Effect of Acacia tortilis pods on intake, digestibility and nutritive quality of goat diets in southwestern Eritrea

Fresh Acacia tortilis pods were mixed with low quality native grass hay to form the following five rations: 100% hay (T 1), 25% pods and 75% hay (T 2), 50% pods and 50% hay (T 3), 75% pods and 25% hay (T 4) and 100% pods (T 5) on ‘as fed’weight basis. Fifteen male Barka goats, approximately one year old and 10–15kg body weight, were randomly assigned to the five rations and fed in individual pens. Chemical composition, dry matter intake (DMI), in vitro dry and organic matter digestibility and body weight changes of the animals were evaluated. The average crude protein content of the pods was about 47% higher than the 7% minimum required for normal rumen function, while that of the hay was about 13% below. Percent ash, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), hemi-cellulose (HC), cellulose (CL) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) contents were higher in the hay than in the pods. The pods were, however, generally higher in Ca, P, Mg and Na than the hay. Average DMI (g d -1 and g kg-1 LBW), percent in vitro dry and organic matter digestibility and body weight gains (total kg and gd -1) increased with an increase in A. tortilis pods, up to 75% level and then begun to decline. However, despite the decrease, T 5 still had significantly (P< 0.05) higher feed digestibility and body weight gains than T 2 and T3. Thus, supplementing low quality range herbage with Acacia pods can considerably improve the nutritive value of range livestock diets, particularly during the dry season when other types of fodder are of extremely low quality

Re-Examining the Role of Private Property in Market Democracies:Problematic Ideological Issues Raised by Land Registration

In the post-1989 world, the primacy of private property is taken for granted. The final fall of communism, it would seem, is an adequate commentary of the supremacy of private property arrangements in facilitating economic development. Debates pitting plan (with its associated appetite for communal or collective property) against market (with its avowed belief in private property) are now considered superfluous. As far as the Western world was concerned, it seemed that the task of persuading the rest of the world that private property is the key to efficient market performance and economic development had finally been accomplished. The only task left was for development and policy makers to devise regimes for establishing private property arrangements in the rest of the world. The argument made was that, barring transaction costs, if: 1) the initial endowment of property rights is clearly defined; 2) corruption held in check; 3) freedom of contract entrenched; and 4) the rule of law respected, then a viable market for property, and other rights to economic resources will ensue. The eventual result would be an exchange and reallocation of property rights to the most efficient users with attendant benefit to the entire economy. In the first instance, this Article evaluates how this task of establishing regimes of clear property rights” supported by a transparent rule of law has worked out in practice

Re-Examining the Role of Private Property in Market Democracies:Problematic Ideological Issues Raised by Land Registration

In the post-1989 world, the primacy of private property is taken for granted. The final fall of communism, it would seem, is an adequate commentary of the supremacy of private property arrangements in facilitating economic development. Debates pitting plan (with its associated appetite for communal or collective property) against market (with its avowed belief in private property) are now considered superfluous. As far as the Western world was concerned, it seemed that the task of persuading the rest of the world that private property is the key to efficient market performance and economic development had finally been accomplished. The only task left was for development and policy makers to devise regimes for establishing private property arrangements in the rest of the world. The argument made was that, barring transaction costs, if: 1) the initial endowment of property rights is clearly defined; 2) corruption held in check; 3) freedom of contract entrenched; and 4) the rule of law respected, then a viable market for property, and other rights to economic resources will ensue. The eventual result would be an exchange and reallocation of property rights to the most efficient users with attendant benefit to the entire economy. In the first instance, this Article evaluates how this task of establishing regimes of clear property rights” supported by a transparent rule of law has worked out in practice

Promissory Estoppel: The Life History of An Ideal Legal Transplant

This article hopes to accomplish three things. First, it will revisit the historical origins of the doctrine of promissory estoppel in the American law of contracts and the role that Samuel Williston, the Chief Reporter of the Restatement (First) of Contracts ( First Restatement ) played in the evolution of the doctrine. The dominant theory is that Williston conceptualized the new promissory estoppel doctrine in a way that retarded and blunted the doctrine shortly after its birth. This theory is adhered to by both critics and proponents of the expansion of promissory estoppel as a ground of promissory obligation. According to both the critics and proponents, the Willistonian original formulation of section 90 in the First Restatement was meant to make sure that the new doctrine was limited in reach and growth potential.\u27 While the critics of promissory estoppel praise Willistonian genius in the limiting formulation, the proponents of promissory estoppel assailhim for what they see as undue formalism in his comprehension of promissory obligations. In this article, I argue that not withstanding Williston\u27s motivations, hopes, or original intent in structuring the principle of justifiable reliance in section 90 of the First Restatement, his solution facilitated the growth and evolution of promissory estoppel, not its limitation and restriction. I will demonstrate that by hoisting the new doctrine aimed at enforcing unbargained-for promises on to a concept of estoppel, Williston unwittingly liberalized estoppel and unshackled it from its previous restrictive doctrinal moorings. The result was bound to be the expansion-not constriction-of the possible range of factual scenarios covered by the new doctrine

The World Bank and the Ideology of Reform in International Development Discourse

Does the current development reform agenda, especially the one operationalized by the World Bank, is Ideological? If so, does it matter? These are the two questions that animate this article. In answering both questions in the affirmative, the article first demonstrates how the current development reform agenda is Ideological. It then discusses why and how it matters that the development reform agenda is Ideological. First, the article argues that Ideological rendering of the development reform agenda effectively weakens the ability of Third World countries to articulate their economic and foreign policies in ways that would benefit their citizenry the most. Second, since the World Bank, as the other international financial institutions (IFIs) which are the key players in the development reform agenda are international organizations which are meant to reflect the collective will of their members, the charge of Ideological bias should be taken more seriously than it has been in the past. Third, the Ideology of reform and development enables the construction of a discourse which obfuscates the real causes of poverty and “underdevelopment” and therefore undermines the efforts to find real solutions to world poverty. Fourth, and related, the Ideological development discourse thus produced facilitates the building of stable alliances between national political and economic elites in Third World countries, IFIs, and multinational corporations. These alliances are sometimes at odds with one another but, overall, they operate to stabilize the international economic system as presently configured by containing any major threat of major rapture. These alliances therefore ensure the continued underdevelopment of the Third World and undermine the very goal of development for which these IFIs were formed

CANCER: A MOLECULAR CURSE?

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death, taking over 7 million lives each year globally. The global incidence is remarkably rising. Massive investments in research are also on the rise to unravel the genetic and molecular basis of cancer as a prerequisite to design of more effective treatment strategies. This review explores causes of cancer, its molecular basis and the treatment strategies. Future perspectives regarding research on cancer and envisaged milestones of management and/or treatment interventions are also explored

Challenges Facing Deposit Taking Savings and Credit Co-Operatives’ Compliance with the Sacco Societies’ Act Number 14 (2008) in Nyeri County

The study sought to investigate the challenges facing deposit taking savings and credit co-operatives’ in compliance with the Sacco societies’ Act number 14 (2008) in Nyeri County. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: to assess the extent to which capital adequacy affects Savings and credit co-operatives’ compliance to the Sacco societies’ Act number 14 of 2008 in Nyeri county; to evaluate the extent to which governance affects Savings and credit co-operatives’ compliance to the Sacco societies’ Act number 14 of 2008 in Nyeri county; to investigate the extent to which information technology capacity affects Savings and credit co-operatives’ compliance to the Sacco societies’ Act number 14 of 2008 in Nyeri county; and to assess the extent to which size of the Savings and credit co-operatives affect Saccos’ compliance to the societies’ Act number 14 of 2008 in Nyeri county. to assess the compliance level to Sacco societies’ Act number 14 (2008) by the Deposit Taking Savings and Credit Co-operatives; to evaluate operational environmental factors that affects compliance with the Sacco societies Act number 14 (2008) by the Deposit Taking Savings and Credit Co-operatives; to investigate internal business environmental factors that affects compliance with the Sacco societies Act number 14 (2008) by the Deposit Taking Savings and Credit Co-operatives. The study adopted descriptive survey research design where the target population was the management of the Savings and Credit Co-operatives consisting of 120 individuals since the population is small a census was carried. Statistical inferences (Regression analysis) were used to measure relationships while thematic analysis was used to interpret and organize the qualitative data. The findings include that ICT capacity of the SACCOS in Nyeri County is inadequate; The SACCOs in the county have not attained the required capital ratio and 80% of the SACCOs have not fully complied with the Societies’ Act of 2004.The researcher’s conclusion and recommendations was that ICT capacity, capital adequacy, size and governance were found to be important as far as compliance with the Societies’ Act number 14(2008). These factors present challenges that hinder SACCOs from compliance. Therefore Sacco societies Act should be reviewed to ensure as many SACCOs are able to comply with the Act as possible in order to ensure that members deposits held in the current outfits are protected as the small and emerging Saccos endeavour to overcome the compliance challenges. The revision may be informed by the fact that almost all the entities have not been able to comply with the high legal threshold .Further; there is also need to take into deeper consideration the historical background of the Sacco movement in Kenya and the place in financial intermediation purposes. Saccos being member based organizations and being formed to fill the existing financial service gaps that other financial institutions may not be willing to offer to the low and middle income groups need not be put on high legal standards as conventional commercial banks in order to bring as many people as possible to the financial market that is ideal for economic growth. Keywords: Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies, Compliance, Front Office Savings Activities, SACCO Societies’ Regulatory Authorit

Raising Finance in the Kenyan Bond Market (A Case of Listed Companies on the Nairobi Stock Exchange)

This study sought to establish the potential of the bond market in raising corporate finance in Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: to evaluate the benefits derived from raising corporate finance in the bond market in Kenya; to analyze challenges faced in raising corporate finances in the bond market in Kenya; and to examine the possible interventions that can be used to address the challenges faced in raising finances in the bond market and enhance performance of the bond market in Kenya. The study focused on all the firms listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, whose number stood at 48 was obtained from the Nairobi Stock Exchange report (March 2011). Stratified random sampling was used to arrive at the sample size. From each stratum, 50% of the companies listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange were selected at random, making a sample of 25 companies. Each of the organizations was represented by five respondents: the Head of the Finance function, and four employees from the treasury and shares/bonds departments. Primary data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, which was self-administered. A sampling frame is a list from where the population is drawn. A list of Further, a listing of the Heads of Finance of each of the listed firms that have issued corporate bonds was obtained from the respective human resource departments. Out of the 125 questionnaires that were sent out, 95 of them were returned completed (76%) response rate.  The high response rate could be attributed to the personal efforts of the researcher, who made a follow up of every questionnaire sent out. The data pertaining to the profile of respondents was analyzed by employing content analysis while descriptive statistics were used to analyze data pertaining to the objectives of the study. Computation of frequencies and percentages, standard deviations and were used in data presentation. The possible interventions include: undertaking corporate sector and banking reforms; ensuring effective information disclosure; formulation and implementation of policies to strengthen market infrastructure; making regulations favorable to both bond issuance and to the operations of local and foreign investors; development of the money market maybe in terms of the system; diversification of investor base; enhancing taxation policies for both issuers and investors; ensuring a secure and efficient custodial system; and undertaking education. In view of the findings and conclusions of the study, the following recommendations are made for policy and practice: For a bonds market to contribute significantly to the development process, it requires that the market caters for a diverse risk preference, is liquid, efficient and has minimal volatility. To achieve this, there must be a sound fiscal and monetary policy, effective legal and regulatory framework, secure and efficient settlement and custodial system, effective information disclosure system, a diversified investor base, and favorable tax policies. For treasury bonds especially, there is need for an effective financial system, a sound and prudent debt management and credible and stable government. In addition, the development of a well-functioning money market is essential in enhancing liquidity of the market. An active money market is the precursor to an active secondary bond market. Keywords: Bond Market, Listed Companies, Nairobi Stock Exchange, Corporate Bonds, Stock Marke