Effects of Tacit Knowledge on the Performance of Selected Universities in Kenya

Tacit knowledge (TK) is non-codified and personal (sticky) knowledge that is difficult to transfer. TK cannot be said to be significant if there is a lack of tangible contributions. Universities can only realize such returns when there is growth in terms of (financial base, products, processes, customer base, employees’ loyalty) financial and non-financial indicators. The main objective of the research was to evaluate the effect of TK on organizational performance in selected universities in Kenya. The study adopted a mixed research approach as informed by pragmatism research paradigm. Data was collected from a study population of 65 respondents from four study sites which were Kibabii University, University of Nairobi, KCA University, and the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to academic deans; directors of research, innovation, and ICT; and heads of library services as well as planning and administration. Qualitative data was analyzed through conversation analysis, content analysis, and R which is a computer-assisted data analysis software. Chi-square tests, as well as multinomial logistic regression, were used for the quantitative data analysis. The findings of this study indicate that universities value TK as a key asset for organizational performance. The study identified TK as an asset that has helped institutions to grow in terms of work processes, decision making, and the creation of new products and/or services

African neuroscience on the global stage: Nigeria as a model

Of the 572 neuroscience-related studies published in Nigerian from 1996 to 2017, <5% used state-of-the-art techniques, none used transgenic models, and only one study was published in a top-tier journal

Knowledge Management Jobs in Kenya: A Functional Analysis

Rationale of study – Most organisations in Kenya face challenges integrating the knowledge management function in their structures due to the lack of a clear understanding of what knowledge managers should do. Consequently, there currently exist varied, unpredictable and often shallow job descriptions associated with knowledge managers. Methodology - The researchers conducted a functional analysis of knowledge management jobs in Kenya in an effort to establish the general job titles used to refer to knowledge management specialists, ascertain their position in the organisational structure, explore their job responsibilities and requirements, as well as understand any special requirements associated with knowledge management roles. Data was obtained through a content analysis of job advertisements carried in the Daily Nation and Standard, which are the leading newspapers in Kenya,. Additional data was also obtained from online job advertisement platforms. Findings - Most organisations in Kenya do not have a good understanding of what knowledge management specialists do. Consequently, existing knowledge management positions have ambiguous and diverse job descriptions and requirements. Implications - The findings of this study can be used by organisations in Kenya to develop appropriate knowledge management job descriptions for knowledge management professionals. The findings may also be used by the relevant training institutions to develop and deploy relevant curricula to equip the potential knowledge management professionals with the requisite skills. Originality - The researchers propose a model job description for knowledge management specialists which may be applied by organisations in Kenya and beyond

Patient factors impacting on oral anticoagulation therapy among adult outpatients in a Kenyan referral hospital

Background: Patients’ factors such as knowledge on warfarin use are important in achieving desirable anticoagulation outcomes. Objective: To assess the patient factors impacting on oral anticoagulation control among adult outpatients taking warfarin at Kenyatta National Hospital. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey of 147out-patients on warfarin at Kenyatta National Hospital was carried out between March and April 2015. Data were collected using a pre-designed interviewer administered questionnaire. The data included patient characteristics such as indication and duration of anticoagulation; knowledge on anticoagulation; and international normalized ratio tests. The Oral Anticoagulation Knowledge test was used with a score of ≥75% indicating sufficient knowledge. Logistic regression was used to determine independent variables associated with anticoagulation control. Results: Females were majority (74.9%) while optimal anticoagulation control was at 43.5%. Only 10.1% had sufficient knowledge on anticoagulation. Anticoagulation knowledge scores were associated with marital status (p=0.015), education level (p=0.014) and indication (p=0.032). Independent predictors of poor anticoagulation were female gender (p=0.011) and lower education level (p=0.005). Optimal anticoagulation control was, however, not associated with knowledge on anticoagulation (p=0.794). Conclusion: Knowledge and control of anticoagulation among the patients are poor. Female gender and lower education level were predictors of poor anticoagulation. Provision of information on anticoagulation to patients on was warfarin is recommended. Key words: Knowledge, Warfarin, Anticoagulation, International normalized rati

Next-to-leading order QCD predictions for W+W+jj production at the LHC

Because the LHC is a proton-proton collider, sizable production of two positively charged W-bosons in association with two jets is possible. This process leads to a distinct signature of same sign high-pt leptons, missing energy and jets. We compute the NLO QCD corrections to the QCD-mediated part of pp -> W+W+jj. These corrections reduce the dependence of the production cross-section on the renormalization and factorization scale to about +- 10 percent. We find that a large number of W+W+jj events contain a relatively hard third jet. The presence of this jet should help to either pick up the W+W+jj signal or to reject it as an unwanted background.Comment: 15 pages, 5 (lovely) figures, v3 accepted for publication in JHEP, corrects tables in appendi

Health financing reform in Kenya- assessing the social health insurance proposal

Kenya has had a history of health financing policy changes since its   independence in 1963. Recently, significant preparatory work was done on a new Social Health Insurance Law that, if accepted, would lead to universal health coverage in Kenya after a tr&amp;nsition period. Questions of economic  feasibility and political acceptability continue to be discussed, with   stakeholders voicing concerns on design features of the new proposal   submitted to the  Kenyan parliament in 2004. For economic, social, political and organisational reasons a transition period will be  necessary, which is likely to last more than a decade. However, important objectives such as access to health care  and avoiding impoverishment due to direct health care payments should be recognised from the start so that  steady progress towards effective universal coverage can be planned and achieved

Health disparities across the counties of Kenya and implications for policy makers, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016.

BACKGROUND:The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2016 provided comprehensive estimates of health loss globally. Decision makers in Kenya can use GBD subnational data to target health interventions and address county-level variation in the burden of disease. METHODS:We used GBD 2016 estimates of life expectancy at birth, healthy life expectancy, all-cause and cause-specific mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, disability-adjusted life-years, and risk factors to analyse health by age and sex at the national and county levels in Kenya from 1990 to 2016. FINDINGS:The national all-cause mortality rate decreased from 850·3 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 829·8-871·1) deaths per 100 000 in 1990 to 579·0 (562·1-596·0) deaths per 100 000 in 2016. Under-5 mortality declined from 95·4 (95% UI 90·1-101·3) deaths per 1000 livebirths in 1990 to 43·4 (36·9-51·2) deaths per 1000 livebirths in 2016, and maternal mortality fell from 315·7 (242·9-399·4) deaths per 100 000 in 1990 to 257·6 (195·1-335·3) deaths per 100 000 in 2016, with steeper declines after 2006 and heterogeneously across counties. Life expectancy at birth increased by 5·4 (95% UI 3·7-7·2) years, with higher gains in females than males in all but ten counties. Unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing, unsafe sex, and malnutrition were the leading national risk factors in 2016. INTERPRETATION:Health outcomes have improved in Kenya since 2006. The burden of communicable diseases decreased but continues to predominate the total disease burden in 2016, whereas the non-communicable disease burden increased. Health gains varied strikingly across counties, indicating targeted approaches for health policy are necessary. FUNDING:Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

GWAS of random glucose in 476,326 individuals provide insights into diabetes pathophysiology, complications and treatment stratification

Conventional measurements of fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels investigated in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) cannot capture the effects of DNA variability on ‘around the clock’ glucoregulatory processes. Here we show that GWAS meta-analysis of glucose measurements under nonstandardized conditions (random glucose (RG)) in 476,326 individuals of diverse ancestries and without diabetes enables locus discovery and innovative pathophysiological observations. We discovered 120 RG loci represented by 150 distinct signals, including 13 with sex-dimorphic effects, two cross-ancestry and seven rare frequency signals. Of these, 44 loci are new for glycemic traits. Regulatory, glycosylation and metagenomic annotations highlight ileum and colon tissues, indicating an underappreciated role of the gastrointestinal tract in controlling blood glucose. Functional follow-up and molecular dynamics simulations of lower frequency coding variants in glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R), a type 2 diabetes treatment target, reveal that optimal selection of GLP-1R agonist therapy will benefit from tailored genetic stratification. We also provide evidence from Mendelian randomization that lung function is modulated by blood glucose and that pulmonary dysfunction is a diabetes complication. Our investigation yields new insights into the biology of glucose regulation, diabetes complications and pathways for treatment stratification

Forceful intervention for human rights protection in Africa: resolving systemic dilemmas in theimplementation of the African Union's right of intervention

This thesis examines the legal and political dilemmas in the implementation of the African Union’s (AU) ‘right’ of forceful intervention through a systemic method of analysis. It first addresses the question of whether the AU’s intervention system represents a paradigm shift in international law on intervention and the authorization role of the United Nations. It examines whether there is a justifiable basis for the implementation of the AU’s intervention mandate outside the UN system, while taking into account the necessity of the international rule of law. It then analyzes the manner in which the failure to institutionalize the concept of sovereignty as responsibility within the AU system has contributed to the Union’s failure to implement its intervention mandate even within the UN system. The AU’s legal framework expressly grants the Union the mandate to forcefully intervene in a member state in situations of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. However, the failure of the AU’s legal framework to explicitly require authorization by the Security Council for intervention (as required by the UN Charter) has led to uncertainty on the envisaged implementation mechanism, including allegations of its inconsistency with the UN Charter and international law. The Security Council may, however, be ineffective in granting authorization due to the use of the veto. There is, therefore, the question of whether the AU’s legal framework exemplifies the crystallization of a customary law permitting humanitarian intervention, or is consensual (since African states have agreed by treaty to such intervention) and consequently, Security Council authorization is not mandatory. The core argument of this thesis is that although the necessity for the international rule of law restricts African Union’s forceful interventions to United Nations authorized enforcement action, robust intervention by the Union within that framework is compromised by a systemic failure of institutionalization of the concept of sovereignty as responsibility. This thesis recommends that for robust implementation of the African Union’s intervention mandate within the UN system, alternative authorization from the General Assembly be sought where the Security Council is ineffective. However, implementation of the AU’s intervention mandate within the UN framework is compromised by continued concerns of protecting traditional concepts of unfettered sovereignty. This is evident in non-intervention oriented clauses within the AU’s legal framework (which negate the intervention mandate) and the Union’s practice of opposing forceful interventions like in the case of Libya. Possible solutions to that predicament are examined. A systemic method of analysis is utilized in this thesis since there is an interaction of various legal norms within the AU system, in addition to the system’s interaction with environmental factors such as politics and increasing global interdependence, while it is also subject to the UN and international law systems. The significance of the research is in identifying legal, policy and contextual factors that can transform the AU into an effective regional mechanism for institutionalization of the rule of law within the African region (by deterring gross human rights violations) while safeguarding the values of the international rule of law.published_or_final_versionLawDoctoralDoctor of Philosoph