16 research outputs found
Characterisation of the electrochemical properties of maize grain contaminated with aflatoxin.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Abstract available in pdf.Author is captured as Onyando, Francis Collins Muga on the university system, however the author uses Muga, Francis Collins in all his academic publications
Exploring cross-cultural design through a concept on value exchange: How redefining public space can create socio-economic space
No full textThis graduation project takes place in Kampala, Uganda, in collaboration with Design without Borders Africa (Dwb).The aim of the project is threefold:Create social impact in the domain of value exchange in the public space of Kampala,Apply the Vision in Product design (ViP) method for the first time in the designer’s career andEvaluate the responsibility of the designer in relation to a cross-cultural design project.After establishing the ViP domain as ‘value exchange in the public space’ and performing two deconstructions (one by the designer and one by Dwb) extensive research is performed.It focuses on a time 10 years ahead (2034) and collects 215 factors (statements about the domain): 161 from literature, and 54 from interviews with 35 vendors in Kampala. The factors are clustered into 16 driving forces of the future context.With the driving forces a framework is constructed of 12 cells, the directions the future context can move into. The axes of the framework reveal the root of the problems around street vending.(1*) the organization of public space: Kampala’s public space receives meaning from many, misaligned origins. Government planning is not consistent with the use of space.(*2) socio-economic uncertainty: the sheer numbers of people combined with a lack of jobs creates uncertainty to which people react in different ways. These reactions create their motive to participate in value exchange.3 cells are chosen to formulate a vision statement. We want to decrease discrimination, provide stability for hustlers and steer investments to where they are needed. Three goals which correspond to the main stakeholders: vendors, clients and the local authority (KCCA). The lost in translation between them must be addressed to enable any social transformation. Integration of vendors must become the goal rather than expulsion. To achieve this we want to reveal the value of value exchange: showing vendors’ contribution in terms of convenience, urban life and economic potential.With individual and group ideation the concept is developed. It consists of a stall and street design assigning space to vendors in pedestrian zones. Vendors are given fixed categories, streets are replanned and vendors are made the guardians and cleaners of the street. Placement of spots is used to regulate traffic flow and decongest the city. The concept couples this reorganization of public space to the other axis of socio-economic insecurity, by turning street vending from a last resort into a first step up the formal ladder. Vendors can only rent a stall for six months during which they are educated, build a network and are helped in saving money – after the 6 months they are ready to start a full business. The financial and organizational aspects of the concept are also thought out.Elaborate testing is performed with vendors and authorities. Most of the feedback is worked into the concept. Recommendations for further development include directions for stall design and a road map for taking the concept to a pilot level.The reflection results in 6 design principles guiding western designers doing projects in radically different contexts.Integrated Product Desig
Spatial-temporal patterns in the enteric pathogen contamination of soil in the public environments of low- and middle-income neighborhoods in Nairobi, Kenya
No full textThe life in the earth: understanding and using below ground biodiversity = La vida que existe en el suelo: conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad debajo del suelo
No full textGiven that the United Nations has designated 2010 as the international year of biodiversity, the timing of a recent week-long conference on what one author has called the “life in the earth”—could hardly have been better. Organized by CIAT’s Tropical Soil Fertility (TSBF) Research Area, the event examined the valuable functions of myriad plant and animal species that live below ground. It turns out that these species have much to offer agricultural research for development worldwide, as it contends with global climate change, faltering food and nutrition security, continuing environmental degradation, and worsening poverty. Much research on soil deals with its mineral content and physical structure, overlooking the role of below-ground biodiversity in maintaining important ecological services, such as carbon sequestration and the provision of nutrients to plants. To remedy past neglect, CIAT and its national partners in seven tropical countries embarked on a major global initiative 8 years ago, aimed at finding ways to enhance agricultural productivity through sustainable management of this valuable soil resource. They also invested heavily in strengthening local research capacity through training and South-South exchanges. The recent conference, attracting 70 experts to the headquarters of the World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi, marked the successful conclusion of that initiative, which was funded mainly by the Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Enterococcus contamination of infant foods and implications for exposure to foodborne pathogens in peri-urban neighbourhoods of Kisumu, Kenya.
No full textWe collected infant food samples from 714 households in Kisumu, Kenya, and estimated the prevalence and concentration of Enterococcus, an indicator of food hygiene conditions. In a subset of 212 households, we quantified the change in concentration in stored food between a morning and afternoon feeding time. In addition, household socioeconomic characteristics and hygiene practices of the caregivers were documented. The prevalence of Enterococcus in infant foods was 50% (95% confidence interval: 46.1 - 53.4), and the mean log10 colony-forming units (CFUs) was 1.1 (SD + 1.4). No risk factors were significantly associated with the prevalence and concentration of Enterococcus in infant foods. The mean log10 CFU of Enterococcus concentration was 0.47 in the morning and 0.73 in the afternoon foods with a 0.64 log10 mean increase in matched samples during storage. Although no factors were statistically associated with the prevalence and the concentration of Enterococcus in infant foods, household flooring type was significantly associated with an increase in concentration during storage, with finished floors leading to 1.5 times higher odds of concentration increase compared to unfinished floors. Our study revealed high prevalence but low concentration of Enterococcus in infant food in low-income Kisumu households, although concentrations increased during storage implying potential increases in risk of exposure to foodborne pathogens over a day. Further studies aiming at investigating contamination of infant foods with pathogenic organisms and identifying effective mitigation measures are required to ensure infant food safety
Effects of Class Repetition on Pupils' Academic Performance in Public Primary Schools in Alego Usonga Sub-County, Kenya
No full textAbstract: Repetition has severe negative consequences to both the individuals and society in terms of economic, social, political and psychological dimensions. Alego Usonga Sub County, Siaya County has a high repetition rate of 7.10% against 1% nationally. The purpose of the study was to establish effect of class repetition on pupils’ academic performance in primary schools in Kenya, and particularly to: examine how class repetition affects learner academic achievements. The high repetition rate was argued to improve academic performance by exposing low performing students to additional teaching time and allowing them to catch up on the curriculum and content of teaching. Equally repetition on the other side was argued to be counterproductive on student long term academic achievements with retained students falling further and further behind promoted peers and sometimes leading to drop outs. Conceptual framework was used in the study to help focus on the effects of repetition on pupils academic performance in primary schools in the Alego Usonga Sub County. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The study was carried out in public primary schools in Alego Usonga Sub County, Siaya County, Kenya. The population of the study comprised of 139 class teachers, 139 primary head teachers, Sub County Director of Education (SCDE), 7 Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) and 695 repeaters. The study adopted simple random sampling technique and applied the rule of thumb to select 28 public primary schools to form part of the sample and to select 139 repeaters from the population of 695 repeaters to form the sample. Stratified random sampling was then used to select 28 head teachers, 28 class teachers, while saturated sampling was used to allow all the CSOs and SCDE to form part of the study. The instruments of data collections were questionnaires, documents analysis and interview schedules. This resulted in the development of a correlation coefficient of 0.857, which validated the reliability of the questionnaires after simultaneously giving two separate but alternative versions of questionnaires designed to sample the same content to respondents in pilot schools. Validity of the instruments were ascertained by the Supervisor from the Department of educational foundations of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology. Quantitative data collected using close ended items in the Questionnaires, were analyzed using descriptive statistics like frequencies and percentages while qualitative data were analyzed as themes and Sub themes. The findings were presented in form of tables and graphs. The study revealed that repetition was frequent in seventh grade and had a detrimental impact on the academic performance of elementary school students. Also, it established that the primary effects of class repetition on students are stigmatization, low self-esteem, school dropouts, overage learners, low learning achievements, and a higher teacher-to-student ratio, which contributed to constraints on school learning resources that negatively impacted on students' academic performance. Based on the study findings, the following were recommended: that the Government should put on more effort on the monitoring of educational quality through Sub County Quality Assurance and Standards Officer (SCQASO) and Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) to check on the level of enforcement of the Government policy on repetition, the Teachers’ Service Commission should redistribute teachers based on enrollment in schools to address the high teacher pupil ratio, the Government should prioritize the improvement of basic learning institution resources including physical infrastructure, desks ,textbooks and lunch programs. confidence in learners and to encourage learners to love school and learning. The study was useful as it provided information to the Sub County Education office, parents, teachers and other stakeholders on effects of repetitions in primary schools in the Sub County.
Keywords: Repetition, Academic Performance.
Title: Effects of Class Repetition on Pupils’ Academic Performance in Public Primary Schools in Alego Usonga Sub-County, Kenya
Author: Mr. Vincent Okoth Owino, Dr. Jack Odongo Ajowi, Prof. Henry Onderi
International Journal of Novel Research in Education and Learning
ISSN 2394-9686
Vol. 9, Issue 5, September 2022 - October 2022
Page No: 60-74
Novelty Journals
Website: www.noveltyjournals.com
Published Date: 04-October-2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7144816
Paper Download Link (Source)
https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/paper/Effects%20of%20Class%20Repetition-04102022-4.pdfInternational Journal of Novel Research in Education and Learning, ISSN 2394-9686, Novelty Journals, Website: www.noveltyjournals.co
Determining the Importance Level of Effective Criteria in the Health Information System Selection via Spherical Fuzzy DEMATEL Method
No full textThe dynamic structure of the health sector entails its integration with new technologies that transform every aspect of life. According to the developments in computer and communication technologies, health information systems have quickly been used in health institutions. On the other hand, with the spread of health information systems, problems were encountered in ensuring inter-institutional standards and quality. At this point, the selection of health information systems that are compatible with national and international health systems and that will meet the current and future needs of health institutions have gained importance. Purpose of this study is to determine the effective criteria in the selection of health information systems and the importance levels of these criteria. The criteria determined by scanning the literature were reduced to eight (security, cost, system quality and technical support, design, statistical information delivery, decision support system inclusion, accessibility, integration with external systems and subsystem inclusivity) by using the Delphi method with expert opinions. The spherical fuzzy DEMATEL method was applied to determine the importance levels of the criteria. The study will provide important novelties in terms of using the Delphi method at the point of determining the criteria and considering fuzziness and the interaction between the criteria. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd
Spatial–Temporal Patterns in the Enteric Pathogen Contamination of Soil in the Public Environments of Low- and Middle-Income Neighborhoods in Nairobi, Kenya
No full textPublic spaces in countries with limited societal development can be contaminated with feces containing pathogenic microbes from animals and people. Data on contamination levels, spatial distribution, and the diversity of enteric pathogens in the public settings of low- and middle-income neighborhoods are crucial for devising strategies that minimize the enteric infection burden. The objective of this study was to compare spatial–temporal differences in the detection rate and diversity of enteric pathogens in the public spaces of low- and middle-income neighborhoods of Nairobi, Kenya. TaqMan array card (TAC) molecular assays were employed to analyze soil samples for 19 enteropathogens, along with a selective bacterial culture for pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae. An observational assessment was conducted during every site visit to document the hygienic infrastructure and sanitation conditions at the sites. We detected at least one pathogen in 79% (127/160) and ≥2 pathogens in 67.5% (108/160) of the soil samples tested. The four most frequently detected pathogens were EAEC (67.5%), ETEC (59%), EPEC (57.5%), and STEC (31%). The detection rate (91% vs. 66%) and mean number of enteric pathogens (5 vs. 4.7) were higher in low-income Kibera than in middle-income Jericho. The more extensive spatial distribution of pathogens in Kibera resulted in increases in the detection of different enteric pathogens from within-site (area < 50 m2) and across-site (across-neighborhood) movements compared to Jericho. The pathogen detection rates fluctuated seasonally in Jericho but remained at sustained high levels in Kibera. While better neighborhood conditions were linked with lower pathogen detection rates, pathogenic E. coli remained prevalent in the public environment across both neighborhoods. Future studies should focus on identifying how the sources of pathogen contamination are modified by improved environmental sanitation and hygiene and the role of these contaminated public environments in enteric infections in children
"Then It's Clear Who Owns the Trees": Evaluating Privatization in the Social Forest in a Zimbabwean Resettlement Area
No full textThe value that associates private property regimes with better management of arable land played a consistent role in colonial policy and practice in "African" areas of Southern/Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). In the woodlands, however, common property management systems characterized African areas. This persisted in the post-Independence state, both in the Communal Areas, and in the newly demarcated Resettlement Areas. Recommendations by the recent Land Tenure Commission (1993), however, are set to change tenure in the woodlands in Resettlement Areas from common property to private property, on the perception that the common property system fails to sustainably manage the woodlands. In this paper, the apparent failure in common property woodland management in a case study of a Model A resettlement scheme in Zimbabwe is explored. Tenure insecurity and the types of controls and institutions in the woodlands are examined as possible sources of the failure. The major stress on the woodlands, besides clearance of land for agriculture, emerges as resource poaching by Communal Area neighbours. The currently popular notion of resource-sharing as a possible solution to this problem is discussed. In the final analysis the author finds that privatization is unlikely to solve the management crisis as it inadequately deals with the major problem of resource poaching. This failure is part of a wider conceptual problem of dealing with Zimbabwe's different land-use categories in isolation, rather than as an interrelated system. The paper is framed by an analysis of how a new focus on tenure issues, particularly privatization, in the land redistribution process in Zimbabwe fits with a growing trend wherein issues of justice and development for the rural poor are eclipsed by a discourse of "efficiency" and "productivity".Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
Protocol for the PATHOME study: a cohort study on urban societal development and the ecology of enteric disease transmission among infants, domestic animals and the environment
No full textIntroduction Global morbidity from enteric infections and diarrhoea remains high in children in low-income and middle-income countries, despite significant investment over recent decades in health systems and water and sanitation infrastructure. Other types of societal development may be required to reduce disease burden. Ecological research on the influence of household and neighbourhood societal development on pathogen transmission dynamics between humans, animals and the environment could identify more effective strategies for preventing enteric infections.Methods and analysis The ‘enteric pathome’—that is, the communities of viral, bacterial and parasitic pathogens transmitted from human and animal faeces through the environment is taxonomically complex in high burden settings. This integrated cohort-exposure assessment study leverages natural socioeconomic spectrums of development to study how pathome complexity is influenced by household and neighbourhood infrastructure and hygiene conditions. We are enrolling under 12-month-old children in low-income and middle-income neighbourhoods of two Kenyan cities (Nairobi and Kisumu) into a ‘short-cohort’ study involving repeat testing of child faeces for enteric pathogens. A mid-study exposure assessment documenting infrastructural, behavioural, spatial, climate, environmental and zoonotic factors characterises pathogen exposure pathways in household and neighbourhood settings. These data will be used to inform and validate statistical and agent-based models (ABM) that identify individual or combined intervention strategies for reducing multipathogen transmission between humans, animals and environment in urban Kenya.Ethics and dissemination The protocols for human subjects’ research were approved by Institutional Review Boards at the University of Iowa (ID-202004606) and AMREF Health Africa (ID-ESRC P887/2020), and a national permit was obtained from the Kenya National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation (ID# P/21/8441). The study was registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05322655) and is in pre-results stage. Protocols for research on animals were approved by the University of Iowa Animal Care and Use Committee (ID 0042302)
