The Dilemma of Graduate Unemployment within a Context of Poverty, Scarcity and Fragile Economy: Are there Lessons for the University?

The context of the work of universities in Sub-Saharan Africa is one of high levels of poverty, scarcities and fragile economies. Even though historically, African universities have been very useful in providing the human resources needed to serve in public and private sectors, the rising trend in graduate unemployment is a call for concern. Whilst graduate unemployment is also a phenomenon across the globe, the situation is particularly severe in Africa where many inhabitants see university education as a live wire to gain economic freedom, acquire prosperity and step into a better living condition. Whilst many Africans still harbour hope in tertiary education (and this can be evident by the increasing demand for university education and enrolment), the resulting effect of higher education is often an acquisition of prestige for having completed that level of education than the economic benefits they aspired for. Given this context, this article draws on a single interpretive case study involving a State-owned university, as well as semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions carried out with participants from disparate backgrounds to uncover voices on graduate unemployment, including the disturbing impact this phenomenon is having on families and the future of many youths. It concludes with recommendations of ways the university and its educational system can be fashioned to foster graduate employability and improvement in the living condition of those living in uncertain and fragile economies

The Role of Fecal Occult Blood Test in Screening of Colorectal Cancer and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Colorectal cancer (CRC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are a quite common colon disease in the world. The World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) recommends screening test to detect colorectal cancer, i.e. fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and colonoscopy. Diagnosis of CRC is established based on a good history taking, clinical manifestation, physical examination and laboratory examination. Other supporting laboratory tests include routine laboratory test of hemoglobin for detecting anemia, examination of bleeding stool either macroscopically or microscopically. Radiographic examination, either colon in loop or colonoscopy (if such modalities are available), shall be performed to confirm the occurrence of cancer mass in the colon. Moreover, biopsy examination is carried out to obtain the histopathological feature of tumor mass or the type of cancers. WGO has made a guideline for CRC screening, which consists of 6 cascades, which depend on the risk of colorectal cancer and local facilities available. There are several kinds of FOBT, but the most frequently used include three methods, i.e.: the FOBT guaiac base/traditional, the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and the FOB + transferrin rapid test (OT 102c & OT 103c). FIT and FOB + transferrin rapid test have a quite high sensitivity and specificity in detecting the lower gastrointestinal tract bleeding caused by colorectal cancer and IBD

A trumpet recital and program notes

LD2668 .R4 MUSC 1987 M37Master of MusicMusic, Theatre, and Danc

TEKNIK BUDIDAYA TANAMAN KOPI PADA LAHAN MIRING DI KECAMATAN SIDIKALANG KABUPATEN DAIRI

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui teknik budidaya tanaman kopiArabika, tindakan yang dilakukan petani dalam hal konservasi lahan miring danproduksi tanaman kopi Arabika pada lahan miring konservasi mekanik dan tanpakonservasi.Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Kecamatan Sidikalang pada bulan Juni 2012. Penentuan sampel diambil secara purposive dari Desa Hutarakyat dan Kelurahan Bintang Hulu dengan populasi masing-masing 110 KK dan 290 KK. Sampel diambil secara acak masing-masing 10% dari populasi yaitu 40 KK. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan yaitu teknik komunikasi langsung, observasi lapangan, dan studi dokumenter. Teknik analisa data yang digunakan adalah teknik analisis deskriptif kualitatif.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan : (1) Teknik budidaya kopi Arabika yangditerapkan di daerah penelitian belum maju dan masih tradisional dimana pengolahan lahan masih menggunakan tenaga manusia. Mayoritas responden (90%) menggunakan bibit non unggul, dan 10% menggunakan bibit unggul, sumber bibit yang digunakan yaitu 40% petani menggunakan bibit yang tumbuh sendiri, 37,5% pembibitan dengan polibek, 22,5% pembibitan di tanah/tanpa polibek. Sebagian besar (52,5%) petani menggunakan pupuk alami/organik, 22,5% menggunakan pupuk kimia, 25% menggunakan pupuk organik dan kimia. (2) Tindakan konservasi lahan miring yaitu sebagian besar (60%) menerapkan guludan bersaluran dipadu dengan penanaman tanaman muda (ubi jalar, kacang) pada sela/gang kopi, 12,5% menerapkan pembuatan tangga/teras dipadu dengan penanaman tanaman peneduh, 27,5% menggunakan melakukan tindakan menyebarkan jerami dan batang jagung disekitar lahan penanaman kopi. (3) Produksi kopi Arabika antara yang ditanam di lahan miring konservasi dan non konservasi memiliki perbedaan dimana pada lahan yang dikonservasi secara mekanik, produksi tertinggi dalam 1 rante (20m2) mencapai 30 kg/bulan dan produksi terendah 5 kg/bulan sedangkan pada lahan yang tidak dikonservasi produksi tertinggi hanya 15 kg/bulan dan produksi terendah 2 kg/bulan

Testing Luminescence Dating Methods for Small Samples from Very Young Fluvial Deposits

The impetus behind this study is to understand the sedimentological dynamics of very young fluvial systems in the Amazon River catchment and relate these to land use change and modern analogue studies of tidal rhythmites in the geologic record. Initial quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating feasibility studies have concentrated on spit and bar deposits in the Rio Tapajós. Many of these features have an appearance of freshly deposited pristine sand, and these observations and information from anecdotal evidence and LandSat imagery suggest an apparent decadal stability. The characteristics of OSL from small (~5 cm) sub-samples from ~65 cm by ~2 cm diameter vertical cores are quite remarkable. Signals from medium-sized aliquots (5 mm diameter) exhibit very high specific luminescence sensitivity, have excellent dose recovery and recycling, essentially independent of preheat, and show minimal heat transfer even at the highest preheats. These characteristics enable measurement of very small signals with reasonable precision and, using modified single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) approaches, equivalent doses as low as ~4 mGy can be obtained. Significant recuperation is observed for samples from two of the study sites and, in these instances, either the acceptance threshold was increased or growth curves were forced through the origin; recuperation is considered most likely to be a measurement artefact given the very small size of natural signals. Dose rates calculated from combined inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry/inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-MS/ICP-OES) and high-resolution gamma spectrometry range from ~0.3 to 0.5 mGya−1 , and OSL ages for features so far investigated range from 13 to 34 years to several 100 years. Sampled sands are rich in quartz and yields of 212–250 µm or 250–310 µm grains indicate high-resolution sampling at 1–2 cm intervals is possible. Despite the use of medium-sized aliquots to ensure the recovery of very dim natural OSL signals, these results demonstrate the potential of OSL for studying very young active fluvial processes in these settings

Towards the idea of the interconnected university for sustainable community development

Universities have long been considered to possess the capacity that can foster local community development in a developing context such as in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, it is not clear what disposition the university should adopt, given the complexity surrounding its mission in a changing landscape. Drawing on the meaning of community development and the centrality of the idea of ‘working together’ to effect ‘change’ associated with it, the research underpinning this article investigated how well the university can effectively respond to local needs and stimulate development. Interviews and focus-group discussions took place with university and community participants drawn from disparate backgrounds within a Cameroonian context on the nature of a local university's community engagement. The findings reveal that the university's capacity to enhance local development could be engendered through interconnections within its community, as well as with the wider community. This article maintains that the premise of the interconnected university can be drawn on African philosophy of Ubuntu and buttressed by narrowing existing power gaps through the fostering of transparency, decentralisation and democratic values so that constructive dialogue can ensue within the university and between it and the wider community