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In this article, we examine selected sustainability initiatives from the perspective of local communities to improve our understanding of how putative participatory schemes manage legitimacy. Understanding the legitimacy dynamics of sustainability initiatives is important, as it potentially minimizes the power gaps likely to open across scales and jurisdictions. We analyze selected sustainability initiatives in southern Tanzania dealing with wildlife, forest, and coastal resources and find that they have generally struggled to manage input, process, and impact legitimacy—except for the community-based forestry initiatives. They have been more inclined towards providing training on conservation issues than facilitating alternative livelihood activities. While they are perceived as having achieved some improvements in environmental conditions, they have had minimal effects on socio-economic and livelihood outcomes. This has culminated into significant levels of community dissatisfaction with their performance, which questions their long-term viability.

Funder: Amazon Web Services (AWS) Imagine Grant, Funder: Kingston University (Kingston University, London); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100010049, Funder: Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie (National Association for Research and Technology); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003032, Funder: Association Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique and Pacifica (CIFRE grant 2017/0245), Funder: PRIMUS/20/HUM/009, Funder: UID/PSI/03125/2019 from the Portuguese National Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)., Funder: PSA research grant ($285.59) for the PSACR projects data collection, Funder: The work of Dmitrii Dubrov was supported within the framework of the Basic Research Program at HSE University, RF, Funder: Agentúra na podporu výskumu a vývoja (Slovak Research and Development Agency) - APVV-17-0596, Funder: Progres Q18, Charles University, Funder: JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP18K12015 and JP20H04581, Funder: National Science Centre, Poland (2019/35/B/HS6/00528), Funder: Slovak Research and Development Agency - APVV-17-0596, Funder: Huo Family Foundation, Funder: The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI [19K14370], Funder: The Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Funder: Program FUTURE LEADER of Lorraine Université d’Excellence within the program Investissements Avenir (ANR-15-IDEX-04-LUE) operated by the French National Research Agency, Funder: Rubicon grant (019.183SG.007) from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), Funder: Australian Research Council (DP180102384), Funder: HSE University Basic Research Program, Funder: Horizon 2020 grant 964728 (JITSUVAX) from the European Commission and was supported by a United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) Research Fellowship grant ES/V011901/1, Funder: Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Funder: Dominican University Faculty Support Grant, Funder: FONDECYT 1221538, Funder: Vicerrectoria de Investigaciones, Uniandes, Funder: Statutory funds of the Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Funder: University of Desarrollo, Faculty of Psychology, Funder: IDN Being Human Lab (University of Wrocław), Funder: ANID - Fondecyt 1201513, In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments. Data were provided by 73,223 participants with varying completion rates. Participants completed the survey from 111 geopolitical regions in 44 unique languages/dialects. The anonymized dataset described here is provided in both raw and processed formats to facilitate re-use and further analyses. The dataset offers secondary analytic opportunities to explore coping, framing, and self-determination across a diverse, global sample obtained at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be merged with other time-sampled or geographic data.

This study extends the use of psycho-socio-cultural (PSC) dimension model which goes far beyond its limited application to resettlement and displacement in development-induced projects. In extending its use, involuntary job relocation also changes routine culture of the relocatees into dissonant culture, which then transforms them into a different routine culture. In PSC model perspective, it is unlikely that pre-displacement, here being referred as relocation, will be recovered, let alone reestablish, in which it will take time. Although irreversible, there are strategies that could be adopted by the relocatees to cope, adapt and adjust to the newly relocated region, however, it is not guaranteed to be defined as complete recovery of the relocation. Therefore, the use of PSC model in relocation studies is paramount in understanding the restoration struggles of the livelihood, family and work experience of the relocated government officials dual career couples (RGO-DCC) due to unforeseen changes of relocation that caused the relocatees to be relocated and leave their families behind, therefore, disintegrated their social networking and other cultural surroundings. In determining how well the capital city relocation considered the livelihood of the RGO-DCC (post-relocation), it is significant to address the fundamental aspects of psycho-socio-cultural of the relocatees before relocation. Lastly, the outcome of this study highlights how PSC model is suitable to relocation studies to justify the extension of its application beyond resettlement and displacement development-induced projects.

U radu je predstavljen pristup za modelovanje tema i klasifikaciju tekstualnih dokumenata. Konkretno, vršena je 1) primena LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) nad tekstom zarad dobijanja tema, pri čemu je evaluacija rađena kvalitativno, kroz semantiku pronađenih tema; 2) klasifikacija dokumenta primenom reprezentacije teksta dobijene kombinacijom tf-idf obeležja i tema izvučenih pomoću LSA (Latent Semantic Analysis); nad ovom reprezentacijom treniran je Naive Bayes klasifikator, a evaluacija je vršena računanjem F-mere, 3) klasifikacija dokumenta primenom tf-idf reprezentacije teksta, gde je eksperimentisano sa treniranjem SVM (Support Vector Machines) i RF (Random Fores) modela; I u ovom slučaju evaluacija je vršena računanjem F-mere.

BACKGROUND: The reported infection rates, and the burden of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in low- and middle-income countries, including sub-Saharan Africa, are relatively low compared to Europe and America, partly due to limited testing capabilities. Unlike many countries, in Tanzania, neither mass screening nor restrictive measures such as lockdowns have been implemented to date. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in rural mainland Tanzania is largely unknown.METHODS: Between April and October 2021, we conducted a cross-sectional study to assess anti-SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among mother-child pairs ( n=634 children, n=518 mothers) in a rural setting of north-eastern Tanzania. FINDINGS: We found a very high prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titres with seroprevalence rates ranging from 29% among mothers and 40% among children, with a dynamic peak in seropositivity incidence at the end of July/early in August being revealed. Significant differences in age, socioeconomic status and body composition were associated with seropositivity in mothers and children. No significant associations were observed between seropositivity and comorbidities, including anaemia, diabetes, malaria, and HIV.INTERPRETATIONS: The SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a rural region of Tanzania during 2021 was high, indicating a much higher infection rate in rural Tanzania compared to that reported in the UK and USA during the same period. Ongoing immune surveillance may be vital to monitoring the burden of viral infection in rural settings without access to molecular genotyping where a load of communicable diseases may mask COVID-19. Surveillance could be implemented in tandem with the intensification of vaccination strategies.

This paper presents the design and simulation of a hybrid renewable energy system utilizing solar and wind energy sources with a backup generator. The demand for reliable electric energy in support of investments in large social and economic development activities such as airport operations has been an agenda worldwide. In Tanzania, Mwanza International Airport (MIA) expects to consume about 18 MVA of electric power annually to support its operations for the next 25 years. About 78-80% of the world's commercial energy comes from fossil fuels. Non-renewable fuels and other negative effects contribute to global warming through greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, most centralized conventional power generation methods require transmission systems, adding complexity and poor power quality. Therefore, the proposal to use a mixed-coupled hybrid renewable energy source to power the airport is necessary. The energy mix considered is solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, diesel generator and a battery. There is an average solar irradiation of 5.38 kWh/m2 and a wind speed average of 4.20 m/s that could be converted to electricity by installing a 10-kW wind turbine (this is enough to generate power for MIA). The diesel generator and the battery designed at 140 kVA and 400 Ah, respectively, take the intermittency. The project will be in operation for 25 years; hence its costs are reasonable, and the justification is the potentiality of harvesting that estimated energy output of 18 MVA, which will meet the load for MIA. Some mathematical computations were performed, and, in the end, simulation results displayed different techno-economic Hybrid Renewable Energy Source (HRSE) configurations. The selected system's complete design would include a 78.48 kW PV system comprising 314 pieces of 200 W poly- crystalline modules, 608 batteries of 83.4 Ah, 12 V rating, 140 kVA diesel generator, and 41.64 kVA bidirectional converter. The net present cost of the selected design is US$357,780.8, the energy cost is 0.93US$/kW, and the minimum renewable fraction is 40.2%.

Purpose: The legitimacy of a policy network is an important factor in determining the success of a policy process. It can help to ensure that the policy process is conducted in a transparent and accountable manner, and that the decision-making process is based on sound evidence and effective consultation. It also ensures that the policy process outcomes are based on consensus rather than on the interests of any particular group, builds trust between stakeholders and the government, which can help to ensure that the policy process is implemented effectively as well as help to enhance public participation in the policy process, which can lead to better policy outcomes. Given the limited empirical focus of the previous studies on the role of policy network legitimacy in achieving policy process outcomes, this study sought to establish the relationship between the two. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive design. The target population of the study was 470 policy actors in the road transport sector within Nairobi City County out of which 407 were sampled to respond to the questionnaire and 45 were sampled to participate in focused group discussions as well as key informant interviews. The sampling approach adopted was a purposeful sampling procedure. A mixed methodology was adopted whereby both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through structured questionnaires, Key Informant Interviews and focused group discussions. The quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics that is mean, frequencies and percentages as well as regression analysis. On the other hand, qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis and reported in a narrative format. Findings: The study established that the level of policy network legitimacy in road transport sector within Nairobi City County, Kenya was very high and this was associated with a significant improvement in the policy process outcomes. Recommendations: The study recommends a need for an increase public participation by the policy makers in the transport department in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study also recommend establishment of clear guidelines and rules for the policy network that all members must follow to ensure accountability. The study also recommend a transparent process for the policy network as well as promotion of accountability by ensuring all members of the policy network are held accountable for their actions.

Purpose: Policy networks approach has gained prominence among scholars due to myriad complex problems in public policy processes and management. Yet, many policies are designed and implemented without meaningful participation of citizens particularly through the informal institutions of policy networks. Despite its vital role in allowing different stakeholders to come together, share their expertise and knowledge, and work to create effective solutions to public policy issues many public making processes seems to have considered policy network collaborations to low extent. Furthermore, other benefits of policy network collaborations such as allowing different perspectives to be heard and considered leading to more informed and effective public policy. Considering that, this study interrogated the effect of policy network collaboration on public policy process outcomes in the road transport sector in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population of the study was 470 policy actors in the road transport sector within Nairobi City County out of which 407 were purposefully sampled to respond to the questionnaire and 45 were sampled to participate in focused group discussions as well as key informant interviews. The sampling approach adopted was a purposeful sampling procedure. A mixed methodology was adopted whereby both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and focused group discussions. The quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics that is mean, frequencies and percentages as well as regression analysis. On the other hand, qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis and reported in a narrative format. Findings: The findings established that the level of policy network collaboration involving but not limited to information sharing, cooperation and agreement in road transport sector within Nairobi City County, Kenya was very high which was associated with a positive and significant effect on policy process outcomes. Recommendations: The study recommends the policy makers and stakeholders in the transport sector in Nairobi City County to develop a shared understanding of the public policy process, increase transparency and communication in the process, encourage cross-sector collaboration, utilize technology in enhancing collaboration as well as develop a culture of trust in the policy making process as a way of improving policy network collaboration.

Purpose: The policy network managers play an important role of providing a vital link between government, the public, and the policy makers ensuring that policies are effectively communicated and implemented, and that public opinion is accurately reflected in the decision-making process. They also ensure coordination of the activities of stakeholders, supporting policy development, and helping to ensure that policy decisions are made in the best interests of the public. Therefore, to ensure that the public policy process outcomes are well achieved, the policy network manager’s roles must be well defined. Due to the recurring challenges in the policy making process in the transport sector in Nairobi City County Kenya, this study sought to explore the effect of policy network manager’s role on public policy process outcomes in the Road Transport Sector in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population of the study was 470 policy actors in the road transport sector within Nairobi City County out of which 407 were purposefully sampled to respond to the questionnaire and 45 were sampled to participate in focused group discussions as well as key informant interviews. The sampling approach adopted was a purposeful sampling procedure. A mixed methodology was adopted whereby both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through structured questionnaires, Key Informant Interviews and focused group discussions. The quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics that is mean, frequencies and percentages as well as regression analysis. On the other hand, qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis and reported in a narrative format. Findings: The findings indicated that an improvement in policy network managers ‘roles would result to a significant improvement in the policy process outcomes. Recommendations: This study recommends the policy actors in the public policy making process in the transport sector in Nairobi City County, Kenya to increase visibility of the manager’s roles. The study also recommends for a need to build trust and relationships as well as embrace and support evidence-based information. Another recommendation is the need for the policy network manager to facilitate collaboration between stakeholders and facilitate the exchange of information and ideas.

Purpose: Burns are serious injuries that cause permanent functional, aesthetic, and psychosocial consequences. This study aimed to examine the incidence of pediatric burns requiring hospitalization, and different treatment modalities and outcomes. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, 28 children with burns (19 boys and nine girls) were admitted between 2014 and 2018 for treatment. We monitored the incidence of burns and analyzed different treatment modalities and treatment outcomes. Children in this study were treated at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of the University Medical Centre Maribor. Results: Scalds were found to be the most common type of burns in children (68%). Children younger than 5 years of age were the most affected (75%). The average burned total body surface area was 9%. Furthermore, 89% of children needed surgical treatment. The hospitalization lasted for an average of 14.6 days, with complete healing occurring in 72% of children within 4 weeks. Conclusions: This study showed that the most vulnerable age group of children with severe burns who required hospitalization was between 1 and 2 years and that the most common type of burn was scalding. We suggested educating parents about burns and burn injuries and how such serious incidence could be prevented, especially among the youngest children.

Purpose: Transport sector in Nairobi City County is characterised by a myriad of challenges related to policymaking process. While studies have sought to establish the link between various policy network issues and policy process outcomes, the role of various policy network types has not been given much attention. This is despite its important role of connecting government actors, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders involved in policy-making to help facilitate an effective, efficient, and inclusive policy-making process. This study sought to establish the effect of policy network type on public policy processes outcomes in the road transport sector in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive design. The target population of the study was 470 policy actors in the road transport sector within Nairobi City County out of which 407 were purposefully sampled to respond to the questionnaire and 45 were sampled to participate in focused group discussions as well as key informant interviews. The sampling approach adopted was a purposeful sampling procedure. A mixed methodology was adopted whereby both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and focused group discussions. The quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics that is mean, frequencies and percentages as well as regression analysis. On the other hand, qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis and reported in a narrative format. Findings: The effect of policy network type on policy process outcomes was determined to be positive and significant. It was established that various policy network types in road transport sector within Nairobi City County, Kenya strongly determined policy process outcomes. Recommendations: The study recommend policy makers in the transport sector to adopt policy networks which have a clear a clear chain of command and clear decision-making authority, adopt policy networks characterized by multiple decision-makers who share decision-making authority as well as those characterized by characterized by multiple decision-makers who are geographically dispersed. There is also a need for policy makers in the transport sector to adopt policy networks characterized by characterized by a dynamic structure that changes over time in response to different circumstances.

Purpose: Public policy making process in the transport sector in Nairobi City County, Kenya faces a myriad of challenges as reflected in the high failure rate of most of the policies. Often ignored are the characteristics of individual actors within a policy network which can have a major impact on the public policy process by shaping how the policy is framed, negotiated, and implemented. Considering the increasing challenges in the policy making process and considering the importance of individual actor’s characteristics in this process, this study sought to establish the effect of policy network individual actors’ characteristics on policy process outcomes in the road transport sector in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population of the study was 470 policy actors in the road transport sector within Nairobi City County out of which 407 were purposefully sampled to respond to the questionnaire and 45 were sampled to participate in focused group discussions as well as key informant interviews. A mixed methodology was adopted whereby both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and focused group discussions. The quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics that is mean, frequencies and percentages as well as regression analysis. On the other hand, qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis and reported in a narrative format. Findings: The study established that characteristics of individual actors within a policy network can significantly influence public policy processes outcomes by shaping how the policy is framed, how it is negotiated, and how it is implemented. Recommendations: The study recommends a need to increase the influence of individual actors within the policy network by providing them with more opportunities, resources and necessary support to engage in decision-making processes. There is also a need for involved stakeholders in the policy making process in the transport sector in Nairobi City County to create a platform for individual actors to share their opinions, experiences, and perspectives on relevant policy issues. The study further recommends the involved stakeholders in the policy making process in the transport sector in Nairobi City County to provide resources and support to individual actors in order to strengthen their capacity and knowledge in policy making processes.

To deepen our understanding of sex work stigma, and to its drivers and their interrelation, we conducted an analysis using structural equation modelling of the South African National Sex Worker Survey. We enrolled 3005 women in sex work using multi-stage sampling across all South Africa's provinces. Experience of external/enacted and internalised stigma was widespread. Non-partner rape, intimate partner violence and partner controlling behaviour (often expressions of external/enacted stigma) compounded internalised stigma. These experiences of violence, other manifestations of external/enacted stigma and food insecurity, were key drivers of internalised stigma, and often had an impact on mental health. We found that considerable protection against stigma emanated from viewing sex work positively. This resistance to stigma provided opportunities to shift the narrative. Reducing sex workers' exposure to external/enacted stigmatising behaviour, including by enabling more to work indoors, and providing greater protection from partner violence and rape, are critical for better health and well-being. Ending the criminalisation of sex work is foundational for safer working conditions and better health outcomes for sex workers, similarly providing adequately funded mental and physical health and social care through sex work specific programmes.

Lack of a conducive working environment results to stress andchallenges in the practice of leadership. Work related stress factors makes leadership to be a cumbersome undertaking and this hinder productivity of an organization. Thefour objectiveswere; to establish the influence of job demandson practice of leadership, to evaluateinfluence of work life balance onpractice of leadership, to assessinfluence of role ambiguity on practice of leadership and to examineinfluence of organizational stressorson practice of leadership. The study used descriptive research design. The target population was 423 employees. The study adoptedsimple random sampling technique in selecting206 respondents from the entire population. The findings revealed that there is a strong positive relationship between work-related stress factors and practice of leadership,job demands had a positive relationship with leadership practice and undefined organization roles in job description jeopardizes a leader’s ability to execute tasks. Balancing personaland professional objectivesfulfilsa leader’s ability to practice leadership. The recommendations are;job descriptions should be clearly defined, mandatedand stated well withinthe organization,Leaders to delegate certain tasksfor themto focus on key tasks. Organizations to have well-articulated set of guidelines for them to reach a specific goal that is sustainable, measurable, attainable, reachable and time bound ensuringthat leaders understand the external and internal aspect of how the organization workby providing a pleasant working environment to reduceexperiences that lead to organizational stress, while at the same time create a thriving environment for leaders to continuously improve their performance and leadership skills

Emmanuela E Ambrose,1 Benson R Kidenya,2 Mwesige Charles,3 Joyce Ndunguru,4 Agnes Jonathan,4 Julie Makani,4 Irene K Minja,4,5 Paschal Ruggajo,4,6 Emmanuel Balandya4,7 1Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania; 2Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania; 3Department of Laboratory Services, Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania; 4Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; 5Department of Restorative Dentistry, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; 6Department of Internal Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; 7Department of Physiology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaCorrespondence: Emmanuela E Ambrose, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O. Box 1464, Mwanza, Tanzania, Tel +255789733833, Fax +255282500799, Email emmanuelaambrose@gmail.comPurpose: To assess clinical and haematological outcomes of Hydroxyurea accessed via various access means and uncover the barriers to its utilization in children with Sickle cell anaemia (SCA), North-western Tanzania.Patients and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted between October 2020 and April 2021 at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) through review of medical files to compare the clinical and haematological outcomes among children with SCA at baseline and followed up retrospectively for at least one year of hydroxyurea utilization, accessed via cash, insurance and projects. Subsequently, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents and caregivers to ascertain the barriers to access of hydroxyurea via the various means. The p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: We identified 87 children with SCA who were on hydroxyurea for at least one year. The median age at baseline (before hydroxyurea) was 99 [78– 151] months, and 52/87 (59.8%) were male. Compared to baseline, there was a significant reduction in proportion of patients reporting vaso-occlusive crisis, admissions and blood transfusions, a significant increase in Haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume, conversely a significant reduction in absolute neutrophil and reticulocytes to both insurance and project participants. There was no significant change in most of these parameters among patients who accessed hydroxyurea via cash. Further, a total of 24/87 (27.6%) participants reported different barriers to access of hydroxyurea, where 10/24 (41.7%) reported hydroxyurea to be very expensive, 10/24 (41.7%) reported insurance challenges, and 4/21 (16.6%) reported unavailability of the drug.Conclusion: The paediatric patients utilizing hydroxyurea accessed via insurance and projects, but not cash, experienced significant improvement in the clinical and haematological outcomes. Several barriers for access to hydroxyurea were observed which appeared to impact these outcomes. These findings call for concerted efforts to improve the sustainable access to hydroxyurea among all patients with SCA.Keywords: sickle cell anaemia, hydroxyurea, access, outcomes, North-western Tanzania

Oral disease/conditions are reported to have negative effects on the quality of life of People Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (PLWHIV/AIDS). This study aimed to assess the prevalence and causes of oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP) and its associated factors among PLWHIV/AIDS. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 218 PLWHIV/AIDS attending two HIV Care and Treatment Centres (CTCs) in Dar es Salaam. The study utilized a structured interview schedule containing questions on socio-demography and a single item of global oral health measure on the perception of current oral health status (OHS). A Swahili version of an OIDP inventory was used to assess the impacts of oral conditions on participants’ daily performances. Frequency distribution, chi-square, and logistic regression analyses were conducted (p < 0.05). Participants’ age ranged from 20 to 70 years, mean of 41.15 SD 10.7. About 70% (n = 154) of the participants perceived their oral health status (OHS) as good. The prevalence of OIDP (³ 1) was 26.1% (n = 57). The most affected performances reported were eating and chewing food followed by maintaining the usual emotional state without being irritable. Toothache was the main cause of impacts on all daily performances except ‘speaking and pronouncing clearly’ which was caused by oral ulcer. Age (p = 0.025) and perceived oral health status (p = 0.000) were significantly associated with OIDP. More studies on biological and behavioural factors are recommended to support inclusion of oral health in CTCs. Keywords: Care and Treatment Centres; HAART; HIV; Oral health; Quality of life

Transdermal delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can be challenging, since the skin possesses a rate-limiting barrier, which may be overcome when APIs possess certain ideal physicochemical properties. The lack thereof would require that APIs be included in drug delivery vehicles to enhance skin permeation. Hence, diclofenac was incorporated into various drug delivery vehicles (i.e., nano-emulsions, nano-emulgels, and a colloidal suspension containing drug-loaded nanoparticles) to investigate the transdermal delivery thereof, while nano-emulsions and nano-emulgels had varying concentrations of evening primrose oil (EPO). The aim of the study was to compare the topical and transdermal diclofenac delivery from the different types of vehicles and to investigate the influence the different EPO concentrations had on diclofenac delivery. After characterization, membrane release studies were performed (to determine whether the API was successfully released from the vehicle) followed by in vitro skin diffusion studies and tape stripping (to establish whether the vehicles assisted the API in reaching the target site (transdermal delivery)). Lastly, cytotoxicity studies were conducted via methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and neutral red (NR) assays on human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. Results showed minimal cytotoxic effects at concentrations equivalent to that which had permeated through the skin, while the membrane release and in vitro skin diffusion studies indicated that the nano-emulsions and the 10% EPO vehicles increased API release and diffusion when compared to the other vehicles. However, the colloidal suspension had the highest concentrations of API within the skin. Hence, all the vehicles were non-toxic and effectively delivered diclofenac through the transdermal route.

U ovom radu opisani su instrumenti i metodi koje se svakodnevno primenjuju u eliminaciji ili ublažavanju rizika sa kojima se susreću organizacije koje u svom portfoliju imaju hartije od vrednosti. Značaj poznavanja instrumenata i metoda za upravljanje rizicima je višestruk, a prvenstveno se odnosi na težnju postuzanja što boljih rezultata uz minimalna ulaganja.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of engaging experts in helping journalists in Kenya to deal with trauma. Methodology: The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods of collecting data. This included the uses of questionnaires and interviews. The collected data was edited, coded and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The data was presented using both qualitative and quantitative statistics. Findings: The results of the study revealed that engaging experts had a significant relationship with effective trauma management. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommends that journalists should engage spiritual leaders to help them to deal with traumatic experiences. In addition, journalists should also engage counselors to help them to deal with traumatic experiences.

Myriad reasons, including stigma, may prevent patients from self-reporting harmful use of alcohol in Tanzania. Family members may be more forthright but might not know the extent of the patient's alcohol use or suffer alcohol-related stigma as well. Our study aims to compare the reporting of patient alcohol use by emergency department patients themselves and their family members in Tanzania in order to describe the potential use of family reports as a proxy for patient self-reports.We conducted a secondary descriptive analysis of a prospective cohort of adult patients seeking treatment for injury and their family members. We evaluated alcohol use behavior, alcohol-related consequences, and alcohol-related stigma reported by 231 patients and 231 family members (both majority male, ages 25-45 years), measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Perceived Alcohol Stigma (PAS) scale, and the Drinker Inventory of Consequences (DrInC). Alcohol use behavior concordance/discordance between patients and families was established, and alcohol use and perceived stigma were analyzed.More than 72% of patient-family pairs showed alcohol use (AUDIT) concordance. Receiver operating characteristic curve and regression analysis suggests family reports to be clinically relevant, significant, and potentially accurate markers of patient alcohol use (sensitivity: 95.10%, specificity: 69.77%). Findings support the existence of stigma toward alcohol in this context, with similar stigma levels of patients and family members.Family-reported patient alcohol use may be an accurate proxy for patient self-reporting. Further research is needed into stigma toward alcohol that is culturally appropriate and adopted.

Живот у здравој и очуваној животној средини је основни предуслов развоја и опстанка цивилизације, због чега је очување животне средине и заштита од угрожавања приоритет савременог друштва. Због тога сваки правни систем посебну пажњу посвећује регулативи која се односи на унапређење и заштиту животне средине у разним гранама права, као што су уставно право, грађанско право, управно право и кривично право, а свест о значају наведене проблематике је имала за последицу и стварање нове гране права у појединим законодавствима, еколошког права, односно права животне средине. Право појединца на живот у здравој животној средини, које је уздигнуто у ранг уставом загарантованог права, подобног за развој и опстанак живог света, отворило је питање шта се то подразумева под животом у здравој животној средини, као и како се појединцу може обезбедити живот у здравој животној средини. Свест о штетном коришћењу природних и енергетских ресурса, климатске промене, изумирање флоре и фауне и препознавање негативних промена у животној средини као последици најтежих облика угрожавања, довела је до стварања кривичноправне заштите животне средине.Улога кривичног права у остваривању права човека на живот у здравој животној средини мора бити посматрана као ultima ratio, односно као крајњи механизам заштите који има корективну, али и превентивну сврху, због чега је посебно значајна проблематика кривичног поступка као главног и јединог инструмента за примену кривичног права на конкретне случајеве. Кривична дела против животне средине представљају саставни део кривичних законодавстава бројних земаља, као и питање које завређује пажњу и међународне сарадње кроз бројне инструменте. Анализирајући регулативу и судску праксу у области кривичних поступака за кривична дела против животне средине, постављено је питање да ли кривични поступци за кривична дела против животне средине имају одређене специфичности, које одступају од правила општег кривичног поступка. Упоређивањем различитих теоријских приступа, анализа и упоредноправних решења утврђено је да постоје одређене специфичности код кривичних дела и кривичних поступака за кривична дела против животне средине, као и да постоје одређени недостаци у домаћем законодавству. Испитивањем активног деловања кроз компаративну анализу регулативе и судске праксе сагледане су предности и недостаци у откривању и доказивању кривичних дела против животне средине, те учињени предлози за ефикасније откривање кривичних дела против животне средине, као и предлози унапређења доказних радњи. Препознати проблеми у спровођењу кривичних поступака за кривична дела против животне средине посматрани су са циљем побољшавања остваривања права човека на живот у здравој животној средини, а засновани су на сложеном чињеничном стању и доказној грађи, као и специфичностима процесних субјеката. Домаћи и инострани аутори последњих година указују на проблем еколошког организованог криминалитета и прекограничног еколошког криминалитета, те су ови савремени облици еколошког криминалитета посматрани и кроз аспект међународне правне помоћи у кривичним стварима. Теоријско сагледавање кривичних дела и кривичних поступака за кривична дела против животне средине употпуњено је спроведеним емпиријским истраживањем које је обухватило праксу свих основних судова на територији Републике Србије у периоду од 1.1.2006. до 20.10.2021, односно расположивих предмета у архивама судова и омогућило изношење закључака о смеру у ком је потребно извршити модификације домаћег законодавства кроз предлоге de lege ferenda., Život u zdravoj i očuvanoj životnoj sredini je osnovni preduslov razvoja i opstanka civilizacije, zbog čega je očuvanje životne sredine i zaštita od ugrožavanja prioritet savremenog društva. Zbog toga svaki pravni sistem posebnu pažnju posvećuje regulativi koja se odnosi na unapređenje i zaštitu životne sredine u raznim granama prava, kao što su ustavno pravo, građansko pravo, upravno pravo i krivično pravo, a svest o značaju navedene problematike je imala za posledicu i stvaranje nove grane prava u pojedinim zakonodavstvima, ekološkog prava, odnosno prava životne sredine. Pravo pojedinca na život u zdravoj životnoj sredini, koje je uzdignuto u rang ustavom zagarantovanog prava, podobnog za razvoj i opstanak živog sveta, otvorilo je pitanje šta se to podrazumeva pod životom u zdravoj životnoj sredini, kao i kako se pojedincu može obezbediti život u zdravoj životnoj sredini. Svest o štetnom korišćenju prirodnih i energetskih resursa, klimatske promene, izumiranje flore i faune i prepoznavanje negativnih promena u životnoj sredini kao posledici najtežih oblika ugrožavanja, dovela je do stvaranja krivičnopravne zaštite životne sredine.Uloga krivičnog prava u ostvarivanju prava čoveka na život u zdravoj životnoj sredini mora biti posmatrana kao ultima ratio, odnosno kao krajnji mehanizam zaštite koji ima korektivnu, ali i preventivnu svrhu, zbog čega je posebno značajna problematika krivičnog postupka kao glavnog i jedinog instrumenta za primenu krivičnog prava na konkretne slučajeve. Krivična dela protiv životne sredine predstavljaju sastavni deo krivičnih zakonodavstava brojnih zemalja, kao i pitanje koje zavređuje pažnju i međunarodne saradnje kroz brojne instrumente. Analizirajući regulativu i sudsku praksu u oblasti krivičnih postupaka za krivična dela protiv životne sredine, postavljeno je pitanje da li krivični postupci za krivična dela protiv životne sredine imaju određene specifičnosti, koje odstupaju od pravila opšteg krivičnog postupka. Upoređivanjem različitih teorijskih pristupa, analiza i uporednopravnih rešenja utvrđeno je da postoje određene specifičnosti kod krivičnih dela i krivičnih postupaka za krivična dela protiv životne sredine, kao i da postoje određeni nedostaci u domaćem zakonodavstvu. Ispitivanjem aktivnog delovanja kroz komparativnu analizu regulative i sudske prakse sagledane su prednosti i nedostaci u otkrivanju i dokazivanju krivičnih dela protiv životne sredine, te učinjeni predlozi za efikasnije otkrivanje krivičnih dela protiv životne sredine, kao i predlozi unapređenja dokaznih radnji. Prepoznati problemi u sprovođenju krivičnih postupaka za krivična dela protiv životne sredine posmatrani su sa ciljem poboljšavanja ostvarivanja prava čoveka na život u zdravoj životnoj sredini, a zasnovani su na složenom činjeničnom stanju i dokaznoj građi, kao i specifičnostima procesnih subjekata. Domaći i inostrani autori poslednjih godina ukazuju na problem ekološkog organizovanog kriminaliteta i prekograničnog ekološkog kriminaliteta, te su ovi savremeni oblici ekološkog kriminaliteta posmatrani i kroz aspekt međunarodne pravne pomoći u krivičnim stvarima. Teorijsko sagledavanje krivičnih dela i krivičnih postupaka za krivična dela protiv životne sredine upotpunjeno je sprovedenim empirijskim istraživanjem koje je obuhvatilo praksu svih osnovnih sudova na teritoriji Republike Srbije u periodu od 1.1.2006. do 20.10.2021, odnosno raspoloživih predmeta u arhivama sudova i omogućilo iznošenje zaključaka o smeru u kom je potrebno izvršiti modifikacije domaćeg zakonodavstva kroz predloge de lege ferenda., Living in a healthy environment is a basic precondition for civilization’s further development and sustainability. That is a main reason why the preservation of the environment is modern society’s priority. Every legal system therefor is paying special attention to rules and regulation regarding the development and preservation of healthy environment though legal norms in various law branches, such are constitutional law, civil law, administrative law and criminal law and the awareness of such issue helped the effort in development of a brand new law branch in particular legal systems – environmental law, that is right on helthy environment.A right of an individual to a healthy environment fit for development and survival, which was raised to a level of a constitution guaranteed right, has brought up a question, what does the term living in a healthy environment mean, as well as how can life in a healthy environment be guaranteed to a person. Awareness regarding hazardous use of natural and energy resources, climate change, extinction of flora and fauna, recognition of negative changes in the environment as an aftermath of the most serious threats, has helped in making criminal law legal norms which would protect the environment.The role of criminal law in realizing the human right to live in a healthy environment must be viewed as an ultima ratio, i.e. as the ultimate protection mechanism that has a corrective as well as preventive purpose, which is why the issue of criminal procedure as the main and only instrument for applying criminal law to specific cases is particularly significant. Criminal acts against healthy environment are integral part of criminal legislation in various countries and it is a topic which earns attention of international cooperation though various means and instruments. While analyzing the regulation and court practice in the area of criminal procedures regarding the criminal acts against the environment, question is brought up regarding weather the criminal procedures for criminal acts against healthy environment have any specific , which would differentiate them from general criminal procedure. By comparing various theoretical approaches, analyzing comparative solutions, it is determined that there are some specifics in criminal acts against the environment, as well as it’s criminal procedure, and deficiency in domestic legislation is unveiled.Examining active action through a comparative analysis of regulations and court practice discovered the advantages and disadvantages in detecting and proving criminal acts against the environment, and suggestions were made for more effective detection of criminal acts against the environment, as well as suggestions for improving evidentiary actions. Recognized problems regarding the criminal procedure for criminal acts against the environment are observed with the aim of improving the realization of human’s right to live in a healthy environment, and they were based on the complex factual situation and evidence, as well as the specifics of the procedural subjects.Domestic and international authors in recent years have pointed to a growing problem of organized crime against healthy environment, as well as international ecological crime, so these modern forms of ecological crime are viewed though a perspective of international legal aid in criminal matters.The theoretical analysis of criminal offenses and criminal proceedings for criminal offenses against the environment was completed by empirical research that included the practice of all Basic courts on the territory of the Republic of Serbia in the period from January 1, 2006. until 10.20.2021, i.e. available cases in the archives of the courts and made it possible to present conclusions about the direction in which it is necessary to make modifications to the domestic legislation through de lege ferenda proposals.

Nosema ceranae, a microsporidium species, is among the most common causes of bee diseases. The positive effect of Agaricus bisporus mushroom extract on the survival and immunity of Nosema-infected bees has been reported recently. The effect could be achieved by stimulating the expression of immune-related genes, but also by suppressing nosemosis. The aim of this work was to determine the effect of A. bisporus extract on the oxidative status of bees infected with N. ceranae. In a cage experiment on newly hatched bees, the effect of aqueous extract of champignon (A. bisporus, strain A15) was investigated. Six groups were formed: three groups were infected and received A. bisporus extract through food at different times (days 1, 3, and 6 after hatching), one group received the extract but was not infected (treatment control), one was only infected with Nosema (positive control) and one was neither infected nor received the extract (negative control). The effects were examined on samples taken on days 7 and 15 of the study. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) and the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined. In comparison to the positive control, the enzyme activities and MDA concentrations were significantly lower in the groups fed with the mushroom extract supplement. In the negative control, the level of oxidative stress was lower than in the positive control. In comparison with the other groups, the values mostly did not differ significantly. The oxidative status of bees infected with N. ceranae was significantly better if they were fed with the A. bisporus extract. Među najučestalije izazivače oboljenja pčela spada mikrosporidija Nosema ceranae. Poznato je pozitivno dejstvo ekstrakta gljive Agaricus bisporus na preživljavanje i imunitet pčela inficiranih nozemom. To se postiže stimulacijom ekspresije gena značajnih za imunitet i suzbijanjem nozemoze. Cilj ovog rada bio je utvrditi kakav efekat ima ekstrakt šampinjona A. bisporus na oksidativni status pčela inficiranih mikrosporidijom N. ceranae. U kaveznom eksperimentu na novoizleženim pčelama ispitivan je efekat vodenog ekstrakta šampinjona (A. bisporus, soj A15). Oformljeno je šest grupa: tri grupe su bile inficirane i u hrani dobijale ekstrakt A. bisporus u različitim momentima (prvog, trećeg i šestog dana od izleganja), jedna grupa je dobijala ekstrakt, ali nije bila inficirana (kontrola tretmana), jedna je bila samo inficirana nozemom (pozitivna kontrola) i jedna nije bila inficirana niti je dobijala ekstrakt (negativna kontrola). Efekti su ispitivani na uzorcima uzetim 7. i 15. dana eksperimenta. Određene su aktivnosti antioksidativnih enzima katalaze (CAT), superoksid dismutaze (SOD) i glutation S-transferaze (GST), kao i koncentracija malonaldehida (MDA). Aktivnosti enzima i koncentracija malonaldehida bile su značajno niže kod grupa koje su dobijale ekstrakt šampinjona u poređenju sa pozitivnom kontrolom. Kod pčela iz negativne kontrole zabeležen je niži nivo oksidativnog stresa u odnosu na pozitivnu kontrolu, a u odnosu na druge grupe, vrednosti se uglavnom nisu nisu značajno razlikovale. Oksidativni status pčela inficiranih mikrosporidijom N. ceranae bio je značajno bolji ukoliko su one prihranjivane ekstraktom gljive A. bisporus.

Ritah F Mutagonda,1,2 George Bwire,3 Raphael Zozimus Sangeda,2,3 Manase Kilonzi,1 Hamu Mlyuka,1 Joyce Ndunguru,2,4 Agnes Jonathan,2,4 Julie Makani,2,4 Irene Kida Minja,2,5 Paschal Ruggajo,2,6 Emmanuel Balandya,2,7 Appolinary AR Kamuhabwa1 1Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es salaam, Tanzania; 2Sickle Cell Programme, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es salaam, Tanzania; 3Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es salaam, Tanzania; 4Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es salaam, Tanzania; 5Department of Restorative Dentistry, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es salaam, Tanzania; 6Department of Internal Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es salaam, Tanzania; 7Department of Physiology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es salaam, TanzaniaCorrespondence: Ritah F Mutagonda, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O BOX 65013, Dar es salaam, Tanzania, Tel +255 713 816481, Email mutagonda@muhas.ac.tz; rittdavisrida@yahoo.comBackground: Bacterial infections contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients, particularly children under five years of age. In Tanzania, prophylaxis against pneumococcal infection among children with SCD advocates the use of both oral penicillin V (PV) and pneumococcal vaccines (PNV). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate nasopharyngeal carriage and antibiogram of Streptococcal pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in children with SCD in Tanzania.Methods: This cross-sectional study was undertaken at the two Sickle Pan-African Research Consortium (SPARCO) study sites in Dar es salaam, Tanzania. The study was conducted for six months and enrolled children with SCD between the ages of 6 to 59-months. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect patient data. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from all participants and cultured for Streptococcal pneumoniae and other bacterial isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests of the isolates were done using the disc diffusion method.Results: Out of 204 participants, the overall prevalence of bacterial carriage was 53.4%, with S. aureus (23.5%), coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) (23%) and S. pneumoniae (7.8%) being commonly isolated. In antibiotic susceptibility testing, S. aureus isolates were most resistant to penicillin (81.8%), whereas 81.3% of S. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to co-trimoxazole. The least antimicrobial resistance was observed for chloramphenicol for both S. aureus and S. pneumoniae isolates (6.3% versus 0%). The proportion of multi-drug resistance (MDR) was 66.7% for S. aureus isolates and 25% for S. pneumoniae isolates.Conclusion: There are substantially high nasopharyngeal carriage pathogenic bacteria in children with SCD in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The presence of MDR strains to the commonly used antibiotics suggests the need to reconsider optimizing antimicrobial prophylaxis in children with SCD and advocacy on pneumococcal vaccines.Keywords: pneumococcal carriage, bacterial pathogens, pneumococcal prophylaxis, antimicrobial resistance

Natural coagulant isolated from the common bean seeds was tested for the removal of metals (Cr, Cu and Zn) and As from the municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent (WWTP) spiked with target analytes dose of 100 µg/L. Optimal coagulant dose of 37.5 µL/L was initially obtained based on organic matter removal efficiency since this parameter is regulated by legislation. Subsequently, it was assessed how this particular dose affects metals and As content. A moderate coagulation activity at pH 6.0 was observed for the removal of As (32–39%) and Zn (23–52%). The results were compared with the kaolinite efficiency (dose 100 mg/L at pH 6.0) which significantly removed only As (36–48%), while for Cr and Cu removal was at the level of analytical method bias (near 20%). The combination of the two processes was tested by application of different dosing sequences (simultaneous dosing of coagulant and kaolinite and successive dosing of first coagulant and then kaolinite) and showed less removal than separate coagulation or adsorption process. Combined procedures were efficient only for As removal (above the analytical method bias range), and the observed efficiency was 18–25% by simultaneous dosing, while successive dosing achieved up to 31%. © 2022, Institute of Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences.

This study aimed to determine levels of cyanide (CN) pollution in the soil and surface water at selected mining sites of Mbeya region. A total of (n = 124) samples were collected and analyzed by spectrophotometry. The cyanide levels of soil-based samples and water-based samples at Mwasenga, and Ifumbo mining sites were above the permissible limits. This was due to poor disposal of tailing from the gold processing plants and mismanagement of wastewater. On the other hand, the Cyanide was within the allowable limit for both soil and water at Godima, Itewe, Ashishira and Nyatula mining sites. This was attributed by proper management of wastewater by using artificial tanks, ponds and trenches. Also, it was observed that there is a mobility of cyanide from the processing mining site, if the tailings and wastewater are not well managed. The concentration of cyanide in the soil and water samples of about 2 mg/L was observed at distance of more than 70 m from the processing plant at Mwasenga, the situation is even worse at Ifumbo, where the cyanide concentration in soil and water were about 25 and 8 mg/L respectively, at a distance of more than 50 m from processing plant

Robotic mental well-being coaches could be used to help people maintain their well-being, and improve access to mental healthcare. In coaching, the alliance between the coach and coachee is important for the success of the practice. However, this alliance might be negatively affected by interaction ruptures (e.g., the robot making mistakes and the user feeling awkward) that still commonly occur in human-robot interactions. Therefore, robotic coaches should be able to recognize ruptures occurring during their interactions with human users to guarantee the success of the well-being practice. To this aim, we analyse coachee behavioural responses to interaction ruptures during a robotic positive psychology coaching practice and how these behavioural cues evolve over time. We focus our analysis on a dataset we collected in a previous work, where 26 participants interacted with either a QTrobot or a Misty II robot at their workplace over 4 weeks. We undertake a longitudinal analysis of coachees' multimodal non-verbal cues (i.e., facial expressions, vocal acoustic features, and body pose features) to investigate the contribution of individual modalities for detecting interaction ruptures. Our results show that coachees: i) displayed facial cues of rupture (e.g, laughing at the robot) and suspicion more in the first week than in the last week; ii) talked more and were less silent in the last week than in the previous weeks; and iii) exhibited a higher number of hand-over-face gestures (a cue for self-disclosure) in the last week than in the previous weeks. Our findings aim to inform the development of AI models for multi-modal detection of interaction ruptures which can be used to improve the effectiveness and the success of robotic well-being coaching.

In this study, hybrid ultrafiltration which involves adsorption onto activated carbon and/or coagulation was tested for the removal of ibuprofen, caffeine and diclofenac from the municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent (c0 = 2–3 µg/L). Ultrafiltration was tested in combination with powdered activated carbon dose of 5 mg/L separately or with coagulants (FeCl3, dose 4 mg Fe (III)/L and, natural coagulant isolated from bean seeds, dose 33 µL/L). In addition to the removal of organic micropollutants, the removal of As, Cr, Cu and Zn was also tested (c0~100 µg/L). The research was conducted on a laboratory pilot plant (capacity 30 L/h, in-out dead-end filtration, flux of 80 L/m2h). The best results were obtained for caffeine when adsorption on PAC is combined with a FeCl3 (removal efficiency 42–87%). The addition of a natural coagulant did not show benefits for the removal of organic micropollutants compared to the other tested processes, but both coagulants had similar effects on the content of metals and As Hybrid membrane processes proved to be the most efficient for Zn (44–87%) and Cr (33–87%) removal. The lowest efficiency was determined for As (˂19%). Ultrafiltration with PAC and coagulants removed 5–33% of effluent organic matter, depending on the type of coagulant; 57–87% of total nitrogen and PAC/FeCl3/UF was also partially effective for removing total phosphorus (11–39%).

Funding: This study was funded by the Holistic Approach to Unravel Antibacterial Resistance in East Africa (HATUA) project funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Medical Research Council, and the Department of Health and Social Care, Award (MR/S004785/1). Background: Additional antimicrobial resistance to extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producing E. coli exhausts treatment options. We investigated allele distribution and resistance to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin among ESBL-producing E. coli isolates from urine, stool, animals and environments of presumptive urinary tract infection (UTI) patients, in order to gain a crucial insight towards devising prevention and control measures, and treatment guidelines. Methods: Archived ESBL-producing E. coli isolates from urine, stool, animals and surrounding environments of presumptive UTI patients were retrieved. Antimicrobial susceptibility profiles to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin were done followed by multi-plex PCR for blaCTX-M, blaTEM and blaSHV, to determine ESBL alleles distribution. Data were analysed using STATA version 17. Results: A total of 472 confirmed ESBL-producing E. coli isolates from Mwanza 243 (51.5%), Kilimanjaro 143 (30.3%) and Mbeya 86 (18.2%) were analyzed. Of these, 75 (15.9%) were from urine, 199 (42.2%) from stool, 58 (12.3%) from rectal/cloaca swabs of animals and 140 (29.7%) from surrounding environments. Out of 472 ESBL producing E. coli, 98.9% (467) had at least one ESBL allele. The most frequent allele was blaCTX-M detected in 88.1% (416/472) isolates, followed by blaTEM allele detected in 51.5% (243/472) isolates. There were 40.7% (192/472) isolates harboring dual blaCTX-M + blaTEM alleles, and only 0.2% (1/472) isolate had dual blaCTX-M + blaSHV alleles whereas 2.3% (11/472) isolates had a combination of all three alleles (blaCTX-M + blaTEM + blaSHV). None of the isolates harbored a combination of blaTEM + blaSHV only. Resistance to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin was observed in 70.8% (334/472) and 46.0% (217/472) isolates, respectively. There was a significant difference in distribution of resistance to ciprofloxacin as well as to gentamicin among ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from various sources (p-value < 0.001 and 0.002, respectively. Conclusion: Almost all ESBL-producing E. coli isolates carry blaCTX-M, blaTEM and blaSHV either alone or in combination with the most common alleles being blaCTX-M. The resistance to cipropfloxacin and gentamicin which are front-line antibiotics for UTIs among ESBL producing E. coli is high. This implies the need to continuously revise the local guidelines used for optimal empirical therapy for UTI and continual surveillance using one health approach. Publisher PDF

Burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a diminished sense of accomplishment, is a serious problem among healthcare workers. Burnout negatively impacts provider well-being, patient outcomes, and healthcare systems globally, and is especially worrisome in settings with a shortage of healthcare workers and resources. The goal of this study is to explore the experience of burnout in a population of labor and delivery (L&D) providers in Tanzania. We examined burnout using three data sources. A structured assessment of burnout was collected at four time points from a sample of 60 L&D providers in six clinics. The same providers participated in an interactive group activity from which we drew observational data on burnout prevalence. Finally, we conducted in-depth interviews (IDIs) with a subset of 15 providers to further explore their experience of burnout. At baseline, prior to any introduction to the concept, 18% of respondents met criteria for burnout. Immediately after a discussion and activity on burnout, 62% of providers met criteria. One- and three- months later, 29% and 33% of providers met criteria, respectively. In IDIs, participants saw the lack of understanding of burnout as the cause for low baseline rates and attributed the subsequent decrease in burnout to newly acquired coping strategies. The activity helped providers realize they were not alone in their experience of burnout. High patient load, low staffing, limited resources, and low pay emerged as contributing factors. Burnout was prevalent among a sample of L&D providers in northern Tanzania. However, a lack of exposure to the concept of burnout leads to providers being unaware of the issue as a collective burden. Therefore, burnout remains rarely discussed and not addressed, thus continuing to impact provider and patient health. Previously validated burnout measures cannot adequately assess burnout without a discussion of the context.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures for each experimental study, a general questionnaire examining health prevention behaviors and COVID-19 experience, geographical and cultural context characterization, and demographic information for each participant. Each participant started the study with the same general questions and then was randomized to complete either one longer experiment or two shorter experiments. Data were provided by 73,223 participants with varying completion rates. Participants completed the survey from 111 geopolitical regions in 44 unique languages/dialects. The anonymized dataset described here is provided in both raw and processed formats to facilitate re-use and further analyses. The dataset offers secondary analytic opportunities to explore coping, framing, and self-determination across a diverse, global sample obtained at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be merged with other time-sampled or geographic data.

This study was funded by the Holistic Approach to Unravel Antibacterial Resistance in East Africa (HATUA) project funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Medical Research Council and the Department of Health and Social Care, Award (MR/S004785/1). Background: The dissemination of the extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) producing E. coli poses a significant public health problem. Understanding the efficiency and frequency of horizontal gene transfer via conjugation of ESBL producing E. coli is imperative towards devising prevention and control measures. This study compared the frequencies and efficiencies of horizontal blaCTX-M gene transfer via conjugation among Escherichia coli isolates from urine and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of patients with urinary tract infection (UTI), their animals and environment. Methods: Horizontal blaCTX-M gene transfer via conjugation by a broth mating experiment was performed using 50 confirmed ESBL producing E. coli isolates as donors and Escherichia coli J53 (F−, met, pro, Azr), as the recipient. The transconjugants were detected and their frequencies and efficiencies of conjugation were measured and compared between ESBL producing E. coli isolates multi-sourced from urine, GIT, animals and environment. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of all resulting transconjugants was performed. DNA was extracted from all transconjugants to confirm the presence and the acquisition of blaCTX-M gene. Results: Out of 50 ESBL producing E. coli isolates harboring blaCTX-M gene, 37 (74.0%) successfully exercised horizontal gene transfer through conjugation. All transconjugants were confirmed phenotypically and genotypically by PCR. Of note, all of the isolates from environment 100.0% (7/7) performed conjugation, exhibiting the highest transfer efficiency, followed by isolates from urine and animals, with the conjugation transfer efficiency of 77.8% (14/18) and 76.1% (10/13), respectively. The isolates from the environment conjugated with a significant more efficiency than those from the GIT [Two-sample test of proportions; p-value = 0.0119]. The overall conjugation transfer frequencies ranged from 0.4 × 10-14 – 5.5 × 10-11 per donor cells with the highest median conjugation transfer frequency observed among isolates from animal (3.23 × 10-12 [IQR: 0.70 × 10-12 – 7.22 × 10-12]) followed by that of isolates from the environment (1.60 × 10-12 [IQR: 0.30 × 10-12 – 5.0 × 10-12]). Conclusion: ESBL producing E. coli from human, animals and environment exercises horizontal blaCTX-M gene transfer efficiently with the highest occurrence among isolates from the environment and animals. The antimicrobial resistance control and prevention strategies should be widened up to explore strategies to prevent horizontal AMR gene transfer. Publisher PDF

Tiivistelmä. Tämän tutkielman tavoitteena on tutkia, mitkä tekijät vaikuttavat oppilaiden motivaatioon. Motivaatioon vaikuttavia tekijöitä voidaan jaotella monin tavoin. Tutkielmassa tutkitaan kuitenkin tarkemmin sitä, miten opettaja, opetustavat ja oppimateriaalit, huoltajat, sosiaaliset suhteet, oppimisympäristö ja luokan ilmapiiri, minäpystyvyys sekä oppilaan omat mielenkiinnon kohteet ja taidot vaikuttavat oppimismotivaatioon ja sen rakentumiseen sekä ylläpitämiseen. Tutkielma on toteutettu laadullisena tutkimuksena ja tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin kirjallisuuskatsausta. Aihe on tärkeä, koska oppiminen ja motivaatio nivoutuvat läheisesti toisiinsa. Tutkielman tavoitteena on saada laajempi käsitys motivaatioon vaikuttavista tekijöistä, jotta kasvattaja voi ottaa ne huomioon. Motivaatio on tila, joka saa ihmisen toimimaan ja tekemään tietynlaisia valintoja. Syytä, jonka vuoksi ihminen toimii, kutsutaan motiiviksi. Motivaatio voi olla ulkoista, jolloin ihminen toimii jonkin ulkoisen syyn, kuten palkkion saamiseksi tai rangaistuksen välttämisen vuoksi. Motivaatio voi olla myös sisäistä, jolloin ihminen toimii sisältä tulevasta halusta ja innosta. Sisäisen ja ulkoisen motivaation lisäksi tutkielmassa tutustutaan myös itsemääräämisteoriaan, joka on ollut suosiossa jo 1970-luvulta lähtien. Itsemääräämisteoriassa nousee esille kolme psykologista tarvetta: autonomia, pystyvyys ja yhteenkuuluvuus. Tutkielmassa on lähdetty liikkeelle siitä käsityksestä, että motivaatio on useiden asioiden summa, johon vaikuttavat sekä yksilö itse että ympäröivä maailma. Motivaatio nähdään nykyään myös sosiaalisena ilmiönä, jonka vuoksi tutkielmassa on käsitelty monipuolisesti sosiaalisia vuorovaikutussuhteita niin kotona kuin koulussa. Esimerkiksi luokkahuoneen myönteinen ilmapiiri, terveelliset kaverisuhteet ja lämmin opettaja-oppilassuhde tukee oppilaan motivaatiota. Kodin tärkeyttä oppimisessa ja motivaatiossa ei saada kuitenkaan unohtaa. On havaittu, että esimerkiksi vanhempien uskomukset lapsen kyvyistä ja taidoista sekä heidän asenteensa koulua kohtaan ovat merkittävässä roolissa, kun puhutaan motivaatiosta ja minäpystyvyydestä. Kuitenkin myös oppilaan omat mielenkiinnon kohteet, taidot ja usko omasta pystyvyydestään vaikuttaa motivaation taustalla. Tutkielmassa on tutustuttu suomalaisen kirjallisuuden lisäksi myös hiukan ulkomaiseen kirjallisuuteen tutkittavasta aiheesta. Koska motivaatiota on tutkittu jo useita vuosikymmeniä, on muutamia tutkimuksia ollut loogista ottaa sieltäkin. Pääosin tutkielmassa on nojauduttu kuitenkin uudempaan kirjallisuuteen, koska motivaation tutkiminen on muuttunut aikojen saatossa. Tällä on haluttu varmistaa tutkimuksen luotettavuus.

Background Missing or undiagnosed patients with tuberculosis (TB) or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are of concern. Identifying both infections in patients with no diagnosis prior to death contributes to understanding the burden of disease. To confirm reports of global reduction in TB incidence, a 2012 autopsy study of adults dying at home of natural causes in a high-TB-burden setting was repeated, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) assessments after the first COVID-19 surge in South Africa. Methods Adult decedents who died at home with insufficient information to determine cause of death, no recent hospitalization, and no current antemortem TB or COVID-19 diagnosis were identified between March 2019 and October 2020 with a 4-month halt during lockdown. A standardized verbal autopsy followed by minimally invasive needle autopsy (MIA) was performed. Biopsies were taken for histopathology from liver, bilateral brain and lung; bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was collected for Xpert (MTB/RIF) and mycobacterial culture, and blood for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a nasopharyngeal swab and lung tissue were subjected to SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing. Results Sixty-six MIAs were completed in 25 men and 41 women (median age, 60 years); 68.2% had antemortem respiratory symptoms and 30.3% were people with HIV. Overall, TB was diagnosed in 11 of 66 (16.7%) decedents, and 14 of 41 (34.1%) in the COVID-19 pandemic were SARS-CoV-2 positive. Conclusions Undiagnosed TB in adults dying at home has decreased but remains unacceptably high. Forty percent of decedents had undiagnosed COVID-19, suggesting that estimates of excess deaths may underestimate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable and renewable alternative to non-biodegradable petrochemical-based polymers that is environmentally friendly and green. PLA can be made from a variety of agricultural wastes that contain sugars, such as sisal boles. This study aimed at analysing the possibility of producing PLA from lactic acid (LA) produced from sisal bole. A 2n factorial design was used to analyse the effects of temperature (160-180ºC), time (1-2 hrs) and tin octoate catalyst concentration (0.025-0.05%) on the PLA yield during polymerization. Minitab Version 20.2.0 was used to design the experiment and analyse the effects on the responses through ANOVA. It was possible to produce 0.73±0.05 g of lactide per g of sisal bole LA used. More than 99% conversion of lactide into PLA was done for 2 hrs when the system temperature was 180ºC regardless of the catalyst ratio used. Temperature and time significantly affected the yield with p-values of less than 0.05 at 95% confidence level. The current findings support sisal bole juice as an alternative feedstock for LA production, a precursor for PLA. The use of sisal bole (SB) waste will protect environment by using waste biomass as an opportunity to participate in a global move to produce biobased plastics and promote the ban on the use of petrochemical-based plastics in packaging.

Disposal of large volumes of textile waste is an escalating problem for textile industries. Sisal spinning industry is the one of the textile industries releasing large volumes of textile waste in the landfills. The rising costs, and reduction of available space together with increasing stringent environmental measures are making burying and land filling of textile waste, a declining option. This study therefore explores recycling options where the potential of using sisal fiber waste produced during sisal spinning processes as raw materials for the production of paper pulp was investigated. Sampling was done at 21stCentury Holdings Limited allocated at Chang’ombe industrial street Dar es Salaam mainly dealer of sisal yarns production. Materials were prepared and cut into small pieces of about ½ inches to reduce the fiber into unit lengths so as to achieve pulping required performance. Pulping process was achieved through Soda pulping techniques with two different effective alkali charges (EA-20% and EA-24%) for 240 minutes under maximum temperature 140 C, and liquor to fiber ratio 4:1by using Mathis Labomat dyeing Machine. The kappa number obtained was (25.5, 34.5) for material treated under EA 24% and EA 20% respectively, Percentage pulp yield were (47.1, 54.4) for EA 24% and EA20% pulp respectively. Freeness (630CFS, 555CSF) after refining at 4500rpm. Finally, the resulting pulp was used for hand sheet making and the sheets were tested for their mechanical properties; Grammage (61.1, 61.1) g/m2, Tensile index (9.9, 22.3) Nm/g, Tear index (13.3, 17.4) Nm2/g, burst index (1.7, 3.7 and 1.6) k.pa.m2/g and Elongation at break (2.02, 2.22) % for EA24% pulp, EA20% pulp respectively. The findings shows that sisal fiber wastes have a promising potential for paper pulp production compared to other non-wood raw material.

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) are experiencing growing co-morbidities due to an increase in life expectancy and the use of long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART). The lack of integrated non-communicable diseases (NCDs) screening and management at the HIV care and treatment centres (CTCs) make it difficult to determine the trends of NCD co-morbidity among patients with HIV. This study aimed to assess the burden and determinants of common NCDs, including depression among patients with HIV.Analytical cross-sectional study of 1318 HIV patients enrolled using systematic random sampling conducted from April to November 2020. Five large CTCs in district referral hospitals were selected representing the five districts of Dar es Salaam including Mwananyamala, Temeke, and Amana regional referral hospitals and Sinza and Vijibweni hospitals. The study population consisted of adult PLHA aged 18 years and above. The primary outcome measure was the prevalence of NCDs among HIV patients. Observation of actual NCD medications or their purchase receipts or booked NCD clinic appointments that PLHA had during the study period was used to verify the reported presence of NCDs. The secondary outcome measure was the prevalence of probable depression among PLHA. The locally validated Swahili Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to screen for depressive symptom severity. A logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with common NCDs and those associated with probable depression. Potential risk factors that were statistically significant at a P-value of 0.2 or less in univariable analysis were included as potential confounders in multivariable models.The median age of participants was 42 (IQR 35-49) years, with 32.7% in the 36-45 years age group. The majority of patients were women (69%). Most (80.5%) had achieved HIV viral (VL) suppression (a serum HIV VL of1000 copies/ml). Overall, 14.3% of self-reported an NCD with evidence of their current medication for the NCD from receipts for medication purchased and appointments from NCD clinics they attended. In the multivariable analyses, higher odds of NCDs were in older patients (45 years) and those with a weight above 75 kg (P 0.05). Male patients had 51% reduced odds of NCDs (aOR 0.49; 95% CI: 0.32-0.74) than females (P 0.001). Probable depression prevalence was 11.8%, and depressed patients had more than twice the odds of having NCDs than those without depression (aOR 2.26; 95% CI: 1.45-3.51; P 0.001).This study determined co-existing previously diagnosed NCDs among PLHA accessing care and high levels of depressive symptom severity. We recommend additional research on the feasibility, acceptability, and cost implications of screening and treating NCDs on HIV care platforms to provide evidence for Tanzania's integrated HIV/NCD care model.

Funding: this work was supported by several funding agencies. The PanACEA MAMS study was funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP1); Grant No. IP.2007.32011.013, IP.2007.32011.012, and IP.2007.32011.011 as well as by the German Ministry of Education and Research (01KA0901). This analysis was funded by the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF); grant no. 02.702. Bacterial killing in patients with tuberculosis (TB) relapse was compared to that in patients achieving cure, measured by TB molecular bacterial load assay (TB-MBLA) or mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) time to positivity (TTP). TB-MBLA in 4 relapsed patients was significantly different compared to 132 cured patients after 2 weeks of treatment; MGIT TTP showed a significant difference from week 8. Publisher PDF

The global demand for plastics has increased majorly because of their versatility, light weight, strength and cost–effectiveness. Africa is ranked top in mismanagement of plastic waste, resulting in the plastic problem in the environment. Nevertheless, plastics produce microplastics through degradation and fragmentation of plastic debris largely from anthropogenic sources. Microplastics have become ubiquitous in the natural environment, and the terrestrial environment is the major source. The propensity of microplastics to adsorb and concentrate persistent organic pollutants (POPs) provides potential health effects in the different trophic levels of organisms in both aquatic and territorial environments. Thus, the fate of microplastics is increasingly becoming a global concern. Despite the numerous global studies on the impact of microplastics in the environment, there are insufficient data available on the occurrence and distribution of microplastics and associated health effects in aquatic ecosystems in Africa. The reviewed research articles from 2000 to 2021 provide a summary of the current knowledge on the occurrence and distribution of microplastics, analytical approaches used to detect and quantify microplastics, associated health effects and mitigation measures through government policy to ban plastic use in Africa. The findings presented provide a platform for future research to focus on the associated effects of adsorbed and concentrated POPs on microplastics in aquatic environments in Africa. With the evidence presented, policymakers will make more informed decisions on the future of plastics in Africa. The authors recommend improving information and expanding knowledge through research on the fate and potential ecological impact of microplastics in aquatic environments in Africa.