Factors Contributing to the Success of Local Government Revenue Collection Information System (LGRCIS) in Local Government Authorities: A Case of Ludewa District Council, Tanzania

The implementation of the government e-payment gateway (GePG) has enabled central government authorities and agencies to enhance their revenue generation. However, the adoption of this technology has presented various issues that may prove difficult for local government authorities (LGAs) to address without the implementation of specific methods and tactics. The objective of this study was to assess the factors that contribute to the effective implementation of Local Government Revenue Collection Information Systems (LGRCIS) in local government authorities (LGAs). The study examined the contribution of technology to the effective adoption of Local Government Revenue Collection Information Systems (LGRCIS) in Local Government Authorities (LGAs), conducted at Ludewa District Council with a sample size of 75 respondents using a cross-sectional research strategy. Specifically, the study sought to examine the contribution of economic factors to the successful implementation of LGRCIS in the LGAs, the contribution of technological factors to the successful implementation of LGRCIS in the LGAs, and the contribution of institutional factors to the successful implementation of LGRCIS in the LGAs. Guided by the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, the study employed purposive and simple random sampling techniques to select respondents. Primary data was gathered through questionnaires and interviews. The target population included 212 council employees, focussing on departments such as finance, procurement, logistics, and land, along with revenue collection officers and community representatives. Data analysis involved both qualitative and quantitative approaches, using SPSS for descriptive analysis and thematic analysis for interview data. Findings indicated that technological factors significantly influence the successful implementation of LGRCIS, and recommendations included eliminating taxes on revenue collection facilities and providing training programs for revenue officers to enhance technology adoption. Therefore, the study concluded that effective adoption of technological innovation does not occur in a vacuum; there must be effective strategies to address the factors that enhance the adoption of technological innovation. Results from the field indicate that these factors play a significant role in enhancing the adoption of LGRCIS technology within Local Government Authorities (LGAs). Technological factors significantly contribute to enhancing revenue collection capabilities, and revenue collection institutions need to employ innovations like LGRCIS to bolster their ability to collect revenues from various economic sources

Systemic disorders and the prognosis of stroke in Congolese patients: a cross-sectional study

Objectives: Stroke is one of the leading causes of death, disability, and dementia in developing countries. Our study aimed to evaluate the systemic disorders associated with mortality in patients admitted within 72 hours of the initial stroke event. Setting: The study took place at a tertiary hospital in Kinshasa. Participants: Patients admitted within 72 hours of the initial stroke event. Interventions: This cross-sectional study consisted of a retrospective review of stroke patient records from January 2016 to December 2018. The Pearson-Chi square test and odds ratios were calculated with a threshold of significance of 0.05. Main outcome measures: Mortality Results: We recruited 114 cases. The mean age was 61.8 ± 2.4 years, and the sex ratio was 1.78 in favor of men. Hypertension (76.3%), dyslipidemia (71.1%), and diabetes mellitus (58.8%) were the most frequent comorbidities. Most patients had hypoxia (85.9%), hypertension (82.4%), hyperglycemia (57.8%), and fever (28.1%). We registered thirty-two deaths (28.1%): 20 (62.5%) from the ischemic strokes, and 12 (37.5%) from hemorrhagic strokes. Systemic disorders with the worst prognosis during were arterial hypotension (OR=3.87, p >0.001), and fever (OR = 1.56, p = 0.047). Conclusion: Arterial hypotension and fever adversely affect stroke patient outcomes, and strokes are responsible for high mortality in Cong

Bandwidth Enhancement of Different Patch Shaped Antennas

Antenna in wireless communication plays an important role to direct the field in one direction. For different applications there are wide range of antenna. Here microstrip antennas with four different shapes i.e. rectangular, elliptical, bowtie, rectangular with slot, are implemented using Ansoft HFSS. All the antennas are operated at the frequency of 2.45GHz. The bandwidth of rectangular patch antenna, elliptical patch antenna, rectangular slot antenna, bowtie antenna is 24.9MHz, 8.2 MHz, 136.2 MHz and 386.5 MHz respectively. The parameters of antenna like gain, Voltage Standing wave ratio(VSWR) and return loss is presented. It is found that Bowtie antenna gave the best bandwidth amongst them

HIV-exposed infants with acute respiratory failure secondary to acute lower respiratory infections managed with and without mechanical ventilation

Objectives. The decision to provide mechanical ventilation (intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV)) to HIV-exposed infants in resource-poor settings has remained difficult owing to problems in confirming HIV infection and the lack of data on outcome. We evaluated the predictive value of the HIV antibody test in confirming infection in infants requiring mechanical ventilation for acute lower respiratory infections (ALRis), and compared the outcome for children denied access with the outcome for similar subjects who were ventilated.Setting and design. This investigative study was conducted over a 12-month period at the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at King Edward VIII Hospital (KEH) in Durban, and at Ngwelezana Hospital in northern KwaZulu-Natal.Subjects. HIV-exposed patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) secondary to ALRI entering the PICU at KEH were enrolled into the IPPV arm, while similar children who were refused such care at Ngwelezana Hospital were admitted into the non-IPPV arm. Standardised protocols for entry and management of enrolled subjects were utilised.Outcome measures. HIV DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing was performed to establish HIV status. Clinical and laboratory parameters were correlated with HIV status to determine predictors of infection and outcome (survival to discharge).Results. One hundred and sixteen HIV-exposed infants were enrolled, 49 into the IPPV arm and 67 into the non-IPPV arm. The median age of both groups was 3.0 months (0.5 - 11 months), and the male/female ratio and proportion of infants under 3 months of age were similar in both groups. The predictive values of the HIV antibody test in determining HIV infection in the IPPV and non-IPPV arms were 87.8% and 85.0% respectively. Splenomegaly and a serum globulin of >35 g/l increased the likelihood of being HIV PCR- positive (p = 0.006 and p = 0.04 respectively). Survival to discharge rates for HIV-infected children in the IPPV and non-IPPV arms were 41.9% and 24.6% respectively (p = 0.08). Age less than 3 months (p = 0.04) and very severe pneumonia (p = 0.007) were the only indicators of poor outcome.Conclusion. Mechanical ventilation provided little benefit in HIV-infected children with ARF from ALRI. An HIV antibody test in infants with ALRI and ARF is highly suggestive of HIV infection. Splenomegaly and a serumglobulin of greater than 35 g/l were the only useful markers in identifying HIV infection

Honey Bees, Bumble Bees, and Biocontrol: New Alliances Between Old Friends

The capacity of bees to vector spores, bacteria, and viruses can be turned to our advantage by using them to transport biological control agents, a technique known as pollinator biocontrol vector technology (Kevan et aI., 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005). This chapter describes the range of biocontrol agents useful for this technique and the targets against which they can be used

Insect pathogens as biological control agents: back to the future

The development and use of entomopathogens as classical, conservation and augmentative biological control agents have included a number of successes and some setbacks in the past 15 years. In this forum paper we present current information on development, use and future directions of insect-specific viruses, bacteria, fungi and nematodes as components of integrated pest management strategies for control of arthropod pests of crops, forests, urban habitats, and insects of medical and veterinary importance. Insect pathogenic viruses are a fruitful source of MCAs, particularly for the control of lepidopteran pests. Most research is focused on the baculoviruses, important pathogens of some globally important pests for which control has become difficult due to either pesticide resistance or pressure to reduce pesticide residues. Baculoviruses are accepted as safe, readily mass produced, highly pathogenic and easily formulated and applied control agents. New baculovirus products are appearing in many countries and gaining an increased market share. However, the absence of a practical in vitro mass production system, generally higher production costs, limited post application persistence, slow rate of kill and high host specificity currently contribute to restricted use in pest control. Overcoming these limitations are key research areas for which progress could open up use of insect viruses to much larger markets. A small number of entomopathogenic bacteria have been commercially developed for control of insect pests. These include several Bacillus thuringiensis sub-species, Lysinibacillus (Bacillus) sphaericus, Paenibacillus spp. and Serratia entomophila. B. thuringiensis sub-species kurstaki is the most widely used for control of pest insects of crops and forests, and B. thuringiensis sub-species israelensis and L. sphaericus are the primary pathogens used for medically important pests including dipteran vectors,. These pathogens combine the advantages of chemical pesticides and microbial control agents (MCAs): they are fast acting, easy to produce at a relatively low cost, easy to formulate, have a long shelf life and allow delivery using conventional application equipment and systemics (i.e. in transgenic plants). Unlike broad spectrum chemical pesticides, B. thuringiensis toxins are selective and negative environmental impact is very limited. Of the several commercially produced MCAs, B. thuringiensis (Bt) has more than 50% of market share. Extensive research, particularly on the molecular mode of action of Bt toxins, has been conducted over the past two decades. The Bt genes used in insect-resistant transgenic crops belong to the Cry and vegetative insecticidal protein families of toxins. Bt has been highly efficacious in pest management of corn and cotton, drastically reducing the amount of broad spectrum chemical insecticides used while being safe for consumers and non-target organisms. Despite successes, the adoption of Bt crops has not been without controversy. Although there is a lack of scientific evidence regarding their detrimental effects, this controversy has created the widespread perception in some quarters that Bt crops are dangerous for the environment. In addition to discovery of more efficacious isolates and toxins, an increase in the use of Bt products and transgenes will rely on innovations in formulation, better delivery systems and ultimately, wider public acceptance of transgenic plants expressing insect-specific Bt toxins. Fungi are ubiquitous natural entomopathogens that often cause epizootics in host insects and possess many desirable traits that favor their development as MCAs. Presently, commercialized microbial pesticides based on entomopathogenic fungi largely occupy niche markets. A variety of molecular tools and technologies have recently allowed reclassification of numerous species based on phylogeny, as well as matching anamorphs (asexual forms) and teleomorphs (sexual forms) of several entomopathogenic taxa in the Phylum Ascomycota. Although these fungi have been traditionally regarded exclusively as pathogens of arthropods, recent studies have demonstrated that they occupy a great diversity of ecological niches. Entomopathogenic fungi are now known to be plant endophytes, plant disease antagonists, rhizosphere colonizers, and plant growth promoters. These newly understood attributes provide possibilities to use fungi in multiple roles. In addition to arthropod pest control, some fungal species could simultaneously suppress plant pathogens and plant parasitic nematodes as well as promote plant growth. A greater understanding of fungal ecology is needed to define their roles in nature and evaluate their limitations in biological control. More efficient mass production, formulation and delivery systems must be devised to supply an ever increasing market. More testing under field conditions is required to identify effects of biotic and abiotic factors on efficacy and persistence. Lastly, greater attention must be paid to their use within integrated pest management programs; in particular, strategies that incorporate fungi in combination with arthropod predators and parasitoids need to be defined to ensure compatibility and maximize efficacy. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) in the genera Steinernema and Heterorhabditis are potent MCAs. Substantial progress in research and application of EPNs has been made in the past decade. The number of target pests shown to be susceptible to EPNs has continued to increase. Advancements in this regard primarily have been made in soil habitats where EPNs are shielded from environmental extremes, but progress has also been made in use of nematodes in above-ground habitats owing to the development of improved protective formulations. Progress has also resulted from advancements in nematode production technology using both in vivo and in vitro systems; novel application methods such as distribution of infected host cadavers; and nematode strain improvement via enhancement and stabilization of beneficial traits. Innovative research has also yielded insights into the fundamentals of EPN biology including major advances in genomics, nematode-bacterial symbiont interactions, ecological relationships, and foraging behavior. Additional research is needed to leverage these basic findings toward direct improvements in microbial control

Spatial Distribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis mRNA and Secreted Antigens in Acid-Fast Negative Human Antemortem and Resected Tissue

BACKGROUND: The ability to detect evidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection within human tissues is critical to the study of Mtb physiology, tropism, and spatial distribution within TB lesions. The capacity of the widely-used Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining method for identifying Mtb acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in tissue is highly variable, which can limit detection of Mtb bacilli for research and diagnostic purposes. Here, we sought to circumvent these limitations via detection of Mtb mRNA and secreted antigens in human tuberculous tissue. METHODS: We adapted RNAscope, an RNA in situ hybridisation (RISH) technique, to detect Mtb mRNA in ante- and postmortem human TB tissues and developed a dual ZN/immunohistochemistry staining approach to identify AFB and bacilli producing antigen 85B (Ag85B). FINDINGS: We identified Mtb mRNA within intact and disintegrating bacilli as well as extrabacillary mRNA. Mtb mRNA was distributed zonally within necrotic and non-necrotic granulomas. We also found Mtb mRNA within, and adjacent to, necrotic granulomas in ZN-negative lung tissue and in Ag85B-positive bronchiolar epithelium. Intriguingly, we observed accumulation of Mtb mRNA and Ag85B in the cytoplasm of host cells. Notably, many AFB were negative for Ag85B staining. Mtb mRNA was observed in ZN-negative antemortem lymph node biopsies. INTERPRETATION: RNAscope and dual ZN/immunohistochemistry staining are well-suited for identifying subsets of intact Mtb and/or bacillary remnants in human tissue. RNAscope can identify Mtb mRNA in ZN-negative tissues from patients with TB and may have diagnostic potential in complex TB cases. FUNDING: Wellcome Leap Delta Tissue Program, Wellcome Strategic Core Award, the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA), the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health at UAB, the UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Next-generation point-of-care testing in pediatric human immunodeficiency virus infection facilitates diagnosis and monitoring of treatment

Point-of-care (PoC) testing facilitates early infant diagnosis (EID) and treatment initiation, which improves outcome. We present a field evaluation of a new PoC test (Cepheid Xpert® HIV-1 Qual XC RUO) to determine whether this test improves EID and assists the management of children living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We compared 2 PoC tests with the standard-of-care (SoC) test used to detect HIV infection from dry blood spots in newborn infants at high risk of in utero infection. We also evaluated the ability of the PoC tests to detect HIV total nucleic acid (TNA) in children living with HIV infection who had maintained undetectable plasma viremia following very early combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiation. Qualitative (Qual) detection of HIV using the Xpert® HIV-1 Qual XC RUO (“RUO”) and Xpert® HIV-1 Qual (“Qual”) PoC tests was compared in 224 infants with the SoC DBS Roche COBAS® HIV-1/HIV-2 qualitative test. The same 2 PoC tests were also evaluated in 35 older children who had initiated cART before 21 days of age and maintained undetectable plasma viremia for a mean of 25 months. No discrepancies were observed in detection of HIV infection via the 2 PoC tests or the SoC test in the 224 neonates studied, but only 95% of the SoC test results were generated compared with 100% of the PoC test results (P = .0009). The cycle threshold values for the research use only (RUO) assay were the lowest of the 3 assays (P < .0001 in each case). In 6 of the 35 early-treated aviremic children, HIV TNA was detected by RUO but not Qual. The RUO assay outperforms Qual in detecting HIV-1 infection. RUO would therefore potentially improve EID and assist in identifying cART-adherent early-treated children with the lowest HIV TNA levels and the highest HIV cure potential

Assessment of health service delivery capacities, health providers’ knowledge and practices related to type 2 diabetes care in Kinshasa primary healthcare network facilities, Democratic Republic of the Congo

BACKGROUND: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is experiencing an increase in the morbi-mortality related to Non Communicable Diseases (NCD). The reform of DRC health system, based on Health District model, is needed in order to tackle this public issue. This article used 2006 International Diabetes Federation (IDF)’s guidelines to assess the capacities of health facilities belonging to Kinshasa Primary Health Care Network (KPHCN) in terms of equipments, as well as the knowledge, and the practice of their health providers related to type 2 diabetes care. METHODS: A multicentric cross-sectional study was carried in 18 Health Facilities (HF) of KPHCN in charge of the follow-up of diabetic patients. The presence of IDF recommended materials and equipment was checked and 28 health providers were interviewed about their theoretical knowledge about patients’ management and therapeutic objectives during recommended visits. Chi square test or Fisher exact test was used to compare proportions and the Student t-test to compare means. RESULTS: The integration of NCD healthcare in the KPHC network is feasible. The majority of HF possessed IDF recommended materials except for the clinical practice guidelines, urinary test strips, and monofilament, available in only one, two and four HF, respectively. KPHCN referral facilities had required materials for biochemical analyses, the ECG and for the fundus oculi test. Patients’ management is characterized by a lack of attention on the impairment of renal function during the first visits and a poor respect of recommended practices during quarterly and annual visits. A poor knowledge of the reduction of cardiovascular risk factors-related therapeutic objectives has been also reported. CONCLUSION: The capacities, knowledge, and practice of T2D care were poor among HF of KPHCN. The lack of equipment and training of healthcare professionals should be supplied even to those who are not medical doctors. Special attention must to be put on the clinical practice guidelines formulation and sensitization and on supervision