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Biodigestor Functionality and Commercialization of Organic Fertilizer for Smallholder and Productive Farms in Kenya
Get PDFAgriculture has a long history in Kenya with roots of both sustenance farming and commercial farming. Agriculture used to make up over two fifths of their GDP and while that number has shrunk, it still makes up around one fifth of the economy making it an important part of the job market. Subsistence farming is still a prevalent way of life in Kenya, especially in more rural areas. As a whole, the Kenyan agricultural industry employs and nourishes a large portion of the nation’s population and yet, in light of climate change, more and more farmers have become reliant on heavy fertilizer usage to efficiently increase production to serve the growing population. With that heavy fertilizer usage comes damage to the soil and surrounding waters, and because of this, farmers are turning towards organic farming. Organic farming is farming without the addition of synthetic fertilizers which often lead to polluted water and can strip soils of their natural nutrients. These organic farming operations produce healthier foods as well as make less of an environmental impact to their areas and their health. Sistema.bio aims to help farmers who are working towards a more sustainable tomorrow through their biodigester business. This biodigester helps farms take animal waste and create a bio gas for their homes which decreases costs and carbon emissions for their farms. The end product of this digestion also provides an organic fertilizer they can use, yet again decreasing overall farm production costs
Santa Clara Radio Astronomy Program (SCRAP) III
Get PDFThe Santa Clara Radio Astronomy Program (SCRAP) III aims to enhance the capabilities of a cost-effective, software-defined radio telescope for educational and amateur use. This thesis outlines the design modifications and improvements implemented in the third year of the project, focusing on three primary areas: the development of a new feed element, the refinement of data acquisition and processing systems, and the introduction of a dish rotation system. The new feed element design addresses previous weathering issues and optimizes signal reception at the hydrogen line frequency of 1.42 GHz. The data acquisition system is updated to include celestial coordinate data and visual representation enhancements, making the data more accessible and comparable to existing astronomical datasets. The planned dish rotation mechanism would enable 2D scanning, significantly expanding the scope of celestial observation possible with the setup. These improvements not only advance the project’s technical achievements but also contribute to the broader goal of making radio astronomy more accessible to smaller institutions and amateur astronomers. The project showcases a successful integration of engineering principles and practical implementation, providing a robust platform for future enhancements and educational opportunities
Therapist self-disclosure in teletherapy early in the COVID-19 pandemic: Associations with real relationship and traumatic distress
No full textThe usefulness of therapists\u27 self-disclosure (TSD) in psychotherapy remains controversial, and little is known regarding the potential risks and benefits of TSD in times of global crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic and in teletherapy. We examined two independent samples of therapists (N = 1705; Study 1) and patients (N = 772; Study 2) on their perceptions of increases in TSD during the transition to teletherapy early in the COVID-19 pandemic (spring 2020). Approximately 20% of therapists and 14% of patients reported perceptions of definite increases in TSD. Therapists\u27 top reasons for increased TSD were therapists\u27 heightened distress and an effort to connect with patients in teletherapy. Importantly, therapist perceptions of their increased TSD were positively related to subjective vicarious trauma, real relationship, psychodynamic theoretical orientation and negatively with humanistic orientation, but not with age, race/ethnicity, length of clinical experience, working alliance, or professional self-doubt. Patients\u27 perceptions of increased TSD were positively related with patient pandemic-related traumatic distress and their own self-disclosure, but not with patient-reported therapeutic relationship variables. Longitudinally, patients\u27 perceptions of TSD increases predicted higher pandemic-related traumatic distress at 3-month follow-up, after controlling for their baseline traumatic distress and other variables. These results highlighted that increased TSD in teletherapy may be a potential marker for heightened distress in both patients and therapists during a global crisis and a transition to teletherapy. The findings also contrasted the literature and emphasized that therapists, but perhaps not patients, may have considered increased TSD as a reflection of genuine therapeutic connection
News and Perspectives: Words matter in primatology
No full textPostings on social media on Twitter (now X), BioAnthropology News (Facebook), and other venues, as well as recent publications in prominent journals, show that primatologists, ecologists, and other researchers are questioning the terms “Old World” and “New World” due to their colonial implications and history. The terms are offensive if they result in erasing Indigenous voices and history, ignoring the fact that Indigenous peoples were in the Americas long before European colonization. Language use is not without context, but alternative terminology is not always obvious and available. In this perspective, we share opinions expressed by an international group of primatologists who considered questions about the use of these terms, whether primatologists should adjust language use, and how to move forward. The diversity of opinions provides insight into how conventional terms used in primatological research and conservation may impact our effectiveness in these domains
New approximations for monotone submodular maximization with knapsack constraint
No full textGiven a monotone submodular set function with a knapsack constraint, its maximization problem has two types of approximation algorithms with running time 0(n2) and 0(n5), respectively. With running time 0(n5), the best performance ratio is 1-1/e. With running time 0(n2), the well-known performance ratio is (1-1/e)/2 and an improved one is claimed to be (1-1/e2)/2 recently. In this paper, we design an algorithm with running 0(n2) and performance ratio 1-1/e2/3, and an algorithm with running time 0(n3) and performance ratio 1/2
Selective Partitioned Regression for Accurate Kidney Health Monitoring
No full textThe number of people diagnosed with advanced stages of kidney disease have been rising every year. Early detection and constant monitoring are the only minimally invasive means to prevent severe kidney damage or kidney failure. We propose a cost-effective machine learning-based testing system that can facilitate inexpensive yet accurate kidney health checks. Our proposed framework, which was developed into an iPhone application, uses a camera-based bio-sensor and state-of-the-art classical machine learning and deep learning techniques for predicting the concentration of creatinine in the sample, based on colorimetric change in the test strip. The predicted creatinine concentration is then used to classify the severity of the kidney disease as healthy, intermediate, or critical. In this article, we focus on the effectiveness of machine learning models to translate the colorimetric reaction to kidney health prediction. In this setting, we thoroughly evaluated the effectiveness of our novel proposed models against state-of-the-art classical machine learning and deep learning approaches. Additionally, we executed a number of ablation studies to measure the performance of our model when trained using different meta-parameter choices. Our evaluation results indicate that our selective partitioned regression (SPR) model, using histogram of colors-based features and a histogram gradient boosted trees underlying estimator, exhibits much better overall prediction performance compared to state-of-the-art methods. Our initial study indicates that SPR can be an effective tool for detecting the severity of kidney disease using inexpensive lateral flow assay test strips and a smart phone-based application. Additional work is needed to verify the performance of the model in various settings
Labor market adjustment to extreme heat shocks: Evidence from Brazil
No full textDespite ample evidence on the labor productivity impact of heat shocks, little is known about how heat shocks affect labor adjustment over time. This paper uses administrative employer–employee linked data from Brazil to examine margins of labor market adjustment to extreme heat. Tracking workers over time and across job spells, I find that quarterly heat shocks increase the probability of formal manufacturing layoffs. In the medium run, there is limited intersectoral and interregional reallocation, as well as a significant failure rate to reallocate back to formal sectors, indicating job transitional costs. Finally, the employment impact of heat shocks is larger for workers in more routine manual task intensive, less abstract occupations
Justice Conversation based on Tigrinya Word ፍትሒ ( Fethi).
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Ghezae Zerisanay
Justice Conversation based on Tigrinya Word ፍትሒ (Fethi).
Philipos Hailemichae
Energy Access for All: Solar Empowerment with Deevabits Green Energy in Rural Kenya
Get PDFTo expand energy access to serve more last-mile, rural, and off-grid communities in Kenya, there is a need to understand the social impact of fast-growing social enterprise in the field, explore the potential for scaling, and identify areas for improvement in a successful social entrepreneurship endeavor. To do so, this study examines Deevabits’ Green Energy’s business as an exemplar of social entrepreneurship enabling community-driven solutions that empower local communities. The Deevabits business model enables it to bring sustainable energy solutions to more than 150,000 people and has economically empowered more than 450 women sales agents (Village Social Entrepreneurs (VSEs)) since 2016.
This study exploits an original mixed-methods approach. Regarding quantitative data, 283 customers were surveyed by phone to collect data on purchase motivation, product use, and changes in quality of life. Additionally, 14 semi-structured interviews with customers and VSEs were conducted in Eastern Kenya to map out the social impact of Deevabits’ business model on women empowerment and the quality of customer’s lives, as well as to examine changes in predictors of long-term health outcomes. VSE interview questions were designed following the Social Determinants of Health Model (SDOH). Interviews were transcribed and thematically coded. Improvement was found in all aspects of VSE’s SDOH and some aspects of those of customers. Findings show that 95 percent of customers reported positive changes in quality of life, particularly in the form of improved information access via radio, increased study time for children, and extended working hours that contributed to an increase in income.
The findings of this study demonstrate the potential of social entrepreneurship to effectively combat the issue of inequitable energy access in rural Kenya, improve social determinants of health, and empower women. Future studies should focus on developing solutions for challenges identified in this study and assessing the feasibility and impact of implementation