Ogilvie’s syndrome: case report of spontaneous rupture of the ceacum following caesarean section

In acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO) there is colonic distension without an organic obstacle (intrinsic or extrinsic to intestinal wall). This becomes a potential site of ceacal rapture which can lead to the demise of the patient. Presented is a case of a mother who had spontaneous caecal rapture five days after Caesarean delivery. At Laparotomy the ceacal rapture was confirmed and a colostomy was done. The patient succumbed in Intensive care unit two days post-operatively

A framework for energy based performability models for wireless sensor networks

A novel idea of alternating node operations between Active and Sleep modes in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) has successfully been used to save node power consumption. The idea which started off as a simple implementation of a timer in most protocols has been improved over the years to dynamically change with traffic conditions and the nature of application area. Recently, use of a second low power radio transceiver to triggered Active/Sleep modes has also been made. Active/Sleep operation modes have also been used to separately model and evaluate performance and availability of WSNs. The advancement in technology and continuous improvements of the existing protocols and application implementation demands continue to pose great challenges to the existing performance and availability models. In this study the need for integrating performance and availability studies of WSNs in the presence of both channel and node failures and repairs is investigated. A framework that outlines and characterizes key models required for integration of performance and availability of WSN is in turn outlined. Possible solution techniques for such models are also highlighted. Finally it is shown that the resulting models may be used to comparatively evaluate energy consumption of the existing motes and WSNs as well as deriving required performance measures

Giant urinary bladder calculus: Case report

A vertical calculus weighing more than 100 g is categorised as a giant urinary bladder stone. Giant urinary bladder stones are very rare and very few cases have been reported in English literature and only one case from Africa. This is a case report of a patient with a giant urinary bladder calculus presenting as a rectal tumour. The stone was removed by open cystolithotomy. Possible etiological factors and imaging modalities are discussed

Aerial survey of Elephants (Loxodonta africana africana), other large mammals and human activities in Waza National Park, Cameroon

Total aerial count of elephants, other large mammals and human activities in Waza National Park was conducted between 21st and 23rd February 2007. Total counts of elephants and other wildlife species were done and livestock numbers were estimated. A Cessna 206 Stationair six-seater aircraft fitted with GPS was used in navigation, recording survey paths and waypoints. A total of three different herds of 180 and 66 in the park along with a further 250 migrating elephant population towards Kalamaloue National Park were counted. The herds in the park were aggregated around central part of the park along watering point. The consideration of the number of the migrating herd then put the total Waza ecosystem elephant population at 496 individuals. The total number of carcasses recorded was 7 giving a carcass ratio of 2.85%. About 21,002 heads of livestock and over 50 farmlands and human settlement were estimated in the zone abutting the park. This signifies a high level of human pressures at the periphery and thus a high potential for loss of range for the elephants and illegal killing

Unravelling technology-acceptance factors influencing farmer use of banana tissue culture planting materials in Central Uganda

Effective management of plant health is fundamental for food and income security to meet the growing demands of local and global markets. This however requires farmers’ adequate access to quality planting materials under the prevailing contextual and psycho-social factors. This study, anchored in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technologies, unravels technology-acceptance factors that influence farmers’ intentions to use banana tissue culture planting materials in the control of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt. Data were collected from 248 randomly sampled banana farmers using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using structural equation modelling to examine hypothesized paths in the uptake of banana tissue culture planting materials. Results show that farmer intentions to use tissue culture planting materials are dependent on two constructs: social influence and farmer innovativeness. However, social influence is the main predictor of intentions to use tissue culture planting materials. In particular, farmer innovativeness mediates facilitating conditions and social influence in predicting intentions to use tissue culture planting materials. Thus, this study reveals two factors that influence farmer intentions to use tissue culture planting materials: social influence and farmer innovativeness. The findings imply that social influence and farmer innovativeness are critical in disseminating novel agricultural technologies in Uganda and elsewhere

Effects of climatic variability on livelihood choices among rural populace in Baringo County, Kenya and Jigawa State, Nigeria

This paper analysed the implication of climatic variability on livelihood assets among the rural populance in Baringo County, Kenya and Jigawa State, Nigeria. Purposive sampling and questionnaires were administered to 338 households in Baringo County, 153 households in Jigawa State were sampled and Focused Group Discussion were organised. Data were analysed using frequency distribution statistics, trend and Multiple Regression analysis. The result shows that age, gender, education level and house hold size are the major determinant of livelihood choices in both locations. In Jigawa State, decreasing rainfall showed positive impacts on livestock keeping, maize and beans cultivation, bee keeping, aquaculture while the increasing temperature was observed to have positive impacts on millet, beans and sorghum farming while it showed negative impact on horticulture, bee keeping and aquaculture, livestock keeping, poultry farming and fruit production both in Baringo County and Jigawa. In Baringo County, drought (̅=3.78), crop pest and diseases (̅=3.65), livestock pest and diseases (̅=3.70), cases of human diseases (̅=4.01) and drying of water bodies (̅=3.53) and in Jigawa, drought (̅=3.95), livestock pest and diseases (̅=3.4670), cases of human diseases (̅=3.46) and drying of water bodies (̅=4.14) were identified as implications of climatic variability respectively. The paper empahasised the need for pro-active measures to avert the negative implications of climatic variability in order to maximize the positive influences. Also relevant governement agencies should act promptly to update the rural populance on the adaption measures especially water management and conservation methods.Keywords: Climatic variability, Livelihood, Rainfall, Temperature, Perceptio

On the performance, availability and energy consumption modelling of clustered IoT systems

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) form a large part of the ecosystem of the Internet of Things (IoT), hence they have numerous application domains with varying performance and availability requirements. Limited resources that include processing capability, queue capacity, and available energy in addition to frequent node and link failures degrade the performance and availability of these networks. In an attempt to efficiently utilise the limited resources and to maintain the reliable network with efficient data transmission; it is common to select a clustering approach, where a cluster head is selected among the diverse IoT devices. This study presents the stochastic performance as well as the energy evaluation model for WSNs that have both node and link failures. The model developed considers an integrated performance and availability approach. Various duty cycling schemes within the medium-access control of the WSNs are also considered to incorporate the impact of sleeping/idle states that are presented using analytical modeling. The results presented using the proposed analytical models show the effects of factors such as failures, various queue capacities and system scalability. The analytical results presented are in very good agreement with simulation results and also present an important fact that the proposed models are very useful for identification of thresholds between WSN system characteristics

Climate variability and gender differentials in decision making processes among farming households in Baringo county, Kenya and Jigawa state, Nigeria: A comparative assessment

This paper describes the impact of household activities by gender in areas vulnerable to climatic variability. A multistage sampling technique was applied, using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire while secondary data was obtained from the Meteorological Department Nairobi, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria. Data obtained were analysed using frequency distribution, trend analysis, percentage and means. A total of 338 respondents were sampled in Baringo County and 158 respondents in Jigawa State. Trend in rainfall pattern has been unstable and fluctuates by 0.44mm and 19.96mm in Baringo County, Kenya and Jigawa State, Nigeria respectively. Majority of the respondents 94.1 % (Baringo county) and 60.68% (Jigawa State) affirmed that the climate is no longer stable following observed variations in the elements of climate over time. Perception of respondents were in line with the climatic data records. A differential assessment on socially contructed roles of male and female respondents in farming households of Baringo County, Kenya revealed that males are key decision makers in choice of crop/seed to plant (50.6%), livestock keeping/feeding (57.4%), land preparation (52.4%) and coping strategies to adopt for climate variability (57.1%). Similarly, males in Jigawa State, Nigeria took charge, leading decisions on crop/seed to plant (60.7%), livestock keeping/feeding (51.6%), and coping strategies to adopt for climate variability (58.8%) while their females are key decion makers in land preparation activities (57.5%). This implies that female decisions (on agricultural activities and climate variability) in the study areas are secondary.Keywords: Climate variability, Livelihood, Gender, Adaptation/coping strategies

Census and ear-notching of black rhinos (Diceros bicornis michaeli) in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya

This paper updates the status of the black rhino population in Tsavo East National Park (NP). Data were acquired through aerial counts of the black rhino between 3 and 9 October 2010 using three fixed-wing husky aircrafts and a Bell 206L helicopter in an area of about 3,300 km2. Based on previous sightings of rhinos, the area was divided into 14 blocks, with each block subdivided into 400 m transects. An aircraft flying at about 500 m above the ground was assigned to carry out the aerial survey following these transects within each block. Observers scanned for rhinos about 200 m on either sides of the flight paths. Intensive searches in areas with dense vegetation, especially along the Galana and Voi Rivers and other known rhino range areas was also carried out by both the huskies and the helicopter. The count resulted in sighting of 11 black rhinos. Seven of these individuals were ear notched and fitted with radio transmitters and the horns were tipped off to discourage poaching. Three of the seven captured rhinos were among the 49 animals translocated to Tsavo East between 1993 and 1999. The other four animals were born in Tsavo East. Two female rhinos and their calves were not ear-notched or fitted with transmitters. It is recommended that another count be carried out immediately after the wet season as the rhinos spend more time in the open areas while the vegetation is still green. The repeat aerail count is to include blocks north of River Galana

Social capital and internationalization of commercial banks in Kenya

Purpose - Drawing on the internationalization concept, the study sought to delve into social capital and commercial banks' internationalization in Kenya. Design/Method/Approach - The research adopted a positivist philosophical approach and used a descriptive cross-sectional research design targeting top and middle-level managers in Kenya's commercial banks. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 for both descriptive and inferential statistics. Structural Equation Modelling was used to establish the influence of social capital on commercial banks' internationalization in Kenya. Findings - The findings established a significant and positive relationship between the components of social capital: inter-cultural empathy, inter-personal impact and diplomacy, and internationalization of commercial banks. Theoretically, the study expanded the body of research by developing three arguments. Practical implications - The results have significant consequences: Firstly, social capital has a positive and statistically significant relationship with commercial banks' internationalization. Secondly, all dimensions of social capital affect the acquisition of foreign market knowledge and financial resources. Thirdly, the use of individuals' social capital often changes during internationalization. Originality/Value - The novelty of the study demonstrates the interaction of commercial banks' managers in Kenya on the application of social capital as an internationalization orientation process. Research Limitations/Future Research - The research contributes to the advancement of location theory. It opens avenues for future research to establish what extent social capital is beneficial to banks that have ventured into international markets