a notable connection between HGS and 2-hour post-prandial glucose levels was observed in females but not males. However, no significant associations were found between HGS and serum insulin levels across genders
Linking Veterinary Science Faculty Research and Activities to the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals: The Role of the Library
Get PDFThere are widespread opportunities for universities to contribute to the implementation of SDGs. Consequently, sustainability is viewed as an essential aspect of a university's reputation, and research applications and grants are increasingly subjected to alignment with SDG targets of research funders. Nevertheless, while there are extensive initiatives and SDG-focused research undertaken by universities, there is still a significant gap in documenting and reporting the evidence and assessing the conformity between activities of teaching, research, community engagement, and campus operations. With academic libraries mandated to align with the core business of the higher education system, it is sensible to explore opportunities to support the strategies of their parent institutions. Libraries are thus responsible for considering ways to support SDG-related initiatives of their faculties. Essentially, librarians are perfectly positioned to apply their information management skills, information organising tools, and information communication infrastructure knowledge to facilitate SDG discovery, retrieval, and promotion. The Jotello F. Soga Library, at the University of Pretoria, serves the Veterinary Science community of South Africa. This paper will report on the initiatives undertaken by librarians at this specialised library to organise, communicate, and promote the SDGs related to veterinary science, especially through utilising the library's open-access platforms
Abanoonyereza bagamba nti akawuka ka COVID-19 kasobola okukyukakyuka mpolampola, ekyanguya omulimu gw’okukola eddagala erikagema.
Get PDFLuganda translation of DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9100829Nawookeera wa COVID-19 agenze mu maaso okuva lwe yabalukawo ku nkomerero y’Ogwekkuminoogumu gwa 2019 mu Wuhan, China. Okutegeera n’okulondoola enkyukakyuka mu ndagabutonde ez’akawuka, enkalira zaako mu bwebungulule n’obutebenkevu bwako bya mugaso nnyo mu kutangira ensaasaana y’endwadde naddala mu kukola eddagala ttaba erigema erikola ku bika byonna ebisaasaana. Mu ngeri eno, twekaliriza endagabutonde 30,983 eza SARS-CoV-2 enzijuvu okuva mu mawanga 79 agasangibwa mu ssemazinga mukaaga era ezaakuŋŋaanyizibwa okuva nga 24 Ogwekkumineebiri 2019, okutuusa nga 13 Ogwokutaano 2020, okusinziira ku tterekero lya GISAID. Okwekaliriza kwaffe kwayoleka okubaawo kw’ebifo eby’enjawulo 3206, nga birina ensaasaana y’ebika by’endagabutonde ez’enjawulo efaanagana mu bitundu eby’enjawulo. Mu ngeri ey’enjawulo, emirundi gy’obweyolesi egya wansi mu nkyukakyuka gizuuliddwa; enkyukakyuka 169 (5.27%) gyokka gye gyalina obweyolesi obusukka ekitundu 1% mu ndagabutonde. Newankubadde nga kiri kityo, enkyukakyuka kkumi na nnya ezitafaanagana (>10%) zizuuliddwa mu bifo eby’enjawulo mu ndagabutonde z’obuwuka; munaana mu ORF1ab polyprotein (mu nsp2, nsp3, transmembrane domain, RdRp, helicase, exonuclease, ne endoribonuclease), ssatu mu nucleocapsid protein, n’enkyukakyuka emu emu mu puloteyini zino essatu: Spike, ORF3a, ne ORF8. Ekyo nga kiri awo, enkyukakyuka 36 ezitafaanagana zaazuulibwa mu kitundu kya puloteyini enfunyi ey’ekika kya spike ekiyambako akawuka okuyingira omubiri gw’omuntu (RBD) n’obweyolesi obwa wansi (<1%) mu ndagabutonde zonna, nga muno mwalimu nnya zokka ezaalina obusobozi bw’okuyambako puloteyini ya spike eya SARS-CoV-2 okukwanagana n’ekifunyi ekya ACE2. Bino ebizuuliddwa gattako n’obwawuko mu ndagabutonde ya SARS-CoV-2 biyinza okwoleka nti obutafaanagana na kawuka akaleeta ssennyiga oba akaleeta mukeenenya, aka SARS-CoV-2 kalina enkyukakyuka ya wansi ekifuula omulimu gw’okukola eddagala erigema erituukiridde okuba nga gusobokera ddala
Earth, Water & Justice: A Note by the Society of African Earth Scientists on the Environmental effects of Land Grabbing
No full textThis brief note inspired by the reports of other agencies, aims to define land grabbing as pertains to Africa and outline the scientific and ethical case against African governments allowing land grab that threatens soil fertility, water and food security. The paper also highlights the weakness of the CDM in providing a loophole to avoid direct reduction of emissions and leading to increased land grabbing. The note concludes with recommendations urging African government to exercise due diligence in protecting the rights and best interests of their citizens, and dissuading them from the danger of forfeiting the lands and birthright of current and future African generations
ጥቃቅን የነፍሳት አካላትን ለይቶ ለማውጣት ማይክሮስኮፓዊ ኤክስ ሬይ ቴክኒክን መጠቀም ይቻላል።
No full textየነፍሳት የመተንፈሻ አካላት መዋቅሮችን እና ልዩነቶቻቸውን መለካቱ በማይክሮስኮፓዊ መጠናቸው ምክንያት ፈታኝ ሆኖ ቆይቷል። እዚህ ላይ የነፍሳትን የመተንፈሻ ቧንቧ መጠን የምንለካው የኤክስ ሬይ ማይክሮ-ቶሞግራፊ (µCT) ቅኝትን (በ15 µm ጥራት) በህይወት ያሉ እና የደነዘዙ የተለያየ የሰውነት መጠን ያላቸው የሴራምባይሲድ ካኮሲሊስ ኒውማኒ ጥንዚዛ እጮች ላይ ተጠቅመን ነው። በተለያዩ የምስል ክፍፍል ዘዴዎች የቀረቡትን የምስል ትንታኔዎች ተደጋጋሚነት እና መዋቅራዊ የመተንፈሻ ቧንቧ ባህሪ ልዩነቶች ላይ መረጃ በማቅረብ በዚህ ጽሁፍ ውስጥ ለ12 ቅኝቶች ሙሉ ይዘታዊ መረጃ እና 3ዲ ሞዴሎችን እናቀርባለን። የይዘት መረጃዎቹ ከተከፋፈሉ የመተንፈሻ ቧንቧ ክልሎች እንደ 3ዲ ሞዴሎች እዚህ ጋር ቀርበዋል
A Systematic Review of the Potential for Promotion of Southern Epistemologies in Educational Research: Ubuntu Philosophy as a Research Paradigm, a Conceptual Model
No full textINTRODUCTION: The fast changing global trends, practices and ideologies have a potential to dissipate cultural identities of historically colonized nations, in favor for adoption of popularized perspectives. This problem is becoming more and more evident in South Africa due to urbanization and impact of globalization. However, this becomes a constant barrier in knowledge creation, development and management due to the fact that southern epistemologies remain pacified and under-utilized in scholarship and educational research. One such pacified epistemology in both social and educational research is Ubuntu.
RESEARCH AIMS: The aim of this study is to determine the suitable application of Ubuntu philosophy in educational research. This will be achieved by answering a theoretical question: How can Ubuntu be adopted as a paradigm for research inquiries within a southern epistemological context?
METHODS: The philosophy of Ubuntu is located within a subjective realist ontology. Applying non-intrusive research measures, a Scoping Review method was used to postulate evidence for adoption and application of Ubuntu philosophy as a research paradigm. Using a search engine comprising a number of social sciences databases (AnthroSource, ASSIA, Wilson Web and CSA), articles were appraised using the Systematic Review research protocols and analyzed using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. The final activity for data analysis culminated into thematic analysis, using COSTA QDA technique.
RESULTS: This study played a crucial role in magnifying the pacified voices of cultural epistemological contexts and existential realities. While the concept of Ubuntu is well researched across different disciplines, there was paucity of research on its adoption as a research paradigm and research design. The study found out that there were seminal works of established researchers on decoloniality and Afrocentrism, requesting consideration of Ubuntu as a research method. Thus, this scoping review found evidence that Ubuntu can and should be used as a research method in African contexts within social, economic and management sciences, as well as health and politics.
CONCLUSION: It was concluded that institutions of higher learning should start teaching Ubuntu Action Research as a method of inquiry in their undergraduate and postgraduate research programmes. Consultants are also encouraged to investigate this research design approach for business and policy research
Bulk Hydrogen Analysis of Cyanogenic Food Plants Using Neutrons for Routine Quality Control
No full textMillions face food safety threats, with 70% of rural African staples like cocoyam and sorghum harbouring toxic cyanogenic glycosides. To ensure safe consumption, we employed neutron reflection, a rapid, sustainable technique, to assess hydrogen content, which inversely correlates with cyanide levels. This non-destructive approach proved effective, paving the way for routine food quality control and improved public health through the innovative application of particle radiation technology