733 research outputs found
Peaceful Resistance: Advancing Human Rights and Civil Liberties
No full textAn interview session with Prof. Munene Macharia by Robert M. Pres
William M Macharia William M Macharia Bone involvement in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Authors\u27 reply
No full textMapping urban physical distancing constraints, sub-Saharan Africa : a case study from Kenya
No full textWith the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, public health measures such as physical distancing were recommended to reduce transmission of the virus causing the disease. However, the same approach in all areas, regardless of context, may lead to measures being of limited effectiveness and having unforeseen negative consequences, such as loss of livelihoods and food insecurity. A prerequisite to planning and implementing effective, context-appropriate measures to slow community transmission is an understanding of any constraints, such as the locations where physical distancing would not be possible. Focusing on sub-Saharan Africa, we outline and discuss challenges that are faced by residents of urban informal settlements in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We describe how new geospatial data sets can be integrated to provide more detailed information about local constraints on physical distancing and can inform planning of alternative ways to reduce transmission of COVID-19 between people. We include a case study for Nairobi County, Kenya, with mapped outputs which illustrate the intra-urban variation in the feasibility of physical distancing and the expected difficulty for residents of many informal settlement areas. Our examples demonstrate the potential of new geospatial data sets to provide insights and support to policy-making for public health measures, including COVID-19
Soil greenhouse gases fluxes from maize production under different management practices in semi-arid parts of Eastern Kenya
No full textThe Climate Food and Farming (CLIFF) Research Network is an international research network that helps to expand young researchers' knowledge and experience working on climate change mitigation in smallholder farming. CLIFF provides grants for selected doctoral students to work with CGIAR researchers affiliated with the Standard Assessment of Mitigation Potential and Livelihoods in Smallholder Systems (SAMPLES) project.
This presentation is Soil greenhouse gases fluxes from maize production under different management practices in semi-arid parts of Eastern Kenya by Joseph Macharia, a CLIFF student with CCAFS Low Emission Development
Mobile Applications to Enhance Versatility of Mobile Learning in Higher Education
No full textIn recent times, despite the fact that Mobile learning or m-learning is a relatively new concept, it has become a buzz word in academic, researchers and companies developing learning systems and instructional materials. Unfortunately, standards and platforms like those that exist in elearning are still evolving. One thorny issue is that of m-examinations. Although in e-learning setup supervised examination rooms/center, have worked well the ability to authenticate the candidate doing an examination in unsupervised environment on remote place is limited. Moreover, the requirement of internet access throughout the examination session and particularly for the student to be able to submit his answers is also a major limitation. This study was not only an effort to remove the two limitations, but also to do so on the mobile learning environment. The study investigated the concept of sending by email a locked examination as an android mobile application. The student would then download and install the App in their smart
devices a few minutes, days or even weeks but will not be able to run the App until the instructor sends a key to the registered student’s mobile hone number in the device to unlock the examination App installed in their phones two or three minutes before the examination start time. The approach used in this study was mixed methods. The first method was experimental where a mobile examination application was developed in Android. Then the mobile examination application was send by email to the 60 students who participated so that they could download it in their smart devices. The second method was a questionnaire survey to capture the student’s perception. The findings of the study show that the effect of Organizational Support (OS), Availability of ICTs (ICT) and Effort Expectancy (EE) on Behavioral intention to use M-learning and particularly m-examination was significant. The findings of this research will not only help m-learning practitioners develop m-learning examinations and promote this new IT to potential users, but also provide insights into research on m-examination acceptance
Composition and distribution of indigenous trees and shrubs as possible criteria for indicating adapted species in semi‐arid rangelands
No full textThis study assessed the composition and natural distribution of indigenous trees and shrubs as possible criteria for selecting suitable species for rehabilitation of degraded sites in semi-arid rangelands. Study sites were identified at Nthangu, Kathonzweni and Kibwezi forests of Makueni County, Kenya using existing vegetation, agro-climatic maps and Landsat imageries. The sites had mean annual rainfalls of 974mm, 700mm and 616mm, respectively, and moisture indices of 49%, 35% and 32%. Data were collected by establishing sample plots and assessing species counts and diameters at breast height (DBH). Basal area, relative dominance, relative abundance, relative frequency and important value indices (IVIs) were computed for individual families and species at each site. The number of families, genera and species declined from Nthangu (33, 60, 77) through Kibwezi (30, 48, 70) to Kathonzweni (28, 42, 69). Corresponding mean basal areas were 16.7m(2)ha(-1), 76.8m(2)ha(-1) and 19.3m(2)ha(-1). The families Combretaceae, Burseraceae and Mimosaceae were the most important and widely distributed. Based on ecological importance values, candidate species for rehabilitation of degraded sites at Nthangu, Kathonzweni and Kibwezi were Combretum molle and Acacia hockii; Combretum collinum, Commiphora campestris and Acacia tortilis; and Commiphora africana and A.tortilis, respectively
Burkina Faso women empowerment and welfare project
No full textIt has been proven that the poor have the desire and motivation to do something to change their situation. They may be short of ideas of how to wiggle themselves out of an uncomfortable situation but they surely have the inner resource when they are gently nodded in the right direction. This was proven in a project that was carried out in Burkina Faso among poor urban women.
The project further revealed that sustainable development cannot be attained without integration. To address the root causes of poverty; gender inequities, HIV/AIDS and the environment should be addressed together. Activities that provide and permit access to basic necessities like education and health should be integrated in the project too.
To assure sustainability of the project CED practitioner should avoid introducing complex technology or financially unattainable practices but should, to the extent possible, use local resources and build on the local knowledge. In this project local resource persons, locally available material - mostly recycled - were utilized. The project drew largely from local knowledge and values will ensure continuity of the activities even after external support has ceased.
Finally, following the principle of subsidiarity the management of the project activities should to the extent feasible be left to the beneficiaries. The targeted women in this project managed the savings and loan project, using the self help group model, to improve their personal businesses. (Author abstract)Macharia, D. G. (2007). Burkina Faso women empowerment and welfare project. Retrieved from http://academicarchive.snhu.eduMaster of Science (M.S.)School of Community Economic Developmen
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Food restriction reverses the hyper-muscular phenotype and force generation capacity deficit of the myostatin null mouse
No full textFood restriction has a great impact on skeletal
muscle mass by inducing muscle protein breakdown
to provide substrates for energy production
through gluconeogenesis. Genetic models
of hyper-muscularity interfere with the normal
balance between protein synthesis and breakdown
which eventually results in extreme
muscle growth. Mutations or deletions in the
myostatin gene result in extreme muscle mass.
Here we evaluated the impact of food restriction
for a period of 5 weeks on skeletal muscle size
(i.e., fibre cross-sectional area), fibre type composition
and contractile properties (i.e., tetanic
and specific force) in myostatin null mice. We
found that this hyper-muscular model was more susceptible to catabolic processes than wild type
mice. The mechanism of skeletal muscle mass
loss was examined and our data shows that the
myostatin null mice placed on a low calorie diet
maintained the activity of molecules involved
in protein synthesis and did not up-regulate the
expression of genes pivotal in ubiquitin-mediated
protein degradation. However, we did find
an increase in the expression of genes associated
with autophagy. Surprisingly, the reduction on
muscle size was followed by improved tetanic
and specific force in the null mice compared to
wild type mice. These data provide evidence that
food restriction may revert the hyper-muscular
phenotype of the myostatin null mouse restoring
muscle function
Estimate of genetic and phenotypic parameters for the Dorper, Red Masai and their crosses in Naivasha (OL'Magogo), Kenya
No full textDue to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to [email protected], referencing the URI of the item.Bibliography: leaves 75-82.Not availabl
Paraoxonase 1 genetic polymorphisms in a mixed ancestry African population
No full textCITATION: Macharia, M., Kengne, A. P., Blackhurst, D. M., Erasmus, R. T. & Matsha, T. E. 2014. Paraoxonase 1 genetic polymorphisms in a mixed ancestry African population. Mediators of Inflammation, 2014:1-9 (Article ID 217019), doi:10.1155/2014/217019.The original publication is available at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/miParaoxonase 1 (PON1) activity is markedly influenced by coding polymorphisms, Q/R at position 192 and M/L at position 55 of the PON1 gene. We investigated the frequencies of these polymorphisms and their effects on PON1 and antioxidant activities in 844 South African mixed ancestry individuals. Genotyping was done using allele-specific TaqMan technology, PON1 activities were measured using paraoxon and phenylacetate, oxidative status was determined by measuring the antioxidant activities of ferric reducing antioxidant power and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, and lipid peroxidation markers included malondialdehyde and oxidized LDL. The frequencies of Q192R and L55Mwere 47.6% and 28.8%, respectively, and the most common corresponding alleles were 192R (60.4%) and 55M (82.6%).The Q192 was significantly associated with 5.8 units’ increase in PON1 concentration and 15.4 units’ decrease in PONase activity after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, and diabetes, with suggestion of differential effects by diabetes status.The PON1 L55 variant was associated with none of the measured indices. In conclusion, we have shown that the Q192R polymorphism is a determinant of both PON1 concentration and activity and this association appeared to be enhanced in subjects with diabetes.http://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2014/217019/Publisher's versio
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