59 research outputs found
Learning Molecular Structures and Interactions Using Immersive Virtual Reality
No full textThis thesis critically evaluated the educational possibilities of immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) in the context of learning about molecular structures and interactions. Following a systematic review, empirical case studies were conducted to investigate the influence of collaborative IVR activities on students’ conceptual understanding and collaborative interactions. Overall, this thesis illustrates significant learning benefits of collaborative IVR and generates insights for innovative and effective utilisation of IVR in science education
Construction of 22 No. public toilets in Kawempe Division (Kawempe Sanitation Improvement Project (KSIP)
No full textA report submitted to the Department of Construction Economics and Management, School of the Built Environment, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of a Post Graduate Diploma in Construction Project Management of Makerere University.This project report entails the construction methodology used and aspects of construction project management practice exercised by the author while part of the construction team during improvement of water supply and sanitation services of the Urban Poor in Kampala through National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC). It further details contract administration during execution stage and the application of project management knowledge areas during project implementation. The knowledge areas discussed at length include cost, quality, and time and communication management. The construction methodology adopted by the contractor at every stage of the works has also been discussed at length in this report. Public toilets are essential to equitable access to public outdoor spaces. They allow for the space to become a destination for extended periods for socialising, exercise, commuting and accessing community and commercial services. This is true for streetscapes and open spaces such as parks and gardens. Council plays a key role in providing public toilets that are safe, accessible, clean and environmentally sustainable. This Public Toilet Strategy is intended to guide where public toilets are provided and how the community of Moreland experiences them. It will set the direction of Council in this area for the next 10 years. To achieve the vision of safe, accessible, clean and environmentally sustainable public toilets, a series of policies and actions are included construction of toilet facilities that range from three stances to six stances and each facility had provisions for shower rooms. Construction projects involve a diversity of skills that comes from the diversity of professions, specialists and suppliers that are involved in the process from inception to end. Successful implementation of a project can only be achieved with good project management practices in place. Failure to have proper project management monitoring and control systems can easily result in poor relationships, disputes and cost overruns on a project
Feed resources used for small ruminant nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa: a case study of Uganda
No full textSmall ruminants are of great importance to the livelihoods of many people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) since they act as a source of meat, income, hides and skins and for cultural identity. Despite their great importance, especially to rural smallholder farmers, their production in Africa is hindered by poor nutrition. The first stage of establishing development strategies to increase feed quality and quantity is to conduct a comprehensive inventory of the feed resources that are currently available, especially in SSA. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the availability and nature of the common feed resources that are used in the feeding of small ruminants in Uganda. This study involved a comprehensive review of various scientific, technical and economic literature that has been published up to date. Our results show that the available feed resources in Uganda can be grouped mainly into:- crop wastes and residues, agro-industrial by-products, conserved feeds, natural pastures and browse. The main feed resources for small ruminants in Uganda have been identified as natural pastures, which are generally characterised by a low nutritive value. However, browses are seen to have a high crude protein content and could be used as a supplement to grass forages and crop residues. It has been noted that farmers lack knowledge related to feed processing and management, in addition to a lack of policy governing feed quality. Therefore, there is a need to train farmers on how to process and utilise crop residues, in addition to proper feed management practices like pasture cultivation and conservation. It is also necessary to introduce widely new pasture species with better nutritional values that are suitable for the local production systems. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V
Lessons from Uganda on strategies to fight poverty
No full textCountries receiving debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative will be among the first to benefit from the new World Bank -- International Monetary Fund approach to strengthening the impact on poverty of concessional assistance in low-income countries. The new approach features a more inclusive and participatory process for helping recipient countries develop poverty reduction strategies. From these strategies, joint Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) will bring together the country's own priorities and Bank-Fund assistance to the country. In Uganda, such a strategy has existed for several years. Uganda was one of the first low-income countries to prepare a comprehensive national strategy for poverty reduction using a participatory approach. Indeed, its experience contributed substantially to the design of the PRSPs. Uganda's top leadership is heavily committed to poverty reduction. Formulation of Uganda's Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) in 1996-97 was the executive branch's effort to make that commitment and vision operational.The authors draw lessons from the drafting of Uganda's PEAP. First, the plan made extensive use of existing data and research about Uganda to refocus a range of public policies and interventions relevant to poverty reduction. Second, the government's approach was highly participatory, with central and local governments, the donor community, nongovernmental organizations and civil society, and academics invited to contribute. Third, the government was quick to translate the plan into its budget and medium-term spending framework. Public expenditures on basic services were significantly increased after adoption of the PEAP in 1997. The authors discuss the general characteristics of a poverty reduction action plan, drawing on Uganda's experience; discuss what is known about poverty in Uganda and identify shortcomings in the data; examine the macroeconomic and fiscal policies that were considered most important to poverty reduction during the participatory process; discuss the delivery of public services, especially those that directly affect the poor; and highlight problems associated with land issues, including problems with access to credit and financial services and with the security of productive assets.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Public Health Promotion,Health Economics&Finance,Services&Transfers to Poor,Poverty Assessment,Environmental Economics&Policies,Achieving Shared Growth,Governance Indicators,Health Economics&Finance
Antiretroviral therapy uptake and coverage in four HIV community cohort studies in sub-Saharan Africa.
No full textOBJECTIVE: To compare socio-demographic patterns in access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) across four community HIV cohort studies in Africa. METHODS: Data on voluntary counselling and testing and ART use among HIV-infected persons were analysed from Karonga (Malawi), Kisesa (Tanzania), Masaka (Uganda) and Manicaland (Zimbabwe), where free ART provision started between 2004 and 2007. ART coverage was compared across sites by calculating the proportion on ART among those estimated to need treatment, by age, sex and educational attainment. Logistic regression was used to identify socio-demographic characteristics associated with undergoing eligibility screening at an ART clinic within 2 years of being diagnosed with HIV, for three sites with information on diagnosis and screening dates. RESULTS: Among adults known to be HIV-infected from serological surveys, the proportion who knew their HIV status was 93% in Karonga, 37% in Kisesa, 46% in Masaka and 25% in Manicaland. Estimated ART coverage was highest in Masaka (68%) and lowest in Kisesa (2%). The proportion of HIV-diagnosed persons who were screened for ART eligibility within 2 years of diagnosis ranged from 14% in Kisesa to 84% in Masaka, with the probability of screening uptake increasing with age at diagnosis in all sites. CONCLUSIONS: Higher HIV testing rates among HIV-infected persons in the community do not necessarily correspond with higher uptake of ART, nor more equitable treatment coverage among those in need of treatment. In all sites, young adults tend to be disadvantaged in terms of accessing and initiating ART, even after accounting for their less urgent need
Gender and incidence of indirect taxation: Evidence from Uganda
No full textSince the 1990's, Uganda system has undergone various reforms. However, both tax policies and reforms have been formulated without clearly indication the channels through which gender impacts on these policies/reforms. Using the national household survey of 2005/06, this paper provided insight into how tax policies and reforms on indirect taxes impact differently on women and men. The incidence rate of tax gender-based household typologies controlled by expenditure quintile brings out interesting findings. The incidence rate of indirect tax is significantly greater on households headed by male compared to their female counterparts regardless of income level. This also holds after controlling for the presence of children. More importantly, the impact on different households typologies is largely influenced by differences in consumption patterns. future tax reforms should take these gender differences in account as a means of improving the social welfare of every Ugandan.Tax policies, Tax reforms, Household expenditures, Ssewanyana, Economic policy research center, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Labor and Human Capital,
Analysis of students’ diagrams of water molecules in snowflakes to reveal their conceptual understanding of hydrogen bonds
No full textRecent studies have reported a growing trend of using student-generated diagrams for assessment in science teaching and research. However, many educators tend to use diagrams to explore students’ perceptions of scientists and their work rather than explore conceptual understanding of abstract concepts. In this study, we used diagrams to investigate students’ conceptual understanding of the nature of hydrogen bonds among water molecules in snowflakes. Participants were 70 first- and second-year university students. Following a sequence of interview prompts, the students drew diagrams to illustrate the interactions amongst water molecules in snowflakes. Sixty students’ diagrams were analyzed inductively using a constant comparison method. Most diagrams showed that the students did not have major challenges drawing the water molecule structure, recognizing polarity of a water molecule, or recognizing the intermolecular nature of hydrogen bonds. However, the diagrams revealed varied ways in which students conceptualized the formation of hydrogen bonds. A third of the diagrams revealed students’ alternative conceptions about the role of lone pairs of electrons in the formation of hydrogen bonds. Most diagrams which showed a good understanding of the nature of a hydrogen bond revealed students’ difficulties in recognizing molecular interactions in a 3D space. Our findings suggest that student-generated diagrams can provide a powerful way to understand students’ conceptions of abstract science concepts
ENGAGING WITH PHYSICAL MODELS, COMPUTER SIMULATIONS, AND IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY TO UNDERSTAND MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS
No full textVarious technologies have been used to assist students in understanding molecular interactions and structures. With a plethora of learning media available, it is often challenging to choose suitable platforms to achieve the desired learning outcomes. We investigated how first-year university chemistry students learned the concepts of molecular interactions and structures when engaging with three learning media: magnetic physical models, computer simulations, and immersive virtual reality. Twenty-two pairs of students’ hand-drawn diagrams, videos of learning sessions, and pre- and post-interviews were analysed. The results indicated that students’ understanding became richer as they progressed with each learning task, but they learned different aspects of the concepts of molecular interactions and structures in each learning medium. When experiencing the magnetic forces in the physical models, students felt the attraction and repulsion to understand intermolecular forces. With computer simulation, students were able to manipulate the angle and distance between water molecules to form a strong hydrogen bond. With immersive virtual reality, students built a lattice structure of ice crystals to demonstrate how hydrogen bonds contribute to the six-fold symmetry of snowflakes. By considering each medium’s affordances and limitations, we identified the most effective learning approaches to promote a comprehensive understanding of molecular interactions and structures
Potential of natural coagulants for bioremediation of persistent organic pollutants in wastewater in sub-Saharan Africa: A review
No full textSub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a significant user of pesticides, relying on agriculture for economic development. Pesticides and agrochemicals contribute to the presence of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the environment. This review addresses knowledge gaps in monitoring and quantification of POPs, the application of natural coagulants for bioremediation, and associated environmental and health risks in SSA. Findings reveal inconsistencies in monitoring methods and analytes, hindering the identification of temporal trends. Legacy POPs show decreasing concentrations in soil/sediment and aquatic organisms, while some POPs increase in water, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Some river systems exceed acceptable ranges for PCBs according to USEPA standards. PFASs, particularly PFOA and PFOS, are prevalent. Natural coagulants, like Moringa oleifera and chitosan, are gaining popularity for water treatment due to their environmental sustainability and effectiveness in POP remediation. Trivalent cations in natural coagulants show promise for POP bioremediation. However, challenges remain in scaling up natural coagulant applications for commercial water treatment. This review highlights the need for standardized monitoring procedures and emphasizes the potential of natural coagulants in POP remediation efforts
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