Referencing orbital measures for surgical and cosmetic procedures

Orbital morphometry is an important consideration during surgical procedures such as reconstruction of the face and cranium. These are done to restore lost functional capacity or to improve cosmetic appearance. Periorbital and intraorbital neurovascular structures risk relative damage during these maneuvers. A thorough understanding of orbital anatomy is therefore essential in avoiding surgical complications. The aim of this study was to describe the average orbital distances and depths from known identifiable anatomical landmarks. One hundred and thirteen adult crania obtained from National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi were examined. Measurements of superior and inferior orbital depths and the biorbital and marginofissural distances were taken using a sliding vernier caliper and their mean measurements documented. The superior orbital depth was 53.38mm in males and 52.03mm in females. The inferior orbital depth was 55.17mm in males and 53.76mm in females. The marginofissural distance was 23.79mm and 22.30mm in males and females respectively. The biorbital breadth was 99.49mm in males and 96.43mm in females while the interorbital distance was 18.91mm in males and 18.26mm in females. This study proposes that orbital measures be given special consideration during orbital reconstruction. A depth of 53mm is recommended as a safe superior orbital depth during operations involving the deep orbit. Similarly, on the orbital floor 55mm into the orbital cavity should be considered safe from the optic nerve.Key words: orbital measurements, facial cosmetic surgery, facial plastic surgery, orbital reconstruction, orbital anesthesi

Aquaculture: a promising solution for food insecurity, poverty and malnutrition in Kenya

Food insecurity remains one of the most visible dimensions of poverty. The increasing population amid competition for land and water resources means that the global demand for food will continue to increase. In Kenya, the food insecurity trend is worrying as the population is expected to hit 55 million by 2020 against an annually declining arable land per capita and consequent increase in food prices. The Kenyan agricultural sector has failed to either eliminate or reduce malnourishment for poor populations as the annual national production for both staple food and livestock products fall short of national consumption levels. The nutritional deficiency levels remain high among a significant segment of the Kenyan population. With increasing food production challenges such as dwindling capture fisheries and impacts of climate change becoming more eminent, solutions to food insecurity and malnutrition in Kenya must bring about quick results in food availability by stimulating more own-food production. Aquaculture has so far been recognized as an important opportunity to enhance household food security in developing countries. The existing literature reveals scattered but increasing evidence of the contribution of aquaculture to nutritional security through direct fish consumption and income stability among vulnerable groups through involvement in aquaculture value chain linkages. This paper reveals the status of food insecurity, poverty and malnutrition problems and discusses aquaculture initiatives as the remedial solutions. This paper also provides a framework for examining aquaculture’s value chain linkages to food and nutritional security and national economic growth by elucidating key pathways concerning the role of aquaculture in household food and income systems. The authors advocate for clear and sustainable national policies for aquaculture development to address food insecurity and poverty questions more sharply. More empirical evidence should be collected on the varied aquaculture opportunities to improve the income, employment and food consumption levels within the poor households.Key words: KMFRI, MDGs, Aquaculture, Food insecurity, Poverty, Kenya, Malnutrition, Fish, Agricultur

Conventional and variant termination of the portal vein in a black Kenyan population

Background: Knowledge of the variant terminations of the portal vein is important in surgical and interventional radiological procedures of the liver. Their pattern and frequency are important in planning surgery to minimize complications. They differ between populations, but data from Africa is unavailable. Aim: To investigate the variant termination of the main portal vein. Materials and Methods: One hundred livers from adult black Kenyans (age range 35 – 79 years) were studied at the Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi, Kenya, by gross dissection. The livers were cleared of blood, fixed with 10% formaldehyde solution and the venous system infused with Acrylate monomers to keep the veins firm. The level of termination relative to the capsule and the branching pattern of the portal vein were examined.  Various patterns were photographed using a digital camera. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 for windows and presented in tables and macrographs. Results: Main portal vein termination was extracapsular in 14%, capsular in 40% and intrahepatic in 46%. Variant termination occurred in 49% of cases while conventional bifurcation occurred in 51% cases. Types, 2, 3 and 4 pattern of termination of main portal vein occurred in 15%, 22% and 12% cases respectively. The level of termination of the MPV had a positive correlation with its pattern (p=0.05). Conclusions: The high prevalence of variant termination of MPV in the current study suggests that the population is more vulnerable to inadvertent injury during surgery and radiological intervention. Besides, an extra hepatic termination of the MPV is more likely to have a conventional branching pattern compared to an intra-hepatic termination

Variant anatomy of the right portal vein in a black Kenyan population

Surface mapping of the liver before invasive procedures depends on a proper understanding of its segmental vasculature. The right portal vein ramification and lengths show marked variations and these mostly involve its right posterior sectoral branch. Their incidence is variable among populations and altogether undocumented among Africans. One hundred livers obtained during autopsies and dissections at the Department of Human anatomy, University of Nairobi, were used in this study. Gross dissection was done to reveal and determine the branching pattern of the right portal vein and the origin of the right posterior sector branch. The lengths of the right portal vein were also measured and recorded. When present, the right portal vein terminated by bifurcation in 61% of the cases, trifurcated in 20.8% and quadrifircated in 18.2%. Its length was between 0.5cm and 4cm. The right posterior sector vein was given off the main portal vein in 34 cases, the common left portal vein trunk in 15 cases, and the right portal vein in 42 cases. In 9 cases, it was not observed at the porta hepatis. We report significant different incidences of the variant anatomy of the right portal vein compared to those found in previous studies and this should be borne in mind when doing surgical interventions.Keywords: Segmentectomy, transjugular, Surface mapping, Bifurcatio

A review on the potential of aquaculture development in Kenya for poverty alleviation and food security

On the global scene, aquaculture accounts for about 50% of total fish production amounting to about 80 million metric tonnes. It is estimated that another 40 million metric tonnes of aquatic food will be required by the year 2030. Today, fish farming represents the fastest growing sector of food production. Moreover, aquaculture has a major role to play in the achievement of the first three Sustainable Development Goals on poverty, hunger, food security and healthy lives of people from developing countries. This is significant especially in the developing countries where poverty and malnutrition are a reality. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, per capita fish production from aquaculture is still below world production levels. In Kenya, inland capture fisheries accounted for over 90% of the total national fish production while marine capture fisheries contributed about 5% in the last decade. Kenya has one of the fastest growing human populations in the world indicating that the demand for fish and fish products will continue to rise, increasing the gap between supply and demand. Currently, aquaculture only produces about 24,000 metric tonnes of fish annually compared to an annual average of 178,000 metric tonnes from natural fisheries. The dominant cultured species include: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykis) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Culture systems commonly used are static ponds and raceway systems. In addition, the country is endowed with numerous aquaculture resources ranging from favorable climatic conditions to vast water resources. In the year 2009, the Kenyan government took steps to enhance aquaculture production through an Economic Stimulus Programme. This has increased the contribution of aquaculture in Kenya to 11.0% of the total fish production. This paper discusses the growth and development of aquaculture in Kenya during the last 50 years and the impact of government support to the sub-sector. The paper also proposes strategies for ensuring that Kenya becomes one of the leading producers of fish from aquaculture in Africa.Key words: Fish production, capture fisheries, culture systems, Economic Stimulus Programme, aquacultur

Key limitations of fish feeds, feed management practices, and opportunities in Kenya’s aquaculture enterprise

Profitability is key in fish farming, just as it is to any other enterprise. For the farmers to actualize high-profit margins, it is imperative to have access to well-balanced nutritive and cost-effective feeds, backed by sound on-farm feed management practices.  This paper audits Kenya’s fish feed industry and the on-going on-farm feed management practices, and emerging opportunities for fish farmers. The development of fish feed quality standards has boosted the aquaculture sector in Kenya, providing them hope that farmers will access high quality fish feeds. Much of the fish feed currently being used in Kenya is produced on-farm or by small-scale fish feed manufacturers within the East African region, while a few are imported directly from overseas countries, notably Israel, Netherlands, Mauritius and Denmark. Fish feeds produced by small-scale manufacturers are not closely monitored by quality standard agencies and not surprising that a majority are of poor quality. The improvement in the quality of these feeds is likely to lead to increased productivity and profitability because they are cheaper and readily available to fish farmers, compared to imported fish feeds. Besides feed quality, feed management practices markedly impact both the growth and economic performance of fish production. Adopting appropriate feed management strategies, therefore, is instrumental in the maximization of fish production and economic returns. Research has demonstrated several strategies for best feed management practices, which have not hitherto, been adopted by fish farmers in Kenya. Farmers have mainly focused on the mode of delivery of feeds to the fish. Furthermore, promoting natural pond productivity and supplementary feeding is still a common practice in the East African region. Provision of species-specific feeds and targeting the nutritional requirements of the different life stages of fish is still a major issue, although some local companies like Unga Farm Care (EA) have come up with a size and species-specific feed for catfish such as Fugo catfish®. To improve access to such information, public-private partnerships should be developed and, programmes that utilize the local media platforms such as extension service outlets must also be encouraged. Feed quality checks can also be carried out amongst fish feed suppliers. Lastly, farmers should be trained in various fish feed aspects like formulation, transportation and storage to sustain a steady fish feed supply and save on associated feed costs

Variant anatomy of sciatic nerve in a black Kenyan population

Knowledge of variant anatomy of the sciatic nerve is important in avoiding inadvertent injury during operations in the gluteal region and interpreting nondiscogenic sciatica. This variant anatomy may cause piriformis syndrome and failure of sciatic nerve block. The variations differ between populations but data from Africans is scarce. This study, therefore, investigated variations of sciatic nerve in a black Kenyan population. One hundred and sixty-four sciatic nerves from 82 cadavers of black Kenyans were exposed by dissection at the Department of Human Anatomy, University of Nairobi, Kenya. The level of bifurcation, relationship to piriformis, and topographic relations between the branches were studied. The results were analysed by SPSS version 16.0 and are presented by macrographs. In 33 (20.1%) cases division occurred in the pelvis, while in 131 (79.9%) it occurred outside the pelvis. A single trunk sciatic nerve exited below the piriformis muscle in 131 (79.9%) cases. In cases of pelvic division, the tibial nerve was always infrapiriformic, while the common peroneal nerve passed below piriformis in 16 (9.8%) cases, pierced the piriformis in 13 (7.9%), and passed above it in 4 (2.4%). For those in which division was extrapelvic, 110 (67.1%) were in the popliteal fossa, 17 (10.4%) in the middle third of the thigh, and 4 (2.4%) in the gluteal region. Where the division was pelvic, in 19 (11.6%) cases they continued separately, in 8 (4.9%) the two nerves reunited, and in 6 (3.7%) they were connected by a communicating nerve. The sciatic nerve in the Kenyan population varies from the classical description in over 30% of cases, with many high divisions, low incidence of piriformic course of common peroneal nerve, reunion, and unusual connection between common peroneal and tibial nerves. These variations may complicate surgery and interpretation of sciatic neuropathy. Preoperative nerve imaging and extra operative diligence in the gluteal region and the back of the thigh are recommended. (Folia Morphol 2011; 70, 3: 175–179

Fish farming in Tanzania: the availability and nutritive value of local feed ingredients

An investigative field survey was performed to gather baseline data on locally available feed ingredients and fish farming practices in different regions of Tanzania. More than 80% of respondents relied on locally available feed ingredients as a major feed supplement for their cultured fish, with maize bran being the most commonly used feed ingredient in all regions. Crude protein content in most analyzed local feed ingredients was medium-high, while crude fat content was high in some animal and agricultural by-products, and medium-low in other ingredients. Most respondents were males and the majority of fish farms were owned by individuals. Earthen pond was the most common fish farming system in all regions except Dar es Salaam. Semi-intensively mixed-sex tilapia monoculture was the dominating fish farming practice. The results of the survey presented provide a good platform for future development of culture systems and feeding strategies for tilapia in Tanzania

NUTRITIVE VALUE AND AVAILABILITY OF COMMONLY USED FEED INGREDIENTS FOR FARMED NILE TILAPIA (OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS L.) AND AFRICAN CATFISH (CLARIAS GARIEPINUS, BURCHELL) IN KENYA, RWANDA AND TANZANIA

ABSTRACT Commonly utilized feed ingredients for culture of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda were collected over a period of six months (January -June 2010) and evaluated for their nutritive composition through proximate analysis. Most of the fish feed ingredients were found in all the three countries except a few that were unique to one or two countries as detailed in the results. Feed ingredients of animal origin exhibited significantly (P<0.05) higher crude protein levels (407 -635 g/kg DM) compared to the feed ingredients of plant based origin. Freshwater shrimps (Caridina nilotica) contained the highest crude protein levels of 635 g/kg DM. Feed ingredients of animal origin had low ether extracts (EE) with an exception of Omena fish (Rastrineobola argentea). Crude fibre (CF) was generally higher on feed ingredients of plant origin and ranged between 55-368 g/kg DM while Nitrogen Free Extracts (NfE) and ash content were higher in the feedstuffs of plant origin with an exception of maize bran which had the lowest value. Omena fish and freshwater shrimp had higher ash content of 182 and 228g/kg DM compared to other feed ingredients of animal origin, which may indicate contamination with soil particles during drying process. Based on the feed ingredient availability, potential competition with other human uses, content of crude protein and crude fibre and the feasibility of removal of anti-nutritional factors, C. nilotica, blood meal, meat and bone meal, were identified as most promising sources of animal based protein. Cotton (Gossypium spp) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed cakes provided the best option as source of processed plant based protein. Leaves of gallant soldier (Galisonga parviflora), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatus), cassava (Manihot esculenta) and papaya (Papaya carica) were identified as high potential feedstuffs of plant origin either processed or in raw form for small-scale fish farming. We recommend that in well fertilized semiintensive ponds, maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum) and rice (Oryza sativa) bran may be utilized where available to supplement natural pond food

Contamination of the minnow Rastrineobola argenta, through handling at landing sites and retail markets around Lake Victoria

Background: The quality of fish could be a challenge both locally and internationally as microbial contaminants may result in infections of humans when seafood is handled unhygienically. This is because enteric bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp. and Vibrio cholerae are likely to  accumulate in fish where low hygienic standards are maintained. Therefore, studies on fish contamination are critical for the acceptance of fish food locally and in international markets.Objective: To evaluate and compare the microbiological quality of R. argentea at the fish landing sites and local retail markets in Homa Bay County.Design: Purposive, cross-sectional study.Setting: Fish landing sites and retail markets in Homa Bay CountySubject: Studies on fish contamination are critical for the acceptance of fish food locally and in international markets. In this study, Rastrineobola argentea were examined for microbial loads.Results: Samples indicated high levels of coliforms and Escherichia coli in fish. At the landing sites, coliforms ranged from 1.6 x 103 to 4.0 x 103 while E. coli was between 0.8 x101 and 4.8 x 102. In water samples, coliforms ranged between 1.3 x 103 and 1.8x106 / ml whereas E. coli was 1.1x102 to 4.6x101. Personnel hands were found to be contaminated with Salmonella typhimurium and Shigella  dysenteriae. The samples from markets had coliform and E. coli at 5.0x104 to 9.0x105 and 2.0x102 to 4.0x102 respectively.Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that precaution should be taken to improve the hygiene levels along the value chains to ensure that the quality of fish is not compromised