Short communications: Kenya Bird Map: an internet-based system for monitoring bird distribution and populations in Kenya

No Abstrac

Considering volatile livelihoods is critical in the war against the Covid-19 disaster

We are living in unprecedented times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, an unparalleled disaster in many respects. At the time of writing this article (April 27, 2020), almost three million people have been infected and more than 200,000 people have died from Covid-19 related infections across the world. In Kenya, there are 398 confirmed cases of infection and 14 deaths. Global Prediction models suggest grim but largely uncertain future scenarios. So far, the disaster has resulted in the unprecedented overstretch of global health systems and the conscious closure of social and economic systems by nation states to prevent the further spread of the catastrophe. The outcome has been devastating: Millions of people have lost their jobs or taken pay-cuts; small-to-medium-to-large scale businesses across the world face imminent collapse; education, training and research plans (like our own under the Rights and Resilience program) have been significantly disrupted, and hundreds of thousands of families are grieving the loss of loved ones, whom for precautionary reasons cannot give them usual decent sendoff. With each country investing most focus and resources in managing the crisis within their borders, international humanitarian responses as we know them are severely disrupted. Still, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been at the forefront in helping nations to deal with the crises, particularly in providing much-needed knowledge in the form of health guidelines to manage the outbreak. This, despite notable criticism from the President of the USA for alleged failure to curtail the spread of the pandemic. A major response by governments across the world has been partial to total “lockdowns” aimed at preventing further human-to-human transmission of infections. Simply put, a “lockdown” demands that people minimize or completely stop outdoor activities. By and large, this response appears to be an effective way of minimizing risk of infection, if reports of trends in many counties that were initially severely hit such as China and South Korea are anything to go by. It is also in line with WHO’s call for social and physical distancing as one of the most effective ways of minimizing the spread of the virus. But while millions of people have heeded this call, an equally vast number of people, particularly in the so-called developing countries, have defied it. For instance, on March 24, 2020 one of Kenya’s most widely read newspapers, the Daily Nation, reported in bold: “It’s business as usual as Kenyans snub stay home orders.” The result has been cat-and-mouse type chases between law enforcers and the people, leading to loss of lives, injuries and a plethora of prosecutions. On its part, the government has emphasized that either people observe the strict restrictions or face the full force of the law! But why would citizens risk their lives and the lives of others by being out of their abode in the face of a deadly virus? Critical disaster studies may help us understand this conundrum

Relationships between Parental Education and Overweight with Childhood Overweight and Physical Activity in 9-11 Year Old Children: Results from a 12-Country Study

Background: Globally, the high prevalence of overweight and low levels of physical activity among children has serious implications for morbidity and premature mortality in adulthood. Various parental factors are associated with childhood overweight and physical activity. The objective of this paper was to investigate relationships between parental education or overweight, and (i) child overweight, (ii) child physical activity, and (iii) explore household coexistence of overweight, in a large international sample. Methods: Data were collected from 4752 children (9-11 years) as part of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment in 12 countries around the world. Physical activity of participating children was assessed by accelerometry, and body weight directly measured. Questionnaires were used to collect parents' education level, weight, and height. Results: Maternal and paternal overweight were positively associated with child overweight. Higher household coexistence of parent-child overweight was observed among overweight children compared to the total sample. There was a positive relationship between maternal education and child overweight in Colombia 1.90 (1.23-2.94) [odds ratio (confidence interval)] and Kenya 4.80 (2.21-10.43), and a negative relationship between paternal education and child overweight in Brazil 0.55 (0.33-0.92) and the USA 0.54 (0.33-0.88). Maternal education was negatively associated with children meeting physical activity guidelines in Colombia 0.53 (0.33-0.85), Kenya 0.35 (0.19-0.63), and Portugal 0.54 (0.31-0.96). Conclusions: Results are aligned with previous studies showing positive associations between parental and child overweight in all countries, and positive relationships between parental education and child overweight or negative associations between parental education and child physical activity in lower economic status countries. Relationships between maternal and paternal education and child weight status and physical activity appear to be related to the developmental stage of different countries. Given these varied relationships, it is crucial to further explore familial factors when investigating child overweight and physical activity

Effects of Chlorides on Corrosion of Simulated Reinforced Blended Cement Mortars

Cementitious materials are subject to degradation when subjected to corrosive chloride media. This paper reports the experimental results on corrosion studies conducted on a potential cementitious material, PCDC, made from a blend of 55 % Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), Dried Calcium Carbide Residue (DCCR), and an incineration mix of Rice Husks (RH), Spent Beaching Earth (SBE), and Ground Reject Bricks (BB). The experiments were run along 100 % OPC. Different w/c were used. Corrosion current densities using linear polarisation resistance (LPR) and corrosion potentials measurements versus saturated calomel electrode were used for the determination of corrosion rates and potentials, respectively, for simulated reinforcement at different depths of cover in the cement mortars. The results showed that PCDC exhibited higher corrosion current densities over all depths of covers and early attainment of active corrosion than the control cements. In conclusion, PCDC and OPC can be used in a similar corrosive media during construction

Effect of Bacillus cohnii on Some Physicomechanical and Microstructural Properties of Ordinary Portland Cement

Cement-made materials face durability and sustainability challenges. This is majorly caused by the presence of cracks. Cracking affects the mechanical strength of cement-based materials. Microbiologically induced calcite precipitation (MICP) has been found to enhance compressive strength, thus enhancing on the mechanical and durability properties of these materials. This paper presents the findings of a study conducted to investigate the effect of Bacillus cohnii on compressive strength development of OPC mortar prisms and the effect of Bacillus cohnii on cement setting time and soundness. Microbial concentration of 1.0 × 107 cells·ml−1 was used. Compressive strength tests analyses were carried out for each category of mortar prisms. Compressive strength tests were carried out on the 2nd, 7th, 14th, 28th, 56th, and 90th day of curing in distilled water and microbial solutions. All microbial mortars exhibited a greater compressive strength compared to the control with the highest observed at 90 days. Highest percentage gain in compressive strength was observed at 90 days which is 28.3%. Microstructural analysis was carried out using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) after 28 days of curing. The results indicated the presence of calcium carbonate and more calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) deposits on the bacterial mortars. The bacteria did not have an effect on cement soundness. Setting time was significantly accelerated

Review of Carbonation Resistance in Hydrated Cement Based Materials

Blended cements are preferred to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in construction industry due to costs and technological and environmental benefits associated with them. Prevalence of significant quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere due to increased industrial emission is deleterious to hydrated cement materials due to carbonation. Recent research has shown that blended cements are more susceptible to degradation due to carbonation than OPC. The ingress of CO2 within the porous mortar matrix is a diffusion controlled process. Subsequent chemical reaction between CO2 and cement hydration products (mostly calcium hydroxide [CH] and calcium silicate hydrate [CSH]) results in degradation of cement based materials. CH offers the buffering capacity against carbonation in hydrated cements. Partial substitution of OPC with pozzolanic materials however decreases the amount of CH in hydrated blended cements. Therefore, low amounts of CH in hydrated blended cements make them more susceptible to degradation as a result of carbonation compared to OPC. The magnitude of carbonation affects the service life of cement based structures significantly. It is therefore apparent that sufficient attention is given to carbonation process in order to ensure resilient cementitious structures. In this paper, an indepth review of the recent advances on carbonation process, factors affecting carbonation resistance, and the effects of carbonation on hardened cement materials have been discussed. In conclusion, carbonation process is influenced by internal and external factors, and it has also been found to have both beneficial and deleterious effects on hardened cement matrix