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In vocational education and training, the acquisition of relevant skills by learners is vital for their employability. It has been argued that institution–workplace collaboration facilitates this acquisition of relevant skills through availing authentic real-life learning situations. This study used the cultural–historical activity theory to identify and characterise challenges to learning through collaboration between a masters of vocational pedagogy (MVP) programme, vocational teacher training institutions and workplaces in Uganda. Data were obtained using in-depth individual interviews with purposively sampled actors in collaborative activities. The findings revealed that challenges manifesting as discursive contradictions occurred in different phases of implementing collaborative activities. In the planning and implementation phase, contradictions were linked to short time frames for collaborative activities, unsynchronised activity plans and contradictory working cultures. In the supervision of learning, contradictions arose from a lack of a common understanding of the objectives and work methods of the collaborative activities. A lack of feedback to actors, an absence of a collaboration focal person, and a lack of government policy limited participation in collaborative activities. These challenges were observed to lessen the focus on the MVP students’ learning, which ultimately affected the quality of work produced and interfered with the implementation of collaborative activities.

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Soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) decomposition in fecal manure of cattle fed browses of Calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus), Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) and Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) browse/maize silage mixtures and maize (Zea mays) silage alone when applied to the soil were investigated in a pot experiment in comparison to the corresponding silages fed. Maize silage alone had the lowest N and a larger C: N ratio, making it a poor quality compost when applied to the soil, but compared to the browse/maize silage mixtures it had the highest level of soluble N as non-protein nitrogen (NPN) which makes much of its N available for soil microbial decomposition of its organic C. Calliandra browse/maize silage mixture had the highest level of fiber-bound N (ADFN), which reduces N availability for soil microbial decomposition of its organic C in spite of its high N content and a narrower C: N ratio. Fecal manure from maize silage alone had a lower level of N and a wider C: N ratio than fecal manure from the other silages fed which would affect its decomposition in the soil, but it had the lowest level of ADFN and much of its N is made available for soil microbial decomposition of its organic C. Soil samples after 12 weeks of the experiment showed that Calliandra browse/maize silage mixture maintained the highest level of C in the soil, while maize silage alone maintained the lowest level. Also soils treated with fecal manure from the other browse/maize silage mixtures maintained higher levels of C than fecal manure from maize silage alone. Organic C levels were lowest at 8 weeks of the experiment for all treatments and rose to the original levels at 12 weeks which could have been as a result of biotic and hydrologic factors coupled with soil aggregation. Decomposition of organic N followed a similar trend as organic C. The two elements are linked in both plant inputs in the soil and in the eventual soil humic substances. The soils treated with browse/maize silage mixtures maintained C: N ratios that were similar to that of the control soil and higher than those of the fecal manure treatments. Thus, in spite of the added silage materials to the soil, rapid decomposition of organic C could not occur to reflect benefits of adding the silage materials to the soil. Thus, fecal manure, particularly from feeding animals on browse/forage diets is more beneficial in the soil as it would decompose more readily releasing the plant nutrients they contain.

Background: Use of herbal medicine (HM) for the treatment and prevention of the coronavirus disease -2019 (COVID-19) has been reported worldwide. In this study, we aimed to assess the perceptions, attitude and practices of healthcare professionals (HP) students in Uganda concerning HM use in the management of COVID-19 illness.Methods: We conducted an online, cross-sectional study using quantitative methods among HP students across the 12 medical schools in Uganda. Undergraduate HP students aged 18 years and older, from 1st to 5th year of study, pursuing various programs were recruited. Blooms cut-off of 80% (score of ≥ 24 /30) was used to determine good perception and a positive attitude towards HM use. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with HM use.Results: A total of 350 participants responded. Of this, 223 (63.7%) were male. The median age of all participants was 23 (IQR=19-56) years. Majority (n=234, 66.9%) were pursuing Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB). All participants reported awareness on HM use in the management of COVI-19. Fifty-four (15.4%) respondents had a good perception towards HM use, with students in their first year of study having 3-fold the odds of having good perception compared to those in their fifth year (aOR: 2.9, 95% C. I: 1.1-8.1, p=0.037). Participants pursuing Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPHAR) had 4.2-fold higher odds of having a positive attitude towards HM use compared to those pursuing MBChB (aOR: 4.2, 95% CI:1.8-9.9, p=0.001) and those in first year had 2.7-fold higher odds of having a positive attitude towards HM use compared to participants in fifth year of study. (aOR=2.7, 95% CI=1.2-6.3, p=0.019). Participants with positive attitude towards HM use (aOR=63.7, 95% CI=12.8-316.4, p<0.001), pharmacy students (aOR=2.6, 95% CI= 1.1-6.4, p=0.035), allied health program students (aOR=3.6, 95% CI=1.1-11.6, p=0.032), those with good perception (aOR=3.3, 95% CI=1.6-6.5, p<0.001) and positive attitude (aOR=2.7, 95% CI=1.2-5.9, p=0.013) were more likely to recommend use of HM in the management of COVID-19.Conclusion: Awareness of HM use was universal among the participants. However, despite a high proportion of the participants reporting negative perception and attitude towards HM use, at least one- third use HM when they had COVID-19.