Methodology of the Indices of Social Development

In recent years, international organizations, think-tanks, and the social sciences have contributed to a dramatic expansion in the range of composite indices measuring concepts such as human development, governance, or social capital. This paper discusses challenges faced in the design of composite indices, and suggests the method known as matching pe

Effects of water sources and watering frequency for dairy cattle on water offered and milk production in Kiambu District

Data on water sources, mode of offer, watering frequency, amount of water offered, body weights and milk yield were collected from 21 randomly selected smallholder farms in Kiambu by means of farm visits and questionnaires fortnightly. Most farms (67%) had water on-farm but 76% of them needed labour to deliver the water to the animals. Fifty two percent of the farms practised continuous watering. Water troughs (67%) were mostly used to water dairy cattle. Farms with on-farm water offered dairy cows more (134 ml/kg live wt) water compared to those collecting (76ml/kg live wt) or purchasing (81ml/kg live wt) water. Preliminary results on milk yield using descriptive statistics show that dairy cows with on-farm water produce less milk (6.4 l/day) compared with 8.0 l/day and 9.0 l/day for those collecting or purchasing water respectively. Dairy cows using water troughs produced less milk (6.34 l/day) than those using bowls or buckets (8.44 l/day)

Effects of levels of concentrate supplementation on milk production and body weights of lactating dairy cows

Nineteen dairy cows were used over a 7-month period to evaluate the effect of allocating different levels of concentrate during early lactation. The animals were fed on grass hay basal diet and supplemented with either 2 Kg (LLC), 4 Kg (MLC) or 8 Kg (HLC) per day. Milk yields were measured daily, body weight and body condition scores were monitored weekly. Milk yields during the first 12 weeks of lactation were 11.6, 12.6 and 16.9 Kg/day for LLC, MLC and HLC respectively. The HLC had significantly higher (P<0.001) milk yield than both MLC and LLC. The body weights and condition scores of animals in different treatment groups remained relatively constant during the study period. The HLC were significantly heavier than the other two groups

Evaluation of the use of milk urea nitrogen (MUN) as an indicator of nutritional status of dairy cattle in smallholder farms in Kiambu district

A survey was conducted to evaluate the use of Milk Urea Nitrogen as an indicator of nutrition status of lactating animals. Twenty-seven animals in a randomly selected sample of 21 farms in Kiambu District were monitored for nutritional status for 12 weeks. Fortnightly records were taken on feed offered, body condition, body weight and milk yield. Milk samples were collected weekly and analysed for MUN. Preliminary results indicated that there was a significant (P<0.05) negative correlation between MUN and milk yield, and a marginal correlation between MUN and body weight. There was no significant relationship between MUN and Body condition score. The data so far collected, which excludes the feed data indicate that MUN, may to an extent be a reliable indicator, of nutritional status of dairy cattle under smallholder farm conditions

Delivery of technical information to smallholder dairy farmers in Kiambu District

A survey was conducted to determine the sources and delivery of technical information to smallholder dairy farmers in Kiambu District. Sixty-three farmers in three wealth groups (rich, medium, poor) of 21 farmers each from three different locations, were selected at random from maps drawn by communities. A structured questionnaire was administered to collect information on farmers’ level of exposure to different dairy information sources and their involvement in extension activities during 1997. Preliminary results indicate that most poor farmers (66%) relied on neighbors as their primary information source. Field days run by dairy cooperative societies were the most important organized information delivery channel for poor (28%) and medium (38%) farmers. Private and co-operative veterinary services concentrated on rich farms with 33% of these households having contact compared with only 14% of poor households. The government veterinary or livestock services contacted less than 20% of households either in farm visits or field days. Besides visits by private veterinary officers to wealthy farmers the frequency of contact with livestock professionals was therefore limited for all communities. Preliminary conclusions are that for Kiambu, which has a well established smallholder dairy industry, group meetings organized by cooperatives are more likely to reach the poorer sectors of the community. This coupled with frequent neighbour-to-neighbour discussions may currently be the most effective dairy information delivery channel

In vitro resistance patterns of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine—a reflection of strain-specific immunity?

Studies in vitro among children on the response of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine were conducted as part of the national long-term monitoring of drug resistance in a holo- to hyperendemic malarious area of Tanzania between 1983 and 1989. Overall, no significant increase in chloroquine resistance was observed. However, in children under 5 years old resistance increased during this period, whereas in schoolchildren resistance decreased from 1986 to 1989. A hypothesis based on antigenic differences between resistant and sensitive strains is proposed to explain this age-specific pattern. If immunity develops principally against the most frequent parasite strains, then as it develops the numbers of the most frequent strains will be reduced, whilst the rare strains may become predominant and thus be detected in the blood of immune patients. Thus, in an endemic area, the observed resistance pattern in non-immune infants will differ from that in immune schoolchildren, as was observed in the present study. These findings may have important implications for the control of malaria and the development of vaccine

Ultrasound scanning for detecting morbidity due to Schistosoma haematobium and its resolution following treatment with different doses of praziquantel

A study to assess the resolution of urinary tract morbidity due to Schistosoma haematobium was conducted on 2 cohorts of schoolchildren attending neighbouring schools in Kilombero District, southern Tanzania. Schoolchildren were screened for S. haematobium infection using the standard World Health Organization filtration technique and subsequently examined for urinary tract pathology using a portable 3·0 MHz sector scanner (Siemens Sonoline 1300). Treatment with praziquantel was given to all infected children. Children with observed urinary tract pathology received either 20 (n = 52) or 40 (n = 79) mg/kg body weight and were sonographically re-examined one, 2, 3 and 6 months following treatment. Geometric mean outputs of 21 and 19 eggs/ml of urine were detected in the 2 cohorts before treatment. Urinary tract pathology correlated positively with egg output (χ2, P = 0·02) and microhaematuria (P = 0·0001). Bladder (wall irregularities and polyps) and kidney (congestive changes) pathologies were found in 81% and 36%, respectively, of the group that received 20 mg/kg of praziquantel, and in 78% and 46% of the group that received 40 mg/kg. Six months after treatment, 90·4% and 88·0% parasitological cure rates were obtained using 20 or 40 mg praziquantel/kg body weight. The respective pathology clearances were 88% and 91%. 20 mg/kg of praziquantel was as effective with regard to cure rates and reversibility of morbidity as 40 mg/k

Humanitarian organizations' information practices : procedures and privacy concerns for serving the undocumented

Many humanitarian organizations in the United States work with the information of undocumented migrants to help them secure services that might otherwise be unattainable to them. Information and communication technologies can help their work, but can also significantly exacerbate the risks that undocumented individuals are facing, and expose them to security breakages, leaks, hacks, inadvertent disclosure, and courts requests. This study aims to provide a preliminary understanding of the information practices and systems that US humanitarian organizations employ to protect the privacy of the undocumented individuals they serve. To do so, we conducted interviews and an analysis of organizations' working documents within humanitarian organizations on the US West Coast, including advocacy groups and organizations with ties to higher education. Our outcomes show gaps between current legal standards, technology best practices, and the day‐to‐day functioning of the organizations. We contend the necessity of support to humanitarian organizations in further developing standards and training for digital privacy