88 research outputs found
In vitro fertilization : the status of the frozen embryo
No full text9TH Annual ethics conference. Theme : Bioethics medical, legal, environmental and cultural aspects in healthcare ethics at STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY, 25-26 OCTOBER 2012.The first Kenyan IVF babies were born on 8th
May 2006.
The event was celebrated as a breakthrough.
It was to offer hope for perhaps thousands of
Kenyan couples who were childless.
Since then a number of IVF clinics have
sprang up around the country.
Childless couples are routinely offered IVF as
a solution to their childless state.
Little is said about the state of the frozen
embryo.
Or the ethics and morality of the IVF
treatment.
The number of frozen embryos in Kenya is
unknown.
There are between 400,000 and 500,000
frozen embryos in the USA alone.
With an estimated 20,000 being added
annually
Expert opinion : To be considered at COP 15 and the UN Summit of the Future 2023
No full textThis document represents the joint opinion of the group of experts participating in the Science Summit at the UN General Assembly 77 session “The key for a successful UN’s Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework” on the need for standards to measure biodiversity with molecular tools.
Expert group:
Kristian Meissner and (in alphabetical order) Jose Alonso, Pier Luigi Buttigieg, Claire Brown, Kat Bruce, Ana Cristina Cardoso, John Darling, Grégoire Dubois, Eeva Furman, Arwyn Jones, Tiina Laamanen, Florian Leese, Teresa Lettieri, Ntganganedzeni Mapholi, Anne Muigai, María Cecilia Londoño Murcia, Veera Norros, Maria Julia Oliva, Deborah Paul, Marine Robuchon, Gernot Segelbacher, Katja Seltmann, John Simaika, David Smith, Saara Suominen, Petteri Vihervaara, Marina von Weissenber
Language Preferences in the Mass Media: A Case Study of Television Broadcasting in Nairobi, Kenya
No full textThesisThe purpose of this study was to survey the use of language in the mass media with a view to understanding the language preferences and attitudes by respec- tive TV stations and audiences. Unlike radio broadcasting, English and Kiswahili are the only two languages used for public television broadcasting in Kenya. En- glish is the country's official language mainly acquired through formal learning. On the contrary, Kiswahili is the country's national language acquired through social learning. Kiswahili is perceived to have the potential of linking people of different status and ethnic backgrounds in the country. The use of language for effective as well as social political and economic devel- opment is crucial. Thus by the use of descriptive survey the researcher attempted to establish what language was preferred for television broadcasting and why. To solicit data from the receivers a survey questionnaire was administered to a se- lected Nairobi audience. Through interviews with the concerned personnel views of the sources were captured. The study established that English was the preferred language by both the audi- ence and the media houses. The two main reasons for English preferences that emerged were: demand by the audience and the low cost of production of the imported programmes. In addition, Kiswahili was largely viewed as inferior and deficient in transmitting technical information. However, the majority of the re- spondents agreed that Kiswahili was capable of cultivating a national culture and unity among Kenyans.Daystar Universit
Goat production in eastern Africa: Practices, breed characteristics, and opportunities for their sustainability
No full textCarriage rate and serotypes of <i>Streptococcus pneumoniae</i> amongst children in Thika Hospital, Kenya
No full textStreptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Rates of carriage are highest in infants and the elderly. The objectives of this study were to determine the rate of nasopharyngeal colonization by S. pneumoniae, and to describe the antibiotic resistant patterns and the serotypes of the carried isolates. A cross-sectional study design was used. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 315 children in the months of Octoberand November 2010 and processed to isolate S. pneumoniae. The isolates were serotyped by the Quellung reaction and their antibiotic susceptibilities assessed by the disc diffusion method. The overall nasopharyngeal carriage rate for S. pneumoniae was 17%. Seventeen serotypes were detected amongst 55 strains analysed: 6A, 23F, 19F, 13, 6B, 14A, 20, 7C, 1,15B, 35B, 19A, 11A, 34, 5, 3 and 23A. Susceptibility testing revealed that nearly all (98%) were resistant to cotrimoxazole, 9% were resistant to penicillin and 7% to cefotaxime. Resistance to chloramphenicol and erythromycin was 2% and 4%, respectively. All isolates were fully sensitive to tetracycline. High levels of cotrimoxazole resistance and some resistance to other antimicrobial agents commonly used in Thika District Hospital shows that there is need to revise antimicrobial policy in this region in the treatment of invasive pneumococcal infections. The frequent serotypes found in this study have previously been associated with pneumococcal infectionsin children. Several of these serotypes are included in the ten-valent vaccine and therefore useof this vaccine will help reduce pneumococcal infections in Thika
Genetic diversity in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] Landraces as revealed by simple sequence repeat markers
No full textGenetic relationships among 88 pigeonpea accessions from a presumed centre of origin and diversity, India and a presumed secondary centre of diversity in East Africa were evaluated using six microsatellite markers. Forty-seven (47) alleles were detected in the populations studied, with a mean of eight alleles per locus. Populations were defined by region (India and East Africa) and sub-populations by country in the case of East Africa and State in the case of India. Substantial differentiation among regions was evident from Roger’s modified distance and Wright’s F statistic. Greatest genetic diversity in terms of number of alleles, number of rare alleles and Nei’s unbiased estimate of gene diversity (H) was found in India as opposed to East Africa. This supports the hypothesis that India is the centre of diversity and East Africa is a secondary centre of diversity. Within East Africa, germplasm from Tanzania had the highest diversity according to Nei’s unbiased estimate of gene diversity, followed by Kenya and Uganda. Germplasm from Kenya and Tanzania were more closely related than that of Uganda according to Roger’s modified distance. Within India, results did not indicate a clear centre of diversity. Values of genetic distance indicated that genetic relationships followed geographical
proximity
Genetic diversity and population structure of the indigenous sheep in Kenya based on microsatellite analysis: Implications for their conservation
No full textThe potential role of roaming dogs in establishing a geographically novel life cycle of taeniids (Echinococcus spp. and Taenia spp.) in a non-endemic area
No full textIntroduction: Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is endemic in humans and livestock in many pastoral communities in Kenya. The distribution of the disease is enhanced by several factors, including livestock trade, which has allowed for the spread of CE to non-endemic areas such as western Kenya. Dogs' roaming behaviour, with consequent contamination of the environment with intestinal parasites, could then lead to parasite establishment. This study examined dogs' infection levels with taeniid eggs and their potential role in contaminating the environment with intestinal parasites. Methodology: We selected sixteen ruminant slaughterhouses in Busia and Bungoma Counties, and around each slaughterhouse we identified ten homesteads owning free-roaming dogs. We administered a questionnaire on dog management practices to the homestead owner and collected a faecal sample from the dog's rectum. In homesteads around 8 of the 16 slaughterhouses, we collared dogs with a GPS tracker to assess their movement patterns. The faecal samples were examined microscopically following zinc-chloride sieving-floatation technique for the presence of taeniid eggs and other canine intestinal parasites. Polymerase Chain Reaction – Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism of NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene and sequencing were used to confirm taeniid eggs identified during microscopy. Additionally, the Coproantigen-ELISA was used to detect the presence of taeniid antigen in a sub-set of the faecal samples. Results: Helminths detected in the 155 dogs sampled included hookworms (n = 92; 59.4%), ascarids (n = 15; 9.7%), and taeniids (n = 1; 0.6%). Through Copro-PCR, 13 eggs extracted from the sample of the only taeniid infected dog were sequenced and identified as E. canadensis (G6/7) [n = 1], Taenia multiceps [n = 1], and Taenia serialis [n = 6]; the remaining were indeterminate. Of the 77 faecal samples tested for E. granulosus sensu lato (s. l.) with the Copro-ELISA, 64 (83.1%) were negative, 12 (15.6%) were positive, while 1 (1.3%) was suspicious. The dogs travelled a median of 13.5 km daily, and 28 dogs visited the slaughterhouses during the 5-day recording period. Conclusion: The results indicate a relatively high carriage of zoonotic parasites by free-roaming domestic dogs in western Kenya, which poses a risk to human and livestock populations. We report for the first time a domestic lifecycle of Echinococcus canadensis and Taenia multiceps in western Kenya, as well as a presumptive sylvatic cycle of coenurosis by T. serialis. We recommend an extensive and ongoing Copro-antigen survey of dog faeces, broader assessment of dog parasites with zoonotic potential, adherence to slaughterhouse management practices, and dog-ownership programmes to highlight the importance of deworming and restricted dog movements
Genetic diversity and relationships of hair sheep breeds of the Americas: First results
No full textThe origin of the American hair sheep is diverse with likely early introductions from the Canary Islands, followed by introductions from the African and European continents. Using 14 microsatellite loci, we studied 3 American hair sheep (St. Croix, Barbados Blackbelly, and Gulf Coast Native), 6 European wool sheep, 6 African hair sheep, and 2 Asian wool sheep populations. The genetic diversity for all populations was high (with the exception of the Barbados Blackbelly where n=10). Phylogenetic and principal component analyses as well as genetic distance values indicated that the American hair sheep were more closely related to the European Merino sheep than to the West African hair sheep. Today, the main genetic influence in the 3 American populations studied is therefore of European origin
Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on livelihoods of pastoral communities in the Kenyan rangelands
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